Volume 21 Issue 1 - September 2015

Beat by Beat | Early Music
A S†L¬R
SEASºN oƒ
EA|lY MUSIC
2015-2016 SEASON
DAVID FALLIS, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
The Soul of Naples
November 13 & 14, 2015
Christmas at the Monastery
of Santa Cruz
December 11, 12 & 13
The Way of the Pilgrim
February 12 & 13, 2016
Beowulf
March 11 & 12
Monteverdi Vespers
May 6, 7 & 8
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Head Hunting
DAVID PODGORSKI
I
don’t know how many people I can speak for when I say that I’m
not too eager for summer to be over so soon, but it does seem as
though many Toronto ensembles aren’t quite ready to start their
new seasons just yet either. Happily there are a few performances in
September that are well worth going to see.
Rodolfo Richter: One
group that’s definitely
ready for the new season
is Tafelmusik, which has
its first concert the week
after Labour Day. The superstar
orchestra will, in fact,
be very busy, very soon –
they have two concert runs
between now and October
as they continue their search
for a new artistic director.
The first concert will feature
the Brazilian-English
violinist Rodolfo Richter,
who, as the associate leader
of the Academy of Ancient
Mireille Lebel
Rodolfo Richter
Music and a Handel/Bach specialist, may be exactly what Tafelmusik
is looking for.
Richter is an experienced player who has worked his way to the
top of the European musical scene. Initially a modern violin player
and composer – he studied composition with Pierre Boulez – he
decided to make the switch to baroque violin in his mid-20s, studying
with Monica Huggett. He also comes with an impressive discography
as a leader, chamber player and soloist, having made the first
recording of the complete violin sonatas of Erlebach and a solo album
of 18th-century Italian composers Giuseppe Tartini and Francesco
Veracini in addition to his recordings with the AAM.
With an extensive musical
CV behind him, Richter
will likely do a fine job with
Tafelmusik as he leads them
in a performance of music
by Vivaldi, Handel and
Bach at Trinity-St. Paul’s
Centre, Jeanne Lamon Hall,
September 16 to 20. The
group will also be joined by
mezzo soprano Mireille Lebel
for some Handel arias and
the wonderful bassoonist
Dominic Teresi for a Vivaldi
concerto.
Cecilia Bernardini: Tafelmusik will also be bringing back violinist
Cecilia Bernardini, who dazzled Toronto audiences when she debuted
with the group in March last year. Bernardini was hired as a replacement
for the virtuoso violinist Stefano Montinari, but she exceeded
expectations with her performance of one of Jean-Marie Leclair’s
notoriously difficult violin concertos which she had added to the
regular program. Bernardini is a gifted soloist and performer, and has
the potential to bring a great deal of youthful energy to the group –
she’s barely 30 years old. Besides touring as a soloist, she already has
her own ensemble (the string trio Serafino) and is in the trial period
for leadership of both the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Camerata
Salzburg. She has fewer recordings to her name than Richter – just a
couple of La Serenissima recordings as a section player- but is nevertheless
an up-and-coming player on the international music scene.
Besides being an exceptional player, Bernardini chooses exciting
JENS MOLLENVANGER
24 | Sept 1 - Oct 7, 2015 thewholenote.com