Volume 29 Issue 1 | September 2023

VOLUME 29 NO 1
SEPTEMBER 2023
MUSIC! LISTINGS
live and
livestreamed
STORIES
profiles, previews
and interviews
RECORD REVIEWS
and Listening Room

OCTOBER 6
PRE-ORDER

2023|24 SEASON
Centre In The Square, Kitchener
Feher
Conducts
Boléro
ANDREI FEHER conductor
JOHANNES MOSER cello
SEPT 30 & OCT 1
Johannes Moser
Vadym Kholodenko
Sibelius Symphony 2
JEAN-MARIE ZEITOUNI conductor
JI SU JUNG marimba
NOV 25 & 26
Prokofiev
& Shostakovich
with Feher
ANDREI FEHER conductor
VADYM KHOLODENKO piano
OCT 28 & 29
Ji Su Jung
BOOK FOR THESE CONCERTS AND MORE!
kwsymphony.ca | 519-745-4711 | 1-888-745-4717

2901_Sept23_cover.indd 1
2023-08-23 6:10 PM
NEW RELEASES
Volume 29 No 1 | SEPTEMBER 2023
ON OUR COVER
VOLUME 29 NO 1
SEPTEMBER 2023
MUSIC! LISTINGS
live and
livestreamed
STORIES
profiles, previews
and interviews
RECORD REVIEWS
and Listening Room
PAINTING: DAVID CRIGHTON
The Rex Hotel Jazz and Blues Bar’s walls are a rich visual
treasury - photos and memorabilia reflecting decades of
music and community history. The room has this comfortable
vibe, as if you’re always surrounded by generations of
friends. You can walk in for breakfast, when there’s no music
playing and the walls quietly sing anyway. One day in 2009,
artist David Crighton walked in with a signed and framed
reproduction - his painting of the quirky Queen Street West
Toronto building. It was an unexpected gift from a deeply
creative guy who just “gets” buildings the way some people
just “get” music. A graduate of OCA in the 70’s, his fascination
with architecture and art led to a lifetime of capturing
the diverse architecture of Toronto and Southern Ontario
(and some other places too!), in pen-and-ink and bright
acrylics. You can enjoy other examples of his work, and see
some of your own other favourite places at davidcrighton.ca
ACD2 2871
French repertoire of the
17 th & 18 th centuries, flute
works performed by
flutist Anne Thivierge,
joined by gambist
Mélisande Corriveau and
harpsichordist
Eric Milnes.
8 FOR OPENERS | Intersections
STORIES & INTERVIEWS
10 JAZZ NOTES | “Beautiful
Gumbo” – Long Live the Rex |
ANDREW SCOTT
12 IN CONVERSATION | Sharon
Azrieli on the AMPs at Ten |
SHARNA SEARLE
15 SPEAKING FOR THEMSELVES |
A True Reunion --Tafelmusik
& Bruno Weil | MJ BUELL
17 Q & A | Art Uplifted as
Dance & Music Intersect |
DAVID PERLMAN
“The flute speaks & touches
as if it had been revealed to
mankind on a glorious day
of creation”
– Raymond Meylan, La flûte
23
ACD2 2424
Choral music from
the Romantic era by
Mendelssohn, Bruckner,
Verdi, Brahms, Meyerbeer,
Gounod, Tchaikovsky &
Fauré.
Performed by Ensemble
ArtChoral under the direction
of Matthias Maute.
VISIT OUR
WEBSITE
thewholenote.com September 2023 | 5

The WholeNote
VOLUME 29 NO 1
SEPTEMBER 2023
EDITORIAL
Publisher/Editor in Chief | David Perlman
publisher@thewholenote.com
Managing Editor | Paul Ennis
editorial@thewholenote.com
Recordings Editor | David Olds
discoveries@thewholenote.com
DIGITAL MEDIA
digital@thewholenote.com
Listings Editor | John Sharpe
listings@thewholenote.com
SOCIAL MEDIA
Danial Jazaeri, Colin Story
social@thewholenote.com
SALES, MARKETING & MEMBERSHIP
Concert & Event Advertising / Membership | Karen Ages
members@thewholenote.com
Production & Operations | Jack Buell
jack@thewholenote.com
Advertising Art
adart@thewholenote.com
Online classified ads
classd@thewholenote.com
WEBSITE / SYSTEMS
Kevin King
systems@thewholenote.com
CIRCULATION
Sheila McCoy & Chris Malcolm
circulation@thewholenote.com
SUBSCRIPTIONS
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STORIES & INTERVIEWS
19 MAINLY CLUBS | Hugh’s
NEW Room | COLIN STORY
21 IN WITH THE NEW | Michael
Palumbo’s Exit Points Makes
Its Mark | WENDALYN BARTLEY
23 CLASSICAL AND BEYOND |
True to the Human Being –
Mahani Teave | PAUL ENNIS
LISTINGS
26 EVENTS BY DATE
Live and/or online
33 MAINLY CLUBS
UPCOMING
in Volume 29 No 2,
OCTOBER & NOVEMBER 2023
THE BLUE PAGES
Our 24th annual directory of
music makers in Southern Ontario.
Old friends and always some
wonderful new ones: meet the
presenters profiled here whose
creative work represents the
bedrock of everything The
WholeNote strives to do, and
whose ongoing financial
support through membership,
and priceless moral support,
is what keeps us going.
DISCOVERIES:
RECORDINGS REVIEWED
36 Editor’s Corner | DAVID OLDS
38 Strings Attached |
TERRY ROBBINS
40 Vocal
41 Classical and Beyond
44 Modern and Contemporary
47 Jazz and Improvised Music
50 Pot Pourri
52 Something in the Air |
KEN WAXMAN
54 Old Wine, New Bottles |
BRUCE SURTEES
55 New to the Listening Room,
INDEX
24 TH ANNUAL
BLUE
PAGES
The Blue Pages are available
year-round under the Who’s Who
tab at thewholenote.com
For more information, or to
inquire about including your
organisation or ensemble,
contact Karen Ages
members@thewholenote.com
6 | September 2023 thewholenote.com

STRINGS
great chamber music downtown
2023–24 SEASON
October 12
December 7
January 18
February 22
March 28
Quatuor Danel
Gryphon Trio
Verona Quartet
Ying Quartet
St. Lawrence & Friends
PIANO
Gryphon Trio
Verona Quartet
Duo Turgeon
November 7
February 13
March 5
Duo Turgeon
Maria Thompson Corley
David Fung
Maria Thompson Corley
SINGLE TICKETS ON SALE SEPTEMBER 5
Subscriptions still available
All concerts start at 8pm
FREE SPECIAL EVENT
October 26
Geoff Nuttall
Haydn Celebration
Geoff Nuttall
TICKETS: 416.366.7723, choosing option 1-1
www.music-toronto.com
27 Front Street East, Toronto

The WholeNote
FOR OPENERS
VOLUME 29 NO 1 SEPTEMBER 2023
IN THIS EDITION
STORIES AND INTERVIEWS
Wendalyn Bartley, MJ Buell, Paul Ennis,
David Perlman, Andrew Scott, Sharna Searle,
Colin Story
CD Reviewers
Stuart Broomer, Max Christie, Stephanie Conn,
Sam Dickinson, Daniel Foley, Raul da Gama, Janos
Gardonyi, Richard Haskell, Tiina Kiik, Kati Kiilaspea,
Lesley Mitchell-Clarke, Cheryl Ockrant, David Olds,
Ivana Popovic, Cathy Riches, Terry Robbins,
Michael Schulman, Andrew Scott, Adam Sherkin,
Bruce Surtees, Andrew Timar, Yoshi Maclear Wall,
Ken Waxman, Matthew Whitfield
Proofreading
Paul Ennis, John Sharpe
Listings Team
John Sharpe, Gary Heard, Colin Story
Design Team
Kevin King, Susan Sinclair
Circulation Team
Jack Buell, Bruno Difilippo, Carl Finkle, Vito Gallucci,
Josh Gershateer, James Harris, Bob Jerome,
Marianela Lopez, Chris Malcolm, Sheila McCoy,
Lorna Nevison, Janet O’Brien, and Tom Sepp
UPCOMING DATES AND DEADLINES
Weekly Online Listings Updates
6pm every Tuesday for weekend posting
Volume 29 No. 2,
October & November
Will be published
Friday, September 22 (digital)
Tuesday, September 26 (print)
Print edition listings deadline
6pm Tuesday, September 5
Print advertising, reservation deadline
6pm Tuesday, September 12
Web advertising can be booked at any time
VOLUME 29 will include six print editions:
September 2023 (Aug 29);
October & November (Sept 26);
December & January (Nov 28);
February & March (Jan 30);
April & May (Mar 26); Summer (May 28)
Printed in Canada
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WholeNote Media Inc. accepts no responsibility or
liability for claims made for any product or service
reported on or advertised in this issue.
INTERSECTIONS
“Intersection” jumped out at me as a singularly good word with which to launch this
first issue of our 29th season of doing what we do. “Crossroads” came to mind, so did
“Turning Point”, and a few others, across the full spectrum from dire to hopeful.
One thing I like particularly about the word is how normal, mundane even, it often
is. Intersections are, after all, not places where worlds are supposed to collide. To the
contrary, they are places where avoiding collisions is one’s primary social responsibility,
whether one is attempting to proceed straight ahead, or signalling a change of direction.
Don’t misunderstand though. It is not a word condemned to the mundane. In fact, in
some contexts it has a certain delicious terror to it – a frisson – knowing that you have just
doubled your chances of an unforeseen encounter, or have the option of changing direction
yourself.
It’s this latter sense that Intersection Music & Arts Festival (IMAF) taps into for its annual
marathon concert event on the Saturday before Labour Day. The idea is to put a wide range
of non-mainstream music and art in some place where everyone happening to go by will
run into stuff they would never have thought of watching or listening to. Or might even
have crossed the street to avoid, if they’d seen it coming.
Obviously it takes major intersectionality to ensure a gratifying volume of random
encounters of this kind: fortunately there is no place in the city more majorly intersectional
than Yonge-Dundas Square, the festival’s home since Contact Contemporary Music
presented its first all-day “Toronto New Music Marathon” there in 2007. (The “Intersection”
name came along three years later.)
This year the Saturday before Labour Day falls on September 2. And, as we have been,
more often than not from the get-go, WholeNote will be there, sharing a booth somewhere
along the margins of the event. The printing gods being kind, we will be waving copies of
this first issue of what is promising to be, for us, a significantly intersectional 29th year of
doing what we do.
Oops, there’s that frisson again.
At the start of this, I said that “Intersection” had jumped out at me while searching for
some unifying theme to this. Twice, actually. The other instance is a concert I write about
elsewhere in the issue which is described as being “at the intersection of Music & Dance”.
Think of “Music & Dance” as being a physical somewhere – like Yonge & Dundas (or 34th
& Vine, for that matter). Followers of different arts arrive at the same intersection by
different routes; drawn by what they knew they liked, and end up transformed by something
they would never have thought of watching or listening to. Nice thought.
David Perlman can be reached at publisher@thewholenote.com
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
For thousands of years before European settlement, T’karonto (The Meeting Place)
was part of the traditional territory of many Nations, including the Mississaugas of the
Credit River, the Anishinaabe, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat
peoples, and remains their home to this day, as it now is for many diverse First
Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples.
This Meeting Place lies within the territory governed by the Sewatokwa’tshera’t (Dish
with One Spoon) treaty between the Anishinaabe, Mississaugas and Haudenosaunee
– a Treaty which bound them to share the territory and protect the land. Subsequent
Indigenous Nations and Peoples, and all newcomers are invited into this treaty in the
spirit of peace, friendship, respect and reconciliation. We are grateful to live and work
here, helping spread the word about the healing power of music in this place.
COPYRIGHT © 2023 WHOLENOTE MEDIA INC
8 | September 2023 thewholenote.com

KOERNER HALL
2023.24 CONCERT SEASON
Commemorate Truth & Reconciliation:
Julian Taylor, Andrew McAnsh,
Zoey Roy, and more
FRI., SEPT. 29, 8PM KOERNER HALL TICKETS START AT ONLY $40
Indigenous artists gather to honour those affected by residential schools
and offer hope for the future. Curated by Denise Bolduc and Mervon Mehta,
the night is hosted by spoken word artist Zoey Roy and includes testimony,
traditional drum and dance, a world premiere by Juno Award nominated
composer Andrew Balfour, and special guests Julian Taylor, Andrew McAnsh,
and more.
Mahani Teave,
piano
SUN., OCT. 1, 3PM KOERNER HALL
TICKETS START AT ONLY $40
The only professional classical
musician on her native Easter Island,
award-winning pianist and pioneering
artist Mahani Teave will perform
works by Bach, Liszt, Chopin, and
more at her Koerner Hall debut.
Series generously supported by
Michael Foulkes & Linda Brennan
and an anonymous donor
Concert generously supported by
Eileen Mercier & Chuck Hantho
Generous support provided from
The Michael and Sonja Koerner Fund
for Classical Programming
Augustin Hadelich,
violin, with
Orion Weiss, piano
FRI., OCT. 13, 8PM KOERNER HALL
TICKETS START AT ONLY $45
Grammy Award-winning violinist Augustin Hadelich
and “brilliant pianist” (The New York Times) Orion Weiss
will perform two traditional sonatas, a minimalist
piece written in the 80s, and other exciting works.
Generous support provided from The Michael and Sonja Koerner
Fund for Classical Programmin
Steven Page
with Craig Northey,
Kevin Fox, and special
guest Tom Wilson
SAT. , SEPT. 30, 8PM KOERNER HALL
TICKETS START AT ONLY $45
The former Barenaked Ladies frontman
turned solo performer brings some
friends to perform literate, catchy
songs about love and life.
Earl Lee conducts the Royal
Conservatory Orchestra
Kyung Ah Oh, violin
FRI., OCT. 6, 8PM KOERNER HALL
TICKETS START AT ONLY $25
Renowned Korean-Canadian cellist,
conductor, and RCM alumnus Earl Lee
will lead the Royal Conservatory
Orchestra and violinist Kyung Ah Oh
(winner of The Robert W. and
G Ann Corcoran Concerto Competition)
in a program of works by Ravel,
Prokofiev, and Strauss.
Part of the Temerty Orchestral Program
Omar Kamal
FRI., OCT. 20, 7:30PM KOERNER HALL
TICKETS START AT ONLY $50
Performing with a Toronto all-star
big band and strings, Palestinian
singer, composer, and producer
Omar Kamal brings together a
stunning repertoire of emotional
hits for one enchanting
evening of standards.
The evening is dedicated to
the memory of Tony Bennett.
TICKETS & SUBSCRIPTIONS ON SALE NOW! 416.408.0208 RCMUSIC.COM/PERFORMANCE
237 BLOOR STREET WEST
(BLOOR ST. & AVENUE RD.) TORONTO

JAZZ NOTES
“Beautiful
Gumbo”
LONG LIVE THE REX
ANDREW SCOTT
Although not yet as canonically sacrosanct to the
history of jazz as NYC’s Minton’s Playhouse was,
Toronto’s Rex Hotel is equally important to this
city’s jazz community as both a performance venue and
a musical testing ground where creative ideas and group
concepts germinate and take root.
Guitarist Lorne Lofsky began playing there with such musicians
as saxophonists Bob Mover and Kirk MacDonald and drummer Jerry
Fuller in the late 1980s. “It’s really interesting,” he recalls, “to witness
the evolution of people’s playing at The Rex. The club is not a laboratory
exactly, but rather a magical place where musicians are free to try
things out. From that initial experimentation, groups have formed,
concepts evolved, and people have grown as players because of the
playing that we did there.”
The famed Harlem NYC nightclub, Minton’s Playhouse, existed from
1938 until a fire ripped through the Hotel Cecil that housed it in 1974.
It remains an important site to this day, discussed in reverential tones
by jazz enthusiasts coming to pay homage at the locale where modern
jazz’s equivalents of Zeus, Poseidon and Hades held court. On Monday
evenings in the early 1940s, at crowded jam sessions following
earlier Apollo Theatre performances, the Olympian“Big Three” were
Thelonious Monk, Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Christian.
As much as Minton’s was a place and physical site, it is remembered
primarily as a spot of musical experimentation, ultimately
becoming the metaphorical petri dish of modern jazz. As the writer
Ralph Ellison explained in a 1959 Esquire article, the club’s Monday
Celebrity Nights incubated ever-new musical ideas, “allowing the
musicians free rein to play whatever they liked.” Yes, there were
other spots where this music was developing, but it is safe to say: no
Minton’s, no bebop.
Stumbling serendipitously: Like many “Temples of Sound,” to
borrow a phrase from William Clark and Jim Cogan’s great book, The
Rex stumbled into its place as a preeminent site of musical excellence
not by design necessarily, but rather serendipity – benefitting from the
happenstance of proximity, Situated at 194 Queen St W, it was located
just down the street from Doug Cole’s Bourbon Street, which in the
1970s and 1980s was bringing marquee name American jazz greats
to the city to perform with local rhythm sections. “A lot of musicians
who were on break at Bourbon Street would come to The Rex for the
The United Clothing
Store, with a side
entrance for the Rex
Hotel (1950s) (above),
The Rex by
David Crighton
cheaper booze and to have a
taste between sets” remembers
pianist Mark Eisenman, who
considers his performances
at The Rex as part of trumpeter
Sam Noto’s band (with
Kirk MacDonald, drummer
Bob McLaren and either Neil
Swainson or Kieran Overs on
bass) as “among his most treasured
musical memories.“
Conversely, Rex owner Bob
Ross – whose father Jack and
business partner Morris Myers
had purchased the former
Williams Hotel in 1950 as a
Avi Ross (left) and Bob Ross
“beer hotel” investment opportunity
– would cap off his
working evenings by going to Bourbon Street to unwind and hear
some music. “If it swung, I was into it,” says Ross, who cites performances
of Zoot Sims and Jackie Cain and Roy Krall as particularly
memorable.
And so, by the early 1980s, a reciprocal ecosystem of musicians
moving between Bourbon Street to The Rex Hotel was established.
The Ross family business soon went from hosting musicians looking
for an inexpensive drink at its bar, to hosting them on the stage that
had been built on the hotel’s Queen Street side (previously the United
Clothing Store that occupied the southerly portion of the building’s
ground floor).
Early and exciting musical sets by saxophonist Jim Heineman
and organist John T. Davis, with Mark Hundevad on drums, forged
performance ground at the club.
Soon a roster of local players was rotating appearances at the club,
including the brothers Lloyd (bassist) and Don “D.T” Thompson
10 | September 2023 thewholenote.com

(saxophone), pianist Norm Amadio, teenagers Jake Wilkinson (then
on valve trombone) and saxophonist Grant Stewart, trombonist Terry
Lukiwski and drummer Norman Marshall Villeneuve. The roster also
included saxophonist Bob Mover, who, at the behest of long-time Rex
server Rob Collins, began living upstairs in the club’s second floor
hotel rooms. The running joke was that a fireman’s pole should be
installed from Mover’s room directly to the club’s stage.
Both living and playing regularly at The Rex, saxophonist Mover
gained insight into not only the musicians who worked the weekend
performance slots, but the Damon Runyan-esque characters who
fraternized the establishment. Be it the erudite “Stoney” (who would
apparently quote Bukowski between sips of a drink), the drummer
Norman “Spike” McKendry (who recorded in Montreal with Sadik
Hakim), or pianist Jim McBirnie (who was there so often that he had
an unofficial bar seat. The Rex was as rich in character as it was in the
musical talent it hosted.
“It was a fascinating atmosphere with a lot of soul,” says Mover,
“which, for a New Yorker like me was very refreshing in ‘Toronto
the good!’”
Looking to expand the club’s weekend performances to include a
Tuesday evening set, Ross tapped Villeneuve and Mover to co-lead the
club’s now famous and longstanding jam session, currently hosted
by bassist Chris Banks. These formative sessions soon afforded young
musicians the opportunity to perform regularly, learning from the
established masters of this music such as Mover and Villeneuve: the
latter consciously modelled his bands’ commitment to “passing it
down” after Art Blakey’s Messengers, in a rite of passage as old as the
idiom itself.
“It was an amazing time,” remembers trumpeter Jake Wilkinson,
who by the early 1990s went from sitting in at the jam sessions to
co-leading a group at the club on Wednesday evenings. “I learned a lot
during those days,” remembers Wilkinson, who would rehearse after
hours in the club’s basement with Mover when the older saxophonist
was living upstairs.
23|24 SEASON ON SALE NOW
Incredible Theatre!
Incredible Savings!
Subscription packages start as low as $227
“It was a fascinating atmosphere with a lot of
soul, which, for a New Yorker like me was very
refreshing in ‘Toronto the good!’” — Bob Mover
Photo of Hailey Gillis by Colton Curtis
JIM MCBIRNIE
Pianist and Rex fixture Jim McBirnie took this photo in the
mid-nineties: (l-r) Charlie Mountford, piano; Archie Alleyne, drums;
Don Thompson, bass; Bob Mover, sax; and Pat LaBarbera, sax.
647.341.7390 | crowstheatre.com/subscribe
thewholenote.com September 2023 | 11

Handling success: As the roster of
musicians performing at the club and
vying for gigs expanded, so did the
responsibility of booking shows. By 1989,
Ross brought in Tom Tytel, who had
recently earned his bartending licence
and whose mother was long-time friends
with the Ross family, to assist with
bartending, evening managerial duties,
and, eventually, booking the music.
Commenting on his, and The Rex’s,
track record for not only consistently
showcasing top-shelf music but staying
Tom Tytel
in business for some three decades,
including COVID shutdowns,Tytel disavows any personal agency. “I
don’t claim to know music, good from bad, but I do know what works
for The Rex. I trust the people to whom Bob introduced me, and I
know enough to get out of the way and stay out of all things creative
that happen on the stage.”
As the decades passed and the former upstairs residence rooms
flourished as renovated and revamped boutique downtown hotel
suites under the watchful eye of Ross’ son Avi, the club’s booking
policy expanded from those initial Heineman/Davis weekend slots,
to hosting music seven nights a week, often with two or three bands
performing multiple sets a night. The Rex is today valued as much for
the social cohesion it facilitates within Toronto’s intergenerational and
intersectional jazz community as for the destination performance spot
it provides for local and out-of-town musicians, as well as fledgling
student ensembles from the city’s neighbouring schools.
“It’s a mainstay, for sure,” states saxophonist Mike Murley. “It’s hung
in there to not only grow over the years but evolve. I love what’s going
on there now as the multi-night performances are somewhat like the
old days.”
Murley’s “the old days” hearkens back to an earlier time in Toronto
jazz when George’s, Meyer’s Deli, Montreal Bistro, Top o’ the Senator,
Bourbon Street and the Bermuda Onion reigned supreme. The Rex’s
new booking policy has become a creative catalyst for a new crop of
younger players who can now bring visiting players to the city for
extended engagements. “Having a four-night run at The Rex to workshop
the material before recording with Terri Parker’s Free Spirits was
really beneficial in terms of preparing the music and getting a sound
together,” suggests bassist Lauren Falls.
Tom Tytel’s booking credo is that “if you leave the cooks alone,
they will make you a beautiful gumbo.” The Rex, whether hosting the
annual Coltrane Tribute (nearing its 40th anniversary) or showcasing
an ever-new crop of diverse and talented young jazz voices, has no
plans to stop cooking up enriching and soulful sounds anytime soon.
KARL-LEUNG
Andrew Scott is a Toronto-based jazz guitarist (occasional
pianist/singer) and professor at Humber College, who contributes
regularly to The WholeNote Discoveries record reviews.
Teri Parker's Free Spirits at the Rex in 2019.
IN CONVERSATION
Sharon Azrieli on
The AMPs at Ten
SHARNA SEARLE
Canada’s largest non-corporate funding body, the
Azrieli Foundation was established in 1989 by
Sharon Azrieli’s late father, philanthropist and
developer, David Azrieli, with a mission, according to
the Foundation’s website, “to improve the lives of present
and future generations through education, research,
healthcare and the arts, mainly in Canada and Israel.”
Sharon Azrieli
JEFFREY HORNSTEIN
While Music, Arts & Culture is
but one of the Foundation’s eight
priority funding areas, I counted
a mind-boggling 40-plus
Canadian cultural organizations
and institutions that have
benefitted from the Foundation’s
support over the years. Many of
these have been covered in the
pages of The WholeNote – from
the Canadian Opera Company,
Sistema Toronto and Jeunesses
Musicales Canada, to Concerts in
Care Ontario, Toronto Symphony
Orchestra and the Ashkenaz
Foundation. (And I have a feeling
there are probably another 40 I
haven’t heard about.)
In 2013, Montreal-born Sharon
Azrieli had an idea for a new Azrieli Foundation program – a competition
that reflected her love of music and art, and which she knew
would become her “bailiwick” at the Foundation. “My first thought
was ‘What doesn’t exist?’ she explained in a recent phone conversation.
Not wanting to reinvent any wheels, she looked around and
determined that in Canada there were already competitions for
voice, for violin, for string quartet, and for piano, but that there were
none for composition.
Thus, playing to her strengths – “What do I know about? I happen
to know about Jewish music” – and to her deep ties to both Canada
and Israel, in 2014 the Azrieli Music Prizes (AMP) were born.
The first two inaugural prizes were The Azrieli Prize for Jewish
Music and The Azrieli Commission for Jewish Music, followed by
The Azrieli Commission for Canadian Music a few years later. And
to mark the upcoming tenth anniversary of the AMP, a fourth prize
has been added for the 2024 competition: The Azrieli Commission
for International Music.
12 | September 2023 thewholenote.com

Sharon Azrieli, performing at the October 2022 AMP Gala with Orchestre Métropolitain
and Alexandre Bloch, conductor, in the Maison symphonique de Montréal.
Azrieli, herself, is no musical slouch. In addition to her philanthropic
work, the AMP’s visionary is an operatic soprano, a cantor
and a jazz, cabaret and Broadway singer. She also holds degrees from
Vassar College (B.A., art history), Parsons School of Design (Associate
Degree, illustration), Université de Montréal (M.Mus, vocal performance;
Ph.D, music) and a Diploma in Vocal Performance from
Juilliard. Clearly, she knows a thing or two about more than Jewish
music, … and knows what high standards look like.
As a result, the Azrieli Music Prizes are widely recognized as
Canada’s biggest (and among the world’s most important) competitions
devoted to music composition – synonymous with excellence,
prestige and originality. Each round of the prizes has its
own specific and unique focus and artistic challenges – this year’s
instrumental cycle, for example, is devoted to choral music; all
works, in all competition categories, must be for a cappella choir
plus up to four additional instruments and/or vocal soloists.
Winning commissions, we are told, will display “the utmost creativity,
artistry, technical mastery and professional expertise.”
On top of that, there’s the tricky business
for would-be applicants to the AMP of
trying to figure out what exactly is meant by
“Jewish,” “Canadian,” and “International”
music. The following description, drawn
from an article in a recent issue of
International Arts Manager, is helpful:
“For the purpose of the Prizes, the Azrieli
Foundation defines ‘Jewish,’ ‘Canadian’ and
‘International’ music as broadly as possible,
taking into account the rich multicultural
associations with such terms. These musical
categories are deeply interwoven with a
diversity of languages, religious practices,
social traditions, histories, geographies
and related cultural expressions. They
embrace genres that are sacred, secular,
popular, folk and Indigenous in nature. The
Foundation understands Jewish, Canadian
and International music to be rooted in
diverse customs and traditions, yet also as
forward-moving, progressive and dynamic.
Thus, it invites composers to explore themes
and content drawn from contemporary
life and experiences that express not only
historic concerns and current conditions
but also future aspirations as a means of
advancing the art form.”
That being said, the Foundation goes to great lengths to clarify that
the competition in general, and the Jewish music prizes specifically,
are open to people of all ages, genders, faiths, backgrounds and traditions.
As Sharon Azrieli has stated in many interviews and articles
over the years, “This is one of the most important aspects of both the
Azrieli Prize for Jewish Music and the Azrieli Commission for Jewish
Music: you don’t have to be Jewish to write Jewish music.”
In a 2015 press release from the Foundation, she had some fun with
the subject. After saying that “the whole point of the competition is
that you don’t have to be Jewish,” she added, “And also, everyone is
Jewish. Find your Jewish soul – anybody can be a kvetch!”
The converse is also true, she told me. “Just because you say, ‘Hey,
I’m Jewish and therefore anything I write is Jewish music,’ … No.
Sorry … it does not work that way.” Apparently, they get a number
of those applications.
Azrieli “loves the question” of What is Jewish music? because
she “can actually answer it,” given her background as a cantor, and
her doctoral work – finding cantorial modes in the works of Verdi
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ANDREW ADAMS
Brian Current
(2016 AMP Laureate)
– among other things. “Jewish
music is a known entity. It has
absolutely known modes. Then
there are Yiddish songs, there
are Sephardic songs. There is
klezmer … biblical themes or
stories about the Jewish people.
There are so many things that
are legitimately Jewish music.”
Ultimately, it all comes
down to “fostering greater
intercultural understanding
through music.” And each prize
package, valued at an exceedingly
generous $200,000 CAD,
is a great motivator en route to
achieving that goal. Included is
a cash prize of $50,000 CAD, a
premiere of the prize-winning
work at the AMP Gala Concert,
at least two subsequent international
performances, a professional recording of the work for
future commercial release, and publicity support. Further, the
AMP Performance Fund supports ensembles in presenting public
performances of winning works.
Becoming an Azrieli Music Prize winner, a laureate, is a careerboosting,
if not outright life-changing, experience. Some of the extraordinary
prize-winning works over the years end up in the orchestral
repertoire, like the oratorio The Seven Heavenly Halls, by Brian
Current, first winner of the Azrieli Commission for Jewish Music.
Some even win a Juno, like Arras (for fourteen musicians), by Keiko
Devaux, first winner of the Azrieli Commission for Canadian Music.
According to Jason van Eyk, the Foundation’s Manager, Music, Arts
and Culture, there has been a marked evolution and growth since the
AMP’s inception, including “a 150% increase in the number of applicants
and 145% growth in the number of countries represented.” (If
you want to do the math, the first competition drew almost 100 applications
from over ten countries.) There have also been improvements
in gender diversity. This all bodes well for the future of the AMPs, as
does the fact that the last few Galas were livestreamed by medici.tv
and viewed by close to 60,000 people in 65 countries!
As a philanthropist, Sharon Azrieli’s good work at the
Foundation earns plaudits. As a soprano and a cantor, she also
continues to enjoy the applause of appreciative concert audiences
and synagogue congregations; sometimes both at the same time.
This was the case during her most recent concert in Cluj, Romania,
where she sang a cantorial concert in the city’s only working
synagogue. “l needed to say kaddish for my father, and there was
nobody to lead the service. So I ended up leading the service for
them, and it ended up being just a lovely experience.”
Winding up our conversation, I asked her one of those “Who’s
your favourite child?” kind of questions: of all the musical genres,
Kelly-Marie Murphy
(2018 AMP Laureate)
Today, Current serves on the Jewish Music Jury and is a liaison for that jury
to the AMP Advisory Council; Murphy is on the newly formed International
Music Jury. “Both are excellent jurors and bring not just their plentiful talent,
experience and expertise to their roles, but also their unique perspective as
past Laureates”. (Jason van Eyk, Azrieli Foundation)
which one speaks most deeply
to her heart? Her answer
surprised me. With a sigh
followed by a hearty laugh, she
replied, “Israeli folk song. Don’t
forget I was raised on Israeli folk
songs. I love [them]. I bet you
can imagine me singing some of
them.” And I could.
So, is there a genre she has
yet, and would like, to tackle,
say for example, country
music? I asked, and that answer
surprised me even more. “I can’t
believe you asked that … It’s so
funny because I was just about
to record a country song.” It
was for a movie she was about
to appear in, she explained, but
which got kiboshed due to the
actors’ strike in Hollywood.
She wouldn’t name the song because she still plans to record it and
wants it to be a surprise. “But I’ll tell you something. It is a country
song that is in the Lydian mode. If you can figure out which one it
is, then call me.” Any guesses?
And what about opera? Azrieli was very candid. “It’s a young
person’s ‘sport,’” she said. “It’s like being a figure skater … so physically
hard on the body … there is an age limit for opera and I
think I’m nearing the end.” And then she quoted Kenny Rogers’
The Gambler. “It’s an issue of ‘you got to know when to fold ‘em.’”
Hmmm. Maybe the next Azrieli prize will be a “Jewish” country
music commission. With her joie de vivre, I wouldn’t put it past her.
Some dates to watch
Sharon Azrieli
September 2023: Screening of Irena’s Vow at the Toronto
International Film Festival (Sharon Azriel plays the role of “Helen”)
October 2023: Quebec Philharmonic Orchestra, Beethoven
Symphony No. 9
Azrieli Music Prizes
October 6, 2023: Album release, New Jewish Music Vol. 4
October 15, 2023: Sharon Azrieli performs the European premiere
of 2022 AMP Jewish Music laureate, Aharon Harlap’s, Out of the
depths have I cried unto Thee (Philharmonia Orchestra, Cadogan
Hall). The prize-winning works by both other 2022 Laureates,
Rita Ueda and Imam Habibi, will also be performed.
November 2, 2023: 2024 AMP Laureate Announcement Event:
details to be announced.
ALEX DEAN
Sharna Searle, a former WholeNote listings editor, trained as a
musician and lawyer, and currently works as a freelance writer,
editor and proofreader.
14 | September 2023 thewholenote.com

SPEAKING FOR THEMSELVES
A TRUE REUNION
Tafelmusik welcomes back Bruno Weil
Compiled and edited by MJ BUELL
Tafelmusik at the Klang und Raum Festival, in Irsee, Germany (2006)
SIAN RICHARDS
“When I heard that Tafelmusik was opening its
2023/24 season with Beethoven symphonies
conducted by Bruno Weil and in celebration of its
45th anniversary season, it sounded like a reunion
that I could not miss,” writes Christina Mahler,
Tafelmusik principal cellist from 1981 to 2019.
Christina
Mahler
“Tafelmusik’s collaboration
with Bruno Weil
started in the early 1990s
with an annual invitation to
play at his music festival in
Bavaria: Klang und Raum
(Sound and Space). As the
festival’s orchestra-in-residence
for 19 years, we ended
our summers in southern
Germany with Bruno and his
family. This relationship has
greatly shaped our orchestra
and helped extend our repertoire
into the 19th century,
because Bruno wanted to
explore the classical and
Romantic music periods with
Tafelmusik on period instruments.
Playing Romantic
music on period instruments
was a fairly new concept at the time, and we were able to learn and
explore alongside each other.
“Bruno has said that he especially loves to play Beethoven with
Tafelmusik, which makes a lot of sense to me. Beethoven is a
composer who makes you work. His life was hard, with many
dramatic challenges. He had a fiery, earthy and willful temperament,
which comes through in his music. Playing his works on period
instruments gives a clearer understanding and experience of what
Beethoven wanted to say. Once we learn about the composer, use the
instruments of the time, and learn about the specific styles of the
period, the music becomes much more powerful. Winds and strings
find their original balance.
“Bruno has offered us many beautiful insights. As he has said,
working with Tafelmusik means exploring Beethoven as if it was
newly composed music. Approaching the music as Baroque musicians,
we had to expand our palette, flexing and toning our muscles
to re-learn this new style. It was an exciting process for everyone
including the festival’s audience. Our annual stay in Germany often
ended with the making of one or more recordings. Then, returning to
Toronto, we were ready for our opening concerts, sharing our repertoire
discoveries with our home audience.
“It is such a thrill that Bruno is coming back to collaborate
with Tafelmusik after these awful years of COVID drought. He will
bring his family and some friends from our Klang & Raum years to
Toronto, and it will feel like a true reunion.
“When I joined Tafelmusik in 2004, it was my incredible good
fortune to be welcomed into the musical relationship between
Tafelmusik and Bruno Weil, and into the middle of the Beethoven
symphony recordings” says Cristina Zacharias, Tafelmusik violinist
and Artistic Co-Director.
“I knew I was lucky, but I didn’t understand at that time just how
rare such relationships are in the orchestral world. The atmosphere
in our work together was characterized by trust, exploration and a
relentless commitment to the music in front of us. The performances
that resulted from this collaboration are among the most special in
thewholenote.com September 2023 | 15

An agency of the Government of Ontario
Un organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario
SIAN RICHARDS
Cristina Zacharias
Created for Marie Antoinette
and the most discriminating
audience in Europe.
GLUCK’S
ORPHEUS AND
EURYDICE
Oct 26 to Nov 1
ELGIN THEATRE
my career – thrilling moments in concert
halls all over the world where the magic of
live performance blended with a sense of
discovery and a particularly unified performance
energy.
“Those ground-breaking recordings of the
Beethoven symphonies set an artistic standard
that we continue to measure ourselves
against. The mix of musical passion and
dedication between Bruno and Tafelmusik,
characterized especially in our Beethoven
cycle, has become a benchmark for all of
Tafelmusik’s artistic endeavours. Almost 20
years later, in planning for Tafelmusik’s
45th anniversary season as an Artistic
Co-Director, an invitation to Bruno felt like
a natural choice – the best way to remind us
where Tafelmusik came from, and to propel
us toward our future. None of our passion
for this music has faded, and I am so eager
to bring it to our home audience for this
celebration.”
Dominic Teresi, Tafelmusik Principal Bassoon and Artistic
Co-Director, offered this:
“One of my earliest performances with Tafelmusik was
Beethoven’s 5th at Klang und Raum with Bruno conducting. It
was an incredibly profound and joyous experience with my new
Tafelmusik family that I will never forget. Bruno brings an uncommon
breadth of knowledge and emotional depth to Beethoven and I can
say that performing and recording all nine of Beethoven’s symphonies
with him has been one of the most formative experiences of my
musical career. I am overjoyed to be opening our 45th season with
Bruno and these two monumental works.”
Bruno Weil
SIAN RICHARDS
Dominic Teresi
Colin Ainsworth / Orpheus
Mireille Asselin / Eurydice
Artists of Atelier Ballet
Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra
SEASON
PRESENTING
SPONSOR
Photo: Colin Ainsworth and Jennifer Such by Bruce Zinger
OPERAATELIER.COM
And a postscript:
“It is an honour to return to the stage with Tafelmusik almost 20
years since our first recordings of Beethoven symphonies,” says
Bruno Weil. “The musicians of Tafelmusik continue to bring such
intensity, honesty and absolute delight to the music. There are few joys
greater than bringing the idealism and passion of Beethoven’s music
to life with my dear friends.”
The details: Tafelmusik’s 45th anniversary season kicks off with
an all-Beethoven blockbuster on Sept 22 at 8pm, Sept 23 at 8pm
& Sept 24 at 3pm at Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre for Performance
and Learning.
MJ Buell is a long time member of The WholeNote
team, and an occasional writer.
16 | September 2023 thewholenote.com

Q & A
Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s Jan 11-15 concert,
conducted by Michael Francis. The first half
closed with the Toronto Mendelssohn Singers
in Gregorio Allegri’s Miserere Mei, Deus.
Art uplifted when
dance & music
intersect
DAVID PERLMAN
Let’s start by looking back — to a Toronto Symphony
concert in January this year. Second half of the
concert was the Mozart Requiem, with the full
Mendelssohn Choir (TMChoir) doing the vocal honours.
But what made the evening special was how the first half
set the scene.
The concert opened with the sopranos and altos of the Toronto
Mendelssohn Singers (TMSingers) entering in darkness, singing, a
cappella, Hildegard’s haunting O Virtus Sapientiae. Two orchestral
pieces followed (Mozart’s Masonic Overture and an arrangement of
Beethoven’s Grosse Fugue.) And the half closed with the TMSingers’
full chamber contingentturn again, divided up, antiphonally, into two
choirs, in Gregorio Allegri’s Miserere mei, Deus.
The evening felt like an artistic whole. As such, it spoke to the
wisdom of the TMChoir’s decision to formalize the choir’s professional
core as a chamber ensemble. The chamber choir offers an
intimacy that is the emotional flip-side of the main choir’s power. As
such it offers the potential for exploring edgier repertoire, new venues,
and inspiring creative partnerships.
September 22 & 23 is a case in point. Titled “In Time: at the
Intersection of Music & Dance”, the concert renews a creative partnership
formed during the darkest days of the pandemic, with
choreographer/dancer Laurence Lemieux’s Citadel + Compagnie.
Performances take place in Jeanne Lamon Hall, at Trinity-St. Paul’s
Centre, – unfamiliar territory for both ensembles. The repertoire,
on the other hand (Handel’s Dixit Dominus and Bach’s Christ lag in
Todesbanden), is part of the musical DNA of a venue that, as home to
the Tafelmusik Baroque Ensemble for decades, wears Period music
like a coat of paint!
and for me the experience of singing in a large choir satisfies so many
musical needs.
I love the camaraderie, and I love the feeling of letting my voice
soar within this group. I I love feeling how my voice blends into the
group around me and how we all complement and amplify each
other’s voices. The physical sensation of this type of singing is incredibly
cathartic and I’ve often found myself swept up emotionally.
I reached out to Lesley Emma Bouza, a long-standing member
of the TMChoir’s professional core, for her thoughts on the
TMSingers revival.
WN: Let’s start with what makes singing in the big choir special.
LESLEY BOUZA: I love singing in big choirs. My first choir experience
was in a big symphonic choir, at the University of Guelph under
conductor Dr. Marta McCarthy. I fell in love with the feeling of having
my voice be a part of a massive sound machine that can achieve
anything from pianissimo to triple forte and beyond. I’ve been an
instrumentalist and a singer in every size, shape and type of ensemble
thewholenote.com September 2023 | 17

Lesley Bouza
Is there anything it’s not good
for? The only thing that comes
to mind for me is that you need
to be very aware of your technique
and how your sound fits
into an ensemble that large. You
don’t have the same feedback of
hearing yourself as in a smaller
ensemble, so the temptation to
push your sound out to be able to
hear yourself better is very strong
and can lead to vocal fatigue quite
quickly; especially with some of
the repertoire that you encounter in this type of choir … Beethoven’s
9th, Carmina Burana … other large scale works with a lot of sustained
fortissimo singing.
MARGOT DALEY
What does chamber singing offer that a big choir cannot? The
opportunity to prepare music in very detailed ways. Often you’re
singing only a few voices to a part, or, as in the case with TMSingers’
2022 performance of Path of Miracles, even one to a part. You need
to come prepared and have the confidence to hold down your part,
despite everything else that might be going on – multiple tonalities
and rhythms at the same time; singing in various languages,
portraying different characters; sensitivity to the style of the music.
Professional choristers in chamber choirs get to sing so many different
genres of music within our art form, and it’s so satisfying to switch
from music that was written 200 years ago in German to music that
was written last month in Arabic.
Is the camaraderie different? In these choirs you can really feel how
each member contributes to the team. This leads to discussions of how
to interpret the music. Of course the conductor has the final say, but
the singers can make choices that contribute to the interpretation in
Elmer
Iseler
Singers
Lydia Adams, C.M.
Conductor and Artistic Director
45th Concert Season 2023-2024
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April 20, 2024: Triple Choir
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a real way as well. JS [Jean-Sébastien Vallée] is a particularly collaborative
conductor to sing for; he works with us as a member of the
ensemble, not just its leader.
What are you most looking forward to in this TMSingers revival
(apart from being paid)?
I have been a member of the paid, professional core of the TMChoir
for a long time, but that group has existed almost entirely to support
the larger choir: a piece or two in a TMChoir concert; rare performances
at weddings or other events. The professional choristers within
The TMChoir have long been some of the most skilled musicians
that I’ve had the pleasure to work with, and it’s wonderful to get our
own concerts, singing challenging music, showcasing our solo abilities
and contributing to the vibrant chamber music scene in Toronto.
It’s not just a “revival” in the sense of planning concerts and hiring
singers. The leadership of the TMChoir has listened to us describe the
challenges that professional choristers working in and around this city
have had for a long time. Being a professional chorister feels a bit like the
Wild West; we are not eligible to be a part of any kind of union or musicians
association, and so we rely on negotiations with the organizations
who contract us to create positive and respectful working environments.
The creative concerts that we’ve gotten to perform so far – The Little
Match Girl Passion and The Pilgrim’s Way – are the icing on the cake. In
particular Little Match Girl really stayed with the audience and felt like
a concert which was contributing to an important conversation in our
city. I like to think our taking a risk in weighing in on the mental health
and housing crises in this city may have made a difference in some way.
And this upcoming collaboration with Citadel? I am thrilled. Art is
uplifted when different mediums, genres and cultures come together.
If this art form is to survive I think we need to present it in ways that
resonate with audiences that may not be drawn to the more traditional
choral aesthetic. Dance is a no-brainer to pair with early music;
so much of this music is built upon a foundation of dance forms. I
can’t wait to see what C+C brings to incredible works that are always
challenging and fun to sing: but they’ve been performed many. many
times in this city in a conventional way. Adding dance sheds a new
light on timeless work and adds relevance for a modern audience.
For Laurence Lemieux,
Citadel Dance’s artistic
director, the hard work for
Handel’s Dixit Dominus
still lies ahead. “We started
on the Handel in studio in
June,” she says, “but it’s a
big work, so a complex
challenge. I’ve given myself
till September 1 on the
choreography, then we have
September to rehearse,
separate from the choir,
Toronto Mendelssohn Choir:
Sacred Music for a Sacred Space,
April 2021
until the week of the show. We get three rehearsals together in the
hall to work on timing – crucial for dancers. We take our overall
tempos from the musicians, but after that certain things become
non-negotiable. Tiny changes in tempo interfere with the musclememory
practice dancers depend on to fulfill our intentions.”
For Bach’s Christ lag in Todesbanden, which she will dance solo,
as she does in the 2021 filmed collaboration, the hardest work, the
emotional heavy lifting, has already been done. “People were dying
all around and I was working in isolation. Overwhelming as it was,
it became an important journey to express. The sorrow of the Virgin
Mary with a dying son became an even deeper sorrow, for all those
lives being lost. If I had been an angel, I’d have been very busy, with
the passing of all those souls.”
David Perlman can be reached at publisher@thewholenote.com
JEREMY MIMNAGH
18 | September 2023 thewholenote.com

MAINLY CLUBS
Hugh’s
NEW Room
COLIN STORY
In March of 2020 – while COVID anxiety was swirling
through Toronto, but just before lockdown protocols
were announced and enacted – news broke that
Hugh’s Room Live would be leaving their Dundas West
location, having failed to come to terms with their
landlord in lease negotiations. It was a major blow for
the city’s club scene.
On the move from Dundas W. to east of the Don; Broadview
Place, a heritage building, was designed by E.J. Lennox, the same
Toronto architect who designed Old City Hall and Casa Loma.
In 2001, Richard Carson opened Hugh’s Room on Dundas West,
naming it in memory of his brother Hugh, a former folk musician
who had dreamed of opening his own performance venue before
his death from cancer in 1999. It had been an important venue,
with programming that emphasized folk, blues and roots music,
including performances from Buffy Sainte-Marie, Joni Mitchell and
Gordon Lightfoot.
Grim though the news seemed, especially in the context of other
pandemic-venue closures, the Hugh’s Room Live organization
continued to present live music starting in 2021, albeit on other stages;
3030 Dundas, the Tranzac, Paradise Theatre and Revival have all functioned
as partner venues to the organization, playing host to Hugh’s
Room Live shows.
HUGH'S ROOM
thewholenote.com September 2023 | 19

Lina Allemano Four
CLAIRE HARVIE
TRACEY SAVEIN
Gordon Lightfoot introducing singer Tom Rush on the stage
at the original Hugh’s Room, Toronto, October 17, 2019.
In July of this year, however, something very exciting happened:
Hugh’s Room Live’s board of directors confirmed the acquisition of a
building they had had an eye on, at 296 Broadview Avenue. Located
right between Gerrard St E and Dundas St E, close to Riverdale Park,
the building had originally opened in 1894 as the Broadview Avenue
Congregational Church. The venue will take shape gradually; though
shows are already booked for the fall, building a commercial kitchen
and making the former church fully accessible will take some time
and additional fundraising.
Celebrating the launch: A few existing bookings will still be
happening at the aforementioned partner venues, such as Michael
Jerome Brown at the Tranzac on September 15, and Jesse Ryan’s
Bridges project at Revival on October 15. Meanwhile, a number of
excellent shows have already been booked into the new space, with
some top-notch Canadian talent.
On Sunday, September 24, the Lina Allemano Four takes the 296
Broadview stage. Allemano has long been considered one of North
America’s most talented and adventurous trumpet players; her
long-running quartet’s most recent album, Vegetables, was nominated
for a 2022 Juno Award, and the group was included in DownBeat magazine’s
annual Critics’ Poll list for Rising Star Jazz Group in the same year.
On October 11, singer-songwriter David Francey will perform an
already-sold-out show. Francey is something of a mythological figure
in the Canadian folk music scene; the Scotland-born, Canada-raised
troubadour didn’t start releasing music until he was in his 40s, after
an adult life working on rail yards, construction sites and in the Yukon
backcountry. Now, firmly established, he has received numerous
accolades, including a SOCAN folk music award, an International
Acoustic Music Award and the John Lennon Songwriting Award.
AND BRIEFLY
TUJF: Just before school gets back in session, the Toronto
Undergraduate Jazz Festival (TUJF) returns to Mel Lastman Square
over the Labour Day long weekend. Though the festival is no longer
the new kid on the block – the inaugural edition was presented in
2015 – TUJF is still a celebration of young jazz groups, with a strong
connection to post-secondary jazz programs. This year will also see
artists such as Ranee Lee, Thomas Steele, Ale Nuñez and Laila Biali
performing on the main stage between September 1 and 4.
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Madeleine Ertel will be at Sudbury Jazz, September 9, 6pm.
FESTIVALS: Outside of Toronto, there are other exciting festivals
to check out. On September 8 and 9, the Sudbury Jazz Festival
takes place at a handful of venues across that city. With an emphasis
both on exciting shows and educational workshops, the festival will
feature established artists such as Denzal Sinclaire, OKAN and Crystal
Shawanda, as well as new artists like Alex Bird and the Jazz Mavericks,
as well as Madeleine Ertel, winner of the 2023 Jazz Sudbury Emerging
Artist program.
Colin Story is a jazz guitarist, writer and teacher based in
Toronto. He can be reached at www.colinstory.com, on Instagram
and on Twitter.
20 | September 2023 thewholenote.com

IN WITH THE NEW
SIMON FRYER, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
2023
2024
“Switchemups”, in Exit Points #36 (March 31, 2023)
L-R: Adrian Russouw, Rudy Ray, Owen Kurtz, Nilan Perera,
%%30%30, Xina Gilani, Victor O, Michael Palumbo
OWEN KURRTZ
MICHAEL
PALUMBO’S
EXIT POINTS
Makes Its Mark
WENDALYN BARTLEY
It was participating in the Toronto Improvisor’s
Orchestra that offered a lifeline for electroacoustic
music improviser, teacher, researcher and producer
Michael Palumbo. During 2019, Palumbo was
experiencing multiple crises in his life which eventually
led him into performing improvised music on his
modular synthesizer. “It was a form of music making
where empathy is very important,” he told me during
our phone interview. “I could go and play my heart out. It
saved my life that year.”
A short time later, Palumbo was walking past the Hirut Cafe and
Restaurant (an Ethiopian eatery on Danforth Avenue), and saw the
legendary jazz saxophonist Kirk MacDonald through the window. He
couldn’t resist entering and discovered some of the city’s jazz greats
playing together in various combinations to packed audiences. He
was determined to start up something similar for free improv musicians.
Eventually, a monthly series of improvisation concerts he called
Exit Points was born – held on the last Friday of every month at Array
Music, 155 Walnut Avenue (in the Adelaide/Strachan area).
Each evening follows a similar format. Nine guests plus Palumbo
are put together into two quintets, each performing a set. Often
the performers don’t know each other beforehand and are either
invited by Palumbo or request to be included. The upcoming concert
on September 29 is a good example of the eclectic mix of musicians
brought together. People from new music, ambient and jazz
OCTOBER 5, 2023 | 1.30 PM
FAURÉ QUARTETT
Dirk Mommertz, piano; Erika Geldsetzer,
violin; Sascha Frömbling, viola
Konstantin Heidrich, cello
NOVEMBER 16, 2023 | 1.30 PM
TESLA QUARTET
Ross Snyder, violin; Michelle Lie, violin
Edwin Kaplan, viola; Austin Fisher, cello
MARCH 7, 2024 | 1.30 PM
DOMINIC DESAUTELS
AND
JEAN-PHILIPPE
SYLVESTRE
Dominic Desautels, clarinet
Jean-Philippe Sylvestre, piano
with Zsófia Stefán, bassoon
APRIL 4, 2024 | 1.30 PM
FRANCINE KAY
Francine Kay, piano
INITIAL WINNER OF THE WMCT’S CAREER
DEVELOPMENT AWARD
MAY 2, 2024 | 1.30 PM
JOYCE EL-KHOURY
AND
SEROUJ KRADJIAN
Joyce El-Khoury, soprano
Serouj Kradjian, piano
Ticket Orders
By phone: 416-923-7052 x.1
Online: www.wmct.on.ca/tickets
Subscriptions: $200 | Single tickets: $50
Students Free with ID
Walter Hall, University of Toronto, Faculty of Music
80 Queen's Park (Museum Subway)
Dominic Desautels
Joyce El-Khoury
wmct@wmct.on.ca
www.wmct.on.ca
416-923-7052
thewholenote.com September 2023 | 21

Michael Palumbo
FUN AND FANCIFUL
7:30 pm @ St. Paul L’Amoreaux
MÁTÉ SZŰCS
7:30 pm @ The Salvation Army
Scarborough Citadel
SAT
SEPT
30
FRI
NOV
3
KIERAN MARAJ
HOLIDAY MEMORIES
7:30 pm @ The Salvation Army
Scarborough Citadel
FAMILY STORIES
7:30 pm @ St. Paul L’Amoreaux
BEETHOVEN AND
BRAHMS
7:30 pm @ The Salvation Army
Scarborough Citadel
SONGS OF HOPE
7:30 pm @ St. Paul L’Amoreaux
LET THERE BE LISZT!
7:30 pm @ The Salvation Army
Scarborough Citadel
SPO.CA
SAT
DEC
2
SAT
FEB
10
SAT
APR
6
SAT
APR
27
SAT
MAY
11
SEASON
2023
2024
Scarborough
Philharmonic
Orchestra
Ronald Royer,
Music Director
and Conductor
backgrounds, a TTC busking musician, a performer who has never
played with electronics before, and an inventor/music technologist.
Switchemups: One unique feature of the evening is the third set
called Switchemups. This consists of four five-minute improv pieces
where audience members can sign up to sit in with performers from
the main show. This helps build community and encourages people to
experiment with improvisation. It is one of the reasons why the series
has been so successful.
Just as Palumbo himself felt cared for by members of the Toronto
Improvisor’s Orchestra, he makes it a priority to care for his audiences,
so education is integral to the evening. He gives listening strategies
to help those who may feel lost amidst what might sound like
chaos, or for those who may feel they don’t belong at such an event.
One of his goals with this series is to be thoughtful about how free
improvised music is presented, which means being respectful and
responsible to both the audience and the musicians to create a healthy
and supportive environment.
He has also brought onboard an excellent sound engineer to record
the concerts onto multiple tracks which are later mixed down into a
spatialized format and released on the Exit Points recording label available
on Bandcamp. (www.exitpoints.bandcamp.com). The series is
quickly generating interest and enthusiasm from a broad spectrum of
musicians and audiences from diverse backgrounds, with the lineups
already booked until the spring of 2024. For the latest news, check out
@michaelpalumbo_ on Instagram or visit linktr.ee/exitpoints.
TORONTO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA:
The phenomenon known as synesthesia
is the focus for the Toronto
Symphony Orchestra’s concerts second
concert of the new season, running
from September 28 to 30. Peruvian
composer Jimmy López Bellido’s 2012
composition titled Synesthésie will
receive its North American premiere
alongside Scriabin’s The Poem of
Ecstasy. Scriabin is known for his
synaesthetic perception, the ability to
see colours when listening to music.
The ideas for Bellido’s composition
can be traced to the original commission
requirements set by Radio France.
Jimmy López Bellido
The ten-minute composition was to be
written in five two-minute movements, each one to be aired on the
radio daily throughout one week. The following Monday, the entire
piece was played. To meet the strict requirements, Bellido chose to have
each movement express one of the five human senses. He writes that
the overall work invites the listener to enter the world of interconnectedness,
something that those who experience synesthesia do daily.
Wendalyn Bartley is a Toronto-based composer and
electro-vocal sound artist. sounddreaming@gmail.com
ASHKAN
22 | September 2023 thewholenote.com

CLASSICAL AND BEYOND
Mahani Teave, NPR Tiny Desk Concert, 2021.
beethoven
FIDELIO
SEPT 29—OCT 20
TRUE TO THE
HUMAN BEING
PAUL ENNIS
Here on the island, there’s artistic blood in everybody. I mean,
everybody somehow sings and dances and carves and – or plays an
instrument. And there’s nothing more natural and more true to the
human being than art and music. – Mahani Teave
Mahani Teave [Tay-AH-vay] – who makes her
Koerner Hall debut at 3pm on October 1 as part
of her first North American tour – is the sole
professional pianist on one of the most remote, inhabited
islands on Earth, Rapa Nui (Easter Island). There she
heads the island’s only music school. She’s living a
remarkable story.
Born 40 years ago to an American woman and a Rapa Nui
musician,Teave spent her formative years on the far-flung island,
3600 km from Chile. At six, Teave took ballet lessons and studied
the piano; the music that accompanied the ballets became her introduction
to classical music. (Among her piano heroes are Emil Gilels,
Sergei Rachmaninoff, Ignaz Friedmann and Dinu Lipatti.) When the
teacher left the island, Teave was nine and her considerable talent
was noticeable. The family moved to Valdivia in southern Chile where
she studied for six years. On her way to audition for a music school in
Cologne, she attended a masterclass by Cleveland Institute of Music
(CIM) faculty member Sergei Babayan (Daniil Trifonov’s mentor),
whose mastery so impressed her that she chose Cleveland instead.
After studying at CIM and Berlin’s Hans Eisler Music Academy and
winning the Claudio Arrau International Piano Competition in 1999
and later being selected as a Steinway & Sons artist, Teave seemed set
for a sparkling international career. Instead, concerned with the lack of
music training in her homeland, she returned to Easter Island, establishing
in 2012 a tuition-free school for classical and traditional music.
Her story continued in 2018, when a Seattle-based software magnate
and collector of rare violins visited the school where he was astonished
by the enthusiastic students and Teave’s skill at the piano. Discovering
that she had never made a recording, he arranged for her to make an
album in Seattle, the proceeds of which go directly to her school. The
result was Rapa Nui Odyssey, a recital of Bach, Handel, Chopin, Liszt,
Rachmaninoff and Scriabin, as well as a traditional Rapa Nui song. It
puccini
LA BOHÈME
OCT 6—28
TICKETS ON SALE NOW
coc.ca
thewholenote.com September 2023 | 23
Date: Aug 17, 2023 Approvals: Date: Signature:
Filename_ Version#
Studio:
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eached No.1 on the Billboard Traditional Classical Chart.
In 2021, she appeared in an NPR Tiny Desk Concert from the school.
Sitting with a flower in her hair in front of an upright piano with the
hammers exposed, she played Handel and Chopin with an unadorned
naturalism and clarity that touched the music’s core – no schmaltz,
Conducting a tour of the school, she explained that the structural
walls were constructed from tires and earth. The building used six
years of garbage left by tourists, tin cans and empty bottles. It took
one and a half years to construct and is environmentally friendly – its
sustainability aims to set an example for the world.
TSO YEAR 101
After the successful celebration of its 100th anniversary, the Toronto
Symphony Orchestra looks forward to reaching new heights as its
second century takes hold. The 2023/24 season opens September 20
and 21 with Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, one of the most significant
works ever written, a revolutionary piece of music that showcases
rhythm to the level of a Beethoven symphony while marking the
renewal and power of spring, casting its long, influential shadow over
much of the 20th century.
Gustavo Gimeno, his contract extended to the 2029/30 season, is back
with his own sense of rhythm, with particular emphasis on the clarity
of his musical vision. Pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet is guest soloist in
Gershwin’s Concerto in F, the composer’s marriage of jazz and classical
music that was controversial in its own right in the 1920s.
Gimeno returns September 28 to 30, this time with Seong-Jin Cho
(who won the memorable Chopin Competition in 2015) performing
Ravel’s wondrous Piano Concerto for the Left Hand.
The program closes with Scriabin’s mystical The Poem of Ecstasy.
Ravel and Gershwin admired each other. When Gershwin met
Ravel in New York in 1928, he asked about studying with the French
composer. Ravel reportedly replied, “Why would you want to be a
second-rate Ravel when you can be a first-rate Gershwin?”
NIAGARA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA YEAR 75
Celebrating its 75th year, the Niagara
Symphony Orchestra (NSO) has been
an arts beacon and cultural treasure in
the Niagara Region since its beginnings
as the St. Catharines Civic Orchestra.
It has grown from a small community
ensemble into a fully professional
orchestra of over 50 musicians. The
NSO Is dedicated to enriching the
quality of life in the Niagara Region
through diverse programming and
a broad range of educational initiatives.
Canadian conductor Bradley
Thachuk, entering his 14th season as
the NSO’s music director, is known for
Sheng Cai
being able to work in classical and rock
realms of music.
Their Diamond Anniversary Season begins at 2:30 on September 17
with Dinuk Wijeratne’s fanfare, Yatra. Canadian pianist Sheng Cai
brings his growing reputation to Rachmaninoff’s ever popular Piano
Concerto No.2, a piece that defines romanticism. Dvořák’s Symphony
No. 9, “From the New World,” one of the Czech composer’s most
melodic large-scale works, completes the season opener.
“Walking through the Fire” is an intriguing multimedia event unlike
any other. From Métis fiddling to an East Coast kitchen party, to the
drumming of the Pacific Northwest, this is a chance to experience
the beauty and diversity of music from Turtle Island/Canada. Awardwinning
First Nations and Inuit artists perform with Juno Award
nominees Sultans of String and a host of others on September 30 and
October 1. A concert that fits the times.
Paul Ennis is the managing editor of The WholeNote.
VOICEBOX: Opera in Concert and its Board of
Directors proudly announce the
2023-2024 Season
Daring, Diverse, and Innovative operas
from the Italian Master Giuseppe Verdi
Set your calendar, dates and
curtain calls for
UN GIORNO DI REGNO
King for a Day
Sunday, November 5, 2023
ERNANI
Sunday, February 25, 2024
LA BATAGLIA DE LEGNANO
The Battle at Legnano
Sunday, April 7, 2024
Nurtured by one of the most prominent
operatic periods worldwide, Romanticism
and its Bel Canto created the grounds
for the emergence of AIDA, FALSTAFF,
OTELLO, MACBETH, LA TRAVIATA, a
wealth of sustaining Lyric Theatre of
historic proportions!
CONTACT THE OFFICE TO RECEIVE THE
SUBSCRIPTION BROCHURE: 416-922-2147
24 | September 2023 thewholenote.com

LIVE OR ONLINE | Sep 1 to Oct 10, 2023
Friday September 1
● 7:00: Brampton On Stage/Gord Downie
& Chanie Wenjack Fund. Friday Night Live:
Adrian Sutherland. With Mimi O’Bonsawin.
Garden Square, 12 Main St. N., Brampton.
www.tickets.brampton.ca/online or 905-874-
2800. Free.
● 8:00: Intersection Music & Arts Festival.
William Basinski with special guest Kuuma.
St. Anne’s Anglican Church, 270 Gladstone
Ave. Tickets and more info TBA. .
Saturday September 2
● 2:00: Intersection Music & Arts Festival.
All-day Music Marathon. Featuring local
and visiting contemporary and experimental
music performers, installation artists and
vendors. Yonge-Dundas Square, 1 Dundas St.
E. Tickets and more info TBA. Free.
● 7:30: Tranzac Club. Lewis / Furlong
/ Perera / Swankey. Tilman Lewis, cello;
Andrew Furlong, double-bass; Nilan Perera,
guitar; Laura Swankey, voice. Tranzac Club,
Southern Cross Lounge, 292 Brunswick Ave.
● 8:00: Fallsview Casino Resort. Rod Stewart.
6380 Fallsview Blvd., Niagara Falls. 1-877-
833-3110 or www.ticketmaster.ca. From $125.
Sunday September 3
● 8:00: Fallsview Casino Resort. Machine
Gun Kelly. Fallsview Casino Resort, OLG Stage,
6380 Fallsview Blvd., Niagara Falls. 1-877-
833-3110 or www.ticketmaster.ca. From $115.
Monday September 4
● 12:15: Music Mondays. Intercâmbio: Brazilian
and Canadian Works for Trumpets.
Schafer: Aubade and Nocturne from Wolf
Music; Lavallé: Méditation; Cait Nishimura:
Golden Hour; José Ursicino da Silva: Duda
from Suite Recife; Santana Gomes: Andante
e Bolero. Aaron Hodgson, trumpet; Nikola
Locatelli, trumpet. Church of the Holy Trinity,
19 Trinity Sq. 416-598-4521 X223 or www.
musicmondays.ca or musicmondayscs@
gmail.com. PWYC ($10 suggested).
● 2:00: University of Toronto. Labour Day
Carillon Recital. Dr. Minako Uchino, carillon.
Soldiers’ Tower, University of Toronto, 7 Hart
House Circle. 416-978-3845 or www.alumni.
utoronto.ca/soldierstower. Free. Outdoor
event, rain or shine. Seating available.
Wednesday September 6
● 12:00 noon: Play the Parks Concert
Series. 14 Hours. College Park Courtyard,
420 Yonge St. www.downtownyonge.com/
playtheparks. Free.
Thursday September 7
● 11:00am: Encore Symphonic Concert
Band. Monthly Concert. 35-piece concert
band performing band concert music,
pop tunes, jazz standards (2 singers) and
the occasional march. Trinity Presbyterian
Church York Mills, 2737 Bayview Ave. www.
encoreband.ca. $10.
● 12:00 noon: Play the Parks Concert Series.
Black Suit Devil. Trinity Square, 19 Trinity
Sq. www.downtownyonge.com/playtheparks.
Free.
● 7:30: Canadian Opera Company. Opera’s
Greatest Hits. COC artists share popular
selections from the company’s upcoming
season in this one-hour concert, featuring
classic favourites and rare gems including
Beethoven’s Fidelio, Puccini’s La Bohème,
Mozart’s Don Giovanni, and Janáček’s The
Cunning Little Vixen. Canadian Opera Company
Orchestra and Canadian soloists.
George Weston Recital Hall, Meridian Arts
Centre, 5040 Yonge St. www.ticketmaster.
ca. From $28.
● 7:30: Fallsview Casino Resort. Gin Blossoms
and Sugar Ray with Special Guests
Tonic & Fastball. Fallsview Casino Resort,
OLG Stage, 6380 Fallsview Blvd., Niagara
Falls. 1-877-833-3110 or www.ticketmaster.
ca. From $58.
● 8:00: TD Music Hall. The Binder Brothers:
The Rusty Wheels 50th Anniversary Tour.
178 Victoria St. www.tickets.mhrth.com. General
Admission $30.
Friday September 8
● 12:00 noon: Play the Parks Concert Series.
Sky and Rose. Mackenzie House, 82 Bond
St. www.downtownyonge.com/playtheparks.
Free.
● 6:00: North York Central Library. Open
Mic at the Library: North York Edition. Music,
poetry & storytelling. Are you a musician,
poet, or storyteller? If so, then you are invited
to share your talents at the North York Central
Library Open Mic. Guitar, piano & djembe
provided. 7 minutes for each performance.
For adults, teens, and seniors. North York
Central Library Auditorium, 5120 Yonge St.
Sign-up is at 5:30pm. For more information,
contact the Language, Literature & Fine
Arts Department at 416-395-5639. Free. Also
Aug 11, Oct 13, Nov 10, Dec 8.
● 7:00: Brampton On Stage. Monsoon
Sound. Curated by NOYZ. South Asian Hip
Hop. Shan Vincent de Paul, Lady Pista, Feni-
Fina, and Jarin Alab. Rose Theatre Lobby,
1 Theatre Ln., Brampton. www.tickets.
brampton.ca/online or 905-874-2800. $10.
● 7:30: Celebration of Nations. Homelands.
Kaha:wi Dance Theatre. FirstOntario
Performing Arts Centre Partridge Hall,
250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines. 905-688-
0722; boxoffice@firstontariopac.ca. $35;
$30(members).
● 8:00: Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing
Arts. Teresa Carpio In Concert.
10268 Yonge St., Richmond Hill. www.tickets.
rhcentre.ca/Online/default.asp or 647-965-
7330. From $120.
● 8:00: TD Music Hall. Made in Nepal Fair
Canada. With Bipul Chettri and the Travelling
Band. 178 Victoria St. www.tickets.mhrth.
com. General Admission $45.
● 9:00: Fallsview Casino Resort. Kenny Loggins:
This Is It! His Final Tour 2023. Fallsview
Casino Resort, OLG Stage, 6380 Fallsview
Blvd., Niagara Falls. 1-877-833-3110 or www.
ticketmaster.ca. $55.
Saturday September 9
● 2:00: Leaf Music. Chinatown. Music by
Alice Ping Yee Ho. Libretto by Madeleine
Thien. Translation by Paul Yee. William Liu,
bass-baritone; Kristan Lo, baritone; Tan Vu,
tenor; Dai Lin Hsieh, guzheng; Johnathan Lo,
percussion. 902-809-2662 or www.youtube.
com/@LeafMusicIncHalifax. Free. ONLINE
● 5:00: Hamilton Symphony Orchestra/
Hamilton Music Collective. Eclectic Local -
Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra Ensemble.
Gasworks Outdoor Stage, 141 Park St., Hamilton.
info@hamiltonmusiccollective.ca. Free
(Donations accepted).
● 7:30: FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre/Celebration
of Nations. Border Crossing
/ Blues. Digging Roots; The Ripcords.
Partridge Hall, FirstOntario Performing Arts
Centre, 250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines. 905-
688-0722; boxoffice@firstontariopac.ca. $35;
$30(members).
● 8:00: junctQín keyboard collective.
Autolysis Video Release & Concert. Lieke van
der Voort: Autolysis; Nicole Lizée: Vertigo
Beach Etudes; Linda Catlin Smith: Thought
and Desire. Stephanie Chua, piano; Joseph
Ferretti, piano. Annette Studios, 566 Annette
St. 416-871-8078. PWYC or $25 for entry + CD.
Sunday September 10
● 12:00 noon: Kerr Village BIA. 4th Annual
Kerrfest Kids. Activities and events include
live musical performers, food vendors, and
sponsor booths. Westwood Park, 170 Wilson
St., Oakville. www.kerrfest.ca or 905-849-
8865. Free.
● 2:00: Arraymusic. Public Workshop:
Improvisation with Allison Cameron. Open to
musicians of any level! Beginners welcome
(and encouraged!). Use your instrument as a
tool for sound exploration. Work with a professional
composer/musician to play and
listings@theWholeNote.com
Event listings are free of charge to
artists, venues and presenters.
This issue contains event listings from September 1 to October 10, 2023.
IN THIS ISSUE
● Live and/or livestream (date-specific daily listings for
performances, workshops, etcetera
● Directory of alternative venues (mainly clubs mostly
jazz)
● Ongoing, On Demand and Other (not tied to a specific
date)
HOW TO LIST
1. Use the convenient online form at
thewholenote.com/applylistings
2. Email listings to listings@thewholenote.com.
Please note, we do not take listings over the phone.
PLACEMENT
Listings are received every day and published in all media for
which they are received in time.
• WEEKLY LISTINGS UPDATE (e-letter & online)
• JUST ASK (searchable online listings database)
• PRINT (see list of 2023/24 publication dates on page 9).
DEADLINES
Weekly Listings Update and Just Ask: Eligible listings received
by 6pm Tuesday, each week, will be included in the following
Sunday’s e-letter, and simultaneously posted to our searchable
online listings database.
Print: Our next print issue, Volume 29 no.2 covers October and
November 2023. The print submission deadline for that issue will
be Tuesday September 5. Please note: the Weekly listing e-letter
typically looks 2-3 weeks ahead; the Just Ask database is searchable
as far into the future as we have listings. Listings received for the
Weekly Update prior to an upcoming print deadline do not need to be
resubmitted unless there are changes.
REGISTER FOR THE WEEKLY LISTINGS UPDATE
at thewholenote.com/newsletter
All other inquiries about WholeNote listings should be addressed to
John Sharpe, Listings Editor at listings@thewholenote.com.
26 | September 2023 thewholenote.com

create graphic scores. Have fun in a chill
and welcoming environment. Array Space,
155 Walnut Ave. www.arraymusic.ca. Free.
Donations accepted. Also Aug 6 & Oct 1.
● 2:00: CAMMAC Ottawa Region. Choral
Concert. John Rutter: Requiem; Harry Somers:
Gloria; Ambrož Čopi: O salutaris hostia.
CAMMAC Summer Choir; Jessica Belanger,
soprano; with professional orchestra; Lisa
Webber, artistic director; Ian Guenette,
keyboards. St. John Chrysostom Church,
295 Albert St., Arnprior. 613-623-8800. $25;
$10(st); Free(12 and under).
Monday September 11
● 3:00: Fallsview Casino Resort. Ricky Nelson
Remembered Starring Matthew and
Gunnar Nelson. Fallsview Casino Resort, Avalon
Theatre, 6380 Fallsview Blvd., Niagara
Falls. 1-877-833-3110 or www.ticketmaster.
ca. From $45. Also Sep 12(3pm), 13(3pm &
8:30pm).
Tuesday September 12
● 12:10: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Tuesday Noon Series: Voice Studies
Welcome, Announcements and Musical Offering.
Walter Hall, Edward Johnson Building,
University of Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park. 416-
978-3750 or www.music.utoronto.ca. Free.
● 1:00: St. James Cathedral. Tuesday Organ
Recital. Works by Bach, Saint-Saëns, and Langlais.
Thomas Bell, organ. Cathedral Church
of St. James, 106 King St. E. 416-364-7865
or www.stjamescathedral.ca/recitals. Free.
Donations welcome.
● 3:00: Fallsview Casino Resort. Ricky Nelson
Remembered Starring Matthew and
Gunnar Nelson. Fallsview Casino Resort, Avalon
Theatre, 6380 Fallsview Blvd., Niagara
Falls. 1-877-833-3110 or www.ticketmaster.
ca. From $45. Also Sep 11(3pm), 13(3pm &
8:30pm).
● 6:30: Wide Arches. Wide Arches Album
Release Show with Prince Enoki and mystery
tea. Small World Music Centre, Artscape
Youngplace, 180 Shaw St. . .
● 7:30: Toronto Consort. Canoe: A Two-Act
Opera. Preview. See Sep 15.
Wednesday September 13
● 12:30: ORGANIX Concerts. Organ Concert.
Ian Grundy, organ. Our Lady of Sorrows
Catholic Church, 3055 Bloor St. W. 416-571-
3680 or organixconcerts.ca. Suggested freewill
offering of $20.
● 12:30: Yorkminster Park Baptist Church.
Noonday Organ Recital. William Maddox,
organ. 1585 Yonge St. www.yorkminsterpark.
com. Free. Donations welcome.
● 3:00: Fallsview Casino Resort. Ricky Nelson
Remembered Starring Matthew and
Gunnar Nelson. Fallsview Casino Resort, Avalon
Theatre, 6380 Fallsview Blvd., Niagara
Falls. 1-877-833-3110 or www.ticketmaster.
ca. From $45. Also Sep 11(3pm), 12(3pm) &
13(8:30pm).
● 5:15: Trinity College, University of
Toronto. Evensong. Traditional Anglican
choral music. Trinity College Chapel Choir;
Thomas Bell, director of music; Peter Bayer,
organ scholar. Trinity College Chapel, University
of Toronto, 6 Hoskin Ave. 416-978-2522
or www.trinity.utoronto.ca/discover/about/
chapel/music. Free. Evensong is sung in the
beautiful Trinity College chapel each week
during term time.
● 7:30: Burton Avenue United Church.
Quartet Malamatina. Tim Beattie, Finlay Hay,
Ross Morris, and Lenny Ranallo, guitar quartet.
37 Burton Ave., Barrie. www.eventbrite.
com/e/quartet-malamatina-canada-england-scotland-usa-guitar-concert-tickets-696175298057.
Admission by donation.
● 7:30: Toronto Consort. Canoe: A Two-Act
Opera. Preview. See Sep 15. Performances:
Sep 15(7:30pm), 16(2pm & 7:30pm).
● 8:00: Massey Hall. Gov’t Mule: Peace
Like a River World Tour. With Big Sugar.
178 Victoria St. www.ticketmaster.ca. From
$53.
● 8:30: Fallsview Casino Resort. Ricky Nelson
Remembered Starring Matthew and
Gunnar Nelson. Fallsview Casino Resort, Avalon
Theatre, 6380 Fallsview Blvd., Niagara
Falls. 1-877-833-3110 or www.ticketmaster.
ca. From $45. Also Sep 11(3pm), 12(3pm) &
13(3pm).
Thursday September 14
● 7:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber
Music Society. Malamatina Guitar Quartet.
Malamatina Guitar Quartet: Tim Beattie,
Finlay Hay, Ross Morris, and Lenny Ranallo.
KWCMS Music Room, 57 Young St. W., Waterloo.
519-569-1809 or www.ticketscene.ca/
kwcms. $30; $20(st).
● 7:00: SweetWater Music Festival. Starry
Night. Deva Munay & Edwin Huizinga take
us on a sound journey meditation/improvisation
featuring new music composed for
SHHH!! by Monica Pearce, Jocelyn Morlock,
Paolo Griffin, Mari Alice Conrad, and more.
SHHH!! Ensemble: Edana Higham, piano, and
Zac Pulak, percussion. Harmony Centre, 890
4th Ave. E., Owen Sound. www.sweetwatermusicfestival.ca.
$20.
● 8:00: Brampton On Stage. This Is Brampton
Showcase. New Music, Country Music,
R&B, Hip Hop, Jazz. B-Jazzed, Bluebird
Brampton, Crate Clash, Drivewire, Flower City
Slam, and others. Rose Theatre, 1 Theatre Ln.,
Brampton. www.tickets.brampton.ca/online
or 905-874-2800. $10.
Friday September 15
● 9:00am: SweetWater Music Festival.
Sound Journey. Sound healing is one of the
oldest and most natural forms of healing on
our planet. The power of sound can restore
one’s mind, body, and spirit back to a state of
balance. Join us for a healing meditation featuring
Deva Munay, a frequent collaborator
of Edwin Huizinga’s. Georgian Shores United
Church, 997 4th Ave. E., Owen Sound. www.
sweetwatermusicfestival.ca. Free.
● 7:00: SweetWater Music Festival. A Baroque
Party. Biber: Representiva; Dall’Abaco:
Capricci; Handel: Trio Sonata No.6 in g Op.2
HWV 391; Bach: Brandenburg Concerto
No.5. Mark Fewer and others. Historic Leith
Church, 419134 Tom Thomson Lane, Leith.
www.sweetwatermusicfestival.ca. . Includes
a post-concert reception.
● 7:30: Toronto Consort. Canoe: A Two-Act
Opera. Libretto & Story by Spy Dénommé-
Welch. Music by Spy Dénommé-Welch &
Catherine Magowan. Unsettled Scores.
Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, Jeanne Lamon
Hall, 427 Bloor St. W. www.torontoconsort.org
or 416-964-6337. Pay what you like:
$65 / $45 / $20, Previews: $10. Previews:
Sep 12(7:30pm) & 13(7:30pm). Performances:
Also Sep 15(7:30pm), 16(2pm & 7:30pm).
● 8:00: Hugh’s Room Live. Michael Jerome
Brown @ Tranzac. Tranzac Club,
292 Brunswick Ave. www.showpass.com/
michael-jerome-brown-tranzac. $25.
● 8:00: TD Music Hall. Kingdom. 178 Victoria
St. www.tickets.mhrth.com. TBA.
Saturday September 16
● 9:00am: SweetWater Music Festival.
Sound Journey. Sound healing is one of the
oldest and most natural forms of healing on
our planet. The power of sound can restore
one’s mind, body, and spirit back to a state of
balance. Join us for a healing meditation featuring
Deva Munay, a frequent collaborator
of Edwin Huizinga’s. Historic Leith Church,
419134 Tom Thomson Lane, Leith. www.
sweetwatermusicfestival.ca. Free.
● 10:30am: SweetWater Music Festival.
Mozart for Munchkins. Geared towards
kids aged 1-5! Step into a world of enchantment
and musical wonder for a captivating
classical music experience designed especially
for kids and families. Our talented musicians
will weave musical tales for the violin
and cello transporting young and old alike
to lands filled with imagination and emotio.
Keith Hamm, violin; Julie Hereish, cello. Harmony
Centre, 890 4th Ave. E., Owen Sound.
www.sweetwatermusicfestival.ca. Free.
● 12:00 noon: SweetWater Music Festival.
J. S. Bach’s Long Walk in the Snow: Tom
Allen & Friends. Bach (paraphrased by Sergei
Rachmaninoff / arr. Lori Gemmell): Gavotte
from Partita No.3 in E for solo violin BWV
1006; Bach (arr. Lori Gemmell): Chorale Prelude
- Wachet auf; Bach: Allegro from Sonata
No.3 for Violin and Harpsichord in E; Bach
WASAGA BEACH BLUES
(arr. Lori Gemmell): 1st Variation from Goldberg
Variations BWV 988. Tom Allen, host
& author; Lori Gemmell, violin; Mark Fewer,
double-bass; Joe Phillips, gamba; and Suba
Sankaran, vocalist. Harmony Centre, 890
4th Ave. E., Owen Sound. www.sweetwatermusicfestival.ca.
Free.
● 12:00 noon: TYT Theatre. Pinkalicious the
Musical. Recommended for ages 4+. Wychwood
Barns Park, 76 Wychwood Ave. www.
tyttheatre.com/onstage. From $25. Also
shows at 12_noon & 3:30pm: Sep 16, 17, 23, 24,
30, Oct 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22.
● 1:00: Terry Storr and Daniel Kushner.
Two-Thirds of a Trio, Again. Music for clarinet
and viola by Rebecca Clarke; L. Distel, Gordon
Jacob, Patricia Morehead, and Mozart. Terry
Storr, clarinet; Daniel Kushner, viola. St. Barnabas
Anglican Church, 361 Danforth Ave.
416-465-7443. Free.
● 1:30: SweetWater Music Festival. Bach
Bash. Our annual exhibit of luthiers returns
featuring some of Canada’s top string instrument
makers. Meet the makers and hear
their new instruments performed by Sweet-
Water artists – including solo suites and partitas
and sonatas. Harmony Centre, 890 4th
Ave. E., Owen Sound. www.sweetwatermusicfestival.ca.
Free.
● 2:00: Toronto Consort. Canoe: A Two-
Act Opera. See Sep 12. Performances:
Sep 16(7:30pm).
● 2:30: SweetWater Music Festival. Classical
Jam Sesh. Bring your instruments and
join us for a classical jam session of Bach’s
Brandenburg Concerto No.3. Local musicians
are invited to play along with featured Sweet-
Water musicians led by Artistic Director
ADVANCE TICKETS:
$15 per day
$40 for 3 days
$100 VIP Pass for 3 days
JORDAN JOHN
Durham County Poets
KC Robers &
the Live Revolution
Ben Racine Band
Angelique Francis
Soulstack with Roly Platt
Loco Zydeco
Lazo
David Gogo
and much, much more!
wasagabeachblues.com
*Children under 12 free Performances subject to change without notice. E.&O.E.
thewholenote.com September 2023 | 27

LIVE OR ONLINE | Sep 1 to Oct 10, 2023
Edwin Huizinga. Anyone who plays a string
instrument, no matter your level of expertise,
is welcome to be a part of this fun, community-building
experience in a comfortable,
welcoming environment! Print your own part
and bring your own stand. Harmony Centre,
890 4th Ave. E., Owen Sound. www.sweetwatermusicfestival.ca.
Free.
● 7:00: SweetWater Music Festival. Concertos
& Songs for the Ages. C. P. E. Bach:
Cello Concerto in B-flat; Vivaldi “Il Gran
Mogul” RV 431a; Bach: Brandenburg Concerto
No.6; Bach: Stabat Mater. Elinor
Frey, cello; Isaac Chalk, viola; Keith Hamm,
viola; Daniel Taylor, countertenor; Ellen
McAteer, soprano. Georgian Shores United
Church, 997 4th Ave. E., Owen Sound. www.
sweetwatermusicfestival.ca or www.tickets.roxytheatre.ca/TheatreManager/1/
online?performance=3615. Choose your own
ticket prices: $20/$35/$50/$75.
● 7:30: Guitar Society of Toronto. Quartet
Malamatina. Tim Beattie, Finlay Hay, Ross
Morris, and Lenny Ranallo, guitar quartet. St.
Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, 73 Simcoe St.
www.guitarsocietyoftoronto.com/concertseason.
From $15.
● 7:30: Harbourfront Centre. Canadian
Opera Company at Harbourfront Centre. Presenting
highlights from the COC’s upcoming
season—featuring classic favourites and rare
gems including Beethoven’s Fidelio, Puccini’s
La Bohème, Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, and
Cherubini’s Medea. Canadian Opera Company
Orchestra and Canadian soloists. Harbourfront
Centre, Concert Stage, 235 Queens
Quay W. www.my.harbourfrontcentre.com/
overview/39768. Free admission with registration.
Also Sep 17(1pm & 3pm).
● 7:30: Music at Metropolitan. Art Song:
The Norquay Scholarship Concert. Works by
Ravel, Clara Schumann, Bridge, Laitman, Tiefenbach,
and others. Chelsea Van Pelt, soprano;
Nicholas Higgs, baritone; Helen Becqué.
Metropolitan United Church, 56 Queen St. E.
www.metunited.ca. $20.
● 7:30: Toronto Consort. Canoe: A Two-
Act Opera. Libretto & Story by Spy
Dénommé-Welch. Music by Spy Dénommé-
Welch & Catherine Magowan. Unsettled
Scores. Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, Jeanne
Lamon Hall, 427 Bloor St. W. www.torontoconsort.org
or 416-964-6337. Pay what you
like: $65 / $45 / $20, Previews: $10. Previews:
Sep 12(7:30pm) & 13(7:30pm). Performances:
Also Sep 15(7:30pm), 16(2pm & 7:30pm).
● 9:30: SweetWater Music Festival.
Late Night with Roberto Occhipinti
Jazz Trio. Heartwood Concert Hall, 939
2nd Ave. E., Owen Sound. www.sweetwatermusicfestival.ca
or www.tickets.roxytheatre.ca/TheatreManager/1/
online?performance=3661. Choose your own
ticket prices: $20/$35/$50.
Sunday September 17
● 12:00 noon: SweetWater Music Festival.
Next Wave Musicians. Mentored by Bridget
Walsh. Simon Hauber, violin; Olivier Lafleur,
violin; Jessa Rutter, piano. Harmony Centre,
890 4th Ave. E., Owen Sound. www.sweetwatermusicfestival.ca.
Free.
● 1:00: Harbourfront Centre. Canadian
Opera Company at Harbourfront Centre. Presenting
highlights from the COC’s upcoming
season—featuring classic favourites and rare
gems including Beethoven’s Fidelio, Puccini’s
La Bohème, Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, and
Cherubini’s Medea. Canadian Opera Company
Orchestra and Canadian soloists. Harbourfront
Centre, Concert Stage, 235 Queens
Quay W. www.my.harbourfrontcentre.com/
overview/39768. Free admission with registration.
Also Sep 16(7:30pm) & 17(3pm).
● 2:30: Georgian Music. Piano Trio. Clara
Schumann: Piano Trio in g Op.17; and music by
Shostakovich. Andrew Sords, violin; Joseph
Johnson, cello; Cheryl Duvall, piano. Bethel
Community Church, 128 St. Vincent Street,
Barrie. www.barrieconcerts.org. $35;
$10(st). Livestream: $20; $10(st).
● 2:30: Niagara Symphony Orchestra. NSO
Classics 1: Sheng Cai, Piano. Wijeratne: Yatra;
Rachmaninov: Piano Concerto No.2; Dvořák:
Symphony No.9. FirstOntario Performing
Arts Centre Partridge Hall, 250 St. Paul St.,
Falling for Music: Art Song Favourites
Chelsea Van Pelt, soprano
Nicholas Higgs, baritone
Helen Becque, pianist
Faure - Ravel -Tiefenbach - V. Williams & more
Saturday, September 16, 7:30PM
Tickets: $20
metunited.ca
St. Catharines. 905-688-0722; boxoffice@
firstontariopac.ca. $15.64-$82.90.
● 2:30: OperOttawa. Puccini’s Suor Angelica.
Also featuring a selection of opera arias. Kathleen
Radke, soprano (Suor Angelica); Carole
Portelance, mezzo (La Principessa); Pauline
van der Roest, soprano (The Abbess); Ania
Hejnar, Stephanie Brassard, Beverly McArthur
and Mary Zborowski; OperOttawa Orchestra
and Chorus. First Baptist Church Ottawa,
140 Laurier Ave. W., Ottawa. www.eventbrite.
ca/e/486818696827?aff=oddtdtcreator or
norman_e_brown@rogers.com or at the door.
$50; $25(st under 18); Free(under 10).
● 3:00: Harbourfront Centre. Canadian
Opera Company at Harbourfront Centre. Presenting
highlights from the COC’s upcoming
season—featuring classic favourites and rare
gems including Beethoven’s Fidelio, Puccini’s
La Bohème, Donizetti’s Don Pasquale, and
Cherubini’s Medea. Canadian Opera Company
Orchestra and Canadian soloists. Harbourfront
Centre, Concert Stage, 235 Queens
Quay W. www.my.harbourfrontcentre.com/
overview/39768. Free admission with registration.
Also Sep 16(7:30pm) & 17(1pm).
● 3:00: SweetWater Music Festival. Finale:
Baroque & Roll. Handel: Concerto Grosso
in B-flat HWV 325; Corelli: Concerto Grosso
Op.6 No.4; Vivaldi: Violin Concerto in D RV 208
“Grosse Mogul”; Bach: Brandenburg Concerto
No.3. Mark Fewer, violin; Edwin Huizinga, violin.
Meaford Hall, 12 Nelson St. E., Meaford.
www.sweetwatermusicfestival.ca or www.tickets.meafordhall.ca.
Choose your own ticket
price: $20/$35/$50/$75. Followed by a lobby
reception for the entire audience and all our
musicians. Join us for a glass of bubbly and a
cupcake in celebration of our 20th Anniversary.
● 7:00: Fallsview Casino Resort. KC & The
Sunshine Band. Fallsview Casino Resort, OLG
Stage, 6380 Fallsview Blvd., Niagara Falls.
1-877-833-3110 or www.ticketmaster.ca.
From $58.
● 7:30: Cuckoo’s Nest Folk Club. Winter Wilson.
Chaucer’s Pub, 122 Carling St., London.
www.ticketscene.ca/events. $25.
Monday September 18
● 7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. NEXUS Celebration. Walter Hall,
Edward Johnson Building, University of
Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park. 416-978-3750 or
www.music.utoronto.ca. Free.
Tuesday September 19
● 1:00: St. James Cathedral. Tuesday Organ
Recital. Nathan Jeffery, organ. Cathedral
Church of St. James, 106 King St. E. 416-364-
7865 or www.stjamescathedral.ca/recitals.
Free. Donations welcome.
● 7:30: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber Music
Society. Andromeda Trio. Haydn: Piano
Trio in C Hob.XV:27; Volkmann: Piano Trio
No.1 Op.3; Shostakovich: Piano Trio No.2 in e
Op.67. Andromeda Trio: Marcus Scholtes. violin;
Miriam Stewart-Kroeker, cello; Ben Smith,
piano. KWCMS Music Room, 57 Young St. W.,
Waterloo. 519-569-1809 or www.ticketscene.ca/kwcms.
$30; $20(st).
Wednesday September 20
● 12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.
Free Concert Series: Meet the Ensemble Studio.
Each artist will introduce themselves by
singing one of their favourite arias. Don’t miss
this opportunity to hear some of Canada’s
most exciting rising stars in a program of
operatic gems. Artists of the COC Ensemble
Studio. Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre,
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts,
145 Queen St. W. www.coc.ca/free-concertseries.
Free.
● 12:30: Yorkminster Park Baptist Church.
Noonday Organ Recital. Hanné Becker, organ.
1585 Yonge St. www.yorkminsterpark.com.
Free. Donations welcome.
● 7:30: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony.
Uncomposed. Join us for a night of musical
excellence removing the barriers of traditional
concert etiquette. Whether it’s your first
orchestral experience or one of many, join us
for an evening of music, good vibes, and artistic
expression. Clap at any time, express yourself
vocally (or even through dance!), come
and go as you please, enjoy a snack or drink
from your seat, and wear whatever you want.
Program includes an Abba Medley, Coldplay’s
Viva la Vida, Swan Lake, Vivaldi’s Winter, and
more! Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser, conductor.
Centre in the Square, 101 Queen St. N., Kitchener.
519-745-4711 or 1-888-745-4717. $37.50.
● 8:00: Hugh’s Room Live. Grace Petrie.
Hugh’s Room Live (New Location),
296 Broadview Ave. www.hughsroomlive.
com. $35/$30(adv).
● 8:00: Royal Conservatory of Music. Quiet
Please, There’s a Lady on Stage Series: Rhiannon
Giddens & Adia Victoria. Koerner Hall,
TELUS Centre, 273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-
0208; rcmusic.com/performance. From $65.
● 8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Stravinsky’s
Rite of Spring. L. Boulanger: D’un matin
du printemps; Gershwin: Piano Concerto in F;
Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring (original version).
Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano; Gustavo Gimeno,
conductor. Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St.
416-598-3375. From $35. Also Sep 21.
Thursday September 21
● 12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.
Free Concert Series: Effort and Ease with
Mozart and Strauss. Mozart: Divertimento
in D; R. Strauss: Metamorphosen. Artists
from the COC Orchestra. Richard Bradshaw
Amphitheatre, Four Seasons Centre for the
Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. www.coc.
ca/free-concert-series. Free.
● 12:00 noon: Music at Metropolitan.
Thursday Noon at Met:. Jamal Al Titi, baritone.
Metropolitan United Church, 56 Queen
St. E. www.metunited.ca/live. Free. LIVE &
STREAMED. With carillon recital at 11:30am.
● 12:10: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Thursdays at Noon. Nimrod Ron, tuba.
Walter Hall, Edward Johnson Building, University
of Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park. 416-978-
3750 or www.music.utoronto.ca. Free.
● 7:00: Flato Markham Theatre. Snowbird
Lifestyle Presentations. 171 Town Centre
Blvd., Markham. 905-305-7469; flatomarkhamtheatre.ca.
Free.
● 7:15: Fallsview Casino Resort. The String
Cheese Incident. Fallsview Casino Resort,
OLG Stage, 6380 Fallsview Blvd., Niagara
Falls. 1-877-833-3110 or www.ticketmaster.
ca. From $64.
● 8:00: Hugh’s Room Live. Aleksi Campagne.
Hugh’s Room Live (New Location),
296 Broadview Ave. www.hughsroomlive.
com or www.showpass.com/aleksi-campagne/.
$25.
● 8:00: Massey Hall. Janelle Monae: Age
of Pleasure Tour. 178 Victoria St. www.
28 | September 2023 thewholenote.com

ticketmaster.ca. From $80. Also Sep 22.
● 8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring. L. Boulanger: D’un
matin du printemps; Gershwin: Piano Concerto
in F; Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring (original
version). Jean-Yves Thibaudet, piano;
Gustavo Gimeno, conductor. Roy Thomson
Hall, 60 Simcoe St. 416-598-3375. From $35.
Also Sep 20.
Friday September 22
● 11:00am: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Master Class. Jordan de Souza, conductor.
Walter Hall, Edward Johnson Building,
University of Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park. 416-
978-3750 or www.music.utoronto.ca. Free.
● 7:00: FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre.
Snowbird Lifestyle Presentations. Concert
and information session for snowbirds.
FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre Partridge
Hall, 250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines.
905-688-0722; boxoffice@firstontariopac.ca.
Free. Limit of 6 free tickets.
● 7:30: Fellowship Christian Reformed
Church. Classical Piano Concert. Mozart:
Piano Sonata No.15 in F K.533/494; Schubert:
Impromptu in B-flat D.935 No.3; Tchaikovsky:
Capriccio in G-flat Op.8; Bach: Prelude and
Fugue in e from The Well-Tempered Clavier
(Book I) BWV 855; Debussy: L’Isle joyeuse. Oliver
Peart, piano. 800 Burnhamthorpe Rd.
416-622-9647. Voluntary contribution. Proceeds
to the food bank at St. James Food Basket,
Toronto.
● 7:30: St. James Cathedral. Inaugural
Recital on the New Organ Console. Celebrating
the inaugural recital of the new Letourneau
organ console. David Briggs, organ.
Cathedral Church of St. James, 106 King St. E.
416-364-7865 or www.stjamescathedral.ca/
recitals. $25.
● 7:30: Toronto Mendelssohn Choir/Compagnie
de la Citadelle. In Time: At the Intersection
of Music and Dance. Handel: Dixit
Dominus HWV 232; Bach: Christ lag in Todesbanden
BWV 4. Toronto Mendelssohn Singers;
Compagnie de la Citadelle; Laurence Lemieux,
artistic director & choreographer; Jean-
Sébastien Vallée, conductor. Jeanne Lamon
Hall, Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, 427 Bloor St. W.
www.tmchoir.org. From $25. Also Sep 23.
● 8:00: Flato Markham Theatre. The Last
Waltz - A Musical Celebration of The Band.
171 Town Centre Blvd., Markham. 905-305-
7469; www.flatomarkhamtheatre.ca. $60.
● 8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony.
A Night at the Movies. Rota: The Godfather;
John Williams: Music from Star Wars; and
other works. Evan Mitchell, conductor. Centre
in the Square, 101 Queen St. N., Kitchener.
519-745-4711 or 1-888-745-4717. $29-$87. Also
Sep 23.
● 8:00: Massey Hall. Janelle Monae: Age of
Pleasure Tour. 178 Victoria St. www.ticketmaster.ca.
From $80. Also Sep 21.
BEETHOVEN
4 & 5
Directed by Bruno Weil
Sept 22–24
Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre
tafelmusik.org
● 8:00: Tafelmusik. Beethoven 4 & 5.
Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 in B-flat Op.60;
Beethoven: Symphony No.5 in c Op.67. Tafelmusik
Baroque Orchestra; Bruno Weil, conductor.
Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre, 273 Bloor
St. W. www.tafelmusik.org/concerts-events/
concerts/beethoven-4-5 or 416-408-0208.
From $48. Also Sept 23 & 24.
Saturday September 23
● 2:00: Barrie County Chordsmen. It’s
the Music That Brings Us Together. Featured
guests: Toronto Northern Lights, Barrie
Soundwaves, and others. Hi-Way Church,
50 Anne St. N., Barrie. 705-791-1367 or www.
barriecountychordsmen.com. $25; $10(st).
● 2:30: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony.
Building the Score. Have you ever wondered
how a film soundtrack comes to life? Step
bymusical step, our family-friendly concert
(complete with projected film clips) takes us
through the process, from initial concept to
full orchestral score. Conductor Evan Mitchell
and the orchestra show us how music
heightens the action while enhancing every
aspect of our favourite movies. Evan Mitchell,
conductor. Centre in the Square, 101 Queen
St. N., Kitchener. 519-745-4711 or 1-888-745-
4717. $29-$87.
● 7:30: Brampton On Stage. Flow Fest International
Drumming Festival. Joy Lapps, Larnell
Lewis, Ryan Chung, Flow Fest Percussion
Ensemble, Ngoma, and others. Rose Theatre,
1 Theatre Ln., Brampton. www.tickets.brampton.ca/online
or 905-874-2800.
$15-$29.
● 7:30: Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra.
Gemma Conducts Schumann & Mendelssohn.
Ritz: Scherzo (world premiere); Schumann:
Piano Concerto; Mendelssohn: Symphony
No.3 “Scottish”. Tony Siqi Yun, piano. FirstOntario
Concert Hall, 1 Summers Ln., Hamilton.
905-526-7756; boxoffice@hpo.org. $20-$80.
6:30 pm-pre-concert talk.
● 7:30: Toronto Mendelssohn Choir/Compagnie
de la Citadelle. In Time: At the Intersection
of Music and Dance. Handel: Dixit
Dominus HWV 232; Bach: Christ lag in Todesbanden
BWV 4. Jean-Sébastien Vallée, conductor.
Jeanne Lamon Hall, Trinity-St. Paul’s
Centre, 427 Bloor St. W. www.tmchoir.org.
From $25. Also Sep 22.
● 8:00: Acoustic Harvest. The Friends of
Fiddler’s Green. St. Paul’s United Church
(Scarborough), 200 McIntosh St., Scarborough.
www.acousticharvest.ca or 416-729-
7564 or www.ticketscene.ca/events/44950/.
$30.
● 8:00: Flato Markham Theatre. The Music
of Pink Floyd by Critical View. 171 Town Centre
Blvd., Markham. 905-305-7469; flatomarkhamtheatre.ca.
$34.52-$54.52.
● 8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony.
A Night at the Movies. Rota: The Godfather;
John Williams: Music from Star Wars; and
other works. Evan Mitchell, conductor. Centre
in the Square, 101 Queen St. N., Kitchener.
519-745-4711 or 1-888-745-4717. $29-$87. Also
Sep 22.
● 8:00: Tafelmusik. Beethoven 4 & 5.
Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 in B-flat Op.60;
Beethoven: Symphony No.5 in c Op.67. Tafelmusik
Baroque Orchestra; Bruno Weil, conductor.
Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre, 273 Bloor
St. W. www.tafelmusik.org/concerts-events/
concerts/beethoven-4-5 or 416-408-0208.
From $48. Also Sept 22 & 24.
● 9:00: Fallsview Casino Resort. Smokey
Robinson In Concert: Smokey Music & Memories.
Fallsview Casino Resort, OLG Stage,
6380 Fallsview Blvd., Niagara Falls. 1-877-
833-3110 or www.ticketmaster.ca. From $81.
Sunday September 24
● 4:00: St. Olave’s Anglican Church. William
Byrd: His Style and Legacy. Opens with
Choral Evensong for Michaelmas, a religious
SUN 24 SEP AT 4
Choral Evensong
followed at 4.45 by
WILLIAM BYRD:
His Style
and Legacy
with Robert Busiakiewicz
ON THE NEW ORGAN CONSOLE
WITH ORGANIST
DAVID BRIGGS
FRI, SEPT 22, 2023
7:30PM
ST. JAMES CATHEDRAL
106 KING ST E, TORONTO
TICKETS: $25
SEARCH FOR: David Briggs
Inaugural Recital
on www.eventbrite.ca
stjamescathedral.ca
thewholenote.com September 2023 | 29

LIVE OR ONLINE | Sep 1 to Oct 10, 2023
service with Byrd’s music, followed directly
by an illustrated music feature to mark the
400th anniversary of his passing in 1623; presented
by Robert Busiakiewicz, the former
music director at St. James Cathedral. Millar
Piano Duo: Gregory and Lisa Millar, piano.
360 Windermere Ave. www.YouTube.com/
StOlavesAnglicanChurch or 416-769-5686.
Contributions appreciated.
● 7:00: Royal Conservatory of Music. Mazzoleni
Masters Series: An Evening of Schubert
& Brahms. Schubert: Fantasia in f
D.940 (op.posth.103); Brahms: Piano Trio
No.1 in B Op.8. Temerty Theatre, Telus Centre,
273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208; www.
rcmusic.com/performance. $25.
● 7:30: Cuckoo’s Nest Folk Club. Friends of
Fiddler’s Green. Chaucer’s Pub, 122 Carling
St., London. www.ticketscene.ca/events. $25.
● 7:30: FirstOntario Performing Arts
Centre. Decades of Bond. Rebecca Noelle,
Michael Hanna Sr., vocalists. FirstOntario
Performing Arts Centre Partridge Hall,
250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines. 905-688-
0722; boxoffice@firstontariopac.ca. $40-$52.
● 7:30: Massey Hall. Rae Lamontagne. With
special guest Tomberlin. 178 Victoria St.
www.ticketmaster.ca. From $95.
● 8:00: Hugh’s Room Live. Lina Allemano
Four. Hugh’s Room Live (New Location),
296 Broadview Ave. www.hughsroomlive.
com or www.showpass.com/lina-allemanofour-revival.
$25.
● 8:00: Tafelmusik. Beethoven 4 & 5.
Beethoven: Symphony No. 4 in B-flat Op.60;
Beethoven: Symphony No.5 in c Op.67. Tafelmusik
Baroque Orchestra; Bruno Weil, conductor.
Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre, 273 Bloor
St. W. www.tafelmusik.org/concerts-events/
concerts/beethoven-4-5 or 416-408-0208.
From $48. Also Sept 22 & 23.
Monday September 25
● 7:00: FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre.
Walk Right Back - The Everly Brothers
Story. FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre
Partridge Hall, 250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines.
905-688-0722; boxoffice@firstontariopac.ca.
$49.
● 8:00: Massey Hall. Mt. Joy. 178 Victoria St.
www.ticketmaster.ca. From $43. Also Sep 26.
● 8:00: TD Music Hall. Y La Bamba.
178 Victoria St. www.tickets.mhrth.com. $20.
Tuesday September 26
● 12:10: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Tuesday Noon Series: I’ve Got U Under
My Skin - AIDS and Classical Music. Walter
Hall, Edward Johnson Building, University of
Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park. 416-978-3750 or
www.music.utoronto.ca. Free.
● 1:00: St. James Cathedral. Tuesday Organ
Recital. Peter Nikiforuk, organ. Cathedral
Church of St. James, 106 King St. E. 416-364-
7865 or www.stjamescathedral.ca/recitals.
Free. Donations welcome.
● 7:30: FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre.
Howard Jones. Acoustic Trio. Partridge
Hall, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre,
250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines. 905-688-
0722; boxoffice@firstontariopac.ca. $65;
$55(members).
● 8:00: Massey Hall. Mt. Joy. 178 Victoria St.
www.ticketmaster.ca. From $43. Also Sep 25.
● 8:00: Payadora Tango Ensemble. A Night
of Tango with Payadora. Classic and modern
tango, originals, and South American folk
music. Rebekah Wolkstein, violin & vocals;
Drew Jurecka, bandoneon/violin/mandolin;
Robert Horvath, piano; Joe Phillips, doublebass
& guitar; Elbio Fernandez, vocals. Jazz
Bistro, 251 Victoria St. 416-363-5299. $25.
Also Nov 15.
Wednesday September 27
● 12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.
Free Concert Series: Mostly Mozart. UofT
Opera presents a concert of beloved operatic
ensembles by Mozart, augmented by
works inspired by the man widely recognized
as “one of the greatest composers in the history
of Western music.”. Students from UofT
Opera. Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre,
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts,
145 Queen St. W. www.coc.ca/free-concertseries.
Free.
● 12:30: Yorkminster Park Baptist Church.
Noonday Organ Recital. Nicholas Wanstall,
organ. 1585 Yonge St. www.yorkminsterpark.
com. Free. Donations welcome.
● 8:00: FirstOntario Performing Arts
Centre. Cowboy Junkies. FirstOntario
Performing Arts Centre Partridge Hall,
250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines. 905-
688-0722; boxoffice@firstontariopac.ca.
$48.03-$60.86.
Thursday September 28
● 12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.
Free Concert Series: What is Gaga? Join a
dynamic introduction to Gaga, Ohad Naharin’s
world renowned movement language, as
Fall for Dance North brings his famous
work KAMUYOT to their upcoming ninth
annual festival, performed by Charlotte Ballet.
Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, Four
Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts,
145 Queen St. W. www.coc.ca/free-concertseries.
Free.
● 12:00 noon: Music at Metropolitan.
Thursday Noon at Met:. Featuring Wagner
transcriptions. Jonathan Oldengarm,
organ. Metropolitan United Church, 56 Queen
St. E. www.metunited.ca/live. Free. LIVE &
STREAMED.
● 12:10: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Thursdays at Noon. Michael Bridge,
accordion. Walter Hall, Edward Johnson
Building, University of Toronto, 80 Queen’s
Park. 416-978-3750 or www.music.utoronto.
ca. Free.
● 7:30: Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
Leisa Way’s Opry Gold. Wayward Wind
Band. Burlington Performing Arts Centre
- Community Studio Theatre, 440 Locust
St., Burlington. 905-681-6000. $49.50;
$44.50(member). Also Sep 29, 30(2pm &
7:30pm), Oct 1(4pm).
● 8:00: Flato Markham Theatre. Sultans
of String: Walking Through the Fire. The Rez,
A Beautiful Darkness, Black Winged Raven,
Our Mother The Earth, and Nîmihito (Dance).
Alyssa Delbaere-Sawchuk; Marc Meriläinen,
Shannon Thunderbird, Don Ross, Leela Gilday,
and others. 171 Town Centre Blvd., Markham.
905-305-7469 or www.flatomarkhamtheatre.
ca. $68(regular); $78(prime); $15(YTX).
● 8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
The Poem of Ecstasy. Jimmy López Bellido:
Synesthésie (North American Premiere);
Ravel: Rapsodie espagnole; Ravel: Piano
Concerto for the Left Hand; Scriabin: The
Poem of Ecstasy. Seong-Jin Cho, piano; Gustavo
Gimeno, conductor. Roy Thomson Hall,
60 Simcoe St. 416-598-3375. From $35. Also
Sep 29(7:30pm), 30(8pm).
Friday September 29
● 7:00: Jazz at Durbar. Matt Pines Jazz Trio.
Matt Pines, piano; TBA, double-bass; and Rebecca
Enkin, vocals. Durbar Indian Restaurant,
2469 Bloor St. W. 416-762-4441 or www.rebeccaenkin.com.
.
● 7:00: TD Music Hall. Vancestock XII. Featuring
Doc Robinson, Pudding and Sisters &
Brothers. 178 Victoria St. www.tickets.mhrth.
com. TBA.
● 7:00: Westben. Fall Festival: Kris & Dee.
The Campfire, 6698 County Road 30 N.,
Campbellford. 1-877-883-5777 or www.westben.ca.
$45; $43(sr); $30(under 30); $5(18
and under).
● 7:30: Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
Leisa Way’s Opry Gold. Wayward Wind
Band. Burlington Performing Arts Centre
- Community Studio Theatre, 440 Locust
St., Burlington. 905-681-6000. $49.50;
$44.50(member). Also Sep 28, 30(2pm &
7:30pm), Oct 1(4pm).
● 7:30: Canadian Opera Company. Fidelio.
Music by Ludwig van Beethoven. Miina-
Liisa Vārelā, soprano (Leonore); Clay Hilley,
tenor (Florestan); Dimitry Ivaschenko,
bass (Rocco); Anna-Sophie Neher, soprano
(Marzelline); Josh Lovell, tenor (Jaquino);
and other soloists. Canadian Opera Company
Chorus & Orchestra; Johannes Debus, conductor;
Matthew Ozawa. Four Seasons Centre
for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St.
W. 416-363-8231 or 1-800-250-4653 or tickets@coc.ca.
Single tickets on sale Aug 28.
Also Oct 1(2pm), 7, 12, 14(4:30pm), 18, 20. At
7:30pm unless otherwise noted.
● 7:30: Stratford Symphony Orchestra.
Indigenous Artists and Sultans of String
Walking Though the Fire: A Trailblazing
Canada’s TWELFTH CARILLON has been
installed at YORKMINSTER PARK!
And we have planned a weekend of celebration.
Friday, September 29 to Sunday, October 1
With special guest Dr. Andrea McCrady, Dominion Carillonneur
from the Peace Tower in Ottawa.
Friday at 7:00 pm: YP Speakers Series Lecture
Saturday at 4:00 pm: Inaugural Recital
Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Dedication and Recital
Yorkminster Park
Baptist Church
1585 Yonge Street
www.yorkminsterpark.com
30 | September 2023 thewholenote.com

Musical Response to the TRC’s 94 Calls
to Action. Sultans of String; Alyssa Delbaere-Sawchuk,
fiddler; Marc Meriläinen,
singer/songwriteriwan), Shannon Thunderbird,
singer/songwriter; Don Ross, guitar;
and others. Avondale United Church,
194 Avondale Ave., Stratford. www.stratfordsymphony.ca/Walking_Through_Fire.
$45;
$15(st); Free(under 12).
● 7:30: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
The Poem of Ecstasy. Jimmy López Bellido:
Synesthésie (North American Premiere);
Ravel: Rapsodie espagnole; Ravel: Piano
Concerto for the Left Hand; Scriabin: The
Poem of Ecstasy. Seong-Jin Cho, piano; Gustavo
Gimeno, conductor. Roy Thomson Hall,
60 Simcoe St. 416-598-3375. From $35. Also
Sep 28(8pm), 30(8pm).
● 8:00: Hugh’s Room Live. Narada Duo. Featuring
Aline Morales & Wagner Petrilli. Hugh’s
Room Live (New Location), 296 Broadview
Ave. www.hughsroomlive.com or www.showpass.com/aline-morales-wagner-petrillirevival/.
$25.
● 8:00: Royal Conservatory of Music. Concert
to Commemorate National Day of Truth
& Reconciliation. Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre,
273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208; rcmusic.com/
performance. From $40.
● 8:00: TO Live. Lakecia Benjamin and
Phoenix Quartet: Jubilation. Lakecia Benjamin,
saxophone. George Weston Recital Hall,
Meridian Arts Centre, 5040 Yonge St. www.
tolive.com or 416-366-7723 and 1-800-708-
6754 or boxoffice@tolive.com. From $30.
● 9:00: Fallsview Casino Resort. Anjelah
Johnson-Reyes. Fallsview Casino Resort, Avalon
Theatre, 6380 Fallsview Blvd., Niagara
Falls. 1-877-833-3110 or www.ticketmaster.
ca. From $64.
Saturday September 30
● 10:00am: Westben. Fall Festival: Sounds
in Nature. Enjoy a magical autumn morning
amidst the ancient splendour of colourful forests,
peaceful streams, and turning leaves.
Ben Finley & Friends. Willow Hill Amphitheatre,
6698 County Road 30 N., Campbellford.
1-877-883-5777 or www.westben.ca. $55;
$53(sr); $30(under 30); $5(18 and under).
Also Oct 1. Meet at Willow Hill and then take a
nature walk through the Mary West Nature
Reserve followed by refreshments, snacks,
and conversations with the artists at the
Westben Campfire.
● 2:00: Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
Leisa Way’s Opry Gold. Wayward Wind
Band. Burlington Performing Arts Centre
- Community Studio Theatre, 440 Locust
St., Burlington. 905-681-6000. $49.50;
$44.50(member). Also Sep 28(7:30pm),
29(7:30pm), 30(7:30pm), Oct 1(4pm).
● 2:00: Westben. Fall Festival: George Fox.
Willow Hill Amphitheatre, 6698 County Road
30 N., Campbellford. 1-877-883-5777 or www.
westben.ca. $45; $43(sr); $30(under 30);
$5(18 and under).
● 3:30: Apocryphonia. GinasterAmirov:
Argentine & Azerbaijani Opera and Piano
Masterworks. Ginastera: Piano Sonata
No.1; Ginastera: Las horas de una estancia;
Amirov: Romantic Sonata (Canadian Premiere);
Amirov - Excerpts from Sevil. Thera
Barclay, soprano; Alexander Cappellazzo,
tenor; Narmina Afandiyeva, piano. Heliconian
Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave. 514-378-2558. Pay
What You Want(In-person or Eventbrite);
$25/$50(Supporter Donations/Program
Shout-Outs). Also Oct 1(Cosmopolitan Music
Hall at 7:30pm).
● 4:00: Yorkminster Park Baptist Church.
Inaugural Carillon Recital. Dr. Andrea
McCrady, Dominion Carillonneur from the
Peace Tower in Ottawa. 1585 Yonge St. www.
yorkminsterpark.com. Free. Donations
welcome.
● 7:00: Annesley United Church. James
Brown Trio in Concert. James Brown, guitar;
Aline Homzy, violin; Clark Johnston, doublebass.
82 Toronto St. S., Markdale. 519-997-
2727 or www.annesley.events. $25/$20(adv);
$15(streaming). LIVE & STREAMED.
● 7:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber
Music Society. Eliot Quartet. KWCMS Music
Room, 57 Young St. W., Waterloo. 519-569-
1809 or www.ticketscene.ca/kwcms. $35;
$20(st). Program and venue to be confirmed.
● 7:30: Barrie Concerts Association. Spirit
‘20. Works by Ellington, Gershwin, and Ravel.
Guy Few, trumpet; Mark Fewer, violin; James
Campbell, clarinet; Chloé Dominguez, cello;
John Novacek, piano; Christian Sharpe, bassoon.
Hiway Pentecostal Church, 50 Anne St.
N., Barrie. www.barrieconcerts.org. Live:
$35; $10(st). Livestream: $20; $10(st). Available
for up to 30 days after the concert.
● 7:30: Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
Leisa Way’s Opry Gold. Wayward Wind
Band. Burlington Performing Arts Centre
- Community Studio Theatre, 440 Locust
St., Burlington. 905-681-6000. $49.50;
$44.50(member). Also Sep 28, 29, 30(2pm &
7:30pm), Oct 1(4pm).
● 7:30: Confluence Concerts. Irish Songbook.
New and traditional Irish repertoire.
Patricia O’Callaghan, soprano. Heliconian
Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave. www.bemusednetwork.com/events.
$25. Pre-concert
chat(7:15pm). Also Oct 1(3pm).
● 7:30: Niagara Symphony Orchestra.
Indigenous Artists and Sultans of String
Walking Though the Fire: A Trailblazing
Musical Response to the TRC’s 94 Calls to
Action. Sultans of String; Alyssa Delbaere-
Sawchuk, fiddler; Marc Meriläinen, singer/
songwriteriwan), Shannon Thunderbird,
singer/songwriter; Don Ross, guitar; and
others. FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre,
Partridge Hall, 250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines.
www.tinyurl.com/bdch4tyt or 905-
688-0722. $75; $29(st univ/college with
valid ID); $24(youth under 18 with valid ID);
$46(under 35); $52(arts workers with valid
ID); $100(Diamond). Also Oct 1(2:30pm).
● 7:30: Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra.
Fun and Fanciful. Tchaikovsky: Souvenir
de Florence, for String Sextet; and other
works. Guests: Odin Quartet (Alex Toskov, violin;
Tanya Charles Iveniuk, violin; Matt Antal,
viola; Samuel Bisson, cello) with Odin Quartet,
with Jacob Clewell, viola and Ronald Royer,
cello. St. Paul’s L’Amoreaux Anglican Church,
3333 Finch Ave. E., Scarborough. 647-482-
7761 or www.spo.ca/Concerts. $15-$35.
● 7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. University of Toronto Symphony
Orchestra. Berlioz: Roman Carnival H95; Respighi:
Church Stained Glass Windows (Four
Symphonic Impressions); Dvořák: Symphony
No.8 in G Op.88. Uri Meyer, conductor.
MacMillan Theatre, Edward Johnson Building,
80 Queen’s Park. 416-408-0208. $30;
$20(sr); $10(st). U of T students admitted free
with a valid TCard, space permitting.
● 8:00: Flato Markham Theatre. Twin
Flames & Friends. Jaaji & Chelsey June,
Nina Segalowitz, Marie-Celine Charron Einish.
171 Town Centre Blvd., Markham. 905-
305-7469; www.flatomarkhamtheatre.ca.
$58(regular); $68(prime); $15(YTX).
● 8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony.
Feher Conducts Boléro. Rimsky-Korsakov:
Capriccio espagnol; Dutilleux: Tout un monde
lontain ... (A Whole Remote World); Karen
Sunabacka: IV. The Prairies; Falla: El sombrero
de tres picos (Three-Cornered Hat);
Ravel: Boléro. Johannes Moser, cello; Andrei
Feher, conductor. Centre in the Square,
101 Queen St. N., Kitchener. 519-745-4711 or
1-888-745-4717. $29-$87. Also Oct 1(2:30pm).
● 8:00: Royal Conservatory of Music. Music
Mix Series: Steven Page with Craig Northey,
Kevin Fox and special guest Tom Wilson.
Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre, 273 Bloor St. W.
416-408-0208; rcmusic.com/performance.
From $45.
● 8:30: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
The Poem of Ecstasy. Jimmy López Bellido:
Synesthésie (North American Premiere);
Ravel: Rapsodie espagnole; Ravel: Piano
Concerto for the Left Hand; Scriabin: The
Poem of Ecstasy. Seong-Jin Cho, piano; Gustavo
Gimeno, conductor. Roy Thomson Hall,
60 Simcoe St. 416-598-3375. From $35. Also
Sep 28(8pm), 29(7:30pm).
● 9:00: Fallsview Casino Resort. Tom Cochrane
& Band. Fallsview Casino Resort, OLG
Stage, 6380 Fallsview Blvd., Niagara Falls.
1-877-833-3110 or www.ticketmaster.ca.
From $45.
Sunday October 1
● 11:00am: Yorkminster Park Baptist
Church. Carillon Dedication and Recital. Dr.
Andrea McCrady, Dominion Carillonneur
from the Peace Tower in Ottawa. 1585 Yonge
St. www.yorkminsterpark.com. Free. Donations
welcome.
● 1:15: Mooredale Concerts. Music & Truffles
KIDS. Jason Vieaux, guitar. Walter Hall,
Edward Johnson Building, University of
Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park. 416-922-3714 x103;
647-988-2012 (eve/wknd). $25.
● 2:00: Arraymusic. Public Workshop:
Improvisation with Allison Cameron. Open to
musicians of any level! Beginners welcome
(and encouraged!). Use your instrument as a
tool for sound exploration. Work with a professional
composer/musician to play and
create graphic scores. Have fun in a chill
and welcoming environment. Array Space,
155 Walnut Ave. www.arraymusic.ca. Free.
Donations accepted. Also Aug 6 & Sep 10.
● 2:00: CAMMAC Toronto Region. Mozart’s
Solemn Vespers. Reading for singers and
instrumentalists. Thomas Burton, conductor.
Christ Church Deer Park, 1570 Yonge St. 647-
458-0213 or www.cammac.ca/toronto. $15;
$10(members).
● 2:00: Canadian Opera Company. Fidelio.
See Sep 29. Also Oct 7, 12, 14(4:30pm), 18, 20.
At 7:30pm unless otherwise noted.
● 2:00: Westben. Fall Festival: Michael
Kaeshammer. Michael Kaeshammer,
piano & vocals. The Barn (Campbellford),
6698 County Road 30, Campbellford. 1-877-
883-5777 or www.westben.ca. $65.
● 2:30: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony.
Feher Conducts Boléro. Rimsky-Korsakov:
Capriccio espagnol; Dutilleux: Tout un monde
lontain ... (A Whole Remote World); Karen
Sunabacka: IV. The Prairies; Falla: El sombrero
de tres picos (Three-Cornered Hat);
Ravel: Boléro. Johannes Moser, cello; Andrei
Feher, conductor. Centre in the Square,
101 Queen St. N., Kitchener. 519-745-4711 or
1-888-745-4717. $29-$87. Also Sep 30(8pm).
● 2:30: Niagara Symphony Orchestra.
Indigenous Artists and Sultans of String
Walking Though the Fire: A Trailblazing
Musical Response to the TRC’s 94 Calls to
Action. Sultans of String; Alyssa Delbaere-
Sawchuk, fiddler; Marc Meriläinen, singer/
songwriteriwan), Shannon Thunderbird,
singer/songwriter; Don Ross, guitar; and
others. FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre,
Partridge Hall, 250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines.
www.tinyurl.com/bdch4tyt or 905-688-
0722. $75; $29(st univ/college with valid ID);
$24(youth under 18 with valid ID); $46(under
35); $52(arts workers with valid ID);
$100(Diamond). Also Sep 30(7:30pm).
● 3:00: Confluence Concerts. Irish Songbook.
New and traditional Irish repertoire.
Patricia O’Callaghan, soprano. Heliconian
Hall, 35 Hazelton Ave. www.bemusednetwork.com/events.
$25. Pre-concert chat
(2:45pm). Also Sep 30(7:30pm).
● 3:00: Royal Conservatory of Music. Piano
Concerts Series: Mahani Teave. Bach: Chromatic
Fantasia & Fugue in d BWV 903; Chopin:
Nocturne in b-flat Op.9 No.1; Chopin: Mazurka
in g Op.67 No.2; Chopin: Mazurka in a
Op.67 No.4; Chopin: Nocturne in e Op.72 No.1;
and works by Arevalo, Liszt, Rachmaninoff,
and others. Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre,
273 Bloor St. W. 416-408-0208; rcmusic.com/
performance. From $40.
● 3:15: Mooredale Concerts. Jason Vieaux,
classical guitar. Walter Hall, Edward Johnson
Building, University of Toronto, 80 Queen’s
Park. 416-922-3714 x103; 647-988-2012 (eve/
wknd). $55; $50(sr); $30(st).
● 4:00: Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
Leisa Way’s Opry Gold. Wayward Wind
Band. Burlington Performing Arts Centre
- Community Studio Theatre, 440 Locust
St., Burlington. 905-681-6000. $49.50;
$44.50(member). Also Sep 28(7:30pm),
29(7:30pm), 30(2pm & 7:30pm).
● 4:00: Flute Street. Tenth Anniversary Season:
Dances with Flutes. Stravinsky: Dances
thewholenote.com September 2023 | 31

LIVE OR ONLINE | Sep 1 to Oct 10, 2023
10TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON!
Flute Street
presents
Dances
with
Flutes
SUN. OCTOBER 1, 4PM
www.flutestreet.ca
from Petrouchka; Valerie Coleman: Juba
Dance, Bartók: Rumanian Dances; Warlock:
Capriol Suite, John Palmer: Samba.
Church of St. Peter and St. Simon-the-Apostle,
525 Bloor St. E. 416-462-9498. PWYC - $25
suggested.
● 7:30: Apocryphonia. GinasterAmirov:
Argentine & Azerbaijani Opera and Piano
Masterworks. Ginastera: Piano Sonata
No.1; Ginastera: Las horas de una estancia;
Amirov: Romantic Sonata (Canadian Premiere);
Amirov - Excerpts from Sevil. Thera
Barclay, soprano; Alexander Cappellazzo,
tenor; Narmina Afandiyeva, piano. Cosmopolitan
Music Hall, 10 Via Renzo Dr., Richmond
Hill. 514-378-2558. Pay What You Want(Inperson
or Eventbrite); $25/$50(Supporter
Donations/Program Shout-Outs). Also
Sep 30(Heliconian Hall at 3:30pm).
Monday October 2
● 10:00am: Westben. Fall Festival: Sounds
in Nature. Enjoy a magical autumn morning
amidst the ancient splendour of colourful forests,
peaceful streams, and turning leaves.
Ben Finley & Friends. Willow Hill Amphitheatre,
6698 County Road 30 N., Campbellford.
1-877-883-5777 or www.westben.ca. $55;
$53(sr); $30(under 30); $5(18 and under).
Also Oct 1. Meet at Willow Hill and then take a
nature walk through the Mary West Nature
Reserve followed by refreshments, snacks,
and conversations with the artists at the
Westben Campfire.
● 3:00: Fallsview Casino Resort. Sergio
Mendes. Fallsview Casino Resort, Avalon Theatre,
6380 Fallsview Blvd., Niagara Falls.
1-877-833-3110 or www.ticketmaster.ca.
From $45. Also Oct 3(3pm) & 4(8:30pm).
● 8:00: Massey Hall. Tom Odell. 178 Victoria
St. www.ticketmaster.ca. From $46.
Tuesday October 3
● 12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.
Free Concert Series: Trios for Clarinet,
Bassoon, and Piano. Beethoven: Septet
Op.20 (arr. by Beethoven for trio); Glinka:
Trio pathétique. Dominic Desautels, clarinet;
Zsófia Stefan, bassoon; Jean-Luc Therrien,
piano. Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre,
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts,
145 Queen St. W. www.coc.ca/free-concertseries.
Free.
● 12:10: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Tuesday Noon Series: Fourth Year
Singers In Performance. Walter Hall, Edward
Johnson Building, University of Toronto,
80 Queen’s Park. 416-978-3750 or www.
music.utoronto.ca. Free.
● 1:00: St. James Cathedral. The Life and
Times of William Byrd. Organ music as well
as sacred and secular songs of William Byrd.
Thomas Bell, Nathan Jeffery, and soloists
from the Choir of St. James Cathedral. Cathedral
Church of St. James, 106 King St. E.
416-364-7865 or www.stjamescathedral.ca/
recitals. Free. Donations welcome.
● 3:00: Fallsview Casino Resort. Sergio
Mendes. Fallsview Casino Resort, Avalon Theatre,
6380 Fallsview Blvd., Niagara Falls.
1-877-833-3110 or www.ticketmaster.ca.
From $45. Also Oct 2(3pm) & 4(8:30pm).
● 7:30: Brantford Symphony Orchestra.
Indigenous Artists and Sultans of String
Walking Though the Fire: A Trailblazing
Musical Response to the TRC’s 94 Calls
to Action. Sultans of String; Alyssa Delbaere-Sawchuk,
fiddler; Marc Meriläinen,
singer/songwriteriwan), Shannon Thunderbird,
singer/songwriter; Don Ross, guitar;
and others. Sanderson Centre for the Performing
Arts, 88 Dalhousie St., Brantford.
www.brantfordsymphony.ca/event/walking-through-the-fire
or 519-758-8090. $49;
$20(st).
● 8:00: Hugh’s Room. Coco Montoya.
Coco Montoya, guitar & vocals. The Revival,
783 College St. www.showpass.com/cocomontoya.
$70/$60(adv).
● 8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
Pops: The Doo Wop Project. The Doo Wop
Project, vocal group; Steven Reineke, conductor.
Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St. 416-
598-3375. From $62. Also Oct 4.
Wednesday October 4
● 12:00 noon: Canadian Opera Company.
Free Concert Series: Meet the Artists of
NIGHT/SHIFT. Meet three of NIGHT/SHIFT’s
dynamic movement makers before their new
dance work’s world premiere as part of Fall
for Dance North’s ninth annual festival, copresented
with Citadel + Compagnie. Enjoy a
thought-provoking preview and hear directly
from the choreographers about their creative
process. Citadel + Compagnie and Fall
for Dance North. Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre,
Four Seasons Centre for the Performing
Arts, 145 Queen St. W. www.coc.ca/
free-concert-series. Free.
● 12:30: Yorkminster Park Baptist Church.
Noonday Organ Recital. John Paul Farahat,
organ. 1585 Yonge St. www.yorkminsterpark.
com. Free. Donations welcome.
● 7:00: FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre.
The Circle: Indigenous Songwriters’
Showcase. FirstOntario Performing Arts
Centre, Robertson Theatre, 250 St. Paul St.,
St. Catharines. 905-688-0722; boxoffice@
firstontariopac.ca. PWYC.
● 7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. University Of Toronto Percussion
Ensemble Presents Ligeti at 100. Walter
Hall, Edward Johnson Building, University of
Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park. 416-978-3750 or
www.music.utoronto.ca. Free.
● 8:00: Flato Academy Theatre. Indigenous
Artists and Sultans of String Walking Though
the Fire: A Trailblazing Musical Response
to the TRC’s 94 Calls to Action. Sultans of
String; Alyssa Delbaere-Sawchuk, fiddler;
Marc Meriläinen, singer/songwriteriwan),
Shannon Thunderbird, singer/songwriter;
Don Ross, guitar; and others. 2 Lindsay St.
S., Lindsay. www.flatoacademytheatre.com/
events-shows/sos or 705-324-9111 or 1-877-
888-0038 or boxoffice@academytheatre.ca.
From $42.
● 8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony.
Eternal Sun. Delius: A Song Before Sunrise;
Telemann: Overture in C (Water Music);
Delius: Summer Night on the River; Dvořák:
Nocturne in B for String Orchestra; Debussy
(arr. Mouton): Rêverie; Haydn: Symphony
No.6 (Le Matin); Debussy (arr. Mouton): Clair
de lune. Ian Whitman, curator; Thomas le
Duc-Moreau, conductor. First United Church
(Waterloo), 16 William St. W., Waterloo. 519-
745-4711 or 1-888-745-4717. $29-$87. Also
Oct 6(Harcourt Memorial United Church,
Guelph) & Oct 7(Central Presbyterian Church,
Cambridge).
● 8:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Pops:
The Doo Wop Project. The Doo Wop Project,
vocal group; Steven Reineke, conductor. Roy
Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St. 416-598-3375.
From $47. Also Oct 3.
● 8:30: Fallsview Casino Resort. Sergio
Mendes. Fallsview Casino Resort, Avalon Theatre,
6380 Fallsview Blvd., Niagara Falls.
1-877-833-3110 or www.ticketmaster.ca.
From $45. Also Oct 2(3pm) & 3(3pm).
Thursday October 5
● 11:00am: Encore Symphonic Concert
Band. Monthly Concert. 35-piece concert
band performing band concert music,
pop tunes, jazz standards (2 singers) and
the occasional march. Trinity Presbyterian
Church York Mills, 2737 Bayview Ave. www.
encoreband.ca. $10.
● 12:00 noon: Music at Metropolitan.
Thursday Noon at Met:. Masucci Facchini,
countertenor. Metropolitan United Church,
56 Queen St. E. www.metunited.ca/live. Free.
LIVE & STREAMED.
WOMEN’S MUSICAL CLUB OF TORONTO
OCTOBER 5 | 1.30 PM
FAURÉ
QUARTETT
416-923-7052 | wmct.on.ca
● 1:30: Women’s Musical Club of Toronto.
Music in the Afternoon: Fauré Quartett - The
Pleasure and the Spirit. Beethoven: Piano
Quartet in E-flat Op.16; Fauré: Piano Quartet
No.2 in g Op.45; and music by Max Reger.
Fauré Quartett: Dirk Mommertz, piano;
Erika Geldsetzer, violin; Sascha Frömbling,
viola; Konstantin Heidrich, cello. Walter
Hall, Edward Johnson Building, University of
Toronto, 80 Queen’s Park. 416-923-7052 X1.
$50; free(st with ID at door).
● 8:00: Flato Markham Theatre. Abbamania
& Night Fever. 171 Town Centre Blvd., Markham.
905-305-7469; www.flatomarkhamtheatre.ca.
$65(prime); $60(regular).
● 8:00: Massey Hall. Steve Hackett: Genesis
Revisted, Foxtrot at 50, and Hackett Highlights.
178 Victoria St. www.ticketmaster.ca.
From $59.
Friday October 6
● 12:10: Music at St. Andrew’s. Noontime
Recital. Mozart: Piano Sonata No.15 in
F K.533/494 and works by Bach, Peart, and
Debussy. Oliver Peart, piano. St. Andrew’s Presbyterian
Church, 73 Simcoe St. 416-593-5600
X231 or www.standrewstoronto.org. Free.
32 | September 2023 thewholenote.com

● 7:00: FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre.
Relive the Music 50’s & 60’s Show.
FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre Partridge
Hall, 250 St. Paul St., St. Catharines.
905-688-0722; boxoffice@firstontariopac.ca.
$46.61-$55.46.
● 7:30: Canadian Opera Company. La
Bohème. Music by Giacomo Puccini. Amina
Edris, soprano (Mimì); Pene Pati/Kang
Wang, tenor (Rodolfo); Joo Won Kang, baritone
(Marcello); Charlotte Siegel, soprano
(Musetta); Blaise Malaba, bass (Colline); Justin
Welsh, baritone (Schaunard), and other
soloists. Canadian Opera Company Chorus
& Orchestra; Jordan de Souza, conductor;
John Caird, director. Four Seasons Centre for
the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W. 416-
363-8231 or 1-800-250-4653 or tickets@
coc.ca. Single tickets on sale Aug 28. Also
Oct 8(2pm), 11, 13, 19, 21, 22(pm), 28(4:30). At
7:30pm unless otherwise noted.
● 7:30: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Film
Screening: Disney’s Coco In Concert. Music
by Michael Giacchino. Steven Reineke, conductor.
Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St. 416-
598-3375. From $55. Also Oct 7(2pm).
● 7:30: University of Toronto Faculty of
Music. Side-By-Side Concert Series. Students
from the Conservatoire national supérieur
de musique de Lyon join with Faculty
of Music string students and faculty. Marianne
Piketty, conductor. Walter Hall, Edward
Johnson Building, University of Toronto,
80 Queen’s Park. 416-408-0208. $40;
$25(sr); $10(st). U of T students admitted free
with a valid TCard, space permitting.
● 8:00: Burlington Performing Arts Centre.
An Evening with Andy Kim. Burlington
Performing Arts Centre - Main Theatre,
440 Locust St., Burlington. 905-681-6000.
From $59.50(Regular) & $54.50(Member).
● 8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony.
Eternal Sun. Delius: A Song Before Sunrise;
Telemann: Overture in C (Water
Music); Delius: Summer Night on the River;
Dvořák: Nocturne in B for String Orchestra;
Debussy (arr. Mouton): Rêverie; Haydn:
Symphony No.6 (Le Matin); Debussy (arr.
Mouton): Clair de lune. Ian Whitman, curator;
Thomas le Duc-Moreau, conductor. Harcourt
Memorial United Church, 87 Dean Ave.,
Guelph. 519-745-4711 or 1-888-745-4717. $29-
$87. Also Oct 4(First United Church, Waterloo)
& Oct 7(Central Presbyterian Church,
Cambridge).
● 8:00: Massey Hall. Bonnie Raitt: Just
Like That... - Tour 2003. With Royal Wood.
178 Victoria St. www.ticketmaster.ca. From
$217.
● 8:00: Royal Conservatory of Music. Temerty
Orchestral Program: Earl Lee Conducts
the Royal Conservatory Orchestra. Ravel:
Boléro; Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No.2 in
g Op.63; Strauss: Also sprach Zarathustra
Op.30. Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre, 273 Bloor
St. W. 416-408-0208; rcmusic.com/performance.
From $25.
Saturday October 7
● 2:00: Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Film
Screening: Disney’s Coco In Concert. Music
by Michael Giacchino. Steven Reineke, conductor.
Roy Thomson Hall, 60 Simcoe St. 416-
598-3375. From $55. Also Oct 6(7:30pm).
● 7:30: Canadian Opera Company. Fidelio.
See Sep 29. Also Oct 12, 14(4:30pm), 18, 20.
At 7:30pm unless otherwise noted.
● 8:00: Cathedral Bluffs Symphony
Orchestra. New World. Katie Agocs: Shenanigan;
Christine Donkin: Three Autumn
Scenes; Bramwell Tovey: Ancestral Voices;
Dvořák: Symphony No. 9 in e Op.95 B.178
“From the New World”. Marion Newman,
mezzo; Martin MacDonald, conductor. P.C. Ho
Theatre, Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater
Toronto, 5183 Sheppard Ave. E., Scarborough.
416-879-5566. From $25. Free for children
under 12. Pre-concert talk: 7:15pm.
● 8:00: Fallsview Casino Resort. Kenny
Wayne Shepherd Band and Samantha
Fish. Fallsview Casino Resort, OLG Stage,
6380 Fallsview Blvd., Niagara Falls. 1-877-
833-3110 or www.ticketmaster.ca. From $58.
● 8:00: Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony. Eternal
Sun. Delius: A Song Before Sunrise; Telemann:
Overture in C (Water Music); Delius:
Summer Night on the River; Dvořák: Nocturne
in B for String Orchestra; Debussy (arr.
Mouton): Rêverie; Haydn: Symphony No.6 (Le
Matin); Debussy (arr. Mouton): Clair de lune.
Ian Whitman, curator; Thomas le Duc-Moreau,
conductor. Central Presbyterian Church (Cambridge),
7 Queens Sq., Cambridge. 519-745-
4711 or 1-888-745-4717. $29-$87. Also Oct 4(First
United Church, Waterloo) & Oct 6(Harcourt
Memorial United Church, Guelph).
● 8:00: TD Music Hall. Zenesoul & THEHON-
ESTGUY. 178 Victoria St. www.tickets.mhrth.
com. $25.
Sunday October 8
● 2:00: Canadian Opera Company. La
Bohème. See Oct 1. Also Oct 11, 13, 19, 21,
22(pm), 28(4:30). At 7:30pm unless otherwise
noted.
Tuesday October 10
● 1:00: St. James Cathedral. Tuesday Organ
Recital. Jeremy Tingle, organ. Cathedral
Church of St. James, 106 King St. E. 416-364-
7865 or www.stjamescathedral.ca/recitals.
Free. Donations welcome.
3030 Dundas West
3030 Dundas St. W. 416-769-5736
3030dundaswest.com
A large, airy space that plays hosts to concerts,
events, and more, 3030 Dundas is
home to a wide variety of music and a topnotch
Trinidadian-Canadian food menu.
Burdock
1184 Bloor St. W. 416-546-4033
burdockto.com
A sleek music hall with exceptional sound
and ambience, featuring a draft list of housemade
brews.
BSMT 254
254 Landsdowne Ave. 416-801-6325
bsmt254.com
A cozy music venue with an underground
vibe, BSMT 254 has a wide variety of shows,
from jazz to hip-hop to DJ nights.
Cameron House
408 Queen St. W. 416-703-0811
thecameron.com
An intimate, bohemian bar with ceiling
murals & nightly performances from local
roots acts on 2 stages.
Capone’s Cocktail Lounge
1573 Bloor St. W. 416-534-7911
caponestoronto.com
A self-described perfect marriage of an
intimate cocktail den and comfortable neighbourhood
bar, with live music Wednesday
through Sunday.
Castro’s Lounge
2116 Queen St. E. 416-699-8272
castroslounge.com
Featuring an ever-changing selection of specialty
beers, Castro’s hosts a variety of local
live music acts, including bluegrass, jazz,
rockabilly, and alt-country.
C’est What
67 Front St. E. 416-867-9499
cestwhat.com
A haven for those who appreciate real cask
ale, draught beer from local Ontario breweries,
and live music.
Drom Taberna
458 Queen St. W. 647-748-2099
dromtaberna.com
A heartfelt homage to the lands that stretch
from the Baltic to the Balkans to the Black
Sea, with a wide variety of music.
Emmet Ray, The
924 College St. 416-792-4497
theemmetray.com
A whisky bar with a great food menu, an everchanging
draft list, and live jazz, funk, folk and
more in the back room.
Grossman’s Tavern
379 Spadina Ave. 416-977-7000
grossmanstavern.com
One of the city’s longest-running live music
venues, and Toronto’s self-described “Home
of the Blues.”
MAINLY CLUBS
Hirut Cafe and Restaurant
2050 Danforth Ave. 416-551-7560
hirut.ca
A major destination for delicious and nutritious
Ethiopian cuisine, with monthly jazz
residencies and jam sessions.
Home Smith Bar – See Old Mill, The
Hugh’s Room
296 Broadview Ave. 416-533-5483
hughsroom.com
A dedicated listening room with an intimate
performing space, great acoustics, and an
attentive audience.
Jazz Bistro, The
251 Victoria St. 416-363-5299
jazzbistro.ca
In an historic location, Jazz Bistro features
great food, a stellar wine list, and world-class
jazz musicians in airy club environs.
Jazz Room, The
Located in the Huether Hotel, 59 King St. N.,
Waterloo. 226-476-1565
kwjazzroom.com
A welcoming music venue dedicated to the
best in jazz music presentations, and home to
the Grand River Jazz Society, which presents
regular series throughout the year.
Lula Lounge
1585 Dundas St. W. 416-588-0307
lula.ca
Toronto’s mecca for salsa, jazz, afro-Cuban,
and world music, with Latin dance classes
and excellent food and drinks.
Manhattans Pizza Bistro & Music Club
951 Gordon St., Guelph 519-767-2440
manhattans.ca
An independently owned neighbourhood restaurant
boasting a unique dining experience
that features live music almost every night
of the week.
Mezzetta Restaurant
681 St. Clair Ave. W. 416-658-5687
mezzettarestaurant.com
With a cozy atmosphere and a menu of Middle-Eastern
cuisine, Mezzetta hosts music on
Wednesday evenings.
Monarch Tavern
12 Clinton St. 416-531-5833
themonarchtavern.com
With a café/cocktail bar on the main floor and
a pub with microbrews upstairs, Monarch
Tavern regularly hosts indie, rock, and other
musical genres on its stage.
Old Mill, The
21 Old Mill Rd. 416-236-2641
oldmilltoronto.com
The Home Smith Bar:
With a stone-lined room and deep, plus seating,
the Home Smith Bar provides elevated pub food
and cocktails along with straightahead live jazz.
Oud and the Fuzz, The
21 Kensington Ave. 647-283-9136
theoudandthefuzz.ca
An Armenian bar and live music venue, The
thewholenote.com September 2023 | 33

MAINLY CLUBS
Ongoing, On Demand & Other
Oud and the Fuzz features an excellent menu
of Armenian food, inventive cocktails, and a
rotating cast of top-notch musicians.
Pamenar Café
268 Augusta Ave. 416-840-0501
http://cafepamenar.com
Café by day, bar by night, Pamenar serves
some of the best coffee and cocktails in the
city, with a rotating cast of musicians playing
both recurring gigs and one-off shows.
Pilot Tavern, The
22 Cumberland Ave. 416-923-5716
thepilot.ca
With over 75 years around Yonge and Bloor,
the Pilot is a multi-level bar that hosts live jazz
on Saturday afternoons.
Poetry Jazz Café
1078 Queen St West.
poetryjazzcafe.com
A sexy, clubby space, Poetry hosts live jazz,
hip-hop, and DJs nightly in its new home on
Queen Street West.
Reposado Bar & Lounge
136 Ossington Ave. 416-532-6474
reposadobar.com
A chic, low-light bar with top-shelf tequila,
Mexican tapas, and live music.
Reservoir Lounge, The
52 Wellington St. E. 416-955-0887
reservoirlounge.com
Toronto’s self-professed original swingjazz
bar and restaurant, located in a historic
speakeasy near St. Lawrence Market, with
live music four nights a week.
Rev, La
2848 Dundas St. W. 416-766-0746
https://larev.ca
La Rev offers their guests an authentic taste of
comida casera (Mexican homestyle-cooking),
and a welcoming performance space featuring
some of Toronto’s most talented musicians
Rex Hotel Jazz & Blues Bar, The
194 Queen St. W. 416-598-2475
therex.ca
With over 60 shows per month of Canadian and
international groups, The Rex is Toronto’s longestrunning
jazz club, with full bar and kitchen menu.
Sauce on Danforth
1376 Danforth Ave. 647-748-1376
sauceondanforth.com
With Victorian lighting, cocktails, and an
extensive tap and bottle list, Sauce on Danforth
has live music Tuesday through Saturday
(and sometimes Sunday).
The Senator Winebar
249 Victoria St 416 364-7517
thesenator.com
An intimate, upscale French-inspired bistro
with live music serving hearty, delicious comfort
food alongside a curated selection of
wine and cocktails.
Smokeshow BBQ and Brew
744 Mt. Pleasant Rd 416-901-7469
Smokeshowbbqandbrew.com
A laid-back venue with an emphasis on barbecue
and beer, Smokeshow hosts cover artists
and original music Thursday through Sunday,
with Bachata lessons on Tuesdays and Karaoke
on Wednesdays.
Tranzac
292 Brunswick Ave. 416-923-8137
tranzac.org
A community arts venue dedicated to supporting,
presenting, and promoting creative
and cultural activity in Toronto, with live shows
in multiple rooms every day of the week.
FESTIVALS
● Kensington Market Jazz Festival.
Sep 29-Oct 1. No advance tickets. Cash only.
www.kensingtonjazz.com.
● Stonebridge Wasaga Beach Blues.
Sep 15-17. www.wasagabeachblues.com. Jordan
John, Durham County Poets, KC Roberts
and The Live Revolution, Ben Racine
Band, and others. $15 per day / $40 for 3 days
/ $100 VIP pass for 3 days / Free(under 12).
Stonebridge Town Centre.
● SweetWater Music Festival. Baroque and
Beyond. Sep 12-17. Guest Musicians: SHHH
Ensemble (piano-percussion duo), Lori Gemmel
(harp), Tom Allen (host), Daniel Taylor &
Ellen McAteer (vocalists), and others. Owen
Sound, Meaford, and Leith. www.sweetwatermusicfestival.ca.
LIVE REHEARSAL OPPORTUNITIES
● Choralairs. Singers in all voice parts are
welcome as in-person rehearsals resume
(with masks & Covid safety protocols) on
Tuesdays. Rehearsals are 7pm- 8:45pm
at Edithvale C.C. 131 Finch Ave W. Toronto.
Please contact Elaine at 905-731-8416 or
choralairs@gmail.com to let us know if you
are coming. Check out our website at: www.
choralairschoir.com.
● Chorus York, Richmond Hill. Welcoming
singers in all voice parts, with masks & COVID
safety protocols. Every Tuesday from 7:30-
9:30 p.m. at the Richmond Hill Presbyterian
Church (Wallace Hall), 10066 Yonge St., Richmond
Hill. Please contact Mary-Lou at 905-
884-7922 if you wish to sit in on a rehearsal.
Check out our website www.choruyork.ca for
more information about the choir.
● Etobicoke Community Concert Band. Full
rehearsals every Wednesday night at 7:30pm.
309 Horner Ave. Open to all who are looking
for a great band to join. Text Rob Hunter at
416-878-1730.
● North Toronto Community Band. Openings
for drums, clarinets, trumpets, trombones,
French horns. Rehearsals held at
Willowdale Presbyterian Church 38 Ellerslie
Ave. (just north of Mel Lastman Square).
Monday evenings 7:30-9:30 pm. Contact
ntcband@gmail.com.
● Strings Attached Orchestra, North
York. All string players (especially viola, cello,
bass) are welcome. Mondays 7 to 9 p.m.
from Sep to Jun. Email us first at info.stringsattached@gmail.com
to receive music and
other details or visit our website at www.
stringsattachedorchestra.com for more
information.
MUSICAL THEATRE
● Shaw Festival. Gypsy. Book by Arthur Laurents,
Music by Jule Styne, Lyrics by Stephen
Sondheim. Jay Turvey, stage director; Paul
Sportelli, music director; Genny Sermonia,
choreographer. Shaw Festival Theatre,
10 Queen’s Parade, Niagara-on-the-Lake.
1-800-511-SHAW (7429) or www.shawfest.
com. From $34. Runs to Oct 7.
● Shaw Festival. Rodgers & Hammerstein’s
A Grand Night for Singing - One Act
- In Concert. Music by Richard Rodgers.
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. Musical
Arrangements by Fred Wells. Orchestration
by Michael Gibson & Jonathan Tunick.
Conceived by Walter Bobbie. Directed and
choreographed by Allison McCaughey. Music
direction by Paul Sportelli. Shaw Festival Theatre,
BMO Stage, 10 Queen’s Parade, Niagara-on-the-Lake.
1-800-511-SHAW (7429)
or www.shawfest.com. $35; $30(under 30).
Runs to Sep 30.
● Shaw Festival. The Amen Corner. By
James Baldwin. Directed by Kimberley Rampersad.
Music supervision by Paul Sportelli.
Shaw Festival Theatre, 10 Queen’s Parade,
Niagara-on-the-Lake. 1-800-511-SHAW
(7429) or www.shawfest.com. Runs to Oct 8.
Recommended for Grade 9+ | Age 14+.
● Stratford Festival. Monty Python’s
Spamalot. Book and Music by Eric Idle. Music
by John Du Prez. Directed by Lezlie Wade.
Avon Theatre, 99 Downie St., Stratford.
www.stratfordfestival.ca. From $19.50. Runs
to Oct 8.
● Stratford Festival. Rent. Book, Music, and
Lyric by Jonathan Larson. Directed by Thom
Allison. Stratford Festival Theatre, 55 Queen
St., Stratford. www.stratfordfestival.ca.
From $57. Runs to Oct 28.
34 | September 2023 thewholenote.com

● Toronto Consort. Canoe: A Two-Act
Opera. Libretto & Story by Spy Dénommé-
Welch. Music by Spy Dénommé-Welch &
Catherine Magowan. Unsettled Scores.
Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, Jeanne Lamon
Hall, 427 Bloor St. W. www.torontoconsort.org
or 416-964-6337. Pay what you like:
$65 / $45 / $20, Previews: $10. Previews:
Sep 12(7:30pm) & 13(7:30pm). Performances:
Sep 15(7:30pm), 16(2pm & 7:30pm).
● TYT Theatre. Pinkalicious the Musical.
Recommended for ages 4+. Wychwood Barns
Park, 76 Wychwood Ave. www.tyttheatre.
com/onstage. From $25. Also shows at 12_
noon & 3:30pm: Sep 16, 17, 23, 24, 30, Oct 1, 7,
8, 14, 15, 21, 22.
ONGOING EVENTS
● Trinity College, University of Toronto.
Evensong. Traditional Anglican choral music.
Trinity College Chapel Choir; Thomas Bell, director
of music; Peter Bayer, organ scholar.
Trinity College Chapel, University of Toronto,
6 Hoskin Ave. 416-978-2522 or Trinity College.
Free. Evensong is sung every Wednesday
starting Sep 13 at 5:15pm in the beautiful Trinity
College chapel during term time.
● Encore Symphonic Concert Band.
Monthly Concert Band Concert. The first
Thursday of every month present at 11am. 35-piece
concert band performing band concert
music, pop tunes, jazz standards (2 singers)
and the occasional march. Trinity Presbyterian
Church York Mills, 2737 Bayview Ave.
www.encoreband.ca. $10.
ONLINE EVENTS
Come sing
with us!
● Arts@Home. A vibrant hub connecting
Torontonians to arts and culture. Designed to
strengthen personal and societal resilience
through the arts. www.artsathome.ca.
● North Toronto Community Band. Openings
for clarinet, trumpet, trombone, tuba
and auxiliary percussion. Rehearsals held at
Willowdale Presbyterian Church 38 Ellerslie
Ave. (just north of Mel Lastman Square).
Monday evenings 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Contact
ntcband@gmail.com.
● Recollectiv: A unique musical online meeting
group made up of people affected by
memory challenges caused by illness (such
as dementia) or brain injury (stroke, PTSD,
etc.) and their care partners. Participation is
free with pre-registration. Email info@recollectiv.ca
for meeting times, information and
registration.
PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES
● Sep 8 6:00: North York Central Library.
Open Mic at the Library: North York Edition.
DO YOU DRIVE?
Do you love The WholeNote?
Music, poetry & storytelling. Are you a musician,
poet, or storyteller? If so, then you’re
invited to share your talents at the North
York Central Library Open Mic. Guitar, piano
& djembe provided. 7 minutes for each
performance. For adults, teens, and seniors.
North York Central Library Auditorium,
5120 Yonge St. Sign-up is at 5:30pm. For
more information, contact the Language, Literature
& Fine Arts Department at 416-395-
5639. Free. Also Oct 13, Nov 10, Dec 8.
● Sep 16 2:30: SweetWater Music Festival.
Classical Jam Sesh. Bring your instruments
for a classical jam session of Bach’s
Brandenburg Concerto No.3. Local musicians
are invited to join featured SweetWater musicians
led by Artistic Director Edwin Huizinga.
Anyone who plays a string instrument, at any
level of expertise, is welcome to be a part of
this fun, community-building experience in a
comfortable, welcoming environment! Print
your own part and bring your own stand. Harmony
Centre, 890 4th Ave. E., Owen Sound.
www.sweetwatermusicfestival.ca. Free.
WORKSHOPS & MEETINGS
● Aug 27 12:00 noon: Arraymusic. Public
Workshop: Community Gamelan - Array /
The Evergreen Club Contemporary Gamelan.
Jubilate
singers
Isabel Bernaus
conductor
Come sing with us!
Our friendly and inclusive
chamber choir performs
exciting choral music from
around the world.
openings in all sections
info@jubilatesingers.ca
www.jubilatesingers.ca
Share the love and earn a little money!
Join our circulation team,
and deliver 6 times a year.
Currently seeking circulation
associates for the GTA.
Interested? Contact: circulation@thewholenote.com
Array Space, 155 Walnut Ave. www.arraymusic.ca.
$10 at door.
● Sep 10 2:00: Arraymusic. Public Workshop:
Improvisation with Allison Cameron.
Open to musicians of any level! Beginners
welcome (and encouraged!). Use your instrument
as a tool for sound exploration. Work
with a professional composer/musician to
play and create graphic scores. Have fun in
a chill and welcoming environment. Array
If you can read this,
thank a music teacher.
MosePianoForAll.com
A SHARPER EDGE
machetes,
scythes & axes
clippers, scissors
and knives
ALSO
tree felling,
trail-making,
and chainsaw
maintenance
fdmroz@icloud.com 416-705-8427
Search listings online at
thewholenote.com/just-ask
Chamber
Choral
Early/Baroque
Folk/Roots
Jazz & Blues
Musical Theatre
New Music
Space, 155 Walnut Ave. www.arraymusic.ca.
Free. Donations accepted. Also Oct 1.
● Sep 22-24. North American Guild of
Change-Ringers. Annual General Meeting
and Ringing Course. St. James Cathedral,
106 King St E. This will be a time for peal
attempts,dinners,social events and ringing.
To register and for more information please
visit www.nagcr.org.
Orchestra
Organ
Piano
Solo Voice
Strings
World Music
…and more
A vacation
for your dog!
Barker Avenue Boarding
in East York
call or text 416-574-5250
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thewholenote.com September 2023 | 35

DISCOVERIES | RECORDINGS REVIEWED
DAVID OLDS
Jumping the gun a wee bit, I’d like to start
with a world premiere recording of Leonard
Bernstein’s “long lost” Music for String
Quartet (1936) that will not be released officially
until September 8 (Navona Records
nv6577 navonarecords.com). Composed by
an 18-year-old Bernstein during his studies
at Harvard, the piece has been “steadfastly
shepherded from its re-discovery to this
historic release” by former Boston Symphony Orchestra librarian John
Perkel who discovered it in the Library of Congress. The two-movement
work lasts just over ten minutes, beginning with an extended
angular, though melodic, dance-like fast movement followed by a
brief and somewhat mournful slow one. It’s not clear whether this
latter, recently found in the Library of Congress, was intended as a
final movement – it ends somewhat inconclusively with a pizzicato
pattern fading into oblivion. Complete or not, this is an interesting
addition to the string quartet repertoire and an important key to
understanding the young Bernstein who would go on to become such
an iconic figure in American music. It is convincingly performed by
violinists Lucia Lin and Natalie Rose Kress, violist Danny Kim and
cellist Ronald Feldman. Kress and Kim are also featured in the
contemplative duo Elegies for Violin and Viola by Aaron Copland, a
musical mentor, collaborator and dear friend of Bernstein’s.
Sticking with American music for string
quartet, Bright Shiny Things has recently
released Shatter, three world premiere
recordings performed by the Verona Quartet
(BSTD-0186 brightshiny.ninja). The works
include Julia Adolphe’s Star-Crossed
Signals, Michael Gilbertson’s Quartet and
Reena Esmail’s Ragamala, which features
Hindustani singer Saili Oak. It is this latter
four-movement work that opens the disc and comprises almost half
its length. Ragamala interweaves Eastern and Western traditions.
Each movement opens the same way, inspired by Esmail’s experience
of attending concerts in India, with traditional drones here provided
by the string quartet. Each movement is based on a different raag:
Fantasie (Bihag); Scherzo (Malkauns); Recitative (Basant); and the
Rondo (Jog) all sung by the sultry Oak over the lush textures of the
strings. Adolphe’s Star-Crossed Signals juxtaposes issues of empowerment
and the assertion of dominance with a yearning for connection.
The movement titles, DELTA X-RAY and KILO KILO come from nautical
signal flags used by ships at sea, which the composer’s father used
in his early paintings. The first, which means “keep your distance” and
“watch for my signals,” is quite aggressive in contrast to the second, “I
wish to communicate with you” in which the composer says “the
strings gently reach for one another, enveloping and folding each line
in a kind of dance.” Gilbertson’s Quartet was in progress during the
2016 U.S. presidential election, after which it became a personal reaction
to those events. Feeling the need to compose something
comforting, Gilbertson chose as the basis for the first movement
Mother Chords a gesture like the pulsing chords that open Sibelius’
Second Symphony. The second movement Simple Sugars, which
Gilbertson describes as “carbs that are metabolized quickly and
provide an immediate rush, but no nutritional substance” is an allusion
to the movement’s restless energy. The Verona Quartet rises to all
the challenges of these diverse works.
From quartets to octets now, in a manner of
speaking. My first exposure to Steve Reich’s
music for multiple instruments of the same
family was Vermont Counterpoint for solo
flute and an ensemble of ten flutes, or prerecorded
tracks of the piccolos, flutes and
alto flutes as performed by the soloist, this
latter being the case in the 1982 Ransom
Wilson EMI release. In 2003 Reich composed
Cello Counterpoint for eight cellos on a joint
commission for Maya Beiser (who will appear later on in the column).
On the recent New Focus Recordings release 8-Track (FCR373
newfocusrecordings.com) we are presented with Ashley Bathgate’s
layered realization of the work, along with new compositions in the
same format by Canadian/Icelandic composer Fjóla Evans and
Americans Emily Cooley and Alex Weiser. Evans’ Augun was inspired
by a traditional Icelandic song and features overlapping motives to
create shimmering, undulating textures. Cooley tells us that
composing Assemble was like “assembling a sort of puzzle;” only at
the end do the pieces come together in one voice. Weiser’s Shimmer
unfolds through gradual and dramatic changes, in a waxing and
waning of the canonic relationship between each cello and the soloist.
This is the closest in minimalist spirit to Reich’s original which
concludes this inspired disc. Bathgate’s technical control and musicality
shine through each of these contrasting works within a
common context, resulting in a mesmerizing recording. My only
concern is that the two most similar sounding works, Weiser’s and
Reich’s, are placed side by side. I would have preferred the disc to
begin with Cello Counterpoint thus presenting a context for the
project.
Kate Ellis’ Strange Waves is a digital release
that takes this same approach to the cello
ensemble, but this time presenting an
extended six-movement work by collaborating
Irish composer Ed Bennett (Ergodos
Records ergodos.bandcamp.com). Ellis
has been a member of Crash Ensemble,
Ireland’s leading new music group, for the
past two decades and currently serves as
its artistic director. Strange Waves is a predominantly ambient work
with the multiple cellos blending in a dreamlike texture of glissandos
and drones creating a foggy haze into which field recordings from the
County Down coast and Ireland’s northernmost island, Rathlin in the
North Atlantic, are subtly integrated. A truly meditative experience.
Infinite Bach is Maya Beiser’s very personal take on the iconic Suites
for Solo Cello by Johann Sebastian Bach (Islandia Music Records
IMR012 islandiamusic.com/releases). In the words of Beiser, best
known for her work as an avant-garde cellist, “I spent 2022, my 60th
year of life, immersed in recording, and rerecording, deconstructing
36 | September 2023 thewholenote.com

and decontextualizing, experimenting and
exploring sounds, reverberations, harmonics
in my converted barn in the Berkshires,
Massachusetts, engaging with Bach’s cello
Suites. Having dedicated the past 35 years to
creating new music, work that reimagines
the cello on a vast canvas in multiple disciplines,
I radically departed from the conventional
classical cello sound. Yet, the Suites
were ingrained in my daily practice. Even as I was getting ready to
perform a new work by Steve Reich, Louis Andriessen, or David
Bowie, I would still begin every day playing a movement from the
Suites. Over the years I was experimenting with the process of
unlearning the doctrine I was taught about this music, until last year
when I took the time to relearn it anew.” The result takes some getting
used to, sounding at times as if recorded from a different room, with
extreme reverberation sometimes supplemented with sympathetic
drones and overlays, and some radically altered tempos. I also find the
arrangement of the suites surprising. Spread over three discs (itself not
unusual) Beiser has chosen to pair the suites according to major and
minor tonality, the G major and C majors (nos.1 and 3) on the first
disc, the D minor and C minor (2 and 5) on the second and the E-flat
major and D major (4 and 6) on the last. While my initial reaction was
that this was too much of the same mood on each disc, I eventually
came around to appreciate the continuity. And once I let myself let go
of expectations and prejudice about how these works were supposed
to sound, I was able to immerse myself in Beiser’s vision and enjoy the
ride. Although Infinite Bach is available in Full Dolby Atmos Spatial
Audio via Apple Music and in an Immersive Binaural Mix for
enhanced headphone listening, I must say the plain old-fashioned CDs
sound pretty good on my old stereo system too.
Sæunn Thorsteinsdóttir is another cellist
who has made the Bach Suites “her own,”
re-interpreting them, although in a much
less radical way than Beiser. In the liner
notes to Marrow – The 6 Suites for Solo
Cello by J.S. Bach (Sono Luminus
DSL-92263 sonoluminus.com) she says
“There is an Icelandic saying, ‘mergur
málsins,’ which directly translates to ‘the
marrow of the matter,’ and these Suites, to me, speak directly to the
essence of being human. As for many cellists, these Suites have been
my steady companion throughout my life with the cello, first as a
vehicle to learn counterpoint, style, and harmony, then as material
with which to explore personal expression and interpretation, and
today they are a mirror, reflecting the deeper truth of the human
experience, revealing more layers of meaning each time I come back
to them.” Thorsteinsdóttir feels Bach “pushes the boundaries of the
expressive and technical possibilities of the instrument with each
succeeding Suite.” As she began playing the Suites as a set, she heard a
dramatic through-line begin to emerge, finding the first “innocent”
and the second as a “first taste of bitter disappointment,” in the third a
“renewed optimism,” the fourth “bold and brash,” with “dark
tragedy” in the fifth and “glorious redemption” in the sixth. To clearly
illuminate this arc, she presents the Suites without the printed repeats
“so that we may more closely follow this universal storyline.” This also
has the advantage of making it possible to present them all of a piece,
in one sitting. The two CDs of this set clock in at 90 minutes, and
present the suites in numerical order conserving the original majorminor-major
groupings. The performance is exhilarating and makes
for a satisfying, if intense, listening session.
The final selection also features solo cello,
but in a very different context. In a trip
down memory lane, Portrait (mikeherriott.
com/bwg_gallery/discography) featuring
cellist Ofra Harnoy and her life partner
trumpeter Mike Herriott, takes me back to
my days as a music programmer at CJRT-FM.
Harnoy’s RCA discs of Haydn and Vivaldi
concertos (several of which were world
premiere recordings) with the Toronto Chamber Orchestra under the
direction of former CJRT music director Paul Robinson were staples of
our library. The current disc with the H&H Studio Orchestra, a handpicked
ensemble of Toronto’s finest studio musicians, features many
of the jewels of the operatic repertoire that were often heard during
CJRT’s exhilarating all-hands-on-deck fundraising campaigns. These
include Una Furtiva Lagrima from L’elisir d’Amore, The Flower Duet
from Lakme, Au Fond du Temple Saint from The Pearl Fishers, along
with several selections from Porgy and Bess and Somewhere from
West Side Story. These vocal treasures have been masterfully arranged
by Herriott and feature cello and trumpet alternating in the solo roles.
All the performances are outstanding and my only quibble is that
overall mood, lyrical and slow moving, is a bit too similar from track
to track. That being said, it’s still a marvellous journey, which ends
with Harnoy’s moving transcription for cello and trumpet of Larry
Adler and Itzhak Perlman’s languid duet arrangement of the iconic
Summertime.
We invite submissions. CDs, DVDs and comments should be sent to:
DISCoveries, WholeNote Media Inc., The Centre for Social Innovation,
503 – 720 Bathurst St. Toronto ON M5S 2R4.
David Olds, DISCoveries Editor
discoveries@thewholenote.com
What we're listening to this month:
The WholeNote
Listening Room
Hear tracks from any of
the recordings displayed in
this section:
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thewholenote.com/listening
8-Track
Ashley Bathgate
Cellist Ashley Bathgate releases
a recording of works inspired by
Steve Reich's Counterpoint series.
A Left Coast
Tyler Duncan and Erika Switzer
The album is a heartfelt tribute to
the place we call home – British
Columbia. Our connections to
BC’s communities, geography, and
spirit, continue to nourish us as
artists.
Basta parlare!
Les Barocudas
The award-winning period
ensemble returns with a joyful
album exploring the dynamic,
experimental musical style that
swept 17th century Italy.
thewholenote.com September 2023 | 37

STRINGS
ATTACHED
TERRY ROBBINS
Violinist Tianwa Yang and pianist Nicholas
Rimmer are absolutely superb on the
incredibly challenging George Antheil
Violin Sonatas Nos.1-4, a recital of remarkable
music by the New Jersey-born
pianist/composer who left America for
Europe as a 21-year-old in 1922 intent on
becoming “noted and notorious” – and
succeeded (Naxos 8.559937 naxos.com/
CatalogueDetail/?id=8.559937).
Antheil met Stravinsky in Berlin and in 1923 followed him to Paris,
where the first three sonatas were written, commissioned by Ezra
Pound for his mistress, the American violinist Olga Rudge. Sonata
No.1 shows the unmistakable influence of Stravinsky’s Les Noces
(premiered the night Antheil arrived in Paris) and the earlier Rite
of Spring. The single-movement Sonata No.2 is a dazzling collage
of ragtime, popular melodies and folk songs. Stravinsky’s influence
is back, albeit with a more melodic feel, in Sonata No.3, also a
single movement.
Sonata No.4 is from 1947, long after Antheil had moved back to the
United States. Although built on Baroque and classical forms the
rhythmic, mechanistic style of his Parisian sonatas is still discernible.
In 2021/22 the American violinist Maria
Ioudenitch won first prize at the Ysaÿe
International Music Competition and
both the Tibor Varga and Joseph Joachim
International Violin Competitions, the
latter also landing her the Warner Classics
Prize that led to her debut Songbird CD
with pianist Kenny Broberg (Warner
Classics 5419737407 mariaioudenitch.
com/listen).
Her “journey through song” is a selection of short works by Robert
and Clara Schumann, Fanny Mendelssohn, Nadia Boulanger, Amy
Beach, Tchaikovsky, Medtner, Rachmaninoff, Glinka and Richard
Strauss. The one substantial work is Schubert’s four-movement
Fantasie in C Major D934. Theresa Pilsl is the soprano on the Strauss
song Morgen.
Technically flawless, Ioudenitch draws a huge tone from the 1691
Pietro Guarneri of Mantua violin, her sweeping phrasing imbued with
deep musicality and subtle nuances.
On All Roads, the Shea-Kim Duo of violinist
Brendan Shea and pianist Yerin Kim explore
music by composers connected to the city of
Vienna “in increasingly distant ways” (Blue
Griffin Recording BGR643 shea-kimduo.
com/shop-1).
Beethoven moved there from Bonn;
a beautifully expressive performance of
his Sonata for Piano and Violin No.3 in
E-flat Major Op.12 opens the disc. Robert
Schumann is represented by his Sonata for Violin and Piano No.1 in A
Minor Op.105.
Alfred Schnittke also lived in Germany but studied in Vienna;
included here is his Suite in the Old Style. The final work is the
Romance Op.23 by the American Amy Beach, whose tenuous link to
Vienna is that she apparently “visited once.”
Warm, stylish playing, fine ensemble and a lovely recording quality
make for a highly enjoyable disc.
On The Living American the excellent
violinist Timothy Schwarz continues to
champion American music with a diverse
collection of works by seven of today’s
leading American composers, including five
recording premieres; the pianist is Charles
Abramovic (Albany Records TROY1930
albanyrecords.com).
There are three solo violin works:
Fantasia on Lama badaa yatasana by
Steven Sametz; Jessie Montgomery’s Rhapsody No.2; and Reena
Esmail’s Raag Charukeshi from Drashan, a blend of Indian and
Western classical music that explores grief in various forms.
The third movement of Jennifer Higdon’s String Poetic is here, as is
Avner Dorman’s wide-ranging single movement, Sonata No.1. The
three entertaining pieces by musical theatre composer/pianist Joseph
Goodrich were written for and premiered by Schwarz, as was the
Sametz work and the final work on the CD, Denis DiBlasio’s
Australian Sketches, in which the duo is joined by bassist Douglas
Mapp and drummer Doug Hirlinger.
Cellist John-Henry Crawford and pianist
Victor Santiago Asuncion celebrate the
composer’s 150th anniversary on Voice of
Rachmaninoff, an album that explores the
vocal nature of his music through original
works and transcriptions (Orchid Classics
ORC100241 orchidclassics.com).
The Cello Sonata in G Minor Op.19
anchors a recital that includes transcriptions
of the Vocalise Op.34 No.14, two songs,
a piano Prelude, the 19th variation from the Rhapsody on a Theme of
Paganini and Fritz Kreisler’s arrangement of the theme from the slow
movement of the Piano Concerto No.2.
Crawford’s warm cello sound is perfectly suited to Rachmaninoff’s
expansive, long-breathed melodies, ably supported by Asuncion in the
often extremely difficult piano parts.
What we're listening to this month:
Variation
David Rogosin
New Brunswick pianist
David Rogosin explores the
ways a musical theme can
be transformed, tracing an
arc spanning 400 years of
composition.
Around Baermann
Maryse Legault & Gili Loftus
Around Baermann is Montreal
clarinetist Maryse Legault’s love
letter to one of the most formative
players and developers of early
clarinet technique and repertoire.
38 | September 2023 thewholenote.com

It’s a digital-only release and fairly brief at
just under 25 minutes, but Shostakovich/
Prokofiev – Violin Duos with violinists Julia
Fischer and Kirill Troussov and pianist
Henri Bonamy is well worth a listen (Orchid
Classics ORC100234 orchidclassics.com).
The Shostakovich work is his Five Pieces
for Two Violins and Piano, short miniatures
in a much more light-hearted vein than
is often the case with this composer. The
Prokofiev is his Sonata for Two Violins, a typically spiky but tuneful
work with a high degree of difficulty.
An interesting trivia note: Troussov’s violin is the 1702 “Brodsky”
Stradivarius that Adolph Brodsky played at the December 1881
premiere of the Tchaikovsky concerto.
The booklet essay for the Escher String
Quartet CD of quartets by Leoš Janáček and
Pavel Haas notes that while programmatic
and autobiographical quartets date back to
Beethoven nowhere have they been more
prominent than in the Czech lands, and the
three works here are all of a highly personal
nature (BIS 2670 SACD bis.se).
Janáček’s voice in his later compositions
is unmistakable, overflowing with raw
emotion and passion. His 1923 String Quartet No.1 “Kreutzer Sonata”
was inspired by Tolstoy’s novella about marriage and adultery, but it’s
in his 1928 String Quartet No.2 “Intimate Letters” that his unrequited
love for the much younger Kamila Stosslova finds full expression,
perfectly captured by the Escher Quartet.
The 1925 String Quartet No.2 “From the Monkey Mountains” by
Pavel Haas recalls a memorable stay in the beautiful Czech Moravian
Highlands, with reminiscences of an early love affair. Colin Currie
handles the ad lib percussion part in the remarkable A Wild Night
final movement.
Two glorious chamber works are featured in
outstanding performances on Mozart String
Quintets K515 & 516, with violist Antoine
Tamestit joining the Quatuor Ébène
(Erato 5419721332 warnerclassics.com/
release/mozart-string-quintets).
The two quintets, No.3 in C Major and
No.4 in G Minor were written a month
apart in April and May of 1787, with the
extra viola – a favourite instrument of
the composer’s – adding a warmth and richness to the heart of the
music. The release blurb refers to K515 as being “radiant and energetic,
exuding elegance and grace,” which is also a perfect description
of the playing here, which gets to the emotional heart of this remarkable
music.
Beautifully recorded, it makes you wish for a complete set of the five
mature quintets.
The Japanese violinist Fumika Mohri is
the soloist in the Violin Concertos Opp.2
& 7 by Mozart’s exact contemporary the
remarkable Joseph Boulogne, Chevalier de
Saint-Georges, with the Czech Chamber
Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice under
Michael Halás (Naxos 8.574452 naxos.com/
CatalogueDetail/?id=8.574452).
The Concerto in G Major Op.2 No.1 and
the Concerto in D Major Op.2 No.2 were published in Paris in 1773,
and the Concerto in A Major Op.7 No.1 and the Concerto in B-flat
Major Op.7 No.2 in 1777, although issues with the sources suggest a
much earlier composition date. The editions here are by Allan Badley,
who also wrote the excellent booklet notes.
Comparison with Mozart is perhaps inevitable, but these showcases
for Saint-Georges’ virtuoso technique are attractive and engaging
works, described by Badley as “rich in melodic invention and
displaying at times a striking degree of originality.” Performances are
beautifully judged throughout a delightful CD.
Beethoven and Beyond is the impressive
Deutsche Grammophon debut CD by
the young Spanish violinist Mária Dueñas,
recorded live in Vienna’s Musikverein
with the Wiener Symphoniker under
Manfred Honeck (4863512 deutschegrammophon.com/de/katalog/produkte/
beethoven-and-beyond-dueas-12950).
Dueñas says that in the Beethoven concerto
“you have to reveal yourself. And that can only
be done through sound.” And what a sound she produces: a crystal clear,
bright and glowing tone full of warmth. All three cadenzas are her own,
but she cleverly ends the CD with terrific performances of first movement
cadenzas by Spohr, Ysaÿe, Saint-Saëns, Wieniawski and Kreisler for
fascinating comparison, filling out the recital with an original work by
each composer. Ysaÿe’s Berceuse Op.20 and Kreisler’s Liebeslied are from
the live concert; Saint-Saëns’ Havanaise Op.83, Wieniawski’s Légende
Op.17 and Spohr’s Adagio from his Symphonie concertante No.1 with
harpist Volker Kempf are studio recordings.
thewholenote.com/listening
Breaking Barriers
Carlos Bastidas
Enjoy listening to this Classical
music album by Canada's most
diverse professional orchestra.
Works by Mozart, Host, Bach and
Vivaldi.
Femmes de légende
Élisabeth Pion
A highly personal debut solo
piano album featuring works by
three giants of the 20th century:
Debussy, Dutilleux, Lili Boulanger
and Pion's first creation.
Saint-Saëns Duos
for Harmonium & Piano
Miloš Milivojević & Simon Callaghan
The performers hope that the
modern classical accordion will help
these delightful pieces be performed
more & gain the widest audience.
And the Lord Hath Taken Away
The Holy Gasp
is a 65-minute double album,
composed for an orchestra of
45 musicians and vocalists, that
delves into The Book of Job.
Cinematic. Powerful.
Unforgettable.
thewholenote.com September 2023 | 39

Kazakh violinist Aiman Mussakhajayeva is
the superb soloist in world-premiere recordings
of works for violin and orchestra on
Lowell Liebermann Violin Concerto Op.74,
with Tigran Shiganyan leading the debut
recording of the Kazakh State Symphony
Orchestra (Blue Griffin Records BGR645
bluegriffin.com).
The 2001 concerto is an expansive,
emotionally engaging and immediately
accessible work that should really become a mainstay in the repertoire.
Liebermann made violin and string orchestra arrangements of
his two chamber concertos from 1989 and 2006 especially for this
recording, and is the pianist in the Chamber Concerto No.1 Op.28a.
The gorgeous 2011 Air for Violin and Orchestra Op.18 ends a CD
of finely crafted and attractive contemporary works for violin and
orchestra, all brilliantly presented by Mussakhajayeva on her 1732
Stradivarius violin.
Describing his new CD The Blue Album
guitarist Pablo Sainz-Villegas says that blue
stands for a particularly intimate mood,
an atmosphere of reverie and relaxation
(Sony Classical19658779092 pablosainzvillegas.com).
There’s certainly nothing challenging in
a recital of brief pieces by Weiss, Couperin,
Domenico Scarlatti, Sor, Debussy, Satie and
Brouwer, together with Tárrega’s arrangement
of Iradier’s La Paloma, Stanley Myers’ Cavatina and Ryuichi
Sakamoto’s Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence.
Bland snippets of Philip Glass and Max Richter seem completely
out of place on an album supposedly featuring “some of the most
beautiful and most heartfelt melodies ever written” – an enormous
stretch – but no matter. There’s clean, efficient playing – perhaps
somewhat lacking in character – all resonantly recorded.
VOCAL
Canciones de mi abuelito
Antonio Figuero; La Familia Figueroa
ATMA ACD2 2856 (atmaclassique.com/en)
! This recording
is a master work,
created in celebration
of the
paternal Figueroa
Grandfather (Don
José Figueroa),
through the veil
of the potent
1950s/1960s
“Golden Age” of Mexican music composed
by noted 20th-century Mexican composers.
Featuring the vocal work of dynamic tenor
Antonio Figueroa, the talented Figueroa
family performs on a variety of instruments
throughout and includes Anton Virquis on
voice/violins; Esteban Duran on voice/violin
and arrangements; Tomy Figueroa on voice/
trumpet; Manuel Figueroa on vihuela (he’s
also artistic adviser); José-Luis Figueroa
on voice/guitar; Alexandre Figueroa on
voice/guitarron and José Figueroa on voice.
Grandfather José first visited Canada as a
performing mariachi during Expo 1967, and
eventually emigrated to Montreal with his 11
children, beginning a thrilling cross-cultural
relationship. It wasn’t long before Mariachi
Figueroa became a family business.
Mariachi music and particularly the
“Cancion Ranchera” is an emotional genre
by which Mexicans express the raw pain of
a broken heart. The stirring opener, Paloma
Querida (José Alfredo Jiménez) features
Antonio’s superb, limitless and communicative
tenor. Every track here is a cultural
and musical gem – rendered with authenticity
and skill. Highlights include the lithesome
Martha (Mosés Simóns), Dime Que
Si (Alfonso Esparza Oteo) with supple
trumpet and violin work, El Pastor (Los
Cuates Castilla) with its gymnastic,
stratospheric melodic line brilliantly negotiated
by Antonio and Diez Años (Raphael
Hernandez) a stunningly arranged gem of
Musica Mexicana. The closer of this compelling
collection, Ojos Tapatios (Jose F. Elizondo
& F. Menendez) is an exceptional and deeply
moving example of authentic Mexican
music – performed to perfection by the
entire ensemble.
Lesley Mitchell-Clarke
Bach – Six Motets
Ottawa Bach Choir; Lisette Canton
ATMA ACD2 2836 (atmaclassique.com/en)
! Founded in
2002 by Dr. Lisette
Canton, the Juno
Award-winning
Ottawa Bach
Choir (OBC) is an
ensemble which
specializes in the
performance of
early music, with a particular emphasis on
the works of Johann Sebastian Bach. Their
latest release, titled Six Motets, is a monumental
effort featuring Bach’s choral motets,
noted for their complexity, profundity and
breathtaking beauty.
This recording begins with a thrilling rendition
of Singet dem Herrn ein neues Lied,
BWV225, which launches at breakneck speed
through passages of virtuosic counterpoint
and driving rhythmic patterns, eases into a
luxurious aria and returns with fiery energy
for the conclusion. Such focus on rhythm
and clarity is a defining feature of this entire
disc, which brings Bach’s music to life in an
illuminative and vital way.
Perhaps the most exceptional excerpt
of OBC’s Six Motets is the monolithic
Jesu, meine Freude BWV227, an 11-movement
work for five-part chorus that spans a
tremendous range of moods and affects. Here
the choir offers a masterclass in precision and
execution, but never at the expense of musicality.
The opening chorale is well-paced,
expertly phrased and subtly expressive, the
devilish “Trotz dem alten Drachen” is one of
the best this reviewer has encountered, and
the lyrical “Gute Nacht, o Wesen” is hauntingly
beautiful.
In a market saturated with recordings of
Bach’s famous motets, it could be challenging
to rationalize yet another addition to
the catalogue, yet this effort from the OBC
holds its own as one of the finest on record.
There is not a weak point present and,
whether familiar or not with these legendary
works, Six Motets is highly recommended
listening for all.
Matthew Whitfield
A Left Coast (A Heartfelt Playlist from
British Columbia)
Tyler Duncan; Erika Switzer
Bridge Records 9574 (bridgerecords.com)
! In their booklet
notes, baritone Tyler
Duncan and pianist
Erika Switzer, both
B.C.-born, call this
CD “our heartfelt
playlist for
the place we will
always call home:
British Columbia.”
The “playlist,” drawn from seven of their
B.C. “friends and colleagues,” begins with
two songs by Iman Habibi, set to Edward
FitzGerald’s translations of two quatrains by
Omar Khayyam. The vocal lines are earnest
and emphatic, the piano parts flavoured with
hints of Persian exoticism.
Jean Coulthard’s Three Love Songs are
appropriately edgy and irritable, as they’re set
to poems from Louis MacKay’s collection, The
Ill-Tempered Lover. In three highly dramatic
songs, Jocelyn Morlock’s Involuntary Love
Songs, with verses by Alan Ashton, traces the
narrator’s development of love from repression
through turmoiled denial to blissful,
sensual ecstasy.
Melancholy lyricism infuses Melissa Hui’s
40 | September 2023 thewholenote.com

song Snowflakes (poem by Longfellow)
and Leslie Uyeda’s Plato’s Angel, four songs
set to what Uyeda calls “some of the most
introspective” poems by Lorna Crozier but,
writes Uyeda, “I do not mean them to be
depressing!” (They’re not.) For real depression,
listen to Jeffrey Ryan’s Everything
Already Lost, commissioned by Duncan and
Switzer. Ryan’s sombre music matches the
gloomy moods of four poems by Jan Zwicky,
with repeated references to “night” and
“darkness.”
Stephen Chatman’s very pretty Something
like that, one of a set of Eight Love Songs
written for Duncan, injects some welcome,
warm sunshine into this CD’s ever-looming
storm clouds. Is B.C. weather always like this?
Michael Schulman
CLASSICAL AND BEYOND
Basta parlane!
Les Barocudas
ATMA ACD2 2824 (atmaclassique.com/en)
! The names and
compositions of
17th-century Italian
composers Dario
Castello, Giovanni
Legrenzi, Giovanni
Battista Grillo,
Tarquinio Merula,
Biagio Marini and
Francesco Rognini
Taeggio may be unfamiliar, yet their music,
spiritedly performed by the Montreal-based
Les Barocudas, provides the most purely
entertaining CD of Baroque works I’ve
heard in years.
These composers didn’t always specify the
exact instrumentation to be employed in their
pieces, and all may not have had the recorder
in mind, but the indisputable star of this CD
is recorder virtuoso Vincent Lauzer, whose
brightly coloured, near-non-stop cheerful
chirpings invigorate most of the action. He’s
joined by Marie Nadeau-Tremblay (Baroque
violin), Tristan Best (viola da gamba), Antoine
Malette-Chénier (Baroque harp), Hank Knox
(harpsichord), Nathan Mondry (organ) and
Matthias Soly-Letarte (percussion).
The CD begins and ends with Sonatas by
Castello (a third is included in the disc), each
about seven minutes long, featuring alternating
brief passages of rapid sprightliness
and measured solemnity. At just over ten
minutes, the CD’s longest selection is Marini’s
plaintive Sonata Quarta, in which Nadeau-
Tremblay is accompanied by Malette-Chénier
and Mordry. (It’s the only piece where
Lauzer’s recorder is absent.)
Among the other seven pieces, each lasting
three or four minutes, three especially stand
out: Marini’s Trio Sonata (variations on the
French folk tune La Monica) and Merula’s
Canzon No.19 “La Pasterla,” both stately
dances; Rognini-Taeggio’s Diminutions after
Palestrina’s “Vestiva i colli” is a churchly
processional, rendered somewhat irreverent
by Lauzer’s flamboyantly festive recorder!
Michael Schulman
James Oswald – Airs for the Seasons
Rezonance Baroque Ensemble
Leaf Music LM266 (leaf-music.ca)
! As with many
18th-century
Scottish composers,
much of James
Oswald’s music
can be heard as art
music or as traditional.
On this
recording of selections
from his Airs for the Seasons, a set of 48
chamber suites named for seasonal flowers,
Rezonance Baroque Ensemble plays within
the stylistic expectations of Baroque music
but brings a sparkling playfulness suggesting
Oswald’s connection to the traditional music
and dance of his day.
The dynamic Oswald was composer to
King George III, but previously a cellist and
dancing master and then publisher of the
12-volume Caledonian Pocket Companion.
It’s from this collection of “Scotch” airs that
many traditional musicians know him.
Oswald is mistakenly given credit for some
of the tunes in his Caledonian, but when you
hear his own music you can understand why.
Having played and sung with violinist and
fiddler David Greenberg in his 1990s project
Puirt a Baroque, which pushed the genre
boundaries of this repertoire, I recognize the
movements in his Seasons which might be
based on or inspired by traditional tunes. For
example, Cowslip: III would make a fine reel
if you added a bit more swing and stress on
the backbeats; and with some swagger, Daisy:
II could be a square dance jig.
This repertoire is rich with possibilities for
colour and mood changes, and Rezonance
explores these deftly with a lovely sense of
ensemble and some beautiful expressiveness.
The recording has a lot of reverb but it
complements the timbres of their historical
instruments.
Stephanie Conn
Calcutta 1789 – À la croisée de l’Europe et
de l’Inde
Notturna; Christopher Palameta
ATMA ACD2 2831 (atmaclassique.com/en)
! If colonialism
is the conquest
and control of
other people’s land
and goods, music
articulates the
disparities it creates
between races,
classes and individuals.
As current
scholars, curators and musicians are working
to decolonize Western art music’s academies
and organizations, this revisiting of
18th-century works inspired by music from
India, or performed there, is most timely
and welcome.
“Hindustani airs” were popular with
What we're listening to this month:
thewholenote.com/listening
Za Klavir: For the Piano
Nina Platiša
The Za Klavir: For the Piano digital
album, silk-screened posters and
e-book are available for purchase
through Nina Platiša's website.
Recesses
Lee Weisert
Composer Lee Weisert’s second
album on New Focus follows his
2014 release, Wild Arc. Weisert is
heard on piano, guitar, percussion,
and electronics.
The Toronto Project
The Composers Collective Big
Band
What is the sound of a city?
Come explore the streets and
neighbourhoods of Toronto
through the eyes of its top jazz
composers!
Nowhere Girl
Nicky Schrire
Blurring the lines between jazz,
folk and singer-songwriter genres,
Nicky Schrire’s “Nowhere Girl”
is a celebration of Canadian
collaboration
thewholenote.com September 2023 | 41

British residents of Calcutta in the late 18th
century, resulting in transcriptions for harpsichord.
At the same time, Indian nobles such
as King Serfoji II of Thanjavur appreciated
European classical music. For this reason,
both repertoires are represented here, beautifully
recorded in a reverberant space that
might evoke an English hall or the Indian
king’s palace.
Transcriptions could not take into account
the tuning, modes, timbres and style of Indian
musical practices, and the airs were adjusted
for Western tastes and instruments. Given
this, Christopher Palameta and Notturna
show sensitivity and great musicality in
their performance of the pieces that at the
time, celebrated the “exoticism” of borrowed
melodies: Sakia, a Rekhta (Mera peara ab
ia re), and a Terana (Dandera vakee). But
by beginning the album with a captivating
cut featuring sitar and tabla, Palameta and
Notturna place the non-European music in
the foreground and thus effect what Palameta
calls an “interplay and aesthetic appreciation
of two equally sophisticated musical
traditions.”
Stephanie Conn
Jean Baur Chamber Music
Elinor Frey; Accademia de’ Dissonanti
Passacaille 2023 (elinorfrey.com)
! The name Jean-
Pierre Baur is
undoubtedly an
unfamiliar one
today, and more
than 200 years after
his lifetime this
French musician
remains somewhat
of a mystery. Born in Bouzonville in 1719, he
ultimately settled in Paris, where he became
known as a composer and harpist, the first
in a family of harpists. Baur’s output was
almost entirely devoted to small pieces for
harp and a certain amount of chamber music,
including sonatas for violin, harp, harpsichord
and flute, many of which are featured
on this attractive Passacaille label recording
performed by members of the Baroque
ensemble Accademia de’ Dissonanti (ADD)
under the direction of cellist Elinor Frey.
The cello sonatas featured here are taken
from Baur’s first two collections Op.1 and
Op.2 published in 1751 and 1756. These are
amiable works comprising alternating slow/
fast movements with the fine tone produced
by cellist Octavie Dostaler-Lalonde complementing
the thoughtful partnership provided
by keyboardist Mélisande McNabney.
Baur’s move to Paris around 1745 preceded
a significant rise in popularity of the harp
in France, one which lasted into the 19th
century. The two harp sonatas here, Op.7
Nos. 3 and 6, are all grace and delicacy with
harpist Antoine Mallette-Chénier delivering a
sensitive performance, always finely nuanced.
As is the case of much Baroque chamber
music, many of Baur’s compositions were
conceived to be performed by various
combinations of instruments and this is the
case with the Sonata for Two Violins No.1,
played here on two small cellos by Dostaler-
Lalonde and Frey.
Kudos to Frey and the ADD for uncovering
this hitherto unfamiliar repertoire – attractive
packaging and excellent notes further
enhance this recording of music deserving
greater recognition.
Richard Haskell
Theme: Variation
David Rogosin
Leaf Music LM251 (leaf-music.ca)
! Do you
remember in the
movie Amadeus
when the young boy
Mozart sits down
at the clavichord
and for the delight
of the Emperor
and embarrassment
of Salieri
quickly improvises half a dozen variations on
a tune by the latter, ending up with something
completely different? Well, Mozart is
duly represented on this remarkable disc by
brilliant pianist and scholar David Rogosin, a
professor of piano from New Brunswick, who
endeavours to trace the variation genre for the
past 400 years, from early music (Gibbons)
through the Baroque (Handel), the classical
(Mozart, Beethoven) and the Romantic
(Chopin) to the present, ending up with
a special composition by Rogosin’s friend
Kevin Morse, 12 Variations on a Fantasia by
J.S. Bach.
Rogosin calls this an “exploration” and this
is his third recording of similar explorations
of various aspects of musical composition.
What amazes me is his ability to capture the
essence of each different period and interpret
it with flawless technical brilliance.
The journey begins in the 16th century with
Orlando Gibbons and it’s interesting to follow
how the form develops from the simple to
the complex, delving into the character and
emotional aspect of the themes, proving
the variation format to be the most difficult
way of composition, testing the composer’s
inventiveness to come up with something
different with each variation.
Traditionalist as I am, I was most impressed
with Beethoven’s magisterial 32 Variations
which amply illustrates how far it is possible
to deviate yet never abandon the theme
and firmly hold a composition together.
Chopin’s Berceuse (actually a set of variations)
is also a very good choice; Rogosin
plays with a beautiful soft legato, the mark of
a master pianist.
Janos Gardonyi
Around Baermann
Gili Loftus; Maryse Legault
Leaf Music LM265 (leaf-music.ca)
! Carl Maria von
Weber’s success
came from knowing
his strengths and,
I’d argue, his shortcomings
as well.
He didn’t try to be
Ludwig.2, but he
killed it writing
over-the-top operas (showing Wagner how),
and he killed it as a touring pianist alongside
such virtuosi as clarinetist Heinrich
Baermann. He gave up writing symphonies
after two early attempts, and turned his attention
to operas, concertos and chamber music,
including a ton of great stuff commissioned
by Baermann.
Clarinetist Maryse Legault joins forces
with Gili Loftus (pianoforte) on the recent
release of pieces written by, for, or during
Baermann’s heyday. Legault’s mouthpiece (I
suspect) is wood instead of (modern) hard
rubber, which could account for her inconsistent
tone; it would be tough managing two
different fibrous materials as they interact
with the local weather. She can really play
the ten-keyed period clarinet (a copy of one
played by Baermann) with assurance and
subtlety, but sometimes her volume distorts
colour and pitch. Most convincing is the
Andante con Moto from Weber’s Grand Duo
Concertante, Op.48, where Legault assumes
the proper role as diva, reaching high and
low for expression. Bravo also to Loftus for
making such tasteful decisions on all the
tracks. The Grand Duo is her tour de force.
My main beef is that not all the material
warrants attention. Champions of Felix
Mendelssohn won’t use his early Sonata
to bolster their argument. And a tossed-off
filler (per Legault’s informative liner notes)
like Weber’s Variations on a Theme from the
opera Sylvana, Op.33 takes too long to type,
let alone listen to. They’d have done better
to include in its place a charming selection
accessible only online: Sonatina for Clarinet
and Piano, by Caroline Schleicher-Krähmer,
a clarinetist/composer of the same period
with otherwise no known connection to
Baërmann.
Clever cover photos reference another great
Romantic artist, Johannes Vermeer.
Max Christie
42 | September 2023 thewholenote.com

Breaking Barriers
Yanet Campbell Secades; Tanya Charles
Iveniuk; Marlene Ngalissamy; Ontario Pops
Orchestra; Carlos Bastidas
Independent (ontariopops.com)
! Was it Arthur
Fiedler who said
that there are only
two kinds of music:
the good kind and
the boring kind?
Well, there is
certainly no boring
kind of music here.
This CD features
the Ontario Pops Orchestra (OPO), a
band founded by Carlos Bastidas, born in
Colombia, who is also its conductor and
music director. Apparently as a child Bastidas
was so impressed by Fiedler and the Boston
Pops that this gave him the inspiration of
forming something of the sort in Canada
as well. The orchestra declares itself one of
the most diverse professional orchestras in
Canada, organized on principles of inclusiveness
and multiculturalism. Recorded at
Toronto’s prestigious Jeanne Lamon Hall,
Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, Breaking Barriers
is their debut recording of orchestral and
concerto pieces featuring three soloists and
the music is by no means boring.
The ambitious program begins with
Mozart’s notoriously difficult (Great) G-Minor
Symphony No.40, a challenge for conductor
and ensemble alike, performed with flawless
grace. Later the hackneyed Eine Kleine
Nachtmusik is played with such freshness, joy
and enthusiasm that it feels like we’ve never
heard it before.
I was absolutely enchanted by the selection
from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, the second violin
concerto “Summer” inspired by the languor
and laziness of heat interrupted by violent
gusts of wind. The soloist is Tanya Charles
Ivaniuk who plays with terrific intensity
and virtuosity, totally immersed like a truly
great artist. The last movement, the famous
Storm, involves the whole orchestra in frantic
virtuoso violin playing. Later we hear soloist
Yanet Campbell Secades with Bach’s A Minor
Violin Concerto and Marlene Ngalissamy with
Vivaldi’s Bassoon Concerto in E Minor, also in
very fine performances.
We foresee a great future for this orchestra;
they are already becoming popular in
Toronto, giving open air concerts with Latin
American music that includes singing and
dancing with enthusiastic and participating
audiences. Bravo OPO!
Janos Gardonyi
Schubert – Architect
Mathieu Gaudet
Analekta An 2 9188 (analekta.com/en)
! Schubert’s Piano
Sonata in C Minor
D858 was one of
three he composed
in 1828 during
the last months of
his life. For whatever
reason, it
wasn’t published
for another ten years, and it lay neglected
for most of the 19th century. Today, the
piece is recognized as a prime example of
his mature style – closely aligned in spirit to
Beethoven who Schubert revered – and it’s
one of two sonatas presented on Mathieu
Gaudet’s Architect, the eighth in the series of
Schubert’s complete sonatas.
The piece is formidable in length – roughly
36 minutes in total – and like the majority
of Schubert’s sonatas, is a skillful essay in
attractive melodies and carefully constructed
details right from the dramatic opening
movement. As seen in the previous recordings
of the series, Gaudet approaches the score
with an understated virtuosity, very much
letting the music speak for itself. The frenetic
and spirited finale is a true tour de force
– not dissimilar in mood to the lied Erlkönig –
and Gaudet easily handles the technical challenges,
effectively tying all four movements of
this lengthy work into a cohesive whole.
Coupled with this work is the Sonata No.9
D575 in the curious key of B Major completed
in 1817. In contrast to the dramatic intensity
of D858, this piece is all joviality. Gaudet’s
highly expressive performance is solidly
assured, perfectly conveying a joyous spirit
throughout. An added bonus is the inclusion
of the Two Scherzos D593 which are a
light diversion between the two larger works,
helping round out a most satisfying program.
Richard Haskell
Sheng Cai plays Rachmaninoff
Sheng Cai
ATMA ACD2 2861 (atmaclassique.com/en)
! Representing
a third disc with
ATMA Classique,
pianist Sheng Cai
offers an all-Rachmaninoff
essay of
might and undeniable
virtuosity. Cai’s
natural affinity for
the Romantic piano repertory brings a distinct
brand of competent verve to this music.
The album includes oft-recorded “hits”
from the Russian composer, such as the
ever-celebrated Sonata No.2 in B-flat Minor,
Op.36, and the crowd-pleaser, Moments
Musicaux, Op.16 (a cycle that Rachmaninoff
revised in 1940 along with a handful of other
works). Cai approaches these well-worn
pieces with expertise and appreciation for
Rachmaninoff’s own performance practice.
Such sensitivity is refreshing; it aids Cai
as he carves his pathway through familiar
musical woods. These interpretations tend
towards a personalized, even intimate
concept, considered and sincere. Pianistically
speaking, the damper pedal should be used
judiciously but Cai employs it all too sparingly
here. While some might welcome such
an absence of sound, this listener yearned for
more resonance: yet more red-hot reverb to
tug at the Russian heartstrings.
The less familiar half of this record is
comprised of novel Rachmaninoff: an
attractive transcription from the opera Aleko,
(penned by Sheng Cai himself), and a curious
polka by German composer Franz Behr. This
piece was beloved by Rachmaninoff’s father,
Vassili (“Wassily,” in German transliteration).
In homage, Rachmaninoff made this arrangement
in 1911, “to W.R.”
Cai’s knack for transcribing is notable here,
demonstrating how compelled Rachmaninoff
devotees truly are to synthesize such nonpiano
works for the public at large.
Adam Sherkin
Femmes de Légende
Élisabeth Pion
ATMA ACD2 2890 (atmaclassique.com/en)
! Québécoise
Élisabeth Pion’s
debut CD offers
an unusual but
rewarding program
of mostly-French,
mostly miniature
piano pieces.
Over a 15-year
span, French
composer Mélanie Bonis (1858-1937) depicted
seven women from myth and literature.
Though not conceived as a set, they were
grouped as Femmes de légende by a clever
publisher. Clever, too, are Bonis’ musical
portraits: Mélisande (sensuous), Desdémona
(wistful), Ophélie (perturbed, despairing),
Viviane (charming), Phoebé (delicate,
elusive), Salomé (wildly unstable) and
Omphale (mysteriously dramatic).
The six pieces of Henri Dutilleux’s Au gré
des ondes are early works, still influenced by
impressionism and neoclassicism. The three
up-tempo pieces – Claquettes, Mouvement
perpétuel and Étude – are rollicking,
rambunctiously jocular – sheer fun!
Presented here are all the solo piano works
completed by Lili Boulanger before her tragically
early death, Debussy’s imprint evident
throughout. The austere Prelude in D-flat
Major is redolent of church bells and incense.
Trois morceaux includes two garden strolls
– the overcast, nostalgic D’un vieux jardin
and the sunny D’un jardin clair; the cheerful
Cortège ends the set. At nine minutes, by far
the CD’s longest work, Boulanger’s Theme
and Variations in C Minor recalls Debussy’s
thewholenote.com September 2023 | 43

La cathédrale engloutie, with weighty,
powerfully tolling chords.
Debussy himself is represented by a scintillating
performance of L’isle joyeuse.
Rounding things out are the grotesque,
un-lullaby-like Berceuse by Thomas Adès
(one of Pion’s teachers), arranged by Adès
from his opera The Exterminating Angel, and
Pion’s own Balcony on a Wednesday Night –
slow, sentimental and almost jazzy.
Michael Schulman
Saint-Saëns Volume Four – Duos for
Harmonium & Piano
Milos Milivojevic; Simon Callaghan
Nimbus Records NI 8111 (chandos.net/
products/catalogue/N%208111)
! The harmonium,
for which the works
here were originally
written and/
or arranged, was
developed and
refined in France in
the second half of
the 19th century. Its
subsequent popularity
resulted in many compositions for solo
harmonium, duets with piano and larger
ensembles, as well as arrangements of other
works. The modern classical accordion easily
replaces the harmonium as it creates a similar
sound in almost the same way, by pressing the
buttons/keys and moving the bellows to push
air over vibrating metal reeds. Both instruments’
singing reed sounds perfectly match
the vibrating, at times more percussive, sound
of the piano strings.
Playing the harmonium part on classical
accordion is the renowned Miloš Milivojević,
and playing piano is Simon Callaghan. Both
also arrange here. Camille Saint-Saens’ Six
Duos Op. 8 for Harmonium and Piano (1858)
is beautiful. The Scherzo fast piano part
features Callaghan’s amazing playing of the
repeated notes within its melodic lines, accompanied
by lush accordion chordal transitions.
Chorale opens with a very Romantic piano
part showing off Callaghan’s amazing ability
to create dramatic balance between hands.
The alternating accordion lines are breathtaking,
especially when both instruments play
together, leading to a softer closing extended
cadence. A calming Cavatina has slow piano
chords under Milivojević’s superb bellowscontrolled
lush held note “singing” accordion
melody, from high held notes to lower
contrasting ones. Three other Duos, and works
by Guilmant and Franck are also included.
The Milivojević and Callaghan duo performances
are tight, balanced and expressive.
Tiina Kiik
MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY
The Water Cycle & Tango Inoxidable
Organum Vulgarum
Independent (amichaibenshalev.
bandcamp.com/album/the-water-cycletango-inoxidable)
! Canadian-born
musician/teacher/
composer Amichai
Ben Shalev was
raised in Israel and
lived in Buenos
Aires from 2005
to 2020 where
he graduated in
2012 from the Manuel de Falla Conservatory
specializing as a bandoneon soloist under the
tutelage of Rodolfo Daluisio. His career there
included collaborations with contemporary
tango composers and international appearances.
In 2020 Amichai moved to Montreal
and in 2022 founded the contemporary music
ensemble Organum Vulgarum for bandoneon
and string quartet/quintet to explore this
instrumentation’s sonorities.
Amichai’s seven-movement contemporary
composition The Water Cycle, is inspired by
the continuous movement of water on earth
and in the atmosphere. Heat opens with
ascending string intervals moving to higher
bandoneon held notes, with faster lines as
the water gets warmer, to an amazing closing
with a held high note and a slightly rippling
ending. Evaporation has lower pitched held
notes, fades and swells creating musical evaporation.
Chill has sharp “freezing” bandoneon
accents contrasting with longer lower
“puddle” strings. Precipitation features
pizzicato string raindrops, low held note
thunder blasts, and bandoneon bellows
shakes increasing the storm effect. Brilliant
tight ensemble playing and interpretation of
Amichai’s reflective “watery” music reminiscent
of summers at the lakeside.
Amichai expresses two common tango
aspects, “Desolado” (solitary and sad)
and “Reo” (rough) throughout his Tango
Inoxidable. His virtuosic playing is featured
here as bandoneon bellows create a wave
effect, followed by dramatic string lines and
bandoneon rhythms. Quieter remorseful
bandoneon lines lead to intricate musical
conversations with the strings.
The Organum Vulgarum instrumentalists’
performances meld together memorably, at
times amazingly, almost sounding like one
instrument. Amichai’s sonority explorations
are unforgettable.
Tiina Kiik
Montréal Musica
Marc Bourdeau
Centrediscs CMCCD 32023 (cmccanada.
org/product-category/recordings/
centrediscs)
! Like so many
things in life, the
inverted U-shaped
curve best represents
the ideal
balance of exposure
and mystery within
a solo recording.
Too much unveiling
leaves nothing to the imagination in its
fulsome exposition. Conversely, an unwillingness
to unmask and musically disclose (the
so-called “warts and all”), can come across
as coy and not revelatory enough to strike
a personal connection between artist and
listener. But, when the forces align and an
appropriate balance is struck, there is often
magic contained within the performance
that follows. Such is the case with Montréal
Musica, a fine new recording by respected
pianist, chamber musician and pedagogue
Marc Bourdeau on Centrediscs, the record
label of the Canadian Music Centre.
Spanning nearly a century of Canadian
composition linked together not by style,
genre or epoch, but rather uniformly tethered
to the island of Montréal where Bourdeau
calls home, this excellent 2023 release is
notable for both its beautiful fidelity and
acoustic capture of the instrument, as well
Bourdeau’s bold decision to be stylistically
agnostic and take on a mixed bag of
intriguing repertoire whose only point of
connection is the geographic origin of the
composers. Although on the surface there
may be little that unifies the music of Claude
Champagne and Oscar Peterson, in the skilled
hands of Bourdeau, the angles are found
despite the stylistic discrepancies, and repertoire
and artistry coalesce nicely to form
a compelling and unified musical statement.
Other composers represented include
François Morel, André Mathieu, Jacques Hétu,
John Rea, Denis Gougeon, Rachel Laurin and
Marc-André Hamelin.
Andrew Scott
Colin Eatock – Choral and Orchestral Music
Sinfonia Toronto; Soundstreams’ Choir 21
Centrediscs CMCCD31023 (cmccanada.
org/product-category/recordings/
centrediscs)
! Following up on
the Canadian Music
Centre’s release
of Colin Eatock:
Chamber Music
in 2012 (CMCCD
17812) this second
volume features
Eatock’s orchestral
and choral works in performances by Sinfonia
44 | September 2023 thewholenote.com

Toronto conducted by Nurhan Arman and the
Soundstreams’ Choir 21 under the direction of
David Fallis.
A baker’s dozen of Eatock’s choral works
are on offer here. A number of them are
based on sacred texts: The Lord Is Risen!,
Three Psalms and Benedictus es: Alleluia
are straightforward, major key settings in
a largely syllabic and homophonic style,
conventionally adorned with fleeting imitative
passages, serene modulations and an
abundance of sighing suspensions. Cast
in a similar vein, the secular selections
exhibit a somewhat darker tone and feature
settings of texts by well-known authors Walt
Whitman, Amy Lowell, Christina Rossetti and
the exceedingly obscure 16th-century poet
Francis Kindlemarsh.
The extended opening track, a setting of
Whitman’s Ashes of Soldiers, is an expansion
of a work that also appeared in Eatock’s
previous chamber music disc, heard here
in a setting for string orchestra and harp
with an extended instrumental introduction
featuring a beautifully played introspective
clarinet solo by Kornel Wolak followed by
soprano Lynn Anoush Isnar’s sensitive interpretation
of the text. Only the final selection
of the disc is purely instrumental, a delightfully
quirky Sinfonietta for chamber orchestra
in three concise movements that are by turns
bumptious, plangent and just plain silly,
all tied together by a chromatic four-note
garland seemingly based on transpositions of
the B-A-C-H motive of yore (and perhaps the
analogous D-S-C-H motive as well in light of
the galloping Shostakovich-style rhythms of
the finale!).
All performances were expertly recorded
at Toronto’s sonically legendary Humbercrest
United Church by Robert DiVito. The clarity of
diction is superb throughout.
Daniel Foley
Paul Frehner – Sometimes the Devil Plays
Fate
Mary Beth Nelson; Dominic Desautels;
Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra; Gemma
New
Centrediscs CMCCD 31423
(cmccanada.org/product-category/
recordings/centrediscs)
! This release
features a fine
ensemble of
musicians from
the Hamilton
Philharmonic under
the superb leadership
of Gemma
New, with mezzosoprano
May Beth Nelson singing the title
track. The chamber ensemble comprises
string and woodwind quintets, plus trumpet,
trombone, percussion, keyboards and harp.
The undertaking was accomplished in the
impossibly short timeframe of two days last
September, a fact all the more astonishing
given that New was rehearsing Saint-
Saëns’ Organ Symphony with the Toronto
Symphony Orchestra during the same week.
Poems by Dane Swan provide text for
Sometimes the Devil Plays Fate (which is a
line from one of the two: Epitaph 8; Eclipse),
along with an excerpt of a poem by Charles
Mingus (also called Eclipse). Frehner shows a
subtle appreciation for the themes expressed,
repeating sections and giving them different
musical treatments. The ensemble provides a
commentary behind the incantation, sometimes
syllabic, sometimes lyric. Nelson’s
mezzo colour is perfectly suited to the dark
material. Sometimes the balance is off, to the
detriment of depth of sonic field. Recording
this complex music under these time
constraints might be to blame. Regardless,
Frehner is a skilled orchestrator and knows
exactly how to set players and voice in
complementing strengths.
Voluptuous Panic is the intriguing title of
the work filling the final two tracks: Escape
Velocity and Saltarello – Proxima Centauri;
Frehner captures vertiginous sensation, often
employing a “circus band” aesthetic. The
middle cut is a piece I know and love: Cloak;
Concerto for Clarinet and Ensemble (2016,
revised 2022). Soloist Dominic Desautels gives
a hyper-dramatic reading of the piece. The
revisions work well, making me want another
shot at it myself.*
Max Christie
Editor’s note: Max Christie was the soloist in
the premiere of Cloak with the New Music
Concerts ensemble under Robert Aitken at
Betty Oliphant Theatre in December, 2017.
Robert Lemay – Lignum et Spiritus
Stephen Tam; Anthony Thompson; Ron
Cohen Mann; Kevin Harris; Yoko Hirota
Centrediscs CMCCT 12323
(cmccanada.org/shop/cmcct-12323/)
! Composer
Robert Lemay has,
in a recording he
calls Lignum et
Spiritus, attempted
to fuse four kinds of
woodwinds instruments
with the
piano and enlisted
pianist Yoko Hirota to facilitate this fusion
with four instrumentalists. The performing
artists include Stephen Tam (flute), Anthony
Thompson (clarinet), Ron Cohen Mann (oboe)
and Kevin Harris (bassoon) respectively for
works titled Point d’équilibre, Shared Visions,
Play Off and Au courde-à-courde.
Lemay’s intention to “fuse” two musical
instruments suggests an attempt – albeit both
scientific and intellectual – not so much to
inextricably bind, but to allow the two fused
entities to create something new. The attempt,
he says is non-pedagogical. He means for the
music to organically redirect the physical
nature of each of the individual instruments
– wood or Lignum – by exerting a spectral
force, which suggests breathing a new spirit
into the sonic nature of the instruments,
hence the Spiritus in the title.
Each pair of instruments produces alternating
timbres that magically create new
organic-sounding variations. Lemay’s
imaginative creations and Hirota’s inspirational
pianism preside over duets which are
mystical Schoenbergian odysseys that create
new musical space transformed by vertical
(pitch) and horizontal (rhythm and permutation)
forces.
Raul da Gama
Transformation – Interactive works for
piano
Megumi Masaki
Centrediscs CMCDVD 29322
(cmccanada.org/product-category/
recordings/centrediscs)
! Japanese-
Canadian
Megumi Masaki
is an internationally
renowned
pianist, multimedia
performing
artist, educator and
curator who was
recently appointed Director of Music at the
Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. The DVD
Transformation features her performing
three interactive Canadian compositions for
piano and new technology, each composed
in collaboration with Masaki. A project
documentary follows.
Orpheus (1) by T. Patrick Carrabré (composer,
live electronics) and Margaret Atwood (poetry),
for piano, toy piano, synthesizer and voice,
challenges the Orpheus myth as a love story.
Electronic sound washes open, then Masaki’s
musically played simple lines and white
snowflake-like specks on the blue backdrop.
Faster accessible music, keyboard lines, spoken
poetry, electronic rumbles/washes and backdrop
scenes add excitement.
Piano Games by Keith Hamel (composer,
software designer, live computer operator)
for piano, hand tracking and live interactive
video which responds to the piano sounds
and hand positions, making each performance
different. Backdrop lightning-like
flashes and swirls match Masaki’s outfit
colours. Hostile loud sounds and exploding
lights to calming softer sounds and slower
swirls to the pianist’s physical gestures, this is
gaming chamber music!
Dōshite? どうして? by Bob Pritchard
(composer, SHRUG designer, live computer
operator) for piano, voice and movement
honours the over 21,000 Japanese Canadians
sent to internment camps in 1942 during
WWII. Use of spoken text from Tsukiye Muriel
Kitagawa’s book This is My Own (editor Roy
Miki’s permission), a film featuring black and
white photos from this time and piano music
including Japanese song fragments “is offered
thewholenote.com September 2023 | 45

as a form of apology”.
Masaki and each composer talk about
their musical and technological creative
process and working together in the informative
Transformation Documentary Film.
The music, visuals and hi-tech interactions
on Transformation are indeed unforgettably
transforming.
Tiina Kiik
...and the Lord Hath Taken Away
The Holy Gasp
Independent (theholygasp.bandcamp.com)
! If, like me, you
had neither heard
of, nor listened
to, The Holy
Gasp before, the
mere thought of
approaching this
album would be to
expect something
spiritually inclined.
After all an ensemble called The Holy Gasp…
well, what other kind of music would the
ensemble make? Moreover, the album is titled
… and the Lord Hath Taken Away, a direct
quote from The Book of Job, of the Bible’s
Old Testament spoken by the afflicted man
himself at the height of his long suffering.
However, as it turns out, the ensemble’s
frontman, Toronto-born poet, composer
and vocalist of repute, Benjamin Hackman –
knowledgeable as he as about scripture – is
also a wonderfully free-thinking musician
who can wield his impressive tenor voice and
move easily between a kind of opera recitative,
he’s-a-jolly-good-fellow klezmer,
moaning blues-inflected vocals and any other
style that his extraordinary music demands.
Hackman’s multi-faceted skills and this
shape-shifting music are eloquently articulated
by the musicians in this large ensemble.
And it is all held together as if in an enormous
musical sculpture by the extraordinary Robert
W. Stevenson who conducts it all. To experience
a snapshot version simply skip from the
darkening of The Merry Man of Uz to Who
Framed Moishe Hackman? to the rollicking
Everything Where It Should Be. But do that
and you will be missing out on 15 other songs,
each with its own evocative mystery and
musical thrill.
Raul da Gama
Za Klavir: For the Piano
Nina Platiša
Independent (ninaplatisa.com)
! Elemental
and concise –
most under three
minutes – the
27 pieces of Za
Klavir: (For the
Piano), composed
between 2018 and
2022, are subtly
spiced with piquant sprinkles of Balkan folk
idioms. Engagingly varied in tempo, rhythm
and mood, they share unadorned melodic
lines and sparse accompaniments, often only
simple pedal points.
Belgrade-born composer/pianist Nina
Platiša, now based in Guelph, came to Canada
as a three-year-old in 1994. Responding to my
email query, she wrote, “When I was young,
my mom taught my sister and me Balkan folk
songs… As I began to compose the solo piano
pieces that would eventually make up this
album, the music to which I felt the closest
connection was often the simplest, pieces
with simple melodies and harmonies akin to
those of Balkan folk music – unpretentious
and transparent. They seemed to issue from
me naturally.”
Save for the concluding Saputnik
(Companion) No.1, the pieces are numbered,
not named. In an interview posted online,
Platiša described three of them, beginning
with the solemn No.7. “I saw an image of
it being played at the funeral of my grandfather
or great uncle. I pictured my family and
friends dancing to No.20 at my family’s slava
(saint’s day) and I saw myself playing No.25
for a newborn baby.”
I was particularly enchanted by the delicate,
melancholy beauties of Nos.5, 11, 14
and 19, reminiscent of Satie’s haunting
Gymnopédies. I found Za Klavir compelling
listening throughout; you may, too.
Michael Schulman
Emilie Cecilia LeBel – field studies
Jane Berry; Cheryl Duvall; UltraViolet;
Ilana Waniuk
Redshift Records TK530 (emilielebel.ca/
discography)
! Prolific Canadian
composer Emilie
LeBel has roots in
the contemporary
concert music
scenes in Toronto
and Edmonton.
Recorded in both
cities, field studies
features five chamber works composed
between 2016 and 2022.
It’s tempting to describe LeBel’s accomplished
and mature compositional language
as postminimalism. On closer listening
however, it’s in turn austere, serene and
sonically challenging, but also lush and
lyrical. It embraces solitary long tones as
well as complex harmonies and microtonal
gestures. This complexity questions any neat
“minimal” pigeonholing.
Another sonic signature is LeBel’s ingenious
use of coloured noise, exploiting the vast
spectrum between conventional instrumental
tone and white noise. In even if nothing but
shapes and light reflected in the glass for alto
flute, baritone sax and electronics, “tactile
transducers on prepared snare and tom
drums” supply the sonic grit. They provide a
textural counterpoint to the two wind instruments’
built-in wind sounds as well as to
their more typical lyrical voices.
Nor is LeBel afraid of boldly combining
inherently contrasting instruments. For
example, evaporation, blue is scored for the
unlikely paring of piano and harmonica,
both played with conviction and delicacy by
Toronto pianist Cheryl Duvall.
LeBel’s considerable orchestration chops
are aided by her close attention to the
strengths and limitations of instruments and
voices. Beautifully played by Ilana Waniuk,
further migration for solo violin illustrates
the former, while drift for voice and chamber
ensemble animated by Jane Barry’s relaxed
voice, the latter. I wouldn’t be surprised if an
opera is in LeBel’s future.
Andrew Timar
Sources
Louise Campbell
Redshift Records (redshiftmusicsociety.
bandcamp.com/album/sources)
! Ambient soundscapes
can be
fascinating. It’s a
mystery to me that
some can also be
as listenable, out
of context, as the
material on this
new disc. That’s a
long-winded roundabout compliment to the
creator of Sources, multi-disciplinary clarinetist
Louise Campbell. Full disclosure: I too
am a Campbell, of the Irish variety, so call me
biased at an odd angle.
The clarinet on these four tracks is rarely
heard without many layers of electronic
manipulation applied. Campbell’s playing is
equal to the material she writes without ever
being showy. The point is not to highlight the
instrument nor the player, but to distill the
sounds she generates into evocations. The
first track, Songbird, is a psychedelic dawn
chorus set in Georgian Bay. Swirl (an elegy
to her late father) evokes tiny watery movements
at the edge of Le Fleuve St. Laurent.
Briefly, Campbell allows her sound to stand
unclothed by electronic reverb and echo, a
breathtaking moment. Playing Guitar Gear
rocks on about Campbell’s hometown of
Montreal. It’s the most dynamic piece, and
while I don’t get what it’s about, it’s fun.
The first three tracks each last around
ten minutes, and the fourth, People of the
Sea, balances the length almost exactly at 33
minutes. Also a music therapist, Campbell
allows one to wander about within the
sounds. I found myself hearing it accompanying
my thoughts on a range of things
(including editing other reviews) and when
I checked in it was mostly finished. At some
point a single line became several, and a
stationary colour became something like a
melody. The texture is pebbled, not granular
but bumpy, like distressed beach-glass. The
46 | September 2023 thewholenote.com

final minute or so is an open harmony, a
major sixth resolving gradually to an open
fifth over an evocation of surf. Amen. Quite
beautiful.
Max Christie
Describe Yourself
Christopher Whitley
Redshift Records TK529
(redshiftmusicsociety.bandcamp.com/
track/describe-yourself)
! Six contemporary
pieces for
violin by living
composers who
also happen to be
fellow Canadians
make an interesting
artistic choice. Add
to that remarkable
Canadian violinist Christopher Whitley
performing on the 1700 “Taft” Stradivarius
violin and we get an album that is beaming
with adventure, potency, depth and ingenuity.
Multi-talented Whitley interprets, collaborates,
vocalizes, contorts, draws and carries
the various extended violin techniques and
melodies with the outmost conviction, all the
while staying centred in the resonance and
beauty of the pure sound. He is a sound magician
with a deep understanding of composer’s
intentions.
Some of these pieces are oriented toward
exploration of the fundamental violin sounds,
others more experimental. What they have
in common is the array of open spaces left
for existential sound. Kara-Lis Coverdale’s
Patterns in High Places is successful in
creating a continuum of musical pathways
that are both soothing and probing. Nicole
Lizée’s Don’t Throw Your Head In Your Hands
is a pure joy to listen to; a beautiful cinematic
canvas underneath violin solos is created
through unconventional sound manipulations
using old karaoke tapes. The album
closes with In Bruniquel Cave by Fjóla Evans,
its atmosphere so mysterious and dark that
we might feel we entered a secret chamber to
hear the time passing.
A violinistic and compositional chamber
of curiosities, Describe Yourself makes its
mark through a grand execution of imaginative
writing.
Ivana Popovic
Difficult Grace
Seth Parker Woods
Cedille CDR 90000 219
(cedillerecords.org)
! The work
contained in
cellist Seth Parker
Woods’ Difficult
Grace almost defies
classification.
This is an album
of live theatre,
performance art, electronics, spoken word
and poetry, political awareness, storytelling,
ambient music and gorgeous cello playing.
The overall cohesiveness contained is a theme
of commitment to art, and if you were lucky
enough to catch Woods’ March 2022 Toronto
performance of this album you will be
familiar with what a great work of art it is.
The scope of the works contained is wide
and deep. Beginning with Frederic Gifford’s
2019 Difficult Grace, one is immediately
captured for the entirety of the album. Based
on the poetry of Dudley Randall’s Primitives
the verbal and musically sonic transformation
is easily accessed. The delivery by Woods
is a performance on its own. Coleridge-Taylor
Perkinson’s third movement Lamentations
from his Black/Folk Song Suite reflecting the
African-American experience is solo pizzicato
throughout and aptly described in the title
Calvary Ostinato.
Monty Adkins’ 1972 Winter Tendrils is a
luscious melodic track, followed by Nathalie
Joachim’s 1983 The Race 1915, one the
album’s most powerful works. Inspired by
visual artist Jacob Lawrence’s images of the
historic African-American migration beginning
in 1915, it features excerpts from issues
of the important Black newspaper The
Chicago Defender, published in that pivotal
year citing the oppression and atrocities
facing millions compelled to travel uncertain
journeys. The spoken text and solo cello
rise above the undercurrent of the train-like
electronic ostinato, driving the piece to its
powerful conclusion.
Alvin Singleton’s 1970 work Arogoru (from
the Twi language meaning “to play”) is a
motivic, gestural piece followed by another
of Joachim’s, Dam Mwen Yo. The final piece
is Ted Hearn’s Freefucked (2022). A complex
and yet straightforward suite of songs showcasing
poems by Kemi Alabi, from their
poetry collection Against Heaven, which
really completes this fantastic journey with
the use of electronics, vocal processing and
solo cello. The suite is dynamic and full and
could be listened to in parts or in whole. Each
movement is stunning. It helps to follow the
poetry included in the accompanying booklet
but the music stands without it. This whole
piece is awesome.
Cheryl Ockrant
Recesses
Lee Weisert
New Focus Recordings FCR366
(newfocusrecordings.com)
! The album
Recesses is a fantastical
sonic journey
of melting ice,
acoustic piano,
degraded tape and
voices, a kind of
hustle and bustle
mixed with water
droplets and
electronic fuzz. Layers of time, stratus clouds
shifting, streaks of water moving through air,
frost on metal, children speaking. Colours
of purple, grey and green. Sparkle and dust.
Layer under layer under layer. Windows open
and close, breezes blow through, curtains
move. Empty walls fill up with images and
empty out again. Conversations rise and fall.
This album is a masterful creation, a demonstration
of visually listening peripherally with
a third eye, of noticing and letting go.
Never feeling preachy or heavy, these four
beautiful tracks morph between mindful and
wild, a flowing sonic movement that feels
unrushed but is never still. This is a magical
space to enter without the wastefulness
of extraneous noise or volume. The fourth
track, Similar Speeds, is a rather mesmerizing
visualization of subtle stretching of
mis-timing, reminiscent of the metal ball toy
Newton’s Cradle.
Professor of composition at Northwestern
University, DMA pianist and multi-instrumentalist
Lee Weisert has collected a brilliant
team of collaborators to build his
journey with. Allen Anderson on modular
synth, Nicholas DiEugenio, violin, Jonathon
Kirk, electronics and Melissa Martin, vocals.
This is an album to listen to while doing
nothing else.
Cheryl Ockrant
JAZZ AND IMPROVISED
Live at the Village Vanguard
Kris Davis Diatom Ribbons
Pyroclastic Records PR 28/29
(krisdavis.net)
! Émigré
Canadian pianist/
composer Kris
Davis here
commemorates
a landmark
appearance at
New York’s Village
Vanguard with
this two-CD set by a quintet form of her
group Diatom Ribbons, ranging through a
program that includes both compositions
by celebrated jazz composers and several of
her own works that sometimes incorporate
the voices of a few singular influences.
Essentially heterodox, broad-based and
witty, the music is anchored by drummer
Terri Lyne Carrington and bassist Trevor
Dunn, while Val Jeanty contributes turntables
and electronics and Julian Lage, perhaps the
leading jazz guitarist of the day, matches the
blistering virtuosity and manic playfulness
that Davis brings to piano, prepared piano
and arturia microfreak synthesizer.
The occasion is clearly one to celebrate
and the performance is carnivalesque
in mood and variety. The opening
Alice in the Congo, composed by Ronald
Shannon Jackson, has roots in both funk
thewholenote.com September 2023 | 47

and free jazz, and Jeanty’s contribution
adds hip-hop before Davis solos with wild
keyboard splashes and runs. Other pieces
from the contemporary repertoire include
Geri Allen’s The Dancer and two distinct
versions of Wayne Shorter’s Dolores.
The bulk of the set consists of Davis’ own
compositions, some acknowledging more
influences, Nine Hats referencing works by
Eric Dolphy and Conlon Nancarrow and the
comically lumpy VW overlaying an archival
radio interview with Sun Ra. Composers’
voices are even more prominent in the threepart,
34-minute Bird Suite. The Bird Call
Blues segment references both bird song
and Charlie Parker with the voices of Olivier
Messiaen and Paul Bley, while Karlheinz
Stockhausen discusses “intuitive music” on
Parasitic Hunter.
Somehow Davis manages to merge all of
these diverse elements into a coherent and
original whole – at once pulsing, comic and
touching – that’s a brilliant representation
of the range, freedom, energy and inclusivity
that jazz can achieve.
Stuart Broomer
Balladextrous
Sienna Dahlen; Bill Coon
Cellar Music CMR060322 (cellarlive.com)
! Guitarists and
vocalists share a
unique bond when
coexisting as a duo,
and the exposure
present without
a rhythm section
contrasts ominous
vulnerability
with ample space to thrive. Vocalist Sienna
Dahlen and guitarist Bill Coon double down
on this sparseness with Balladextrous,
and make the most of this intimate,
dreamy format.
My favourite duo albums throughout
history tend to playfully eschew traditional
roles of melodic interpretation and harmonic
accompaniment, and Balladextrous walks
this line brilliantly. Coon’s chordal work and
melodic content never leave listeners unsure
of song forms or harmony, but he wisely
avoids bludgeoning anyone with the kinds of
dense accompaniment weaker guitarists may
hide behind in this context.
Dahlen has a playful sense of rhythm and
phrasing that is both confident and interactive.
This is a treat to hear applied to
jazz standards, as it breathes new life into
classic repertoire. Consciously or intuitively,
the duo treats upbeat numbers like
Happy Talk and I’m In The Mood for Love
with a playful vibe, while sticking more to
the bare-bones structures of pieces like Too
Late Now and I Get Along Without You Very
Well. Contrasting choices like these may
not be predetermined, which is yet another
testament to the intuition these two musicians
possess.
Give Balladexterous a listen through quality
headphones with your eyes closed, then try it
again tomorrow while ironing or meal-prepping.
This album promises to elevate in all
contexts!
Sam Dickinson
Let It Shine! Let It Shine!
Dee Daniels; Denzal Sinclaire
Cellar Music CM111621 (cellarlive.com)
! Singers Denzal
Sinclaire and Dee
Daniels take us to
church with their
new offering, Let It
Shine! Let It Shine!
Produced by the
renowned jazz
bass player, John
Clayton, and recorded over several days while
the band and crew were living together in a
house outside Calgary, the love that went into
this project is palpable. With gospel being
the predominant style, the Hammond B3 by
organ master Bobby Floyd is a centrepiece
of the album, but all the players have their
moments, such as Herlin Riley’s tambourine
flair on some of the spirituals and Nick
Tateishi’s groovy guitar work on God, Be
in My Head.
Sinclaire’s signature warmth and gently
swinging style is a nice contrast to Daniels’
powerful vocals, yet they blend beautifully
on their duets. I confess I wasn’t very
familiar with Daniels’ work before listening
to this album and what a force she is. Her
intensity is perfect on the blues-tinged If
He Changed My Name while her emotional
range is showcased on Sometimes It Snows
in April. Sinclaire does a wonderful lilting
reimagining of Row, Row, Row Your Boat
and a simply gorgeous take of Blessings Upon
Blessings. But where the group really seems
to hit its groove is on the traditional spirituals
like This Little Light of Mine and Every Time
I Feel the Spirit. When they let loose and the
choir kicks in, I defy even the staunchest nonbelievers
to sit still and not sing along.
Cathy Riches
Senza Resa
The Schwager/Oliver Quintet
Cellar Music CMR030123 (cellarlive.com)
! Much can be said
about both guitarist
Reg Schwager and
saxophonist and
flutist Ryan Oliver.
Suffice it to say that
both musicians have
paid their dues in
and around Canada
and elsewhere with demanding bandleaders.
In many respects their wide experience and
well-documented discographies make them
ideally suited to this ambitious project called
Sensa Reza.
On sterling repertoire Schwager and
Oliver can be heard firing on all cylinders
throughout the kinetic-energy-filled music
on this album. The ensemble also features
the liquid harmonics of pianist Nick Peck,
and sizzle and rolling thunder with bassist
Rene Worst and drummer Ernesto Cervini.
Together, these musicians meld melodies,
harmonies and rhythms into songs with a
preternatural roar from one chart to the next,
giving no quarter and taking no prisoners.
No wonder that producer Luigi Porretta
titled this album Senza Reza, Italian for
“no surrender.” This powder-keg music
explodes out of the gate with the incendiary
Another Happening. There is no letup as
the quintet negotiates the fast and obliqueangled
rhythmic changes of Rushbrooke.
This magnificently frenetic pace continues
throughout, changing to elegiac only for
Tender Love. The musicians on Senza Reza
present an edge-of-the-seat experience from
end to end, brilliant in both long-limbed soli
and in ensemble.
Raul da Gama
Volume 2 – Generational
The Nimmons Tribute
Independent (nimmonstribute.ca)
! While F. Scott
Fitzgerald may have
opined that there
are no second acts
in American life,
apparently there are
second, third and
even fourth acts
possible in the lives
of Canadians, particularly if the Canadian in
question is the talented and thankfully, still
meaningfully recognized and among us, Phil
Nimmons. With Volume 2-Generational,
The Nimmons Tribute, under the skilful
direction of Sean Nimmons (composer,
arranger, producer, pianist and grandson of
the now centenarian Phil), again aligns the
Nimmons name with musical excellence
and uncompromising artistry. And while
the artistic conceit of the project is clear, do
not be fooled into thinking that the album is
the work of an ersatz cover band. Quite the
opposite is true in fact, as this recording again
shines a light on the ongoing relevance of
Nimmons’ music.
Continuing the legacy work that began
with 2020’s To The Nth, this 2023 recording
treads an appropriately reverential path in
its careful handling of Nimmons’ canonic
music now interspersed with new compositions
by the younger Nimmons, whose fine
original contributions to this recording do
much to further the legacy of the family
name. Supported by an impressive multigenerational
cast of jazz musicians representing
some of the finest players in Toronto,
it is clear that either as a pedagogue (mainly
at the University of Toronto, but also dating
back to his work at the Advanced School of
48 | September 2023 thewholenote.com

Contemporary Music), or as a bandleader and
jazz community member, Nimmons’ impact
on the scene has been considerable and his
contributions to the canon of great Canadian
jazz sacrosanct.
Andrew Scott
Concert note: The Nimmons Tribute will
perform at Aeolian Hall in London, Ontario
on November 23.
The Toronto Project
The Composers Collective Big Band
Independent (christianovertonmusic.com/
ccbb)
! Christian
Overton has
been a long-term
journeyman, paying
his proverbial
musical dues
in ensembles of
varying size and
celebrity from the
city of Toronto
and elsewhere. In addition to his renown as
a virtuoso trombonist, Overton also runs a
music publishing company and is an almost
ubiquitous presence in Toronto’s musical
scene. This has led to his being at the helm
of this creative ensemble – The Composers
Collective Big Band – modelled in the spectral
shadow of his mentor, trombonist Rob
McConnell and the legendary Boss Brass.
The Collective now pays tribute to the city
of Toronto.
The Composers Collective comprises 19
rather successful musicians plus six celebrated
guests. While such a large group of
artistic voices could rub uncomfortable
shoulders with one another, the differences
in style – sometimes subtle, often striking –
enhance the overall impact of these superbly
crafted and affecting miniatures making
up The Toronto Project. Engaging pieces
like the cinematic West Toronto Ode, the
tongue-in-cheek Non-Sequitur and postmodern
Spadina, draw you inexorably into
their sound-world as voiceovers from subway
announcers draw you into their subway
narratives.
Torontonians and visitors to the teeming
multi-cultural city will be able to put
visuals to the miniatures that, collectively,
act as a soundtrack for the city. The repertoire
includes music by other commendable
Canadian composers, capturing atmospheres
in music that glows, expertly balanced
and alive to Toronto’s unique rhythmic and
harmonic nuances.
Raul da Gama
undoundone
Christof Migone; Alexandre St-Onge
ambiences magnetiques (actuellecd.com)
! In the final
static seconds of
undoundone, as the
muffled distorted
vocalizations cease
and the imaginary
entity imprisoned
in the microphone
concedes to
an all-encompassing windscreen, a switch is
flipped. This can be interpreted in the figurative,
as an indicator of change or a fixed transition
between states. In this case however
it is a computer switch, more specifically a
spacebar; as implied by the bluntness of the
attack and the timbre of its softer rebound.
This is a demarcation device shared with
Jay Electronica’s 2020 release Rough Love,
opting not to edit out the sound of a decisive
spacebar click. Electronica uses the spacebar
as a mark of finality, to emphasize that his
verse was recorded on a laptop in a single
take. It can be either refreshing or jarring to a
listener when an artist steps off their pedestal
to show this level of vulnerability in the
creating process.
Christof Migone and Alexandre St-Onge’s
last ambient pas de deux as “undo” is filled
with increasingly brazen spacebars. As if on
the heels of a late arrival Néon aléatoire dans
le hasard inessentiel begins with the tail
end of a sonic happening, initially akin to a
wiry bass string being plucked from a singed
stream of feedback, while each listen defies
categorization until you’re left with a falling
shoe. Therein lies the beautiful irony of this
project: endless sonic detail to obsess over,
the definitive is ultimately undone.
Yoshi Wall
Three Things
Elizabeth Shepherd; Jasper Holby; Michael
Occhipinti et al
Pinwheel Music PM106CD
(elizabethshepherd.com)
! Looking for the
perfect mix of tunes
to accompany these
beautiful summer
nights? Velvetvoiced
vocalist and
pianist Elizabeth
Shepherd brings a
perfect hodgepodge
of mellow grooves and feistier melodies on
her latest release. Those who have followed
Shepherd’s musical journey throughout her
various albums know that she is a genre-traveller,
bringing a little bit of a different theme
to each record. This one takes a foray into
the slightly more “religious” aspect of music,
depicting “a personal faith that uses music
to look beyond oneself, to express gratitude,
and to connect — with the divine and with
others.” These tunes were born in the depths
of the pandemic and provided ample time for
self-reflection, which is why the repertoire is
inspired by the journey of looking deep into
oneself and finding the music within.
The record features innovativeness
through the use of sampling and modernistic
melodies, and a hint of Shepherd’s trademark
funk-jazz-soul sound through the use of
rhythmic bass lines and drum riffs, a perfect
example of this combo being the track Time.
Further, what leaves an impression on the
listener is how each musician’s unique style
of playing both shines on its own and blends
together seamlessly, with most songs being
recorded separately due to restrictions during
the pandemic. The result is what Shepherd
lovingly deems “a Frankenstein album that’s
very different from what I’ve done before.”
A great album for the funk and modern
jazz lover.
Kati Kiilaspea
Ars Transmutatoria: Orange, Iku-Turso &
Primati Primi
Michel Lambert
Jazz from Rant
(michellambert.bandcamp.com)
! On Michel
Lambert’s website,
one can embark on
a virtual audiovisual
tour of the entire
Ars Transmutoria
experience spanning
from the
Rouge, Bleu, Bronze
and Orange volumes, available individually
or as a deluxe boxed set, and subsequent
works expanding on the series. Lambert
explains “Ars Transmutatoria is the process
of work! Collecting plants, creating scores,
work with improvisers, etc... It is an ongoing
process with new works to come.” The art
gallery format is interesting because intuitively,
for a piece to be exhibited alongside
other works it demands to be confined to a
space; one that allows for distinct statements
to be made but requires a level of physical
stasis and order. However, in reality this web
application is a beautifully liberating way to
engage with Lambert’s work, in that it allows
for beholders to take a guided tour or roam
free on their own accord while equipped
with a concise user interface. The museum
itself colour-codes all the rooms, which helps
illuminate Lambert’s original multi-disciplinary
concept of strikingly visual scores,
helping listeners abstractly yet thoughtfully
navigate between conceptual zones in
their mind.
Orange may not be the final room in the
tour, but it represents the end of the beginning
for this sprawling project. It is perhaps
the most ethereal experience of the colour
saga. While all volumes up to this point have
explored different corners of the Lambert
network’s prismatic textural universe, Orange
thewholenote.com September 2023 | 49

is a deep dive into
the emotional
power of resonances.
Liner notes
here take particular
pride in the album’s
incorporation of the
booming low-end
warble of the
maikotron contrabasse, which could very
much devour all it touches, and Lambert
unleashes teeth-clattering fury out of its deep
drone. However, when transferring registers
there is a distinctly phlegmy break in its
sustained tones, allowing for it to envelop
Raoul Björkenheim’s flowy guitar harmonics
rather than engross. In this sense, this almost
offers a thesis for the first leg of Ars
Transmutoria; painting around the lines
rather than purely within, resembling that
elusive dustpan-adjacent sketch in the
companion art for Un Jour dans la Forêt.
Iku-Turso and
Primati Primi
mark the beginning
of a new era.
Lambert says: “The
visual scores for
those two releases
are a bit different.
There are 12 of
them divided in
two recording sessions. One took place in
Helsinki, Iku-Turso and the other in Rome,
Primati Primi.” Gone are the monochromatic
motifs of yesteryear; enter zoomorphism.
Resurrected are the poetic pivot points from
Rouge, with Iku-Turso proving that Jeanette
Lambert’s profoundly tuneful approach to
conveying language and image is better than
ever. For a specific example, note the musicality
of the ng sound in Self-Distancing, in
which the word fries as it decays, creating
an illusory effect that obscures the phrase’s
ending while conveying the universal
feeling of lingering on a thought longer than
expected. Lambert is all melody while rapper/
poet Beamer(!) is decisive, comping rhythms,
painting thick lines around Michel Lambert’s
trembling snare patterns like if the Orange
maikotron could burn books with a tongue so
precise it proves that words can briefly take
back the mantle from pictures.
This victory is brief because nary a discipline
owns the mantle.
Yoshi Maclear Wall
Of What Remains
Melissa Pipe Sextet
Odd Sound 005-28 (melissapipe.com)
! Sporting a highly
appropriate name
for a reeds player,
Montreal-based
baritone saxophone/bassoonist
Melissa Pipe’s disc
is refined chamber
jazz with an emphasis on darker textures.
That’s because timbres arise not only from
Lex French’s trumpet, Geoff Lapp’s piano and
Mili Hong’s drums but also from lower tones
encompassing Solon McDade’s double bass,
Philippe Côté’s bass clarinet and tenor saxophone
plus Pipe’s larger horns. It deepens
even more when Michael Sundell’s contrabassoon
is added on three tracks.
Most notable of these is the multi-sectional
Ici, ainsi that moves slowly over drum
rumbles and a walking bass line before portamento
trumpet and saxophone breaks give
way to a mellifluous double bassoon expression
that moves up the scale while the pulse
stays horizontal. Eventually reed stress
turns to decorations as drum rim shots and
piano comping complete the piece. More
overt chamber jazz affiliations arise on a
track like Day, where a dramatic undercurrent
which harmonizes a snarling bassoon
ostinato with plunger trumpeting remains
constant as keyboard clinking outlines the
balladic theme.
Other tracks such as La part des anges and
Apothecium. are arranged with a light West
Coast jazz feel. yet they’re also distinctive.
That’s because these otherwise straight-ahead
foot-tappers that climax with modal blends
of baritone saxophone smears and sparkling
pianism are interrupted when French interjects
Maynard Ferguson-like skyscraper-high
triplets into the mix.
This sophisticated and promising debut
leads us to anticipate her realization of the
next musical Pipe dream.
Ken Waxman
Goldstream
Julian Gutierrez’s Project Goldstream
Independent (juliangutierrezsproject.
bandcamp.com/releases)
! Following the
well-known saying
“if you can’t beat
‘em, join ‘em,” why
beat the summer
heat when you can
make the best of
it with this fiery,
scintillating mix of
tunes? Cuban-born pianist Julian Gutierrez
brings the best of both Latin and jazz music
on his latest album, melding the two worlds
together flawlessly. He adds his own twist
to the record, arranging the collection of
songs for a big band which brings a whole
new, expansive sound to the repertoire. All
tunes are originals penned by Gutierrez
and arranged by both him and bassist Jean-
François Martel.
Duality is a strong theme throughout this
album, not only from a genre-based perspective
but also in an imaginative way. Gutierrez
explains that the music reflects “…nature,
both the landscapes of my homeland… and
the beauty and poetry that emanate from
the landscapes of Canada, my host country.”
This duality is especially noticeable in pieces
such as Canard Goûteux, where the rhythmic
influence of his Cuban roots, seen in Martel’s
bass line combined with the groove of
drummer Axel Bonnaire, is blended with the
alternating mellow chord progressions and
blazing piano riffs of Gutierrez, reflecting
more of the Canadian, tempered side within
the chords. Featuring a full lineup of stellar
international musicians, the prolific pianist’s
vision for this album is propelled to new
heights. Jazz lovers looking for a foray into a
pleasant musical landscape, this is for you.
Kati Kiilaspea
POT POURRI
Taraf Syriana
Omar Abou Afach; Naeem Shanwar;
Noémy Bruan; Sergiu Popa
Lula World Records LWR029
(lulaworldrecords.ca/taraf-syriana)
! Montrealbased
quartet
Taraf Syriana was
founded in 2020.
Its international
virtuoso musicians
who had
moved earlier
to Montreal are
Romani/Moldavian Sergiu Popa (accordion),
Syrian-based Omar Abou Afach (viola) and
Naeem Shanwar (qanun), and Swiss Noémy
Braun (cello). In this self-titled debut ten
track release, the quartet interprets, arranges
and performs Syrian and Romani folk music,
with other folk traditions from the region like
Balkan and Kurdish, showcasing their dedication
to this music.
Opening track Me Dukhap Tuke features
Popa and Braun with guest instrumentalists
Nazih Borish (oud) and Mohammed Raky
(darbouka) accompanying famed Romani
guest vocalist/guitarist Dan Armeanca in
his happy, exuberant song featuring soaring
vocals above florid accordion lines and attention-grabbing
vocal shots during instrumental
solos. Armeanca also sings his Romani
lyrics Come dance to my song above these
supportive tight instrumentalists in the
upbeat Sare Roma. Raky joins the quartet
in the traditional Kurdish folk song Kevoke
(The Dove), an accessible rendition with
melodic musical accordion alternating with
other instrumental solos. A surprise is Abdul-
Karim’s Tango by Mohammed Abdul-Karlm,
a “tango” in which its composition and Taraf
Syriana’s instrumentation change the traditional
tango sound colour while maintaining
some familiar stylistic qualities. Guest vocalist
Ayham Abou Amar and all instrumentalists
perform the Syrian folk song Al Maya in an
almost pop-sounding rendition. Taraf Syriana
play their meditative, reflective composition
Dialogue intimes. Each slow carefully placed
musical note to closing fade shows a different
50 | September 2023 thewholenote.com

side of the ensemble.
This Taraf Syriana release is perfect,
uplifting music.
Tiina Kiik
Little Bit a ‘ Love
Denielle Bassels
Independent (deniellebassels.com)
! Vibrant and fresh
are two descriptors
that are worn
easily by delightful
and innovative
vocalist, tunesmith
and arranger,
Denielle Bassels.
With the release
of her second studio project, Bassels shines
and establishes herself as one of the most
intriguing jazz/pop singer/songwriters on the
current scene. Harkening to the swing era,
and yet firmly contemporary, Bassels is joined
here by talented musicians throughout,
including her core band, bassist Russ Boswell,
violin/viola player Drew Jurecka, vibraphonist/guitarist
Thom McKay (who, along
with Bassels, serves as co-producer here) and
noted percussionist Chendy Leon, as well
as guests.
The majority of tunes here were both
composed and arranged by Bassels, and the
uplifting opener (and title track) incorporates
irresistible swing motifs with Bassels’ smoky,
sultry, sonorous voice, accented by sweet
background vocals. Another treat is Tangled
Thread, the complex rhythmic and melodic
vocal line reminiscent of the sassy Boswell
sisters, replete with a fine acoustic guitar solo
from Tak Arikushi. Another stunner is Lazy
Gazing – a perfect marriage of melody, lyrics
and arrangement. The bluesy Gone is a heartrending
and soulful romantic idyll rendered
with intensity and heart, and the inclusion
of McKay’s vibes on the Cinema Noir-ish Big
Bad Wolf is genius.
The closer, I Wanna Be Like You, is
consummately performed by Bassels,
and with the clever addition of Jacob
Gorzhaltsan’s stirring clarinet work, the
listener is magically transported to a lower
east-side speak easy where they are regaled
by a talented, luminous chanteuse!
Lesley Mitchell-Clarke
Weyn Allah
Al Qahwa
Independent (alqahwa.bandcamp.com/
album/weyn-allah)
! Depending on
who you talk to,
the word multiculturalism
is either
meaningless, or a
politically correct
supercharged
word, especially in
a post-pandemic
world where everyone becomes easily overheated
about everything. If the media is to be
believed even Canada has not been spared the
blushes of intolerance, and there seems no
reason to doubt this.
However, Canadian artists like the oneworld-one-voiced
Al Qahwa have always
fought back against any form of divisiveness
in the exquisite poetry of their music, sometimes
with subtly crafted lyrics and at other
times with more overt sounding words. The
album Weyn Allah feels slightly different,
not only because the title asks (and translates
to) Where is God? But more than that there
appears to be a more elemental, haunting cry
that emanates from this music. The song of
the same name hits the proverbial right spot
in every way: poignant lyrics, elegant music
and perfect execution.
Elsewhere, on Dunya Farewell chromatic
notes sigh, but the harmonic cushioning
rarely falls where you anticipate. Vocalist
Maryam Tollar embodies this elegance in the
plaintive evocations of her vocals sung with
Jono Grant’s excellent performance on nylonstring
guitar.
The lonesome wail of Ernie Tollar’s reeds
and winds is breathtaking. Meanwhile, the
delicately knitted single notes from Demetri
Petsalakis’ oud, framed with the deep
rumble of Waleed Abdulhamid’s bass and the
resonant thunder of Naghmeh Faramand’s
daff all make for a truly affecting experience.
Raul da Gama
Your Requests
Laila Biali
Imago EMG607 (lailabiali.com)
! Gifted pianist
and vocalist Laila
Biali has just
released an all-star
recording with an
interesting twist;
in addition to
welcoming vocal
luminaries Kurt
Elling, Emilie-Claire Barlow and Caity Gyorgy,
the repertoire is based on requests that she
has received from audience members during
her performances.
There are ten exquisite tracks here. Biali’s
instrumental collaborators include clarinetist
Anat Cohen, Grégoire Maret on harmonica,
Michael Davidson on vibes, Kelly Jefferson
on tenor/soprano sax, George Koller on
bass, Ben Wittman (who also shares arranging
and production credits with Biali) and
Larnell Lewis on drums and Maninho Costa
on percussion.
First up is the classic standard, Bye Bye
Blackbird, arranged with a contemporary and
rhythmic sensibility, replete with a dynamic
sax solo from Jefferson. Directly following is
a diaphanous take on Oscar Levant’s Blame
it on My Youth. Biali’s voice is sultry and
emotive here, perfectly interpreting the story
of the poetic lyric. Also of note is Rogers
and Hart’s immortal ballad My Funny
Valentine, rendered here (with palpable
musical chemistry) as a lovely duet between
Biali and the inimitable Elling.
A true highlight is an inspired duet with
Barlow on Rogers and Hammerstein’s My
Favourite Things. Barlow and Biali harmonize
effortlessly and easily manifest a joyous
track. Additionally, Biali shines on both piano
and voice on a sumptuous take on Autumn
Leaves. Her interpretation of Johnny Mercer’s
renowned lyric is perfection itself, enhanced
by another dynamic soprano sax solo from
Jefferson and sensitive and creative bass work
from Koller.
Lesley Mitchell-Clarke
Nowhere Girl
Nicky Schrire
Anzic Records (nickyschrire.bandcamp.
com/album/nowhere-girl)
! This is singersongwriter
Nicky
Schrire’s first
release in ten years
and she’s come a
long way since then,
both geographically
and musically.
Born in London,
England, raised
in South Africa and educated in New York,
Schrire has made her home in Toronto for the
last few years. Her previous jazz recordings
had a healthy dose of covers from the Great
American Songbook, with a smattering of
originals, but Nowhere Girl’s 11 tracks are all
(but one) written by Schrire.
Whether this is a jazz album is debatable,
if you care about such things, but what’s
not in doubt is the high quality of the songwriting,
singing and playing. Supported by
the Canadian jazz trio, Myriad3 (Ernesto
Cervini, drums, Dan Fortin, bass and Chris
Donnelly, piano) and local luminary saxophonist
Tara Davidson, there’s plenty to
satisfy jazz fans. Starting with the driving title
track and finishing in a similar high energy
style with My Love featuring Mozambican
Julio Sigauque’s guitar work. In between is
a collection of lilting, poetic songs delivered
with Schrire’s pretty, unaffected voice that
lends a somewhat Celtic feel to many of the
tracks. Her travels inform a lot of this new
album both literally, with songs like In Paris
and This Train (about New York City), and
also musically, as styles from various cultures
subtly leave their marks.
Cathy Riches
thewholenote.com September 2023 | 51

utalovechamp
Brandon Seabrook
Pyroclastic Records PR27 (store.
pyroclasticrecords.com)
! Brandon
Seabrook is known
to be a composer
who eschews both
sonic norms and
overheated emotion.
But on brutalovechamp
he seems to
tear up that musical
playbook, to turn his own insides out and
even bare his soul. These are works, seemingly
like musical shards of raw emotion. You
don’t really need to unscramble the threeword
mash-up of the title or reach the end
of the booklet to discover that Seabrook was
gutted by the loss of man’s best friend, his
dog Champ.
Seabrook creates dizzying layering-on of
tonal cadences, mixing guitar, mandolin and
banjo, into the low instrumentation of bass
recorder, alto, B-flat and contrabass clarinets
and two contrabasses. Into this he has a
cellist pour liquid notes, while the ensemble
glimmers, redolent of a myriad of percussion
instruments. This unusual collision of timbre
creates a musical feast for the senses.
If Seabrook means for you to feel the
evocations of his pain at losing his beloved
dog, then this you certainly do up close and
personal on brutalovechamp. This is all
inward-looking music, raw in a Jean-Paul
Sartre-esque, existential sort of way. And
although Seabrook may be averse to labels,
some works cannot escape sonic allusions
to the symbolists like Arthur Rimbaud, in
for instance, Gutbucket Asylum. But make
no mistake, every piece of music on this
recording bears the authentic imprint of
Seabrook’s feral sound palette.
Raul da Gama
Something in the Air
The Struggle for Democracy in Portugal
and the Growth of Innovative Music
KEN WAXMAN
For Portugal, a country that was still struggling to solidify its
democracy in the 1980s following nearly 50 years of outright
dictatorship, one unexpected byproduct of that struggle has been
a burgeoning free music scene. Resourceful, the scene nurtured by the
struggle for the country’s expanding freedoms now includes
internationally known veterans like violinist Carlos Zingaro, younger
local experimenters and has started to attract improvisers from
elsewhere.
One experienced player is Paris-born pocket
trumpeter Sei Miguel, who has lived in
Portugal since 1986 and has propagated local
free music since then. Road Music (Clean Feed
CF 621 CD cleanfeedrecords.com/album/
road-music) features ten tracks by his Unit
Core recorded between 2016 and 2021. Most
position Miguel’s smeared brass timbres
in microtonal cohabitation with plunger
tones from Fala Mariam’s alto trombone and Bruno Silva’s guitar clips
and twangs with Pedro Castello Lopes adding rhythms from percussion
instruments. These understated pulses are particularly effective on
Sentinela and Canção, with triangle clinks decorating broken octave and
unison short brass bites. Not only do the woody clave smacks provide
a distinctive backing when joined with guitar strums on Canção, but
Mariam’s contrapuntal designations take up as much space as the
trumpet lines. Silva’s percussive string picking is featured on Sentinela
#2 which provides a rare instance of the trumpeter moving past his usual
breathy sighs to a sequence of bugling triplets that torque the tune’s
excitement before harmonizing with the trombonist’s horizontal slurs.
Otherwise, expositions are usually slow-moving and often descend into
near stasis as dramatic bent notes and grit are favoured over unbroken
lines and half-valve expressions. Still there are enough pivots throughout
to trombone tailgate slides, trumpet squeaks and guitar twangs to feature
tonal examinations along with related continuum.
At nearly the opposite end of the sound
spectrum is Echoisms (Clean Feed CF 628
CD cleanfeedrecords.bandcamp.com/
album/echoisms) by young veteran Lisbon
guitarist Luis Lopes and his Abyss Mirrors
tentet. Featured on the seven tracks of the
harsh and turbulent title composition are
two saxes, two players using electronics,
a three-person string section, an electric
bassist and another guitarist besides Lopes. Although working
without a drummer, there are enough guitar flanges, bass thumps
and electronic pulses to anchor the angled and squeaky string glissandi
as well as the doits, honks, smears and altissimo excursions
from the reed players. Most sequences rumble along with Felipe
Zenícola’s electric bass throb and electronics signals creating linearity
until straight-ahead movement is shattered as Lopes’ and the onename
Flak’s effects pedal motions and unusual string techniques join
with dog-whistle-like screeches from saxophonists Bruno Parrinha
and Yedo Gibson to stretch the exposition to near schism until it rights
itself by the following track. By the penultimate Echoism VI however a
bagpipe-like tremolo drone from the dual saxes sets up the final track
– and the suite’s – resolution. Moving through a building crescendo
of cello, violin and viola spiccato shakes, jerky electronic whizzes and
triple-tongued enhanced reed multiphonics, the resolution slows the
narrative to single guitar licks cushioned by voltage pulsations.
Although violist Ernesto Rodrigues and guitarist Flak from Lopes’
tentet are also part of the Suspensão octet on Impromptu (Creative
Sources CS 773 CD creativesourcesrec.com/ ernesto_material/discography/disc_773.html)
the music is as hushed as Echoism is boisterous.
A single, almost 35-minute improvisation, whose 15-word title is
nearly longer than the music itself, it confirms Portuguese improvisers’
versatility. With frequent silent intervals, the evolving track
alternately connects and separates timbres that suddenly arise and
52 | September 2023 thewholenote.com

just as quickly vanish. The introduction
matches Carlos Santos’ synthesizer washes
with Bruno Parrinha’s bass clarinet burbles
as spiccato string vibrations, woody clanks
and triangle pings from percussionist José
Oliveira and Luisa Gonçalves’ occasional
piano chords decorate and disrupt the
exposition. One-third of the way along a
combination of tougher guitar frails and Nuno Torres’ alto saxophone
flutters pushes the narrative into horizontal motion. However that’s
swiftly overcome by ray-gun-like whooshes and sul ponticello pressure
from the violist and bassist João Madeira, while Gonçalves’
vibrating patterns from both keyboard and stroked internal strings
reintroduce linear movement. A further expansion of altissimo cries
from the reeds is subsumed by an unvarying double bass groove.
Voltage drones and pinpointed but rugged metal percussion slaps then
affiliate for a logical conclusion. Like much free form music the key
isn’t resolution but the tonal varieties of evolution.
The same could be said for The Wind Wends
its way Round (atrito-afeito 012 atritoafeito.com)
by Montreal pianist Karoline
LeBlanc seconded on three of the six
tracks by Portuguese drummer Paulo J
Ferrreira Lopes. A frequent musical visitor
to Portugal, the pianist’s playing completely
negates the Canadian cliché of deference
and politeness. Pouring intensity
into her improvisations, all tracks are taken at presto or prestissimo
tempos and emphasis is almost always on the ringing bottom notes.
Sympathetically adding press rolls and rolling patterns, Lopes mostly
stands aside from the boiling cauldron of emphasized notes. Perfectly
capable of slowing the tempo, as she does on Porter ses pas, and
able to leapfrog into treble clef tinkles from darker interludes at will,
LeBlanc takes these quick changes in almost literal stride. Tinkling
tonal interludes usually occur at the same time as her other hand is
crunching and clattering basement notes that resonate through the
soundboard and piano’s wood. Always in control, her pumped-note
profusion may resemble those of a player piano, but there’s cerebral
planning attached. Splayed and sputtering piles of notes may issue
from the piano on the title tune and concluding Round Talk yet these
hard returns and dips into darker timbres are heard in symmetry with
unexpected glissandi detours or slapping rebounds. When it appears,
as on The Wind Wends its way Round, that this pressurized playing
will never lose its ferocity, LeBlanc surprises by rebounding to a measured
pace and sudden stops.
What hasn’t stopped is the number of
Portuguese players experimenting with
musical forms and collaborating with
international players. MUEJL’s By Breakfast
(4Da Record CD 006 4darecord.bandcamp.com)
for instance, while recorded in
Lisbon, features local bassist João Madeira,
also on Impromptu, Brazilian clarinetist
Luiz Rocha, French tenor saxophonist Michel Stawicki, Turkish
cellist Uygur Vural and Italian vocalist Elisabetta Lanfredini. With
the nine tracks as consolidated as the band name made up of the
members’ initials, the program displays the tension generated from
string/reed equilibrium, while Lanfredini stretches her tessitura to
approximate timbres from lyric soprano nonsense mumbles, alpine
yodels and wispy basso breaths. Contrapuntal results are expressed
at greatest lengths on Kia’s Vocal Calls as the singer’s melismatic
switch from bel canto to basement mumbles stretches still further
the exposition defined by heavily vibrated bass thumps and warm
clarinet lines. With Lanfredini moving to replications of davening at
one point and Aboriginal chants at another, integration is invoked
when vibrated drones from voice and reed become indistinguishable.
Overall the five constantly move from lightness to darkness as
chalumeau register clarinet and timed sul tasto string strokes can
vanish in a maze of verbal nonsense syllables or, despite cross talk,
bel canto vocalizing can smack up against reed tongue slaps and a
mournful cello line. Furthermore, as demonstrated on Ohai Forest
Suite, vocal mewling doesn’t detract from reed multiphonics, but
climaxes in harmonized breathy tones.
As Portuguese democracy continues to solidify, the hope – and
expectation – is that creative music will evolve with it.
Frédéric Lambert & Ali Kian Yazdanfar
The works for viola and double bass in Iridescence let us
see and hear from a different vantage point: two string
instruments, often found in the shadows and yet filled
with prismatic possibility and potential.
Listen:
leaf-music.lnk.to/lm268
thewholenote.com September 2023 | 53

Old Wine, New Bottles
Fine Old Recordings Re-Released
BRUCE SURTEES
Born on August 28, 1894 in Graz, Austria Karl Böhm was one of
the most outstanding conductors of the last century. He made his
first foray into conducting in 1917 in his hometown before
migrating to Munich in 1921 at the behest of Bruno Walter. In 1933
Böhm debuted at the Vienna State Opera and in the same year was
appointed GM of the Dresden State Opera. Upon his death in 1981 he
left many recordings with different orchestras in a wide repertoire and
is best known for his Beethoven, Brahms, R. Strauss, Wagner and of
course Mozart. Some Torontonians may remember him guest
conducting here in the 1960s. I attended a very memorable rehearsal
and concert at Massey Hall. He was a strict disciplinarian with a very
fine ear.
SWR Classic has issued a six-disc CD set
of live recordings from concerts with the
Radio Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart. This
orchestra, as many believe, is a superior
ensemble and better than many European
philharmonics. The first disc contains two
works from a live concert on September 18,
1974, Mozart’s Symphony No.40 K550
followed by the Beethoven Piano Concerto
No.4 with pianist Branka Musulin. This is the first performance and
recording from the set and I found it movingly fresh and satisfying. It
certainly gave me great expectations that were completely realized by
the repertoire, performances and recordings that followed.
The set continues with Symphonies Nos.2 and 7 by Beethoven,
recorded in concert in Stuttgart on February 14, 1979. Disc Three contains
Beethoven’ s Ninth Symphony recorded live in Stuttgart on November 12,
1959 with soloists of Ruth-Margret Pütz, Sibylla Plate, Walter Geisler and
Karl-Christian Kohn, with the Sudfunkchor and Philharmonischer Chor
Stuttgart. As I expected this is a dramatic and intense performance with
no holding back in the many explosive tuttis that characterize this work.
The choir and soloists complete a flawless cast.
Johannes Brahms waited many years to write his first symphony.
People were waiting for him to write a “Beethoven Tenth Symphony”
as he was thought to be the logical successor to Beethoven and able
to compose a work of this calibre no matter what he would call it. Of
course, he had no intention to put himself in that position. He started
his first symphony at the age of 22 but didn’t finish it until 1876 at the
age of 43. If you don’t know the work, just know it is pure Brahms.
Böhm understood that perfectly and his affectionate performance
recorded in the studio reflects his deep admiration and understanding
of the composer. Also on this disc is the well-known Schumann Piano
Concerto Op.54, again with Musulin.
Disc Five opens with the beautiful Dvořák Symphony No.9 “From
the New World.” A very animated approach to this popular work
brings a more inspired performance than we are used to hearing. It
is wonderful to hear the wind instruments in such balance with the
orchestra. One can only imagine that this is what Dvořák intended.
On the same disc is a vital performance of the Paul Hindemith
Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber.
This performance is unusually translucent. Disc Six contains one
work, the Seventh Symphony by Anton Bruckner recorded live on
September 18, 1974 in Stuttgart. Böhm certainly knew his way around
Bruckner as this live performance confirms.
Karl Böhm The SWR Recordings
SWR 19123CD (naxos.com/CatalogueDetail/?id=SWR19123CD)
From Rhine Classics we have an impeccable
transfer of the Jascha Heifetz legendary
New York concert of 1947 on two CDs. The
Korngold Violin Concerto in D Major Op.35
broadcast performance is presented with
the radio announcer’s introduction. He
gives a brief history of Heifetz’ connection
to the work as well as letting us know that
Korngold himself is in the audience.
After a little bit of tuning, we hear Heifetz and the New York
Philharmonic conducted by Ephrem Kurtz. The recording is immaculate
with neither click nor distortion belying its age. Clearly Heifetz
is in position close to the microphone, as was his preference and the
performance sounds authoritative. Also from the same March 1947
concert, we have the Mozart Violin Concerto No.5 in A Major K219, the
“Turkish.”
On the second disc we hear the Beethoven Violin Concerto with
the Detroit Symphony Orchestra under Paul Paray, this one from
the United Nations General Assembly Hall in New York City on
December 9, 1959. After the brilliant Carnegie Hall acoustics this
performance sounds rather dry but all together certainly worth
another hearing. The Brahms Double Concerto with Heifetz and
Gregor Piatigorsky with an unnamed orchestra from December 15,
1966 is clearly an amateur recording from the stalls. This recording
was made by a member of the audience and wisely released for its
historic value as this was the last time Piatigorsky and Heifetz were
to play together. Finally, the Jules Conus Violin Concerto edited by
Leopold Auer from Carnegie Hall with unnamed orchestra and
anonymous conductor. All in all, a must-have disc for Heifetz fans,
including me.
Jascha Heifetz] – The Legendary New York Concerts
Rhine Classics RH-025 (rhineclassics.com/products/rh-025-2cdjascha-heifetz-legendary-new-york-concerts).
English Decca has issued another collection
from their vaults of unreleased
masters of unique performances in their
famous beautiful sound, the excellence
of which may be well remembered from
when they introduced Full Frequency
Range Recordings. They were exceptional
for their day and some of them are prized
by collectors. One of these invaluable
unreleased recordings is the three-CD set of the late soprano Jessye
Norman. I’ve been looking forward to this since it was announced,
and I’ve not been disappointed. Norman was well known in some
circles as a “dramatic soprano” a title she resented as her range
was far beyond that described in such a way. On the first disc we
have excerpts from Tristan and Isolde recorded in Leipzig with the
Gewandhausorchester conducted by Kurt Masur during March and
April in 1998. In the cast are Norman and Thomas Moser, Hannah
Schwartz (Brangäne) and Ian Bostridge (Seemann). There are arias and
duets from each of the four acts. The performances are excellent as is
the conducting under the sensitive direction of Masur. The Liebestod
is heartbreaking.
In the second disc there is outstanding singing in both the Four
Last Songs of Richard Strauss and Wagner’s Wesendonckl-lieder.
Performances are meaningful with sensitive support by the Berlin
54 | September 2023 thewholenote.com

Philharmonic under James Levine.
The third disc brings us arias from the Joseph Haydn Scena di
Berenice and arias from Berlioz’s Cléopâtre followed by Benjamin
Britten’s Phaedra. Haydn’s Beatrice and Benedict is very attractive as
conducted by Seiji Ozawa with the Boston Symphony.
This is a wonderful set that has given me great pleasure hour after
hour. I must admit then that the Four Last Songs has regularly found
its way to my player, although perhaps not quite as often as the third
disc. But who’s checking?
Jessye Norman – The Unreleased Masters
Decca 4852984 (store.deccaclassics.com/*/CD/The-
Unreleased-Masters/7MRD1YD8000).
What we're listening to this month:
36 8-Track
Ashley Bathgate
40 A Left Coast
Tyler Duncan and Erika Switzer
41 Basta parlare!
Les Barocudas
42 Variation
David Rogosin
42 Around Baermann
Maryse Legault & Gili Loftus
43 Breaking Barriers
Carlos Bastidas
43 Femmes de légende
Élisabeth Pion
44 Saint-Saëns Duos for Harmonium & Piano
Miloš Milivojević & Simon Callaghan
46 And the Lord Hath Taken Away
The Holy Gasp
46 Za Klavir: For the Piano
Nina Platiša
47 Recesses
Lee Weisert
49 The Toronto Project
The Composers Collective Big Band
51 Nowhere Girl
Nicky Schrire
Read the reviews here, then visit
thewholenote.com/listening:
thewholenote.com September 2023 | 55

An agency of the Government of Ontario
Un organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario
Directed by Bruno Weil
Beethoven’s resounding 4th and
monumental 5th symphonies open
Tafelmusik’s 45th anniversary season.
Sept 22–24, 2023
Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre
for Performance and Learning
BEETHOVEN
4 & 5
UP NEXT
VIVE LA DIFFÉRENCE
Directed by Emmanuel Resche-Caserta
Explore the rich tapestry of French and Italian
baroque styles as they intertwine in perfect harmony.
Oct 13-15, 2023
Jeanne Lamon Hall, Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre
Full season tickets are on sale now at tafelmusik.org