{"id":33002,"date":"2016-01-11T10:32:20","date_gmt":"2016-01-11T15:32:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/?p=33002"},"modified":"2016-01-11T10:32:20","modified_gmt":"2016-01-11T15:32:20","slug":"critics-picks-five-musical-outings-you-should-do-this-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2016\/01\/11\/critics-picks-five-musical-outings-you-should-do-this-week\/","title":{"rendered":"CRITIC’S PICKS | Five Musical Outings You Should Do This Week"},"content":{"rendered":"
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(Photo: David D via Flickr<\/a>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Musical Toronto\u2019s weekly Critic\u2019s Picks are a fully curated list of some of the best concerts happening now through the end of the week. Of course, this is not to say we are the provocateurs of taste, but simply seek to provide a good weekly summary. For a look at the full breadth of what\u2019s available in and around Toronto, check out our concert listings in the\u00a0Musical Toronto Datebook<\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n

Wednesday \u00a013<\/h3>\n

COC |\u00a02016-17 Season Launch<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/em>at The\u00a0Four Seasons Centre. 7:30 p.m. RSVP<\/p>\n

It’s not a public event as such, unless you are a subscriber to the\u00a0Canadian Opera Company<\/strong>\u00a0and\/or a member of the media. \u00a0I am talking about the\u00a0COC’s 2016-17 Season Launch<\/strong>, to take place on Wednesday Jan. 13 at the\u00a0Four Seasons Centre<\/strong>. \u00a0Like any opera fan, I am looking forward to attending this annual event. \u00a0It used to be a much more modest affair, taking place at the Tannenbaum Centre on Front Street, where the headquarters of the COC is located. \u00a0But the last couple of years, it has turned into a large scale production, with slick video presentation and even a performance or two, to take place at the opera house. Details of next season is always a guarded secret, but occasionally one does hear a leak here and there. I am not going to give any spoilers here, but I will report in this space as soon as the information becomes available and when I’m near a computer!<\/p>\n

Friday 15<\/h3>\n

TSO | \u00a0<\/span>Mozart@260 Festival \u2013 Mozart Jupiter Symphony at Roy Thomson Hall. 7:30 p.m. $33.75-$148<\/p>\n

Mozart@260<\/a> celebrations in January is now an annual event at the\u00a0Toronto Symphony Orchestra.<\/strong>\u00a0Kicking off this year’s offering is Mozart’s\u00a0Symphony No. 40<\/em>. Conductor\u00a0Rob Kapilow\u00a0<\/strong>speaks about this piece, followed by a performance. It is on Friday Jan. 15 7:30 pm at\u00a0Roy Thomson Hall<\/strong>. This series is designed for newcomers to classical music who wants to learn more about the pillars of the standard repertoire, or for experienced concert-goers who want a refresher.\u00a0Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Saturday 16<\/h3>\n

TSO | \u00a0<\/span>Mozart@260 Festival \u2013\u00a0Mozart Symphony 41<\/i>\u00a0<\/em><\/span>at Roy Thomson Hall. 8:00 p.m. $33.75-$148\u00a0(Repeats\u00a0Sun. Jan. 17, at 3:00 p.m. at\u00a0George Weston Recital Hall)<\/p>\n

Following\u00a0last nights’s Symphony No. 40<\/em>, is Symphony No. 41 K. 551<\/em>, the “Jupiter.” \u00a0The return of Quebec conductor\u00a0Bernard Labadie<\/strong>\u00a0after his long battle with T-cell lymphoma is a cause for celebration in itself. \u00a0His life-threatening illness was reported in Norman Lebrecht’s Slipped Disc. The program opens with the Overture to\u00a0Don Giovanni, K. 527<\/em>. Pianist\u00a0Alexandre Tharaud<\/strong>\u00a0is the soloist in\u00a0Piano Concerto No. 9 K. 271<\/em>. Two marvelous Canadian singers, tenor\u00a0Frederic Antoun<\/strong>\u00a0and bass-baritone\u00a0Philippe Sly<\/strong>\u00a0are singing one Mozart aria each – Sly sings Leporello’s “Catalogue Aria” and Antoun sings Don Ottavio’s “Dalla sua pace.” Not very much, so hopefully there might be an encore? \u00a0Performance on Saturday Jan. 16 8 pm at\u00a0Roy Thomson Hall<\/strong>\u00a0is repeated the following day at 3 pm, at the\u00a0George Weston Recital Hall\u00a0<\/strong>in North York.\u00a0More info here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Tafelmusik |\u00a0Tafelmusik Vocal Competition<\/span><\/span>\u00a0at\u00a0Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, Jeanne Lamon Hall 1:00 p.m.\u00a0Free!<\/p>\n

An exciting event this week is the first\u00a0Tafelmusik Vocal Competition<\/strong>\u00a0to take place on Saturday Jan. 16th at 1 pm. Nine singers – alto, tenor and bass, and curiously no sopranos! – are the finalists chosen from over 65 contestants. They will sing baroque arias accompanied by\u00a0Christopher Bagan<\/strong>\u00a0on harpsichord and organ. Finalists are mezzo-sopranos\u00a0Johanna Bronk<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Kim Leeds;\u00a0<\/strong>countertenor\u00a0Andrew Rader;\u00a0<\/strong>tenors\u00a0Jacques-Olivier Chartier, Zach Finkelstein\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Brian Giebler;<\/strong>\u00a0and baritones\u00a0Jonathan Woody, Jeremy Ludwig<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0David Rugger<\/strong>. \u00a0Members of the jury are\u00a0Mary Morrison<\/strong>,\u00a0Catherine Robbin<\/strong>,\u00a0Jeanne Lamon<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Ivars Taurins<\/strong>. Three winners will be chosen plus the Audience Choice. The winners will be soloists in the final concert of the Tafelmusik season, performing Zelenka’s\u00a0Missa omnium sanctorum<\/em>. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Sunday 17<\/h3>\n

Mooredale Concerts |\u00a0Music and Truffles: London Haydn Quartet and\u00a0Eric Hoeprich <\/span> <\/span>at Walter Hall. 3:15 p.m.\u00a0$13<\/p>\n

Mooredale Concerts<\/strong>\u00a0is presenting the\u00a0<\/strong>on Jan. 17 3:15 pm at\u00a0Walter Hall<\/strong>, Edward Johnson Building, University of Toronto. On the program are works by Haydn, Beethoven and Mozart. This formal concert is preceded by\u00a0Music and Truffles<\/em>, an interactive program for children ages 5 to 11. For more details, go see here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

For those unfamiliar with this chamber group, here’s a short video clip on Youtube.<\/p>\n