Volume 26 Issue 6 - March and April 2021

edefine themselves as film companies. It is, by definition, their
current activity.”
The second letter came from Karel Martin Ludvik, a Canadian operatic
soloist living in Essen, Germany. “It is crucial that we all do our
part to reduce the spread of COVID-19,” Ludvik wrote. “However, not
allowing theatres to film or stream their work gravely endangers the
fate of artistic institutions that are vital to our communities.” Last fall,
Ludvik appeared in two productions at the Bavarian State Opera. One
was performed in front of an audience; the second was reduced to a
livestream because of COVID-19. “We took the exact same precautions
in both productions (frequent testing etc.),” he wrote. “No one became
ill. He added: “Although singing for a live audience is more pleasurable,
the livestream nonetheless allowed the art to be brought to the
audience.”
Twists and Turns
Since the TAPA letter and the Nestruck article, the situation has
taken a couple of twists and turns. On March 2, 2021, TAPA executive
director Jacoba Knaapen replied to a question from me: “FYI,
to date, ZERO reply from the Province.” And then, on March 8, the
current lockdown was lifted, with Toronto and Peel moving out of
limbo into the incongruously named “Grey Zone”. It is better than
it sounds, though. TAPA member companies (and other presenter/
performers) can, for now, return to the business of creating digital
content, rehearsing and broadcasting, subject to conditions similar
to those imposed on film and TV companies: no audiences allowed;
rehearsing, recording or broadcasting an event or performance
permitted (for example, streaming a performance to an online audience);
two metre distancing except when essential for the performance;
and a barrier between both singers and wind/brass players and
all other performers.
It’s good news, as far as it goes, but does nothing to address the
inequity which prompted the February 22 TAPA letter. Simply put,
without a change to Sector Specific regulation itself, if we go into lockdown
again, the temporarily levelled playing field reverts to the regulatory
unfairness challenged by TAPA and others.
All of this prompted me to follow up, as I did in the February/March
issue, with a range of performing arts presenters, to get their current
thinking (cautiously optimistic, for the most part) on this thorny
question.
Toronto Symphony Orchestra
Matthew Loden, CEO of the TSO, issued the following statement in
response to my questions:
“The TSO has been in close contact with our colleagues in government
and conveyed our commitment to rigorous adherence to safety
protocols and our desire to continue to record our concerts. We have
also been part of a collaborative effort with other arts organizations in
expressing our desire to safely continue. While we are disappointed
to not be able to record during periods of lockdown and stay-at-home
orders, we appreciate the difficult decisions our public health units
have had to make to keep our city and province safe. We are grateful
that the issue was brought to Public Health Ontario for consideration
and will always accept the direction of scientists and medical experts
about how to keep our orchestra, staff, patrons and community safe.
Once the city goes back to the pandemic framework we will resume
our recordings, sharing our music with our patrons and our city.”
RCM
The Royal Conservatory continues to do everything possible to
reschedule upcoming concerts to new dates and, in the meantime,
bring music online. “Despite the ever-changing pandemic chaos,
including regulations from the province, the music is not stopping,”
said Mervon Mehta, executive director of performing arts at RCM.
“Artists are eager to play for you and we are thrilled to ... invite you to
stream a dozen more concerts from our original season schedule.”
Included among the free online concerts over the next several
weeks are two by the ARC Ensemble. The first, on March 12, at 8pm,
is a rescheduled item from RCM’s Beethoven 250 Festival: Beethoven’s
Piano Trio in D Major, the composer’s own arrangement of his
Symphony No.2 Op.36, and a
selection of folk songs for voice
and piano trio with Monica
Whicher, soprano. On April 11
at 1pm, the Ensemble will play
music by two little-known Jewish
composers: the Sephardic works
of Alberto Hemsi (1898-1975) and
the elegant classical compositions
of Vittorio Rieti (1898-1994).
The ever-popular Glenn Gould
School Piano Showcase, another
free online concert, is available
May 7 at 7:30pm, with GGS
students displaying their talents
in a French program that includes
Debussy’s Preludes Book I and
various works for two pianos and
piano four hands.
VIRTUAL CONCERT
SERIES
Tues. March 16, 2021, 7:30 pm
Vadym Kholodenko
Piano recital including Schubert and Rachmaninoff
SPONSOR: NAE FUND
Toronto Community Foundation
Thur. April 15, 2021, 7:30 pm
Castalian Quartet
Haydn and Brahms quartets
All concerts broadcast FREE online!
Monica Whicher
INNERchamber
In a story in our February/
March issue, Wendalyn Bartley
noted that INNERchamber’s
Lost and Found concert on
February 7 – which was to have
been livestreamed from Revival
House, the Stratford ensemble’s
usual restaurant partner
– had been forced by the new
Andrew Chung
protocols to move to Canterbury
Music Company studios in Toronto. I contacted INNERchamber’s
artistic director, violinist Andrew Chung, to ask what the change in
venues was like.
VISIT
www.music-toronto.com
for more information on how to watch each concert.
IRENE MILLER
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