Volume 23 Issue 9 - June / July / August 2018

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FEATURE CYLLA VON TIEDEMANN With kids at Roy Thomson Hall IN THE CITY AND ON THE ROAD But at least you can hear the hall breathe… Right. So with the RSNO it’s a different kind of contract, where a service can mean a rehearsal or it can be a concert or a recording session. In the States and North America generally, that’s not the case. Recordings have to be in a separate contract. Has raising kids in this city helped shape your perspective on what needed to be done at the TSO to build bridges to that next-generation audience that everyone talks about as some kind of holy grail? I’d say first that one’s own children are not a good gauge because they’ve grown up with music around them all the time and they play instruments and so on. But for me, reaching out is not just a generational thing. I have always tried to make the concert hall a friendly place, a non-elitist place. And sometimes that’s been quite trying, because when you are about to go out and really perform… I mean, when an actor’s about to go out and be Hamlet they really don’t want to go out before and spend five minutes explaining the play. How do you gain the credibility of then being Hamlet? Obviously it’s not quite the same when I step onto the podium. I am not becoming another person, but when I start to conduct I am becoming an interpreter, and hopefully some kind of transmitter of feeling and atmosphere and everything else. So it’s a tough transition from “mine genial host”? Exactly. You’re in two very different modes. And certainly, there are certain pieces before which I have not spoken. Or have tried to separate the speaking from the performance in some way. But people have been generally appreciative of my welcoming them, trying to give them some sense of what they are listening to and what to listen for. To demystify the thing… Right. So to get to your question, if I can help people who might otherwise not come back, and who might now say “I have friends who would actually enjoy this,” and even bring someone with them the next time, then that’s gratifying. And all in all, the size of our audiences is gratifying. I remember a performance of the Tchaikovsky Sixth where you spoke from the front of the stage. The second mezzanine was filled with first-timers. You were explaining the structure of the piece how the Third and Fourth Movements are a reversal from the norm. In terms of character you mean? Yes, exactly. And you said “So don’t be surprised if you want to applaud at the end of the third movement.” Ah yes, I remember. And then you actually went further – you said “In fact, if you feel like applauding, go right ahead because this ‘rule’ we have about not applauding between movements of a symphony actually didn’t come into effect until a decade after this symphony was written and performed.” That’s correct. Yes. And what was so interesting about that for me was seeing what you earned from that as conductor later on. How so? continues to page 92 What does the summer mean for musicians? For some, it means a break from a busy concert season. For others, it means the busiest time of the year – either touring the summer festival circuit or running a festival themselves. In either case, for many arts workers the end of the “official” concert season marks a break from routine, and an opportunity to pursue new things. In this annual series, we interview music-makers from across our local community to ask them about their summer plans. This year, we got in touch with pianist Philip Chiu, who will be busy touring the country as a chamber musician and recitalist; stage director Amanda Smith, who is preparing for an upcoming season of operatic endeavours; composer Elisha Denburg, who has new compositions in the works, in addition to helping organize this year’s Ashkenaz Festival; and soprano and arts administrator Donna Bennett, who will be helping to manage the upcoming season at Westben, as the organization makes the transition from summer festival to year-round music centre. With all of these artists, their plans for summer vacation, or lack thereof, provide a hint of exciting musical projects to come – and a glimpse into the ever-evolving nature of what it means to build a career, and a life, in the arts. PHILIP CHIU, pianist What are we interrupting (i.e. what music-related activity are we taking you away from to write this)? When I received your email earlier this week, I was in the middle of a tour dedicated to performing in small communities throughout Ontario and Quebec, as Trio Corventano (Thomas Beard, cello and Dakota Martin, flute). We had a blast playing an incredibly diverse program of Gaubert’s Trois Aquarelles, Haydn’s Trio in G Major, Hummel’s Adagio, Variations and Rondo on “Beautiful Minka,” and Nikolai Kapustin’s absolutely fiendish Trio. What, if anything, are you most looking forward to as an audience 10 | June | July | August 2018 thewholenote.com
Summer Festival Season Hits Stride COMPILED BY SARA CONSTANT respect for Jonathan’s talent and discipline, and we also share a passion for never wanting to rehearse too much, so it promises to be fun. What are you already preparing for musically beyond the summer? And (how) do your summer plans tie in with these longer term plans? Projects starting this summer and continuing into the fall include a big Québec tour with my other woodwind trio, Trio Canoë (Marina Thibeault, viola and Jean-Francois Normand, clarinet), as well as a big solo project focused on the piano music of Ravel and Debussy. Finally, there’s a super-secret project with my friend and chef Sean Murray Smith and co-proprietor Nada Abou Younes of Restaurant Île Flottante in Montréal. I can’t say too much at the moment, but we’re looking forward to continuing our collaboration of combining food and music in unexpected ways. Pianist Philip Chiu concertizes extensively as one of Canada’s most sought-after chamber musicians. He performs regularly in recital with principal members of Canada’s leading orchestras and ensembles, including Toronto Symphony Orchestra concertmaster Jonathan Crow, l’Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal concertmaster Andrew Wan and Pascale Giguere of Les Violons du Roy. member between now and September 7? I’m spending a fair amount of time teaching and performing at two major music festivals this year, Domaine Forget and Toronto Summer Music (TSM), so I’ll definitely be taking in concerts at both locations. During my stay at Domaine Forget, there is no doubt that Orchestre Métropolitain’s concert with Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony and flutist Emmanuel Pahud playing Ibert’s Concerto is going to be outstanding ... I’m already on my feet. As for TSM, I am looking forward to hearing Angela Cheng and Alvin Chow in their concert of solo and duo rep, which includes some of my favourite pieces (Debussy’s Petite Suite and Ravel’s La Valse). It is sure to be a home-run. How about as a music maker/arts worker? I’ll refer to both festivals again: June 29 is my birthday and it turns out I’ll be in concert at Domaine Forget with a number of wind greats, including the Philadelphia Orchestra’s principal bassoon Daniel Matsukawa and the Berlin Philharmonic’s Mr. Needs-no-introduction Emmanuel Pahud. I have a hard time imagining a better birthday gift. As for TSM, I’m scattered throughout concerts from July 30 to August 3, but if I had to choose... it would be my recital with pal Jonathan Crow in his “Tribute to Yehudi Menuhin.” I have enormous AMANDA SMITH, stage director What are we interrupting? I always have a few projects in various planning stages. For the past few months, I’ve been working with the Iranian- Canadian Composers of Toronto on the early development stages of a one-woman opera called Notes of Hope, which will premiere in the fall. I love creating new work, so I feel very fortunate to have been invited to join the project by this incredible group at the pre-libretto stage. It has really allowed me to get to know them and their vision for the project, so I can confidently ensure their message is heard as I direct the piece. DAHLIA KATZ continues to page 42 18.19 BRINGING ART TO LIFE CHARPENTIER ACTÉON & RAMEAU PYGMALION OCT 25 – NOV 3, 2018 MOZART IDOMENEO APRIL 4 — 13, 2019 “Flawless… Opera Atelier has scored one of its greatest triumphs.” —TORONTO STAR SUBSCRIBE FOR AS LITTLE AS $99— OPERAATELIER.COM OR 416-703-3767 X222 CANADIAN SUPERSTAR MEASHA BRUEGGERGOSMAN AS ELETTRA Season Presenting Sponsor Season Underwriter Photo by Bruce Zinger thewholenote.com June | July | August 2018 | 11
Page 1: PRICELESS Vol 23 No 9 JUNE | JULY |
Page 4 and 5: Toronto Symphony Orchestra PETER OU
Page 6 and 7: an Ontario government agency The Wh
Page 8 and 9: FEATURE A PROPER GOODBYE Peter Ound
Page 12 and 13: FEATURE HOW TO GROW A COMPOSER DAVI
Page 14 and 15: Andrew Staniland he completed the f
Page 16 and 17: Simms, and a popular classic of the
Page 18 and 19: Beat by Beat | Classical & Beyond S
Page 20 and 21: Ottawa Chamberfest Ottawa Chamberfe
Page 22 and 23: JULIA MCKAY Thunder: The Song of Fr
Page 24 and 25: Barbara Croall one percent to perso
Page 26 and 27: MARIE BYERS Beat by Beat | Jazz Not
Page 28 and 29: Beat by Beat | Art of Song MARCO BO
Page 30 and 31: Beat by Beat | On Opera Ontario Sum
Page 32 and 33: intimate view of the classic work.
Page 34 and 35: Beat by Beat | Music Theatre KATHER
Page 36 and 37: Beat by Beat | Early Music CONOR HO
Page 38 and 39: Angela Hewitt KEITH SAUNDERS August
Page 40 and 41: This full-length feature film, Troj
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Page 44 and 45: GREEN PAGES GREEN PAGES COVER PHOTO
Page 46 and 47: GREEN PAGES FESTIVAL OF THE SOUND
Page 48 and 49: GREEN PAGES great entertainment on
Page 50 and 51: GREEN PAGES STRATFORD SUMMER MUSIC
Page 52 and 53: Summer Festivals Summer Festival Li
Page 54 and 55: Armand Garnet Ruffo. Festival of th
Page 56 and 57: Music Mondays May 7 to September 3
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A. Concerts in the GTA The WholeNot
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8(7:30pm); 9(2pm); 9(7:30pm); 10(2p
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District, 9 Trinity St. 416-368-484
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Kingsway. Kingsway Organ Concert Se
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Works by Muhly, Burhans, Vivier, Ca
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Concertos II. See Summer Festival L
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Wednesday August 22 ●●3:00: Str
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120 Diner 120 Church St. 416-792-77
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●●Jun 14 6:30 Regeneration Comm
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DISCOVERIES | RECORDINGS REVIEWED D
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STRINGS ATTACHED TERRY ROBBINS Ther
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Keyed In ALEX BARAN Aldo Ciccolini,
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VOCAL Beethoven - Missa Solemnis An
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very disparate sources, ranging fro
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Libération - Jazz Flute François
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saxophonist Gerd Dudek and Schoof,
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stunning compositions include Ultes
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sopranino saxophone solo of boomera
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continued from page 10 DALE W Peter
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GREAT CHAMBER MUSIC DOWNTOWN STRING
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Volume 23 Issue 9 - June / July / August 2018

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