October 31, 2007
Posted by on October 31, 2007 at 09:05 PM
Hillside is an immensely popular folk festival in Guelph, Ontario, and tonight The Signal broadcasts some performances from the main stage, featuring the Toronto-based band Do Make Say Think, and singer/pianist Emily Haines.
And some Halloween-related music, (though the trick or treaters should be in bed by time of broadcast, stomachs aching slightly), with what the show describes as "scary music from Bjork, horrifying organ music from John Zorn, and the terrifying tale of a werewolf from Coco Rosie." Yikes!
Posted by on October 31, 2007 at 07:00 PM
Already mentioned that Winnipeg band Keith & Renee are performing an interpretation, track by track, of the Beatles album Rubber Soul on Canada Live tonight (as well as some music from their recent CD, Revolution).
But a second concert from Winnipeg comes from someone's home, a house off of "the Crescent," as Winnipeger's call the town's big-fancy-houses-street, officially known as Wellington Crescent.
Apparently the regional noon show asked listeners to volunteer their homes for concerts -- and listeners responded. (Very generous, I must say.) This concert features two sets, performed in front of about 20 people who crowded into the living room, starting with the duo Twilight Hotel. The second set was with Dan Frechette, raconteur and singer-songwriter.
I wonder if they served dainties in the intermission?
Posted by on October 31, 2007 at 04:28 PM
...has Tonic in its spell. The Halloween edition of the show features Frank Sinatra’s rendition of Witchcraft, and from her brand new CD, Queen Latifah with Trav'lin' Light, plus the original Classics IV version of Spooky.
I somehow missed the fact that Queen Latifah released this recording -- taking as its name the song so associated with Billie Holiday -- but the excerpts I've heard online at the various commercial excerpting sites sound pretty good. Although I think that the blog Black Radio Is Back raises an interesting point when they say: "We know she can actually sing without studio magic (check the song about her brother on the Black Reign LP - it's pretty serious) but jazz is a whole different thing to get down proper - having the on point blend of technical vocal chops, improvisation AND feeling."
Also missed the fact that Queen Latifah threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Major League Baseball playoff game between the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians. "This is pretty close to the Super Bowl for me," said Latifah.
OK. It turned into a total debacle anyway, though, so why should we, depressed baseball fans, take umbrage?
Posted by on October 31, 2007 at 02:04 PM
Fans of music from around the world take note -- there's a new offshoot of National Geographic that's being broadcast in Italy called Nat Geo Music TV, which admittedly isn't so great if you're not in Italy, but there are samples online and apparently you can request that your cable provider provide. Not sure how difficult that process is, of course.
But more to the point, they've also revamped their world music website, Nat Geo Music. So now it has some excellent videos of artists like Amadou and Mariam, Manu Chao, Baaba Maal and dozens of others, front and centre. And although they sometimes do take a kind of educational "primer to world music" approach, the site has come a long way, becoming an increasingly useful resource...definitely worth checking out.
Posted by on October 31, 2007 at 10:08 AM
And more music of myth and magic to mark Halloween, with selections by Britten, Glass, Zemlinsky, Dvorak and others on Studio Sparks. No one has come forward yet to say they have found the chewy molasses candies though, I'm starting to think they no longer exist.
Also, in non-Halloween related programming, Mahler Wednesday's continue, with movements from Mahler's Third Symphony. Riccardo Chailly conducts the Concertgebouw Orchestra in these terrific reissued, budget-priced recordings. Terrific AND budget-priced, now that's something you won't find in a halloween candy...
THIS JUST IN: As I was writing the above, a listener commented on the previous post, saying that she too would "love to find those old fashion molasses Hallowe'en candies again." I can't believe they've been phased out, that's just wrong!
Posted by on October 31, 2007 at 08:02 AM
Let the Halloween music begin! Here's To You plays music from Harry Potter, composed by John Williams, Saint-Saens’ Danse Macabre, and Stanley Holloway narrates With Her Head Tucked Underneath Her Arm.
But did anyone request those little molasses chewy things wrapped in orange and black paper? I can't find them anywhere...
Posted by on October 31, 2007 at 12:00 AM
Keith & Renee up until recently were known as "Easily Amused." Not as human beings, although maybe that too, but in terms of a band name. Now they're known as Keith and Renee, likely because their names are Keith Macpherson and Renee Lamoureux. Keith was a finalist in Canadian Idol, Renee has a clothing line, and the music I've heard in their current incarnation is pretty poppy, a bit rocky, and features their strong vocals.
None of which would lead me to imagine that they'd be performing an interpretation,track by track, of the Beatles album Rubber Soul. Really. This is on Canada Live, and you can hear it Wednesday night. The first part of the concert also features music from their recent CD, Revolution, recorded in their hometown of Winnipeg when the temperature was -50 below and, as they say, "it was so cold outside that we had no choice but to stay inside and create music."
For some reason this makes me think of that Guy Maddin film My Winnipeg, and I'm seized with an urge to flee. No wait, I already did that! Anyway, memories of darkest winters of my Winnipeg teenaged years aside, I think their Rubber Soul idea is both appealing and intriguing, and look forward to hearing the show.
October 30, 2007
Posted by on October 30, 2007 at 09:00 PM
Because of the mysterious ways of a website, I first posted this many hours ago, and am afeared that you might have missed this info about a very interesting broadcast on The Signal tonight, so I draw it to your attention now.
It features the piano duo (and married couple) of Elizabeth and Marcel Bergmann performing the music of Colin McPhee, which in turn is inspired by the music of Indonesia. (A quick note on the Bergmanns -- the publication Music And Vision said: "...[They] play as one pianist with a supernatural sense of ensemble. They are both superb musicians and pianists able to infuse music with genuine, deeply felt expression." So there you go.)
As for the music, Montreal-born composer and ethnomusicologist Colin McPhee's famous interest the gamelan of Bali, (a large ensemble of tuned gongs etc.), began in the 1930s, when he travelled to Indonesia and ended up staying there for some years, studying the music and composing. This concert explores some of the Balinese music that McPhee transcribed for two pianos (and subsequently recorded with Benjamin Britten). I guess that would make it very old indeed, all though playing it on two pianos? Anyway, the old/new question is ultimately of less consequence than the music, and what you think of that.
And there is indeed more music on this broadcast -- you can also hear a fusion of Balinese and Carribean music with the late John Wyre's composition Island of Silence, performed by the Evergreen Club Contemporary Gamelan with guest Graham Hargrove on steel drum.
Posted by on October 30, 2007 at 06:45 PM
Tonight from Vancouver on Canada Live (at 8pm), it’s troubadour and storyteller Jeremy Fisher recorded live at the Chan Centre Studio Theatre. He’s one of these guys who's built a massive audience by touring - apparently he once spent six months touring by bicycle to support his independent debut CD. ("I’m highly motivated," says the Vancouverite, in a massive understatement.) The song that really grabbed people is a bit of a viral sensation on Youtube -- Cigarette, which cost him all of about $60 bucks to shoot.
The whole viral video/myspace thing continues to fascinate, with its success stories, which are sometimes quite understandable, because they're really original, other times...less so. (For example the poor woman's French Lily Allen/Regina Spektor, Soko. Yes, a bit charming. A bit. But feel free to disagree.)
But before I forget, back to Canada Live's broadcast tonight -- also on the show, from The Cultch on the east side of Vancouver, it’s the release concert for Kim Barlow’s new CD, Champ.
Posted by on October 30, 2007 at 04:29 PM
If anyone still has any doubts that part of the existence of a TV programme like American Idol is to try and revive a failing music industry -- proof lies in performers like the marvelously named Fantasia Barrino . The third season winner of American Idol, her debut single, I Believe debuted at number-one on the Billboard Hot 100, some kind of record, and she's gone onto a seriously successful career -- latest is she's nominated for an American Music Award for favorite female artist soul/R&B;, the awards are coming up in November.
Continue reading "Fantasia Barrino" »
Posted by on October 30, 2007 at 01:31 PM
Gergory Charles, on his new show In The Key Of Charles, seems to have caused a bit of what you could call a "clarinet controversy," via last Saturday's episode, ignited under a post called It's Not Easy Being Green. Sure, he's caused other controversy too, but that's not the one I'm interested in. No, this one is all about "clarinet negativity," that insidious attitude that creeps in in the night, sometimes alongside an antipathy towards the soprano sax.
"What??" wrote one listener. "Gregory Charles said something negative about clarinets?! As a clarinetist, I am insulted!"
Whence cometh this clarinet misunderstanding? Well, it would seem to be a case of broken telephone at its finest. But it does give me cause to wonder, why do people really love one instrument, and not another? Who among you thinks the clarinet is the bee's knees, who among you finds it no more appealing than a terrible reedy scourge in a gentle listening world? And why do you feel love or lack of love for the instrument?
P.S. If you want proof of Gregory Charles' (a former clarinetist, I should add!) feelings about the licorice stick, check out these actual quotes from the broadcast:
Continue reading "Gregory Charles And The Case Of The Mysterious Clarinet Negativity" »
Posted by on October 30, 2007 at 11:05 AM
You can hear one of Eric Friesen's all-time favorite recordings today on Studio Sparks, the jazz version of the slow movement from the Concierto De Aranjuez, featuring guitarist Jim Hall, trumpeter Chet Baker, and saxophone player Paul Desmond.
No Miles Davis, Eric? Surely that's the definitive version? Of course musical taste is a highly individual thing, as we know. Even when others get it wrong. Kidding, kidding. But really, the Miles version is so great. Not that I'd try and impose my taste on anyone. No, would never do that. But you really should check out that link -- a little video take set to Miles, it's stunning. The music, photos are nice too.
Also on the show today, one of of Saint Saens' most popular orchestral works, the Organ Symphony, with Montreal's L'Orchestre Metropolitain. Lots of people really like this version. Lots and lots. Almost as many as prefer the Miles version of Rodrigo's adagio.
Posted by on October 30, 2007 at 06:30 AM
Ever been on some cheesy cruise where the big perk (along with drinks in plastic cups) is that "everybody gets a really cheap t-shirt with an unappealing logo on it?" No? Lucky you.
OK, what about this. Ever been a fan of a radio show that had a contest, and if you, say, wrote a sonnet that was also an ode to the show host, or a letter describing how the birth of your child was made more meaningful by playing the show's theme music in repeat mode -- you got, in return, a really cheap t-shirt with an unappealing logo on it?
Well, Tom Allen takes the notion of swag (and no crummy t-shirts!) to a whole new level on Music & Company with The Swag Exchange. Here's how Judith, Music & Co. Woman Behind The Soundboard, (a.k.a Chairwoman Of The Board), explained it to me.
"The premise is quite simple, we want swag and we're willing to give up our swag to get it. So, we've been asking listeners to send us digital photos of any swag that they would like to offer up. If accepted, we send them a piece of our swag (M&C; hockey pucks, egg timers, windup radios or ball caps) or, if requested, some listener swag. C'est tout."
But no, not c'est tout, it gets even more exciting! Music & Co. also has their very own Flickr page where you can see digital photos of The Swag.
And their Junk Drawer has more details.
I want an egg-timer.
Posted by on October 30, 2007 at 12:00 AM
When it comes to music, it's hard to tell, isn't it -- what's new, what's old, and how old is it if it's been used as part of contemporary composition? That's pretty much the story on Tuesday night's concert broadcast featuring highlights from a programme called Ancient Cultures/New Sounds. You can hear it on The Signal, and it was originally recorded at the Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto.
Continue reading "Everything New Is Old Again" »
October 29, 2007
Posted by on October 29, 2007 at 09:01 PM
The Signal announces it’s time for New Music Monday again, and here's what they have in the hopper:
Selections from brand new albums from Torngat, Leafcutter John, and the Canadian post-jazz, post-rock poster boys, Inhabitants.
And it's also time for Older But Vital Jazz Monday's too, with a studio session from Montreal bassist Normand Guilbault and his tribute to Charles Mingus, The Mingus Project.
Posted by on October 29, 2007 at 07:00 PM
Mentioned this hours ago, but a quick reminder. Tonight on Canada Live you can hear music from a concert that accompanied 300 new Canadians who took the oath of citizenship (in a special ceremony in celebration of the 60th anniversary of Canadian citizenship).
To be more precise -- the music didn't actually happen during the ceremony, but immediately following, at the Glenn Gould Studio. Thumb piano player Achilla Orru's band performed, along with fado singer Sonia Tavares, and jazz pianist Robi Botos and his trio. Having gone through the citizenship ceremony myself, many years ago, I'm happy to hear that sometimes the musical range is greater than the one I experienced. Which, as I recall, was a recording of the national anthem as we shuffled out. Appropriate, but not terribly representative of the musical breadth of Canada -- this concert went a tad farther...
Posted by on October 29, 2007 at 03:30 PM
Tonight on Tonic Vancouver-based pianist Chris Sigerson's trio performs a lively tune called Little Boys that they recorded in an exclusive CBC studio session.
Then, it’s the unusual and classic soul recording of Be Thankful For What You Got by R&B; singer William deVaughn.
And a final highlight from the good folks at Tonic, "cutey pie Stacey Kent sings a Brazilian tune in French."
"How continental," they say, and they are right. And how retro! Cutey pie indeed. Right up there with "doll-face," another much neglected term of affection.
Posted by on October 29, 2007 at 12:45 PM
You may have missed this one on the radio the other night -- but am happy to say it's available as a Concert On Demand -- Veda Hille, previewing some songs from her upcoming CD, due out in 2008. One week after recording the tunes in studio she brought her songs and her great little band to East Vancouver’s Wise Hall -- and here are the results.
If you don't know her music, some hints may be found in the following list of influences: Glenn Gould, Robin Holcomb, Flaming Lips, the songs of Brecht and Eisler, writers Annie Dillard and Russell Hoban, filmmakers Hayao Miyazaki and Wes Anderson, artists Stephanie Aitken and my name is scot, pink gin, mechanical toys, crocheted animals, Lonely God potato chips and faulty translations.
Veda Hille at Concerts on Demand.
Posted by on October 29, 2007 at 10:30 AM
Why is it that certain websites/blogs are viewed as the arbiters of hipness (and sometimes reviled for same)? Guess it's some combination of tone, attitude, a certain range of editorial choice, perceived insider knowledge, and something else that's indefinable, but makes people think, "yeah, that's cool," or conversely, "yeah, that's irritating."
Anyway, whatever the formula is, Pitchfork has long been blessed/cursed with it. And regardless of where they really fall on the blessed/cursed scale, one thing seems absolute -- it doesn't harm a band's career to have them take notice.
Was amused by their piece this morning announcing Canada's Besnard Lakes as the opening band for Pete Bjorn and John.
"It's like a Neil Diamond song come to life, really: From the wilds of Canada to the snowdrifts of Sweden, they're coming to America! Montreal's Besnard Lakes have been added as support on all dates of Stockholm residents Peter Bjorn and John's forthcoming U.S. tour..."
Posted by on October 29, 2007 at 07:24 AM
Taking an oath of citizenship is probably no small thing for an adult who has spent a fair portion of their life in some other part of the world. A turning away from something -- and towards something, hopefully a place and way of life that you feel certain you want to embrace.
Usually you don't get to do that accompanied by music though -- which is what happened the other week when 300 new Canadians took the oath of citizenship, in a special ceremony in celebration of the 60th anniversary of Canadian citizenship. After the ceremony, conducted in the atrium of the Canadian Broadcasting Centre, there was a concert in the Glenn Gould Studio with Baana Afrique, thumb piano player Achilla Orru's band. Also performing, fado singer Sonia Tavares, and jazz pianist Robi Botos and his trio.
I heard some of the new citizens interviewed, as well as a bit of the music from the event -- seemed like a pretty special day for all involved -- and Monday night you can hear some of the results on Canada Live.
October 28, 2007
Posted by on October 28, 2007 at 08:50 PM
Pat Carrabré features a concert by Canadian pianist Christina Petrowska Quilico playing music mostly by David Mott,the Canadian composer, baritone saxophonist, improviser and Quigong master. (Also my former composition teacher, way back in the weeds of time, and a very nice man to boot.)
Mott compositions featured include Tango Under the Winter Moon and Dark Masque Masks.
Did I mention that's on The Signal? Now I have. My work is done. For the moment. À demain!
Posted by on October 28, 2007 at 07:04 PM
Some music from the long-running Festival Nuits d'Afrique in Montreal tonight on Canada Live. Starting with Hassan El Hadi, a Moroccan-Montrealer, who writes original material, a combination of North African rhythms, Andalusian influences, jazz and more. I heard him this summer and he and his band had a very nice groove, almost hypnotic at times.
And there's a second concert on your radio from Nuits d'Afrique tonight, from Cape Verdean singer Gabriela Mendes. She's from the northern island of Sao Vincente, which is practically a household name now, at least, for fans of Cape Verdean music, since that's also the island Cesaria Evora hails from.
Mendes isn't a star of that stature, but she is on the rise -- she's even been called "newcomer diva." (Hopefully this won't include her wanting to smoke halfway through her shows, I don't know if the world's stage managers could handle that in the next generation!)
Posted by on October 28, 2007 at 05:00 PM
I must say I didn't realize that there was any Halloween jazz, but Tonic has unearthed some (heh heh, pun intended) with jazz from the vintage recording Halloween Stomp. So on tonight's show you can hear The Headless Horseman from Kay Starr, and Skeletons In The Closet from Nat Gonella and his Georgians, among other tracks.
And if you find any of those little molasses kisses, the kind in the orange wrappers, and they aren't rock hard, can you please let me know? I've been looking for them for the past five years -- and am starting to think they've gone the way of dressing up like a ghost by wearing a sheet. (Something I've never found fault with, who needs all these fancy schmancy costumes when there are old sheets, after all.)
Posted by on October 28, 2007 at 04:00 PM
This week on Skylarking, you can hear Andre in conversation with author/playwright Don Hannah, who will read the words of Dante Alighieri. There's also music from Spike Jones. Say what? That's Skylarking for you...rarely an expected moment.
Posted by on October 28, 2007 at 11:00 AM
Inside The Music presents the last installment of Driven By Music, a series about composers and inspiration, presented by Andre Alexis. Today, how sacred and spiritual themes continue to inspire composers. You'll hear from Christos Hatzis and Imant Raminsh, among others.
A topic so worth considering -- when you consider how composers from all eras have drawn on religious and spiritual themes. (And no, I'm not going to get into the differences or perceived differences at this point, although please feel free to comment.) Interestingly, I recently came across mention of a conference devoted to exploring this very idea, Spiritual New Music: Between Fall And Resurrection, although I don't know if it's an ongoing concern.
Posted by on October 28, 2007 at 12:00 AM
I know, I know, the oldest pun in the book. But what an opportunity, as In The Key Of Charles finds Gregory Charles taking a hard look at his recycling habits. At my house there is regular debate over the erratic disposal of a certain type of container of dubious recycle-ability. It is, after all, only natural that one must examine these things from time to time.
But Gregory's exploration of the greening of modern life moves beyond domestic bickering, more deeply into both the personal and the universal, as he laments his lack of gardening skills (I'm with you, Monsieur Charles, I never met a plant I couldn't kill) and ponders the relationship between God and David Suzuki. (What, one wonders, would David Suzuki make of that?)
Music to accompany the greening is provided by Miles Davis (Blue In Green, sometimes thought to actually have been written by Bill Evans, but that's a discussion for another day), choral music by John Rutter (For The Beauty Of The Earth), Joni Mitchell (Little Green, love that song) and Ella Fitzgerald (Mountain Greenery). As well, an unforgettable performance of Joe Raposo's classic Bein' Green, featuring Montreal countertenor Matthew White.
October 27, 2007
Posted by on October 27, 2007 at 08:15 PM
I kind of forgot this is Halloween weekend. It's an annual absent mindedness. I don't view it as any great weakness though, and haven't since it began at around the age of 15. The only thing I honestly miss about Halloween are those little molasses kisses in orange wrappers, which have become increasingly difficult to find. (And if you do find them they are usually so wizened and desiccated you just know your dentist is already shaking his head in despair.)
But the musical reminder provided by The Signal tonight is another matter -- in honour of the day they're broadcasting Ghost Opera, by composer Tan Dun – featuring the Kronos Quartet. It's a five-movement work for string quartet, pipa, water, metal, stones, and paper. Apparently inspired by memories of shamanistic "ghost operas" of Chinese peasant culture -- a tradition that's about 4,000 years old -- it explores the idea of humans and spirits of the future and the past communing.
Happy Halloween!
Posted by on October 27, 2007 at 05:47 PM
Mother Mother. If you were tempted to sing "what's going on" when you read that, you're on the wrong track. This Mother Mother is the name of a Vancouver band (started by a brother-sister duo) that you can hear in concert tonight on Canada Live, in front of an appreciative audience at UBC.
The music is catchy and smart pop music that's gotten them great reviews -- from Pitchfork to the Globe. But I kind of like this quote from the blog, From Blown Speakers: "I remember reading a claim somewhere that Vancouver's own Mother Mother (formerly just Mother) were like 'nothing you've ever heard.' The statement's completely untrue, but I can see what they were getting at." The band must like it too, they post it on their myspace site. (I see what they were getting at too -- Mother Mother does some some pretty original stuff.)
A second concert on the show features Veda Hille, playing songs that will appear on her new disc (due out next year). One week after recording the tunes in studio, she performed them at East Vancouver's Wise Hall, recorded for broadcast this evening.
Posted by on October 27, 2007 at 03:30 PM
I had a note from Tonic saying that this Saturday they're celebrating "jazz for fools." They're playing Don Thompson performing My Foolish Heart and Dee Daniels doing What a Fool Believes.
They could have gone on, of course, with I'm A Fool To Want You, or These Foolish Things, or Fools Rush In -- jazz seems to lend itself to people feeling foolish (at least the lyrics to standards do). You know, to feeling like a guy standing on a station platform in the rain with a comical look on his face because his insides have been kicked out. That kind of thing.
Of course there's also lots of escapist fantasy in jazz too, in fact tonight the show also plays music from Alice In Wonderland. (As opposed to playing, say, Mickey Mouse and Horace Horsecollar. How I wish I could find a freebie video for that, but alas, Disney is wise to our ways...)
Posted by on October 27, 2007 at 11:36 AM
Ah, for those of us who can't get enough of the romance of Gershwin and New York City (I suspect Woody Allen is in that number) someone has kindly provided us with this slide show accompanied by Gershwin playing Rhapsody In Blue, said to be from "a rare piano roll." Kind of wish the shots were in black and white, myself, but no quarrel with the performance -- spectacular, and very beautiful.
And here is Part Two.
Posted by on October 27, 2007 at 11:27 AM
"Her relationship with Greece may have been as tempestuous as her love affair with Aristotle Onassis, but three decades after her death Greeks, it seems, cannot get enough of Maria Callas. So much so, that the cash-strapped Athens government has unprecedented plans to snap up the last great collection of paraphernalia associated with the singer when it goes under the auctioneer's hammer on December 12."
Just a little pre-opera broadcast opera news for you in case you missed this...for the full story go to The Guardian.
Posted by on October 27, 2007 at 12:00 AM
The story: A quest involving the Holy Grail, the knights who protect it and draw their power from it, a battle of good vs. evil, dark vs. light, passion vs. abstinence, (you know, the easy stuff in life) as the knight Parsifal attempt to outwit the evil magician Klingsor.
Wagner's final opera, Parsifal, conducted by Adam Fischer at the 2007 Bayreuth Festival (cast: Jukka Rasilainen, Amfortas; Artur Korn, Titurel; Robert Holl, Gurnemanz; Alfons Eberz, Parsifal; Karsten Mewes, Klingsor; Evelyn Herlitzius, Kundry) is broadcast this week on Saturday Afternoon At The Opera.
And though given the the quest, the good vs. evil etc., you might not feel the need for more, there is! In the form of the opera quiz with Stuart Hamilton and a report on the Rubies - the 2007 Opera Canada Awards.
October 26, 2007
Posted by on October 26, 2007 at 08:30 PM
I was so glad to see that tonight Pat Carrabré looks into the appealing and yet bordering on annoying trend of clapping. Not random clapping on city streets. Not children returning to games of a more innocent time. This trendoid clapping is the slightly goofy clapping in indie music. (Like Feist, not sure who else they're playing but there's tons of examples of that peppy clapping going on.)
Actually I confess I kind of like it, it's just that it's veering towards being overdone, just as the glockenspiel is bordering on being played too much, and grown women singing like little girls is ditto. (Funny, I never tire of palmas, the clapping in flamenco. But maybe that's because it's never cute, and it's such an essential part of the sound.)
A few other notes about The Signal tonight though -- they'll also be playing music from Vancouver’s Prairie Cat, brand new music from Buck 65, and a Vertical Sampling of Montreal guitarist/composer Tim Brady's career to date.
Posted by on October 26, 2007 at 06:00 PM
Small World Music Festival is an annual event in Toronto that's grown and developed into something that's really quite great -- it brings in international acts from around the globe, and at the same time presents some of the finest hyphenated Canadian acts. (That's my new term for what might otherwise be called "Canadian world music," which makes about as much sense as the term world music itself. Though somehow I doubt my hyphenated thing will catch on.)
Anyway, Small World has a repertoire development programme and part of that is called World On A String, which encourages hyphenated Canadian cross-cultural collaboration, resulting in hyphenated-hyphenated Canadian music, if you can follow that. If not, here are the straight goods.
Tonight on Canada Live you can hear the following performers, together: Rich Brown, Aditya Verma, Levon Ichkanian, Amir Koushkani, and Mansa Sissoko on instruments ranging from sintir and oud to banjo, kora, guitar, sarod and more.
But wait, there's also AND MORE in terms of the actual concerts -- Jayme Stone & Mansa Sissoko a banjo player and Malian griot, respectively. (For some reason I can't find a webpage for Mansa Sissoko, but I've linked to the National Geograhic site -- it's also a good resource if you're interested in music from around the world.)
And finally, there is a third concert tonight, with one of the hottest Latin groups in the country, Plan C. Here's a review of that concert from The Live Music Report, which says, among other things, "While Plan C plays, there are two parties going on: an explosive one on the stage; and, the other, a party of similar proportions, happening amongst their audience throughout the club."
Posted by on October 26, 2007 at 03:30 PM
The last time Tonic played Lou Bega's Mambo No. 5 I recall a listener posting a comment saying that she and her child had a dance party while it was on the radio. So here's a heads up, if you want to mambo about your house to that absurdly catchy tune, you can do so again tonight as Tonic has a reprise of that show.
The absurd catchiness is not because of Lou Bega's listing of all the "ladies" in his life, (or at least all the little bits of ladies he'd like in his life), but of the swaggering Perez Prado tune (from 1952) that underlies the 1999 hit.
Trust me, if you like latin music, great horns, or really big sleeves, you will want to watch this original from Perez Prado.
Posted by on October 26, 2007 at 02:30 PM
The other day, when the weather was still in that bizarre, endless summer state my part of the country has been blessed/cursed with, I was wandering through the Toronto Music Garden, which was inspired by Bach's Suites For Unaccompanied Cello, performed by Yo Yo Ma.
Continue reading "Paint Me A Sound" »
Posted by on October 26, 2007 at 11:32 AM
Last week Sunday Afternoon In Concert broadcast Maurice Ravel's "crescendo for orchestra," a.k.a. the Bolero -- this week they have a raft of great music on the show, including music from Kiri Te Kanawa's farewell tour. I'll have more on what's coming up Sunday soon, but back to Bolero for a sec.
Came across this version by Stringfever, who call themselves the world's first "genetically modified string quartet," and it has to be seen to be believed -- four brothers playing the piece on one instrument.
Posted by on October 26, 2007 at 12:00 AM
Ottawan singer Donna Brown became a leading soprano in Europe in the 1980s, working with maestros like John Eliot Gardiner, Helmuth Rilling and Kent Nagano. She even decided to live in Paris, which she did for twenty years. (Oh! No envy in hearts reading that.) As she once told La Scena Musicale, "I originally went to Paris for a summer course and it was so interesting I decided to stay." This we understand. Still, it's also nice to come home again, and Donna eventually returned to Canada in the late 1990s, although she continues to tour the world.
On Friday Ms. Brown performs in a smaller hall than some she's sung in before -- Studio Sparks' studio 40, in front of a live audience, performing with guitarist Andrew Mah. And as well as the classical repertoire, she's also exploring some new music, including Brazilian song. Paris' loss -- Ottawa's gain!
October 25, 2007
Posted by on October 25, 2007 at 08:30 PM
Voices from both sides of the Atlantic unite for the music you can hear tonight on The Signal.
The long-running RIAS Kammerchor Berlin, (R.I.A.S. Chamber Choir), founded in 1948, joins the Studio De Musique Ancienne de Montreal (SMAM) for a concert featuring the music of Brian Cherney and Arnold Schoenberg.
Can I just say you really should click on that last link for SMAM? There, linked again just to make it easy. Beautiful vocal music...
Posted by on October 25, 2007 at 07:00 PM
Buck 65 is featured on Canada Live tonight -- as part of a triple bill that also features a concert from the MIR Super Show, organized by the band MIR. It brings together Nova Scotian folk, jazz and world musicians, fer' instance Lennie Gallant, Jill Barber, Nick Van Eede, El Viento Flamenco, KOJO, Saheed Foroughi and Meedhi Koushesh.
And there's also a third concert I wanted to mention, as it features one of the country's most creative guitarists, Michael Occhipinti. He's performing what I think of as his Bruce project, as in Cockburn. In other words, songs from Creation Dream, his instrumental interpretations of Cockburn's work. And in this case he's teamed up with three string players from Symphony Nova Scotia.
Posted by on October 25, 2007 at 04:00 PM
Tonight Tonic celebrates the 50th anniversary of the movie version of the musical Pal Joey, starring Rita Hayworth as the rich widow (is there any other kind in Hollywood?), Frank Sinatra as a charming heel, and Kim Novak, the mousey but gorgeous young thing. In other words, Love Triangle.
But the thing was, it had a great score by Rodgers and Hart, including songs like Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered, My Funny Valentine and The Lady Is A Tramp.
Now, you may have wondered from time to time why The Lady Is A Tramp became something of a jazz standard, certainly for singers. And if you haven't, no time like the present.
Continue reading "Sinatra, That Charming Heel" »
Posted by on October 25, 2007 at 02:00 PM
The other day it was reported by BBC that action movie guy Jackie Chan has recorded an "officially endorsed" song for the Olympics -- the song, We Are Ready will be used in the count down to Beijing. Here's a sample lyric:
Waiting year after year/ We can see into the future/ Together with hard work and sweat/ We've created the five different colours.
Continue reading "Are We Ready, For Jackie Chan?" »
Posted by on October 25, 2007 at 11:00 AM
According to various reports including this one from BBC Entertainment, the editors of Vanity Fair magazine are publishing a top 50 movie soundtrack list in a one-time issue of the magazine next month, and putting on a companion concert featuring Elton John, Carrie Underwood and others performing music from the movies.
Should you care? Or is this a big yawn intended to sell lots of magazines? Wait, don't answer that. But actually, perhaps a better reason to look at Vanity Fair might be this recent piece where the writer goes to visit Serge Gainsbourg's house in Paris, apparently still in pretty much the same shape as when the singer-songwriter died, sixteen years ago.
Meanwhile, Vanity Fair's Top Ten soundtrack list is available, as a kind of teaser. Here goes:
Purple Rain
A Hard Day's Night
The Harder They Come
Pulp Fiction
The Graduate
Superfly
Trainspotting
Saturday Night Fever
American Graffiti
The Big Chill
Posted by on October 25, 2007 at 12:00 AM
He started out as as Stickin' Rich. Not really, in fact he was just a kid, but maybe it was meant to be a good omen for his future. Which it seems to have been, for while Buck 65, as he is now known, may not be stinkin' rich, he's certainly made his name as one of the most interesting hip-hop artists to emerge from Canada or anywhere else for that matter. Actually, given his penchant to mix it up, some call what he does "post-hip-hop." (Why not make it simple though, and just go with post-hop?)
Buck 65 Trivia Bulletin: As Stinkin' Rich he put out a cassette (remember them?), called Chin Music, obviously a tribute to baseball. (Think of those pitches when the guy at bat lunges backwards so as not to get beaned in the schnoz and you'll know why.) Baseball was his first love, so I can only imagine what he's thinking about this year's fall classic, has not exactly been a stellar post-season this year.
Anyhoo, Canada Live broadcasts a concert by Buck 65 on Thursday night -- as part of a triple bill that also features a concert from the MIR Super Show, which is not, as you might have initially thought, something to do with space stations, it's an annual event connected to the band MIR. It brings together Nova Scotian folk, jazz and world musicians with the band MIR. More about that later today...
P.S. NEWS FLASH After writing the above I heard Buck 65 interviewed, and he says he's rooting for the Rockies! Alright, Buck, I'm with you. (Despite the horror last night, there's always tonight!) We don't need any more preening from Manny et al.
October 24, 2007
Posted by on October 24, 2007 at 09:00 PM
A funny thing about blogs. If you post something in, say, the wee hours of the morning, by this time of day it has essentially gone the way of the dodo.
So in case you missed this much earlier post, here is the nut of it. Tonight The Signal broadcasts a concert they're calling "virtuoso violin meets country fiddle," a bit tongue-in-cheek, methinks, since they're talking about contemporary Western composition meeting South Asian improvisation.
It's a concert by The Attar Project, featuring violinist Parmela Attariwala, and tabla player Shawn Mativetsky recorded live in Montreal.
Parmela describes what The Attar Project is all about like this: "The Attar Project as a 'band' name is for projects that seek intersections between seemingly disparate musical genres and that push the boundaries of collaborative possibilities."
Posted by on October 24, 2007 at 06:00 PM
People go crazy for Django Reinhardt. Every year, cities around the world hold Django fests celebrating the guitarist (who virtually created a style of jazz), including the biggie in Samois Sur Seine, the town he lived in during the last years of his life.
But Canada has one too, via Vancouver's Rogue Folk Club. Like the others, it's a festival of all things Django, but it focusses on musicians in the Vancouver area who carry on the Hot Club de France tradition.
On Wednesday night Canada Live broadcasts excerpts from the festival, with Van Django (great name) who salute both Django and his best known accomplice, (sometimes adversary and greatest artistic partner), Stephane Grappelli. Also featured, a set from Lache Cercel and The Roma Swing Ensemble.
Posted by on October 24, 2007 at 03:00 PM
I was listening to Tonic the other night and was struck afresh by the interesting range of music they play on the show. There was jazz, soul and some beautiful music from Mali, from the singer Issa Bagayogo. All in a day's Tonic, really, and tonight is no different -- here are just a few of the highlights:
From Fat Tuesday's in New York City, a live set with Hammond B3 organist Jimmy Smith, guitarist Kenny Burrell and saxophonist Stanley Turrentine.
Latin funk group Speedometer, with music from their recent recording, Diggin Deeper.
-Winnipeg collective Moses Mayes , who recently won the Instrumental Album of the Year Award at the West Coast Music Awards.
And even as we speak the producers and Katie are feverishly adding music to that line-up -- all in a day's radio show.
Posted by on October 24, 2007 at 01:55 PM
The adoration of Feist continues, and why not, she's pretty great. Though I will say mostly what I love about her music is the music -- not the lyrics, which rarely, to my mind, are particularly brilliant.
But the shapes of the songs, the instrumentation, her voice, all that wows me. It also wows many south of the border. And I thought for those of you who are Leslie Feist fans or maybe just Leslie Feist curious, you might want to know about this profile/in studio performance that was done this fall, stateside, slugged Torch Songs And Bulletproof Buzz, over on NPR. (Public radio love, too...)
Posted by on October 24, 2007 at 12:01 PM
Quite a lineup today on Sunday Afternoon In Concert, as members of the National Arts Centre Orchestra are joined by tenor Ben Heppner and soprano Erin Wall, with the music of Mozart, Massenet and others. These performances are from NACO's celebratory gala concert, held in September.
Also on the bill, the NACO and conductor Pinchas Zukerman welcome 20-year-old-piano sensation Yuja Wang, in a performance of Edvard Grieg's popular Piano Concerto In A Minor.
And some music a few of you have asked after, as in WHEN will it be on the air? Well, the moment has arrived, as Vancouver bids farewell to one of the world’s most luminous voices, soprano Kiri Te Kanawa, from the Chan Centre in Vancouver as part of her around-the-world farewell tour.
Posted by on October 24, 2007 at 11:00 AM
Sometimes clichés tire me. So I switched it up a little. Anyway, if it's Wednesday, it must be Wednesday, and Studio Sparks has declared the day that some workers in the world of 9 to 5 refer to as "hump day," Mahler Wednesdays.
Today they continue on this giddy spree with an excerpt from a great boxed set of the Mahler Symphonies featuring Riccardo Chailly leading the Concertgebuow Orchestra of Amsterdam, in a 12-CD set of all 10 of Mahler's Symphonies, just reissued on the DECCA label.
If you tune in you can hear the last two movements of Symphony No.2, with the great choral ending that forms the emotional climax of the entire work. Now that's a, ahem, Wednesday.
Posted by on October 24, 2007 at 07:00 AM
Maybe more than any other instrument, the violin seems to have two distinct images -- usually represented by classical/jazz (the violin) vs. folk/roots (the fiddle). Same instrument, different music. But more to the point, sometimes it seems that depending on the kind of music, there are different perceptions of the instrument's gravitas, if I may use the Latin. Of course I may, since no one is here to stop me. (But am I using it correctly? I trust that if I am not and there is a Latin scholar among you I will be duly notified, thank you in advance.)
But back to the topic at hand. If you listen to any great country fiddler you know just how virtuosic the music can be, whatever you want to call the instrument. Still, tonight, when The Signal broadcasts a concert they're calling "virtuoso violin meets country fiddle" the "divide" takes on a whole new shade of meeting. In this case it's contemporary Western composition meets South Asian improvisation with The Attar Project, featuring violinist Parmela Attariwala, and tabla player Shawn Mativetsky recorded live in concert in Montreal.
Parmela describes what The Attar Project is all about like this: "The Attar Project as a 'band' name is for projects that seek intersections between seemingly disparate musical genres and that push the boundaries of collaborative possibilities."
October 23, 2007
Posted by on October 23, 2007 at 08:35 PM
Patti Schmidt, host of the new R2 programme, Inside The Music, in performance! Well, reciting poetry, at any rate, as part of a live concert recorded at Pollack Hall in Montreal, broadcast tonight on The Signal.
It features (more clarinet music!) clarinetist Lori Freedman, who as you probably know is one of the more adventurous clarinetists in the world, (as well as being a composer) and Patti reciting the words of the Ancient Greek lyric poet Sappho -- as part of Freedman's improvisations.
FYI the concert was part of a McGill music series called Feminist Theory & Music.
Posted by on October 23, 2007 at 07:00 PM
Tonight, a rebroadcast on Canada Live of a sold out show featuring three clarinetists, James Campbell, Phil Nimmons and Airat Ichmouratov, recorded at the Almonte Old Town Hall. It was a night of eclectic clarinet, with music from Mozart and Brahms, to Ellington and klezmer tunes.
Speaking of clarinet, one day I was looking for something else about clarinets online, and came across the Hot Clarinet blog, by a clarinetist in Slovenia who likes to share info about the instrument, as well as their performances, in English. This is very brave, and I commend him.
(A sample: " I had a lot of free time since my last post. I played Clarinet on several places...now i hope to have more time to write, because i had to finish collage, work a bit and slowly find myself in chemistry.")
Posted by on October 23, 2007 at 04:37 PM
The year was 1953; the place was the Theatre de Beaulieu in Lausanne, Switzerland. I was wearing the little Dior suit, the one with the matching bag, remember? And one of those hats that could double as a weapon, all those hat pins.
On stage, Oscar introduces the fellas -- what a band, Barney Kessel, Ray Brown and J.C. Heard. The crowd goes wild.
But back to the 21st century. You can hear music from this 1953 concert on Tonic tonight, and it is fabulous. (Kind of like my imaginary suit, the one I wore before I was born.)
Posted by on October 23, 2007 at 02:35 PM
Meant to post this a few days ago but it slipped through the virtual cracks. The Times Online brought together three generations of women in rock recently (Patti Smith, with actress-turned-rock-star Juliette Lewis, and frontwoman of Noisettes, Shingai Shoniwa), to share their perspectives on women in rock music.
More precisely they came together to play the annual birthday concert in honour of Jack Daniel (yes, the bourbon guy, not as good as Maker's Mark, but still damn fine) and a journalist took advantage of that moment to chat with the three, specifically about women in rock.
Topics included "on women not playing instruments," in which we learn that "Ma Rainey played the sousaphone, but people weren’t shown pictures of the women playing the instruments. They wanted to see pictures of women wearing dresses." And many more highly opinionated comments too...
Posted by on October 23, 2007 at 01:30 PM
The other day someone asked:
"When is the Kiri Te Kanawa concert on Bill Richardson's new program? How can a get a weekly schedule of what is on his program?"
The answer, courtesy of the helpful and very busy producers at Sunday Afternoon In Concert:
The concert has been rescheduled to the coming week (Oct 27th), and the show's updatable website, on the Radio 2 page, is close to being ready -- that is where you'll be able to get the info. So please stay tuned, and thanks for your patience.
Posted by on October 23, 2007 at 07:00 AM
Or should that be, "music IN the brain?" Dr. Oliver Sacks (perhaps best known for his book The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat, though the one I've read is An Anthropologist On Mars -- a great read) has a new book out called Musicophilia: Tales Of Music And The Brain.
It's fascinating stuff -- and like Montreal-based Daniel Levitin, author of This Is Your Brain On Music, Sack's work is leading the way in the rapidly emerging/evolving thinking about how the brain interacts with music.
Today Dr. Sacks joins Eric Friesen on Studio Sparks to describe some of his experiences with patients, musicians and non-musicians alike. As with the Anthropologist On Mars book, this one is also explores the ideas via cases studies, people who have extraordinary relationships with music, or reactions to music.
(One case study I hope he talks about is the man struck by lightning who subsequently developed a newfound talent for piano. I've had dreams where that happens. Not the lightening part, fortunately. But given the new ideas about "neuroplasticity," maybe it really is possible to make one's dreams come true? On the other hand, maybe I should just get the piano tuned and start practicing.)
Posted by on October 23, 2007 at 06:10 AM
Tom Allen, of course, is the real deal when it comes to being a broadcaster -- no chump change, he's gold.
But chumps abound, and this week's Cage Match on Music & Co. is an attempt to find out who the "champ chump" is -- Don Jose (from Carmen) or Hamlet? (Tune in Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. and Wednesday at 6:40 a.m.)
p.s. Now, now Tom, you know I did really mean it, it wasn't just some cheap way of getting to "champ chump" or an excuse to use one of my favourite phrases "chump change." Really, it wasn't.
October 22, 2007
Posted by on October 22, 2007 at 08:00 PM
The Signal celebrates the latest generation of songsmiths in their explorations of "technology, strange sounds, and new philosophies" tonight -- as Laurie plays new and soon-to-be-released albums from Beirut, Christine Fellows, and Sandro Perri.
I would say "new philosophies," (or perhaps the ever revolving cycles of philosophies and music) have much to do with the work of these artists. In the case of Beirut, it's the idea that what has been thought of as "world music" for most of the past two decades is actually made up of distinct musical cultures. And that, say, the sound of Balkan-esque brass band music is not incompatible with indie rock. And using that sound does not mean that your indie band is suddenly part of something marketed as world music.
There's also not a lot of concern about appropriation, as there was the last time this cycle in pop/rock music emerged -- but I think that's because so many bands are influenced by various kinds of music without actually using specific music, or employing musicians from the culture they're influenced by. In other words, it ain't no Graceland. Which isn't to say that some of the same concerns might not be relevant.
An interesting, related article popped up in Sunday's New York Times, called Rock's Balkanized Route To The Indies.
Posted by on October 22, 2007 at 07:08 PM
Hours ago, so many hours ago that it is lost in the weeds of blog, I noted that tonight there is a very interesting concert being presented on Canada Live, with Orchestre Métropolitain du Grand Montréal, one of Canada's finest smaller orchestras, and Quebec singer Pierre Lapointe.
He's been compared to Rufus Wainwright, and cites influences like Aznavour, Brel and Serge Gainsbourg -- and has caused quite a stir among Quebec music critics and fans in the past few years.
Also from Montreal tonight -- the adventurous ensemble Constantinople begins its new season with a special program entitled Perle Afghane, or Afghan Pearl. Homayoun Sakhi performs with the group on the rubab, (a bit lute-like, if you're looking for a comparison) in a concert combining traditional Afghan and Persian music.
Posted by on October 22, 2007 at 05:00 PM
Bets are if you think of Cape Verdean music your first thought isn't jazz. More likely it's singers like Cesaria Evora, Lura etc.
But back in 1965 pianist Horace Silver recorded an album called The Cape Verdean Blues in honour of his father, who was born on the island, and you can hear some of that recording tonight on Tonic.
Obviously his dad was a big influence on Horace -- one of his most famous compositions is Song For My Father. As Leonard Feather put it in the liner notes to the Cape Verdean Blues recording (revealing his pre-conceptions of Silver's audience):
"Followers of the Silver trail may not be aware of it, since they do not read the trade papers, but Song For My Father was a remarkable commercial hit. Not only did the album remain on the best seller charts for many weeks, but the single sold unusually well for a jazz single, and the album was also named by Down Beat readers among the five top LPs of the year."
Posted by on October 22, 2007 at 03:00 PM
A note for those many fans of the late Doug Riley...a tribute concert has been announced, as well as the creation of a musical scholarship in his name, through the University of Toronto Faculty of Music. The concert is being held at Convocation Hall on Nov. 18 and feature soloists like David Clayton Thomas, Dione Taylor, Michael Burgess and many more...
Also wanted to make note of this video tribute to Mr. Riley that's been making the rounds...
Posted by on October 22, 2007 at 12:01 PM
According to this report from the Dispatch Online, five men have been arrested in connection with the shocking murder of South African reggae star, Lucky Dube.
It's surprised (and saddened) me to see how few tributes there have been to Lucky Dube in the media in this part of the world. I think of him as one of South Africa's best known artists, and certainly the 20 some recordings he made were known internationally, but perhaps his music did not move beyond the reggae fan base as much as I thought it had.
There is this thorough piece at The Guardian that came out today. And of course there's lots of journalism about this in Africa -- for instance this piece by Eugene Mthethwa, a keyboard player who worked with Lucky Dube, published in the Mail & Guardian. Ironically, he says that post-Apartheid, Lucky Dube was better appreciated outside of his homeland.
As always, there is the music to turn to -- including this brief video tribute posted on the blog South Africa Rocks.
Posted by on October 22, 2007 at 08:33 AM
Good Monday morning. Another week, another absurdly summer-like day where I live. Hope where you are it is more appropriately autumnal.
And without further segue, instead merely a hop, skip and giant honkin' leap, here are today's highlights on Here's To You: English composer Eric Coates Merrymakers Overture is performed by the Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Mendelssohn’s String Quartet in F minor, op 80 by the Borealis Quartet, and then Beethoven’s Piano Concerto N3 in C minor, Op37. Enjoy!
Posted by on October 22, 2007 at 12:00 AM
Orchestre Métropolitain du Grand Montréal is one of Canada's finest smaller orchestras, around since the early eighties, and known for getting out and about, into the community, performing in parks, talking about the music before their concerts -- you get the picture, they're kind of a grass roots organization.
But maybe that sounds too "worthy," or something, and that's not what the Orch is about. Proof may be Monday night's concert on Canada Live, when they team up with Quebec singer Pierre Lapointe. Why? Well, if you don't know Lapointe's music Just click on that link to his website. There you will be rewarded with hearing a track that will demonstrate why this concert should be quite special.
And I know I'm not the first to say it, but he does remind me a bit of Rufus Wainwright, in a good way. Perhaps more aptly, and certainly more Frenchly, he's also been said to be channeling Aznavour, Brel and Serge Gainsbourg. (All at once? Goodness, that would be quite a meeting.) Anyway, ultimately he's his own man, and has been causing quite a stir among Quebec music critics and fans in the past few years.
Continue reading "Channeling Aznavour, Brel And Serge Gainsbourg" »
October 21, 2007
Posted by on October 21, 2007 at 07:10 PM
It's funny as autumn (the word is getting a very good workout today, what with Gregory Charles' show earlier being devoted to the season and all) approaches to look back to summer. But that is the case, musically speaking, this evening on Canada Live.
In fact it's all about looking back, as the show broadcasts a workshop recorded at the Winnipeg Folk Festival, called There Are Places I Remember. Speaking of remembering, if you go to that link you'll see exactly what it looked like for those gathered at the "Shady Grove" stage. Feel the heat! Swat the mosquitoes! (Hey, I'm a former Winnipeger, so I know whereof I speak. Though to be honest, it's mostly the sun/lack of shade and fabulous music that stay in my mind from many years at the festival, the mozzies were somehow held at bay. Probably baked off.)
Anyway, there is also a second, presumably indoor concert from Winnipeg broadcast tonight, featuring the fine band Vikrama, led by pianist and composer Knut Haugseon.
Posted by on October 21, 2007 at 05:00 PM
Tonight Tonic presents three, unrelated Petersons on the same show -- Oscar, Noah and Gilles Peterson. OK, I'm confessin,' I don't know Noah. Gilles the DJ I know of, and Oscar, of course. But Noah? If my sources are correct, Noah Peterson is a sax player from Portland Oregon.
Posted by on October 21, 2007 at 04:00 PM
Ever wondered if there's someone out there with your name, someone just like you, someone who drinks whiskey and carnation, like you do? In Andre Alexis' case there is such a someone and he's a well-known writer. Hmmm. Mysteriouser and mysteriouser. This week on Skylarking, join host-Alexis as he interviews the author-Alexis.
Posted by on October 21, 2007 at 12:00 PM
In case you missed this earlier post about what's coming up on Sunday Afternoon In Concert, here's the reprise! Today, some of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra's season opener, with the Prelude to Act I of Lohengrin, by Richard Wagner, and Maurice Ravel's "crescendo for orchestra," a.k.a. the Bolero.
Continue reading "Sunday Aft Reminder" »
Posted by on October 21, 2007 at 11:00 AM
Driven By Music, a series hosted by Andre Alexis, continues today on Inside The Music. This episode is about composers and inspiration -- exploring how composers tell stories in music, and set words to music, And it includes words and music from leading contemporary composers, including Gilles Tremblay, Christos Hatzis, Marjan Mozetich, Hildegard Westerkamp and Andrew P. Macdonald.
Posted by on October 21, 2007 at 08:30 AM
Autumn is a much better word than "fall," don't you think? Nothing of the poetry of the season is conjured by "fall," not even the falling leaves are really conjured by the word. You know the falling leaves, right? They're the ones that drift by your window, making you think of those sunburned hands, you used to hold.
Yes, Gregory promises to play several versions of the classic Autumn Leaves today on In The Key Of Charles, as the theme is indeed "autumn."
You can hear autumnal music from Vivaldi, Tchaikovsky, Estonian composer Veljo Tormis and Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina. AND Italian supermodel/singer/songwriter Carla Bruni sings Autumn. Now that may sound an improbable career, but she really is both supermodel and musician -- and she has an absolutely bewitching speaking voice. Don't believe me? Here's (out of sync) proof.
Posted by on October 21, 2007 at 07:00 AM
The Choral Concert team went into raptures over today's performance -- The Elora Festival Singers performing the work of Estonian composer Arvo Part. This is what they say: "It's very close to Paradise."
Paradise! One needs say no more.
Posted by on October 21, 2007 at 12:00 AM
Sunday Afternoon In Concert broadcasts some of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra's season opener today, with the Prelude to Act I of Lohengrin, by Richard Wagner, and Maurice Ravel's "crescendo for orchestra," a.k.a. the Bolero -- to a full house, the concert was sold out. And with the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and Canadian Children's Opera Chorus on stage there were something like 300 performers! A very big show indeed.
Bolero Trivia Bulletin: Ravel himself called the work “a special and limited experiment.” (And there you thought I was going to say something about Bo and her cornrows, no, I wouldn't stoop that low.)
But on with the big show. There's also a behind-the-scenes look at the renowned Shanghai Quartet preparing for an appearance at the Tuckamore Chamber Music Festival in St. John's, Newfoundland. Selections include Tchaikovsky's string sextet Souvenir de Florence, and Schumann's Piano Quintet, with pianist Timothy Steeves.
And one last highlight to mention -- you can also hear Karina Gauvin from the 2007 Opera Canada Awards.
There you have it. Sunday afternoon. All afternoon long.
October 20, 2007
Posted by on October 20, 2007 at 07:03 PM
From the Western Canadian Music Awards Showcase in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada Live presents an an eclectic concert featuring Regina roots rockers Jason Plumb And The Willing, Vancouver Island’s folk/alt-rocker, Wil, Saskatoon singer-songwriter Carrie Catherine, and Winnipeg's own Cajun/zydeco/funk guy, Johnny Cajun.
Posted by on October 20, 2007 at 04:00 PM
Tonic plays a couple of versions of Mack The Knife tonight -- from Michael Bublé and Ella Fitgerald -- her famous lyric slip up when she performed it in Berlin.
There's an expression in jazz I've always loved, "wrong but strong." Ella made a virtue out of any "mistake" she made -- just one of the many reasons she was such a great jazz singer.
Anyway, just in case you want a little preview of Ella n' Mack-- here you go -- and make sure you get as far as the scatting! Wow.
Posted by on October 20, 2007 at 02:35 PM
It only makes sense that those who blog about opera might take a somewhat intense approach to the task. There's high drama, there's low comedy, there are larger than life declarations, a whole lot of tittle tattle (but also sharp criticism and even reasoned remarks).
In case you have not yet ventured into the Opera Blogosphere, here are a few likely suspects.
My Favourite Intermissions (whose author says he writes about opera, because "you wouldn't want to hear about my day job.")
Balconey Box a.k.a. Sieglinde's Diaries
La Cieca, featuring "Unnatural Acts of Opera."
The indefatigable and irrepressible Opera Chic.
Posted by on October 20, 2007 at 12:12 PM
It’s nothing but Mahler, today on Sound Advice. This is not an arbitrary whim of Rick's or anything, it's because there’s a fabulous new boxed set of all nine of Mahler’s symphonies, and lucky us, it’s only available in Canada (and at a great price to boot!).
And then, of course, there is still the unresolved matter of Mahler, the lousy Graffiti artist.
Continue reading "Major Mahler Moment" »
Posted by on October 20, 2007 at 07:56 AM
Newsflash! Walther wins the day with his amazing prize song. Eva elated - Beckmesser dejected.
Yes, that's Wagner's four-and-a-half hour comic opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg in a nutshell, a teeny weeny nutshell.
The production this week on Saturday Afternoon At The Opera is from this year's Bayreuth Festival, and the details are as follows:
Conductor: Sebastian Weigle
Cast: Franz Hawlata, Hans Sachs; Klaus Florian Vogt, Walther von Stolzing; Artur Korn, Pogner; Amanda Mace, Eva; Carola Gruber, Magdalene; Michael Volle, Beckmesser
This was also the highly controversial debut of young Katharina Wagner (the great-grandaughter of that Wagner) as stage director at the festival. According to many reports, including this one from the BBC there were at least as many jeers as cheers -- much of the former hinging more on her staging than the singing -- since her interpretation of the work included, among other things, (gasp), nudity.
Posted by on October 20, 2007 at 07:55 AM
I would think it difficult to get lost in the winding cobblestone streets of Quebec City -- the area isn't all that big, after all -- but nonetheless, this is the fate of Dave's son Sam today, as you will hear if you tune into the Vinyl Cafe.
Perhaps it takes Pied Pipers to lure him safely home? If so, that function is provided by special musical guests Les Batinses.
October 19, 2007
Posted by on October 19, 2007 at 07:18 PM
Daily Triva Question:
Q: "Which two Canadian singer/songwriters are also identical twins, AND recorded their first CD in their high school’s recording studio?"
A:
Continue reading "They Look Alike, AND They Sing!" »
Posted by on October 19, 2007 at 04:00 PM
Nu-soul sounds tonight on Tonic, from the Souljazz Orchestra (who describe their sound as a combination of "blaring majestic horns, dusty retro keyboards, and fierce earthquaking rhythms") and from Cooly's Hot Box, a couple of musicians who met at the liberal arts college, S.U.N.Y., and shared a penchant for R&B; and 70's music.
And then some old jazz, well, older style jazz that is -- a set of tunes from the Benny Green Trio. For clarification's sake -- Benny himself is in his forties, but a "monster," as the jazzers would have it, in the hard bop style.
And a Canadian connection -- when Oscar Peterson received the Glenn Gould Prize in 1993 he designated Green as the recipient of the accompanying Protege Prize. (Forgive me the lack of accents, I know I should teach my computer to speak French, but haven't taken up the task yet.)
Posted by on October 19, 2007 at 02:30 PM
Beware Of The Blog, always a great source of music oddities, and a magnificent time waster that is to say "resource," pointed me to a new website they describe as a "bizarre drum fetish/e-commerce site," MyCymbal.com. They do not lie. On this site you can not only read (sometimes in excruciating detail) descriptions of cymbals, you can even listen to each one! That part's fun.
I'm kind of partial to the 16" Used K Custom Fast Crash Cymbal, myself. Saucy, sparkling, and takes no prisoners. (Also a steal of a deal at a mere $152.00.)
Posted by on October 19, 2007 at 12:30 PM
Yesterday I wrote about the obsession we have with lists, and that a sort of "list of lists" (vis a vis Canadian recordings) had come out in book form, Bob Mersereau's The Top 100 Canadian Albums.
In case you didn't hear the results later in the day -- here, according to the 600ish fans, critics, artists, and members of the music industry -- is the Top 20.
Continue reading "The Top 20 Canadian Albums, Revealed" »
Posted by on October 19, 2007 at 12:00 AM
Yesterday Angela Hewitt asked a question I've asked before too -- in terms of her life, not mine (though sometimes mine as well!) -- "When is there time to sleep?"
She'd just finished a couple concerts in Vancouver, had a recital with a different programme that night in Saskatoon, and, as she was musing about the sleep thing, was actually waiting for a cab to take her to the airport for a pre-dawn flight to Ottawa.
But then it gets really good. (For us, anyway.) Once she gets to Ottawa, she'll head into Studio Sparks with cellist Daniel Müller-Schott, for a noon performance and chat with Eric, in front of a live studio audience. (The two artists recently released a recording of Bach Gamba Sonatas that Gramophone Magazine picked as an Editor's Choice, in their awards issue.)
So don't forget to tune in Friday to S-Sparks -- to hear one of the world's leading pianists.
Hopefully she'll get a nap after that?
October 18, 2007
Posted by on October 18, 2007 at 11:59 PM
Some shocking news about South African reggae star, Lucky Dube -- he has been shot dead in Johannesburg. BBC news has the story.
Continue reading "Lucky Dube" »
Posted by on October 18, 2007 at 09:04 PM
Tonight The Signal re-broadcasts a tribute to the Canadian composer John Weinzweig, a memorial concert recorded at the Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto.
Continue reading "The Radical Remembered" »
Posted by on October 18, 2007 at 08:00 PM
In case this slipped oe'r the transom earlier and disappeared -- that there are highlights from four v. strong Canadian singer/songwriters tonight on Canada Live. Here's a (briefly) annotated lineup.
Continue reading "The Briefly Annotated Lineup" »
Posted by on October 18, 2007 at 04:00 PM
Sasha Frere-Jones, New Yorker pop music critic, stirred up the musical blogging/writing/chattering classes no end through his recent column, A Paler Shade Of White, subtitled "how indie rock lost its soul."
The question that really fuels the piece is this:
"Why did so many white rock bands retreat from the ecstatic singing and intense, voicelike guitar tones of the blues, the heavy African downbeat, and the elaborate showmanship that characterized black music of the mid-twentieth century?"
And then he goes on to answer, via a mini-history of race relations and popular music. Ultimately he claims that on the one hand we have, as a musical society, transcended our need to interact musically via race, on the other, political correctness has hobbled instincts to imitate/borrow/steal music along race lines.
Here are just a few of the diverse and interesting takes on the S-F Jones assertions that have emerged over the past days.
Short Schrift
Darcy James Argue's Secret Society
Idolator
Clap Clap
Planet Of Sound And Sight
Slate
Posted by on October 18, 2007 at 01:45 PM
I'm not sure that it's a good thing that the name Maria Muldaur always makes me think of camels and thighs, but there you are. However, tonight on Tonic you can hear her in duet with longtime collaborator Dr. John, presumably not singing either of the songs that sends me down that mental path, more likely something from their recording Sweet & Slow, a collection of jazz and blues, tunes by the likes of Fats Waller, Duke Ellington and Sippie Wallace.
Sippie Wallace, now there's a good blues name. I'd like a Blues Name. I already know my Soap Opera name. (You get that by taking the name of your first pet and first street you lived on as a kid. In my case it's Muffin Spruell.) I think someone should invent a similar formula to create Blues Names.
Let's see. Maybe you take the name of your favourite boozy beverage, (it's blues, after all), and for the surname, the last name of one of your favourite ballplayers. (In my case that would mean my Blues Name is Bourbon Hill. Not bad. And better than Bourbon Jeter or Bourbon Bonds.)
Posted by on October 18, 2007 at 12:45 PM
Why do we love a list? Maybe it speaks to a deep rooted fear of chaos -- corralling information creates the illusion of order. Perhaps it's laziness, saves us the work of figuring it out for ourselves. Or could be it's for reasons less consequential -- like anything cheap and cheerful, lists are just their own kind of fast fun.
It sounds like the "list of lists" provided by a new book that comes out today is as much about the list-makers as it is about the list. The Top 100 Canadian Albums, by music journalist Bob Mersereau, reveals "exclusive lists from many of the celebrity musicians involved, as well as in-depth interviews and fascinating facts."
So Mersereau talked to people like Neil Peart, Ed Robertson, (and the other Ladies), and a vast cast of other Canadian musicians, plus people like CBC hosts Holger Petersen and Stuart McLean.
And this is what he did. He asked them to "provide a list of top ten Canadian albums using whatever criteria they wished."
Anyone want to wade in? A top 3 even?
Posted by on October 18, 2007 at 10:30 AM
British music writer Jessica Duchen (who blogs at Jessicamusic, but this piece is in The Independent) says Erich Korngold may just be "the greatest composer you've never heard of," in a feature piece about Korngold yesterday, in honour of the 50th anniversary of his death.
Today on Studio Sparks you can hear a complete performance of the Korngold Violin Concerto, featuring violinist James Ehnes, with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra conducted by Bramwell Tovey.
But if you've never heard of him, why should you care? Try on this description, also from The Independent piece:
"...his music is gorgeous. It has a white-hot dramatic sweep and an overwhelming sense of atmosphere; his distinctive voice comprises rich harmony, soaring melody, a sinuous rhythmic flexibility and a deeply human spirit. He was a musical heir to Wagner, Mahler and Richard Strauss, a pupil of Zemlinsky, an admirer of Stravinsky – even, later in life, a friend of Schoenberg."
Posted by on October 18, 2007 at 12:00 AM
Concerts from four very strong performers will be broadcast Thursday night on Canada Live, starting with Justin Rutledge.
*Rob Bolton, writing in Exclaim Magazine: "[Rutledge's recording] No Never Alone pulls it off with its near-perfect marriage of traditional country arrangements and Rutledge’s stories of love and heartache."
Second, Oh Susanna.
*Mote/Moregoatthangoose says: "Susie pretty-well held everyone spellbound, if the truth be known. If you weren't there, there will come a day, I can't say when, when you will rue this missed opportunity."
Concert#3, Treasa Levasseur
*The Ottawa Blues Society does the mix n' match: “Think Joni Mitchell, Etta James, Carole King and Dusty Springfield rolled into one.”
And wrapping things up, Serena Ryder.
*Popmatters (writing about Ryder's If Your Memory Serves Me Well) asserts: "The young Serena Ryder surprisingly manages to breathe life into a repertoire of semi-familiar tunes by older artists. The Canadian singer has selected a batch of songs written by fellow musicians from her native country and brings out qualities not always evident in the older versions."
October 17, 2007
Posted by on October 17, 2007 at 08:30 PM
Not long ago I blogged about the Guelph Jazz Festival, about some of the v. interesting work they do there, both musically and through discussions about improvised music; tonight on The Signal you can hear a sample of both -- through a performance recorded at the festival with sax player/composer Anthony Braxton heading The Association of Improvising Musicians Toronto, and some thoughts from Braxton about the nature of improvisation.
btw, if you want a behind-the-scenes view, Carl Wilson, over on Zoilus, attended a rehearsal for this performance -- and did a bit of a play-by-play in a post called Braxton In Session: Go To F As In Fox - But Not As In Fox News
Posted by on October 17, 2007 at 06:37 PM
Just a reminder that tonight's featured concert on Canada Live is The Bottle And The Truth, an alt country band that live, rehearse and perform together in the same house in East Vancouver -- this concert was actually recorded in their home. (Hopefully they also clean up together.)
But there's also a broadcast on the show of a concert by Irish born singer of The Blower's Daughter Fame, Damien Rice, who filled Vancouver's Centre for Performing Arts for two nights recently. (Bet you know that Blower's Daughter song, even if you think you don't -- go to that link and see if you haven't heard it before...)
Posted by on October 17, 2007 at 04:30 PM
Tonic asks us to close our eyes, and imagine ourselves in a glamorous supper club, sipping champagne and listening to vocalist Champian Fulton and the Sultans of Swing performing Jerome Kerns' They Didn't Believe Me.
I can do that. I assume we're talking something decent, the Widow, or at the very least Prosecco?
btw, don't know if you've hear Champian Fuller yet -- not a huge voice, but an interesting one. And despite the fact that she looks like she's about fifteen, (and she is only in her early twenties) on some tracks of her eponymous CD she swings like the devil. Yes, the devil.
And another Tonic programme note -- they also suggest that later in the show we enjoy a set with pianist Tilden Web with guest saxophonist David “Fathead” Newman from Vancouver’s Cellar Jazz Club.
This too is possible.
Posted by on October 17, 2007 at 02:00 PM
The Alex Ross' well-deserved fifteen (as blogged about yesterday in a post called The Well-Tempered Web) continues -- with this charming contribution from Soho The Dog, called Buying The Rest Is Noise.
Posted by on October 17, 2007 at 12:36 PM
Way back in August the Ukulele Revival was duly noted on ye olde blogge, but that was in the context of the wee instrument's appearances in indie bands.
Well, you can't start too young, apparently, and now it seems among British schoolchildren the uke has surpassed the recorder in popularity. At least, according to this in depth report from The Guardian, thrillingly headlined Ukuleles Challenge Recorders In Schools.
And you read it here first -- the uke is also re-entering the sphere of musical theatre. Having finally seen the extremely smart and funny Drowsy Chaperone last weekend, I can also report that the importance of the uke in that musical production, in the hands of "Ukulele Lil," played by Georgia Engel, (a.k.a. Georgette from the Mary Tyler Moore show), is just one more indication of a veritable ukulele uprising.
Posted by on October 17, 2007 at 10:30 AM
If it’s Wednesday it must be Mahler. (Hey, if it's any day of the week in Toronto in must be Mahler, the lousy graffiti artist.)
But on your radio Studio Sparks begins a brand new series of Wednesday Mahler Moments (actually, they're not calling it that, but I am) featuring selection from a newly released box set of all the Mahler Symphonies conducted by Riccardo Chailly. The first selections are movements from Mahler's first symphony, with Chailly and the Concertgebouw Orchestra.
Posted by on October 17, 2007 at 12:00 AM
The last time a concert by The Bottle And The Truth was broadcast the response, was, to put it truthfully, over the moon. I can see why, they're a kickass (can I say kickass on the R2 blog? why yes, I think I just did) alt country band.
For their music -- tune in Wednesday night to Canada Live.
For their story -- here it is in their own, understated words:
"Between snowcapped mountain ranges and east of the Pacific ocean in the boomtown know as Vancouver British Columbia, is home to three humble young men and a truck load of great music.
One is a Word-slinger, hip-hop rhymin’, bonafide campfire storyteller. The other has the blue blood of a cowboy coursing through his veins and the musical talent of a legend to boot. The third of the posse is a tender-hearted songwriter with a mean sense of melody and a wicked sense of song.
Together Ridley Bent, Dustin Bentall, and Cameron Latimer form the Bottle and the Truth, a stampede of songwriters, storytellers and grade A musicians."
October 16, 2007
Posted by on October 16, 2007 at 08:45 PM
So many music festivals, so few frequent flyer points...or to be more accurate, I keep using them up as soon as I accumulate them. Anyway, every time I read about another music festival in Canada (or elsewhere, for that matter) that I haven't been to, I feel a ping of envy. (Yes, a ping. Large-scale envy is reserved for those who don't have to think about accumulating points. Strikes me that the best benefit of being wealthy would be limitless travel. On the other hand, there'd be the accompanying carbon guilt.)
But the point, and yes, I'm getting to it, is that it is possible to be somewhat mollified re: the limited travel, via the ongoing concerts presented by both Canada Live and The Signal. And tonight, on the latter programme, you can hear a bunch of different artists performing at the Indian River Festival in Prince Edward Island. It's a festival I've never been to, which started this whole train of thought.
Highlights tonight on air are from concerts by soprano Patricia O'Callaghan, ghazal Kiran Ahluwalia, percussionist Anne-Julie Caron and pianist Robert Kortgaard.
Posted by on October 16, 2007 at 07:00 PM
Great double bill tonight on Canada Live!
From the Gladstone hotel, (which the New York Times says offers "immediate immersion into Toronto's arts scene), the band Tasa performs an original repertoire inspired by the traditional music of India, as well as songs that have taken on the more contemporary influences of the diaspora. And they're very good at it.
And then in concert from the Distillery District, (called by Toronto Life "the hippest address in town," but more importantly, even with their focus on the tourist trade they put on some very good music events) it’s jazz legend Carla Bley with the Art of Jazz Orchestra, and special guests Steve Swallow and Howard Jones.
Posted by on October 16, 2007 at 03:45 PM
Zap Mama was originally the name of a (mostly) a cappella vocal ensemble, but when the group broke up lead singer Marie Daulne kept the name for herself. Understandably -- which name are people going to remember?
Anyway, Daulne has a new CD, called Supermoon, which is a combination of hip-hop, funk, jazz and r&b;, that you can hear on Tonic this Tuesday evening.
I think Daulne, who in the early days of Zap Mama focussed on a bi-cultural music rooted in her Congo/Belgium heritage, may have even coined the term "afro-european," which became Afropean. So maybe now, given her current musical leanings, she's doing Urban Afropean. (UrbAfroPean?)
Posted by on October 16, 2007 at 01:10 PM
If you are a classical music blog reader, or a Sunday Afternoon In Concert listener, or a fan of the New Yorker, this will likely not come as news. But otherwise, you may be very interested to hear that one of the most awaited books about music of the past year is out today, Alex Ross' The Rest Is Noise. (Blurbed by musicians as diverse as Bjork and Emmanuel Ax, no less.)
The book has already been mentioned in numerous contexts, both online and otherwise, but I'll wager no reference has been done in quite the saucy style of Opera Chic, announcing the book's publication.
But I also wanted to steer you to Ross' latest column in the New Yorker, which is all about classical music online -- it's called The Well-Tempered Web. In it he claims: "Classical-music culture on the Internet is expanding at a sometimes alarming pace."
(Yes, this is a bit of all-hail-Ross post, but it is his 15 minutes, after all. Besides, given the nature of his work, I'm betting it'll be a 15 minutes that'll come round again.)
Posted by on October 16, 2007 at 10:30 AM
I guess we have to stop thinking of Michael Kaeshammer as primarily a boogie-woogie player -- these days he sings, he writes, he's seen as something of a heartthrob. (Likely because of the singing, that seems to do it.) Comparisons to Jamie Cullum abound.
Anyway, less trivially, the range of music he's doing goes far beyond b-w of late. (Although he does do a boogie version of Bob Marley & The Wailers' Stop That Train on his new recording, Days Like These.) And today you can hear him chatting with Eric about his new musical direction, as well as playing some tracks from that CD...on Studio Sparks.
Posted by on October 16, 2007 at 07:10 AM
Sounds like a question that will end in someone offering a cure. (Possibly available only by calling the 1-800 # on your screen.) But just as there ain't no cure for love, I don't think there's an antidote for an obsession with music. At least, hopefully not.
Driven By Music is also the name of a radio series hosted by Andre Alexis. It's currently running in one of CBC R2's new shows, Inside The Music. And here's a heads up for the Sunday Oct. 21st episode -- it's about how composers tell stories in music, and set words to music. It includes comments from Gilles Tremblay, Christos Hatzis, Marjan Mozetich, Hildegard Westerkamp and Andrew P. Macdonald.
October 15, 2007
Posted by on October 15, 2007 at 08:16 PM
The Signal is doing a feature on Beatles covers tonight, with music from the new album Across The Universe Of Languages by B For Bang. Let's put it this way, it's not the (largely) wistful sweet takes of Beatles songs a la the terrific movie, Across The Universe. But quite beautiful in its own way.
Katia Labeque is one of the musicians in B For Bang, and here's part of an explanation of the project from her website.
"If re-interpreting the songs of The Beatles is no easy task, just as challenging is to transform them into images to create an architecture of sound and vision where performance and narration mix. Across the Universe is therefore much more than a concert with images....the spirit animating aesthetic research and reflection on the encounter of new and traditional languages, however, must not become a dialogue between few, but must be shared by bigger audiences, which are increasingly becoming more receptive to cultural experimentation and innovation. This was the consideration behind the choice of reinterpreting the songs by the Liverpool band."
Posted by on October 15, 2007 at 04:30 PM
Is autumn "the season of nostalgia and reflection?" That's what the folks at Tonic think, and tonight they play some torch songs (from singers Roberta Gambarini, George Evans and Nancy King) that reflect that sentiment.
Funny, usually I find autumn quite lovely and nostalgia-free, in fact it's spring that can really hang me up the most. But thinking about this got me wondering, which season comes with the most reflective songs? A tersely worded search: "songs nostalgia" reveals no answers, instead unearthing lists like "ultimate nostalgia songs," including ditties of the Second Hand Rose and Toot, Toot, Tootsie ilk.
Though I suppose you could make a case for the latter, as it implies a future where there may well be a certain type of nostalgia, depending on how things in the song turn out. (I'll never fail, if you don't get a letter then you'll know I'm in jail. Toot, Toot, Tootsie don't cry, Toot, Toot, Tootsie goodbye!)
Still, not exactly what I had in mind. Then, swiftly changing my approach to "autumn songs" I came across this list from Guardian Readers. And, gentle blogreader, after looking at it I must say I am starting to wonder if I am in the minority, if really it is autumn that can hang you up the most.
As the introduction to the list says: "If you see autumn as one long, encroaching dusk, then it's no surprise that this week's recommendations tend towards the wistful. More introspective genres come to the fore, which is good news for sorrowful souls with acoustic guitars."
Posted by on October 15, 2007 at 02:30 PM
There was an interesting article by Anthony Tommasini in Sunday's NYTimes, on how the 12-tone row system of composition has become essentially just another tool in the contemporary composer's kit.
Not to be a spoiler, but to be a spoiler, I think one of the main observations Tommasini makes (while still acknowledging the 12-tone system as "arguably the most audacious and influential development in 20th-century music") is something that could be applied to much of the music being composed in any genre today (were one to substitute some specifics).
Continue reading "12-Tones Made Simple" »
Posted by on October 15, 2007 at 01:48 PM
Gregory Charles new show, In The Key Of Charles is getting a strong response from listeners, and while I haven't specifics yet about what will be on next Sunday's broadcast, (Oct. 21) the theme is fall. Fall as in autumn. Perhaps as in those autumn leaves, you know the ones, they drift by your window, the autumn leaves of red and gold. Ah, les feuilles mortes, les feullies morte, les...(Sorry, for some reason suddenly started channeling Maurice Chevalier.)
And more on autumn later today, as Tonic salutes the season with some torch. (And no, not as in those bonfires.)
Posted by on October 15, 2007 at 11:45 AM
Today on Studio Sparks east meets west, as country meets jazz, and Rachmaninov meets Paganini. Pianist Lang Lang shares the airwaves with Anouhska Shankar, Willie Nelson and Norah Jones. (Not literally, I don't think, unless there is some Lang Lang/Shankar/Nelson/Jones summit I'm unaware of.)
Anoushka Shankar and Norah Jones, on the other hand, do perform together on Anoushka's most recent recording, Breathing Under Water, and I heard Anoushka saying in an interview that her (half-sister) Nora Jones is passionate about Willie Nelson's music, (plus she's covered some Nelson tunes) so who knows...these days, anything is (musically) possible.
Posted by on October 15, 2007 at 10:49 AM
The big news over the weekend was Bruce Springsteen performing an Arcade Fire song, with members of the band. This was ecstatically reported by Stereogum, Pitchfork (videos on that link!) and Brooklyn Vegan, among others.
As Stereogum put it: "Remember when you first heard Keep The Car Running and thought, 'That's the best Bruce Springsteen song not written by Bruce Springsteen?' Apparently so did the Boss!"
Posted by on October 15, 2007 at 10:15 AM
Roberto Lopez is a Montreal musician who is originally from Bogota. He describes his music as "the new sound of Latin music," and it certainly is one of the newer directions Latin musicians are taking -- a kind of pan-Latin approach. In his case he has something of a big band, featuring over a dozen musicians and singers from Colombia, Cuba, Brazil, Uruguay, Panama, and Quebec. Latin rhythms are mixed with hip-hop, jazz and electronica.
Continue reading "A New Sound In Latin Music" »
Posted by on October 15, 2007 at 06:00 AM
If you're a Tom Allen/Music & Co. faithful you will already know about some of these developments, but perhaps not all. So, drum roll, here's the Music & Company news du jour! Or news du season, since like the school year, the radio year begins in the autumn.
Rogues and Scoundrels: Tom introduces us to some composers you wouldn't want to take home for Sunday dinner...hmm, I wonder who? And why? Will have to tune in Thursdays in the third hour of the programme to find out.
Musical Spies: The worlds of James Bond and music collide as Tom unmasks musicians engaged in espionage...also on Thursdays in hour three. (Tom, will this ever involve Daniel Craig? Please?)
The Music & Company Swag Exchange: Trade your stuff for our stuff on our Swag Exchange...details on the Music & Co. website.
Inter-City rivalry Cage Matches: Why is your city so much better than that other one? It's Toronto vs Montreal, Edmonton vs Calgary, and many more as the gloves come off in the cage...(Tuesdays Hour 2 & Wednesdays Hour 1) Hey, we already know that Montreal won, hands down. Though I still say the kid who said Toronto should win because we have the Blue Jays deserves some kind of medal. Particularly as it was the end of the season.
There is actually more than this -- but I don't want to entirely steal their on-air thunder about things that are upcoming, in progress and so on. So, as they say, STAY TUNED.
October 14, 2007
Posted by on October 14, 2007 at 09:00 PM
The Signal bangs the drum slowly this Sunday night, (as long as they don't also play the fife lowly, I think we're OK) with music composed for mallets, voice and organ by Steve Reich.
Pat also features work by Canadian composers Kelly-Marie Murphy and Allan Gilliland. And from that non-Canadian, but Canadian favourite, England's Gavin Bryars, with Nine Irish Madrigals.
Posted by on October 14, 2007 at 06:00 PM
Back in 1972 The Edmonton Symphony Orchestra did something that would forever change the way the orchestra saw themselves, and musical possibilities -- they played and recorded with Procol Harum. The results were stunning. (And if you're curious, you can read about it from the band's perspective on Procol Harum's website. But here's a quick excerpt:
"Remember, this was a full symphony orchestra that had never played with a rock band before. One of the violin players was wearing a crash helmet in order to cut down the volume...Then came the concert, and when the classical musicians saw the reception they were getting from the fans they were delighted."
Since that time the orchestra has continued to team up with artists from other, very different genres. And Sunday night you can hear one of those collaborations on Canada Live, when the ESO performs with multi-award-winning Canadian country star Aaron Pritchett and his band. Aaron, as quoted in Country Music Canada says, "we had a ball working with the ESO.”
Posted by on October 14, 2007 at 03:30 PM
This week, Skylarking is presenting a philosophy slam. I'm guessing that's like a poetry slam, but not delivered in one of those poetry-reading voices.
In fact, Andre Alexis promises that this philosophy slam will have "hootin', hollerin' and speculation about Wittgenstein's philosophical mistakes."
Is it possible to actually make a philosophical mistake though? Given we're not talkin' science here. Perhaps that's a question that will be raised. Or at least hooted at, hollered at, or speculated upon.
Posted by on October 14, 2007 at 12:05 PM
In case you missed this earlier, which well you may have, given the rapid scrolling of the blog, not to mention time passing...here is a handy reprise. This week, Sunday Afternoon In Concert, (which airs from 1pm to 5pm), finds host Bill Richardson exploring some music from Western Canada. For choral music fans -- a major highlight is a live broadcast of the finalists in the prestigious European Choral competition, Let The Peoples Sing.
In radio-ese, there are two kinds of "lives," live-to-tape ("tape" being one of those quaint terms from bygone, horse-and-buggy days), and live-to-air, happening in real time. Sunday Aft's broadcast of the choral competition is in the latter category -- you'll hear two Western Canadian choirs who are finalists -- as they actually perform in the competition.
Also from Winnipeg, the gala 60th anniversary concert by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the first orch. to play symphonic music live for a young Bill Richardson. (Don't know the details of that encounter, but I'm betting/hoping he might tell us today on the radio.)
And a final highlight to point out -- you can also hear the man sometimes known as The Pride of Brandon, a.k.a. violinist James Ehnes, conducting the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra in two Mozart Violin Concertos.
Posted by on October 14, 2007 at 10:40 AM
What would make a good story for a new opera? Possibly the experience of a contemporary composer trying to get an original opera performed -- the chances of it are slight. And yet composers will continue to write operas, and hope to have them produced. No surprise -- opera being one of music's most powerful dramatic forms.
As to that question, you will hear a few (likely less facetious) answers today, on Inside The Music, as the show continues to look at composers and inspiration, with the second part of the series, Driven By Music.
The series host Andre Alexis talks with Canadian composers John Estacio and James Rolfe about this very thing today. As well, you'll hear thoughts on the subject from Abigail Richardson, Chan Ka Nin, Alexina Louie, and the late Harry Somers.
Accompanied, of course, by illustrative excerpts from some of their operas - including The Iron Road, Orpheus and Euridice, Mother Everest, Filumena, Burnt Toast, and Louis Riel.
Posted by on October 14, 2007 at 08:30 AM
Despite it being only his second show, Gregory Charles devotes it to the business of saying “goodbye” this week on In the Key of Charles. So, for example, you’ll hear the King’s Singers doing Billy Joel’s And So It Goes, John Denver’s Leaving on a Jet Plane and a character from Bizet’s Carmen who simply will not take "goodbye” as an answer. (Reckon we've all been there at some point, shudder. So much better to hear it than live it!)
In case you missed Mr. Charle's debut last week on CBC Radio 2, here are some of the responses to that first outing...obviously he hit a chord. Well he would, wouldn't he. He does the show at his piano, after all. (Sorry, couldn't resist.)
Posted by on October 14, 2007 at 07:00 AM
Choral Music News Flash: Choral Concert broadcasts highlights from the top choral competition Let The Peoples Sing this morning -- and on Sunday Afternoon In Concert (1-5pm today) you can hear the finals -- including two Canadian choirs live in competition.
Posted by on October 14, 2007 at 12:00 AM
'Tis the second week of broadcasts for the three new shows on CBC Radio 2. Last week's debuts went handily, from what I heard in between token efforts to help with a Thanksgiving dinner at another family member's home. Excellent sweet-potato pie, and the music was good too.
This week, Sunday Afternoon In Concert, (which airs from 1pm to 5pm), finds host Bill Richardson exploring some music from Western Canada. For choral music fans -- a major highlight is a live broadcast of the finalists in the prestigious European Choral competition, Let The Peoples Sing.
In radio-ese, there are two kinds of "lives," live-to-tape ("tape" being one of those quaint terms from bygone, horse-and-buggy days), and live-to-air, happening in real time. Sunday Aft's broadcast of the choral competition is in the latter category -- you'll hear two Western Canadian choirs who are finalists -- as they actually perform in the competition.
Also from Winnipeg, the gala 60th anniversary concert by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the first orch. to play symphonic music live for a young Bill Richardson. (Don't know the details of that encounter, but I'm betting/hoping he might tell us today on the radio.)
And a final highlight to point out -- you can also hear the man sometimes known as The Pride of Brandon, a.k.a. violinist James Ehnes, conducting the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra in two Mozart Violin Concertos.
October 13, 2007
Posted by on October 13, 2007 at 09:00 PM
On the weekends, as you may or may not know, The Signal comes from Winnipeg, the town in which I misspent my teenage years. These days the city seems like it would be a more fun place to misspend your youth, or even spend wisely -- so much more music going on, so many bands. You can hear one of those musicians tonight on the show, Christine Fellows, with some brand new tunes.
She's the gal with what I think of as the chiclet piano (click on that last link, you'll see what I mean). On Christine's MySpace site she describes her music as minimalist/showtunes, which actually is a pretty good, if tongue-in-cheek description.
What I've heard of her music so far is charming. I quite like it. So do the folks chatting about her music over on The Ectophiles Guide -- not music critics, just fans of good music.
Posted by on October 13, 2007 at 07:05 PM
It's a jazz thing...tonight on Canada Live. A really great double bill.
First, tenor player David 'Fathead' Newman. He made his mark with Ray Charles, he’s played with Herbie Mann, Aretha Franklin, B.B. King, Jimmy McGriff, Eric Clapton, and Queen Latifah, and Saturday night you can hear him in concert with the Tilden Webb Trio, a Vancouver-based group led by the pianist of the same name. (And here's a review on All About Jazz of an album they recorded together a couple years ago -- just as a kind of literary preview...)
Later in the show, the imaginative and eclectic clarinetist, saxophonist, composer and arranger Don Byron, paying homage to R&B;/jazz sax player and vocalist, Junior Walker. Why? This is what Byron said on one occasion:
“Junior Walker was an important part of ‘soul music’ as a movement. Along with guys like King Curtis and Eddie Harris, he was successful at creating an instrumental improvisational style out of the gospel/blues techniques that were transforming popular singing. I managed to see him play once at a bar in Boston and thought I had never heard a better sound on an instrument.”
There you are.
Posted by on October 13, 2007 at 04:00 PM
Nothing like a good horn section to make a band really soar -- and tonight Tonic celebrates mighty brass in a few ways -- with Lyle Lovett and his Large Band, The Boss Brass and Tower of Power.
In a related note, I was amused to read this review on Spinner of a recent concert by Zac Condon's band, Beirut -- it talks about how concert-going hipster practice (which you will know well if you go out to certain kinds of shows) means people rarely, if ever dance. But Condon, with his kicking brass section, got 'em up and dancing at the end of the evening, despite themselves. (This was also true of the Beirut concert I attended a couple of weeks ago, you could feel people itching to dance, but not dancing, til the very end when they just gave in.)
And, (note nifty segue), tonight Tonic will also reveal the musical results of an attempt by Ryerson University students to break the record for the largest dance class ever. Which artist made the kids twist and shout? (Well, shuffle from foot to foot, anyway.) Tim will tell all.
Posted by on October 13, 2007 at 02:00 PM
There are certain pieces of music that seem to endlessly attract people, for reasons that are sometimes impenetrable, other times obvious. Fer instance, Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight Of The Bumblebee. In the final analysis, I think it's all about speed.
In a procrastinatory moment one day I found myself taking in a few approaches to the Bumblebee. Actually, many approaches, but so as not to enable you to similarly avoid doing whatever it is you are meant to be doing this Saturday afternoon, I'll just share a few.
For those who appreciate virtuosity showing up in (perhaps) unexepected places...this button accordion version will impress.
For those who like weird (and to my mind slightly creepy) things, here's a robot playing Bumble on the flute.
And to clear your mind after that, Zubin Mehta conducts the work, in a nice old fashioned moment.
Can't resist one more though -- the concert hall janitor's reaction to the piece being played for the umpteenth time. (a.k.a. "Little Horse, America's only 2-piano rock band." )
Posted by on October 13, 2007 at 12:45 PM
In case you missed this post much earlier in the day...here is the scoop on today's opera, Benvenuto Cellini.
The failure of this opera, way back in 1838 in Paris, must have been disheartening to Berlioz -- I don't believe it was ever produced in there again. Why did it fail? Too radical for opera fans of the day. Accounts say he was "hissed off the stage." Hissed! How crushing.
And at a later, London performance one critic said "it was not only that the music vexed and bewildered the audience, was found to be obscure and uncouth beyond measure....but that the subject proved to be hopelessly undramatic..." That's as may be, but funnily enough the opera is still performed, lo these centuries later.
Today's production of the opera is from the Salzburg Festival, Valery Gergiev conducting a cast that includes Neil Shicoff, Vesselina Kasarova, Mikhail Petrenko and Laurent Naouri.
And you can hear it on Satuday, logically enough on SATO. The SATO team is also happy to provide a PDF file of the programme of this production of Benvenuto Cellini with photos, articles, biographies etc.
Posted by on October 13, 2007 at 11:45 AM
Rick Phillips spotlights piano music this week on Sound Advice, including light works for the salon, Liszt, Mendelssohn and much more.
And last call for Gould! Well, not really, but just in terms of Rick's series on In The Library -- today he wraps up Great Gould Recordings, with a look at Gould’s recordings of music by Brahms.
Posted by on October 13, 2007 at 08:25 AM
This week, Sunday Afternoon In Concert, (which airs from 1pm to 5pm), finds host Bill Richardson exploring some music from Western Canada. For choral music fans -- a major highlight is a live broadcast of the finalists in the prestigious European Choral competition, Let The Peoples Sing.
Also from Winnipeg, the gala 60th anniversary concert by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, the first orch. to play symphonic music live for a young Bill Richardson. (Don't know the details of that encounter, but I'm betting/hoping he might tell us today on the radio.)
And a final highlight to point out -- you can also hear the man sometimes known as The Pride of Brandon, a.k.a. violinist James Ehnes, conducting the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra in two Mozart Violin Concertos.
Posted by on October 13, 2007 at 08:13 AM
Despite it being only his second show, Gregory Charles devotes it to the business of saying “goodbye” this Sunday on In the Key of Charles. So, for example, you’ll hear the King’s Singers doing Billy Joel’s And So It Goes, John Denver’s Leaving on a Jet Plane and a character from Bizet’s Carmen who simply will not take "goodbye” as an answer. And you'll hear the inimitable Mr. Charles, who does the show from the piano, in his own living room!
Posted by on October 13, 2007 at 08:10 AM
What would make a good story for a new opera? Possibly the experience of a contemporary composer trying to get an original opera performed -- the chances of it are slight. And yet composers will continue to write operas, and hope to have them produced. No surprise -- opera being one of music's most powerful dramatic forms.
As to that question, you will hear a few (likely less facetious) answers Sunday, on Inside The Music, as the show continues to look at composers and inspiration, with the second part of the series, Driven By Music.
The series host Andre Alexis talks with Canadian composers John Estacio and James Rolfe about this very thing today. As well, you'll hear thoughts on the subject from Abigail Richardson, Chan Ka Nin, Alexina Louie, and the late Harry Somers.
Posted by on October 13, 2007 at 12:00 AM
The failure of Benvenuto Cellini in Paris, way back in 1838, must have been disheartening to Berlioz -- I don't believe it was ever produced in Paris again. Why did it fail? Too radical for opera fans of the day. Accounts say he was "hissed off the stage." Hissed, how crushing.
And at a later, London performance one critic said "it was not only that the music vexed and bewildered the audience, was found to be obscure and uncouth beyond measure....but that the subject proved to be hopelessly undramatic..." That's as may be, but funnily enough the opera is still performed, lo these centuries later.
Today's production of the opera is from the Salzburg Festival, Valery Gergiev conducting a cast that includes Neil Shicoff, Vesselina Kasarova, Mikhail Petrenko and Laurent Naouri.
And you can hear it on Satuday, logically enough on SATO. The SATO team is also happy to provide a PDF file of the programme of this production of Benvenuto Cellini with photos, articles, biographies etc.
October 12, 2007
Posted by on October 12, 2007 at 08:30 PM
Why are there so often all-women Cuban bands? This is something I wonder about. If you have the inside story, do tell. Anyway, you can hear one of those all-female Cuban ensembles, Camerata Romeu, tonight on The Signal.
Hey! I just clicked on that The Signal link to see that there is a new picture of weekend host Pat Carrabré. Nice hair Pat! (I remember when I heard he had cut it, and was somewhat dismayed, as I am a fan of upwardly mobile hair. But this seems like just a variation on a hair theme, rather than a radical departure.)
Also on the show tonight -- Pat of the good haircuts will talk about the life work of Kid Koala, one of the world's best known D.J.'s, from Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Posted by on October 12, 2007 at 07:15 PM
Just a reminder that CBC Radio's A Propos host Jim Corcoran hosted a stellar Songwriters Session held in Ottawa, that's being broadcast tonight on Canada Live.
Musicians included Michel Rivard, (of Beau Dommage fame) Monica Freire, (a singer of Brazilian music, based in Montreal), singer-songwriter Mario Peluso and Urbain Desbois (a.k.a. Luc Bonin).
Posted by on October 12, 2007 at 03:30 PM
What's in a name? A lot, sometimes. Particularly in music, when a name can make you pick up a CD, read a magazine article, look at a website. When I saw that Tonic would be playing an Israeli group called Moshav Band playing a tune called Bereshit, I admit I was intrigued by name of group and song. Never did find a thing out about the tune, but remedied some considerable ignorance on the Moshav front.
A moshav is something like a kibbutz, I gather, but somewhat less communal. (Feel free to correct me if I haven't got this quite right.) Anyway, Moshav, the band, comes from Moshav Meor Modi'im, reputedly a musical village (located between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv). That's where the member of this band grew up, listened to music together, and eventually starting to play music themselves.
From what I've listened to on Moshav's MySpace site, on some tracks they sound pretty much an indie-rock band that could come from anywhere in the world, but with occasional allusions and connections to the Israel, both musically and in terms of the lyrics. Apparently they also sing in Hebrew though -- which obviously would be a different kettle of fish altogether. (Or, harking to my own roots, a different kettle of pickled herring.)
Posted by on October 12, 2007 at 01:45 PM
Well, here's a little something to startle your loved ones with -- send them a message from Bob Dylan. Trust me on this one, you'll just have to take a look. (If, that is, you number among your loved ones Bob Dylan fans!)
Posted by on October 12, 2007 at 11:10 AM
Probably like anyone who has ever sung in a Canadian choir I've got Healey Willan's Hodie Christus natus est lodged somewhere in my musical brain, possibly and weirdly right next to all the words to Winter Wonderland. But of course the composer is known for far more than that (Hodie, I mean), as Eric will explore in the second hour today of Studio Sparks, in honour of Willan's 127th birthday.
Note -- in the first hour of the show Eric will chat with William Eddins, Music Director of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra.
Posted by on October 12, 2007 at 08:30 AM
OK, now this is just plain weird. Torontoist, a blog devoted to all things hogtown, has spotted and photographed some Mahler graffiti.
The mind boggles. Does someone out there feel Mahler is under-appreciated? Or is there actually a rather un-artistically inclined, current-day Gustav Mahler running around with a can of spray paint? We just don't know.
Posted by on October 12, 2007 at 12:00 AM
Last spring the National Arts Centre presented an arts fest called Quebec Scene , and as part of that extravaganza CBC Radio 1's A Propos and host Jim Corcoran moved to Ottawa for a Songwriters Session. The concert was much-praised, and you can hear it on Friday night on Canada Live, that's at 8pm, 8:30 in Newfoundland.
It included Michel Rivard, (of Beau Dommage fame) Monica Freire, (a singer of Brazilian music, based in Montreal), singer-songwriter Mario Peluso and Urbain Desbois (a.k.a. Luc Bonin). I don't know Urbain Desbois, (although it turns out Luc has worked with long-running theatrical/cabaret/rock band, Rhythm Activism.) But I quite enjoyed this description (obviously in translation) of his current project:
"The galvanic motormouth quickly won audiences over with his bewildering charm, and soon ascended to the status of featured act."
October 11, 2007
Posted by on October 11, 2007 at 08:00 PM
I realized this morning that although I was bloggin' up a storm on all things CBC R2/Gould in recent weeks, I did neglect mentioning that the Minsoo Sohn concert, where the Honen's winning pianist performed the Goldberg Variations, is actually also available as a Concert On Demand. So there you go, consider it mentioned!
Posted by on October 11, 2007 at 07:00 PM
It sounds like it would make a good short story: Little Miss Higgins and Foy Taylor sing the blues, in Yellowknife. But Little Miss Higgins, of Nokomis Saskatchewan, is real alright, albeit something of a throwback. She likes to write in the style of turn-of-the century blues (that's the previous turn of the century) as well as sing classics of that era like Memphis Minnie’s You Ain’t Done Nothing To Me. And Foy is her sidekick, a mean guitarist in his own right.
You can hear them on Canada Live tonight, yes, from Yellowknife, a town said to have a music scene that is witnessing a resurgence. If you know about that, do comment, because although I've heard rumours, have not yet gathered proof...
Posted by on October 11, 2007 at 03:00 PM
A while ago I blogged about the experience of having Betty Carter once smile at me. A moment that has stayed with me to this day.
But I don't think I mentioned the time someone I knew took a picture of Betty Carter taking her garbage out. He was a very young and talented jazz piano player, he was wandering around in whatever neighborhood Betty lived in, not stalking or anything, just happened to be there and suddenly he saw her, taking her garbage out. He had a camera. He got excited and took her picture. She was not thrilled.
I imagine that incident has stayed in his mind too, the moment when Betty gave him the gears for being invasive and foolish and for catching her when she was probably not at her best.
All this said, I am quite sure neither of us thinks for more than a second or two about either incident when we hear the late great Miss Betty Carter sing. Which you can do for yourself tonight, as Tonic plays something from what they describe as her "soul" side. (Frankly, she could have sung the phonebook and it would have had soul, but I know what they mean.)
Posted by on October 11, 2007 at 01:30 PM
Perhaps not really a revolution -- the decision of Radiohead to allow fans to download their new recording, In Rainbows, at whatever price the fan chooses to pay -- but certainly revolutionary in terms of marketing. Even Prince's decision to give away his last recording with the Daily Mail didn't get as much attention.
But more to the musical point -- the critics are weighing in very positively about the new CD, Rainbow -- here's a roundup from The Guardian.
I didn't download the recording, couldn't get on the In Rainbows site when I last tried. But I have heard a few tracks on the radio and they sounded great. Not with OK Computer magnificent dark grandeur, maybe, but really great.
Posted by on October 11, 2007 at 11:00 AM
It’s fifty years since the death of the great Finnish composer Sibelius, and Studio Sparks marks the occasion today with Sakari Oramo conducting the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra in his Symphony No. 2.
btw, apparently Sibelius rarely gave interviews, but on the website Virtual Finland you can hear an excerpt from the one interview that still exists in the archives of the Finnish Broadcasting Co. Only thing is, it's in Finnish. But the site is also a good source of Sibelius lore -- in English!
Posted by on October 11, 2007 at 12:00 AM
Thursday night: contemporary music and beer, together at last.
OK, I didn't actually write the above line, someone at The Signal World HQ did, but it amused me so I thought I'd crib.
Although I'd wager those new music types certainly know how to hoist a pint or two. But it's true that it is not common to find the music playing at the same time.
Not so on Thursday night, when the aforementioned Signal (comma The) presents highlights from the New Music In New Places series, presented by the Ottawa Chamber Society as they bring new compositions to the bar. Specifically Maxwell's Bistro in Ottawa.
What a great idea, we should lobby more pubs o'er the land to give it a go. My local tends towards cabaret, blues, folk and Julie London tribute nights, but maybe they could be persuaded...
October 10, 2007
Posted by on October 10, 2007 at 08:30 PM
It probably tells you something about sax player Quinsin Nachoff that his website opens with a close up of a beautifully tarnished saxophone, next to it what looks like watercolour painting on rice paper. At the very least a keen sense of aesthetics, and of colours, both visual and aural.
Nachoff is known for blurring the lines between classical, jazz, and contemporary music, as he does tonight in a concert featuring both his regular quintet as well as a string quartet, recorded at the Royal Conservatory of Music and broadcast on The Signal.
Posted by on October 10, 2007 at 07:00 PM
In case you missed this earlier post, Bursting With Creative, Un-Jaded Energy, this is your reminder that one of the country's up n comin' true singer-songwriter talents is featured in concert tonight on Canada Live.
Also on the show -- the National Youth Orchestra with a performance from the National Arts Centre.
Posted by on October 10, 2007 at 03:00 PM
Guitarist Pat Metheney wrote a beautiful song called Always And Forever just for his parents, and Tonic plays that song tonight.
Which made me think about the whole notion of writing songs as tributes to other people. There's the obvious, naming your song after the subject, like Diana (as in "please stay" with him, Diana) or Windy (as in "everyone knows it's") or even Roxanne, with her red light. (Wonder if that song was one of the reasons Sting got slapped with the dubious honour of topping the worst lyrics list in a recent survey conducted by Blender mag?)
But I'm thinking more about what you could call the impressionistic sense of writing music about or for someone. How do you decide what best conveys that person, musically? Or is it really more about the composer's feelings?
Which isn't to say that tributes with lyrics can't be moving too of course. I remember being at a Peter Gabriel show where he played a song he'd written for his father, actually it wasn't a concert, it was part of a celebration of genius or some such that was held a few years back. Anyway, Gabriel played this song solo at the piano, for just the few hundred people assembled. At the conclusion of the song ("with my dad by my side, got my dad by my side") there weren't too many dry eyes left in that house, let me tell you.
Posted by on October 10, 2007 at 01:00 PM
Today Thelonius Monk would have been 90 years old.
Going out on a mighty big limb here, I'd venture to say that what G.G. (you know, that guy I kept mentioning during a ten day celebration recently on CBC R2) was to classical music, Monk was to jazz. Totally innovative, extreme personality, misunderstood and understood, loved and hated, and above all, someone who played music like no one else.
When Monk died, in 1982 at the age of 64, Whitney Balliet, writing in the New Yorker said that he was "an utterly original man." Which pretty much sums it up.
Howard Mandel over at Jazz Beyond Jazz wrote a thoughtful tribute to Mr. Monk yesterday that you may want to check out.
Posted by on October 10, 2007 at 10:50 AM
The voluble and entertaining Measha Brueggergosman joins Eric Friesen today on Studio Sparks, to chat about the cabaret repertoire she's chosen for her first CD for Deutche Gramaphone. Nice going, Measha! D.G. is nothing to sneeze at. (Then again, neither is she.)
Posted by on October 10, 2007 at 08:04 AM
On Here's To You this morning, the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra performs Johannn Strauss' famous Radetzky March. Which is also the name of another famous work, by Joseph Roth. But that came later. Although inevitably, the Strauss piece figures in writing about the book -- and not just allusions to the music, but in this case even speculation on the music being played in in an accompanying photo!
Posted by on October 10, 2007 at 12:00 AM
It's probably a good thing that most of the up and coming singer-songwriter's tend towards the young and hopeful, as opposed to the old and jaded. Given the odds of breaking through the masses of singer-songwriters out there, I mean. For every Jenn Grant there are who knows how many girls and guitars in garrets, writing songs, recording songs, trying not to obsess about Feist.
But even for the unjaded, it must be a thrill to meet with the kind of positive response that Meredith Luce has.
Case in point: The Ottawa Sun had this to say about her recording, October, which came out this past summer. "It's a remarkable document of an artist bursting with creative energy...October points to a distinctive style in the making, due in equal parts to Luce's accomplished songwriting, expressive voice and proficiency on a variety of acoustic stringed instruments."
OK, so they liked her. I do too, what I've heard so far.
You can hear/decide for yourself, with a preview at Meredith's MySpace site. And for a full concert broadcast, tune into Canada Live on Wednesday night.
October 09, 2007
Posted by on October 9, 2007 at 08:15 PM
"Minimalist extravaganza" seems some kind of contradiction, but makes sense in the context of it being the theme on The Signal of late, continuing today with another of Steve Reich's famous works, in this instance Electric Counterpoint. It's performed by Montreal musician Paul Audy, in a concert from The Spectrum in Montreal. (I'm sorry not to find out more about Monsieur Audy -- please do contribute if you have more info...)
The piece requires the soloist to pre-record something like ten guitar parts (and a couple bass parts too), then play the final part live. If you want a wee preview, you can hear an excerpt from one performance of the work on Reich's MySpace page.
Posted by on October 9, 2007 at 07:00 PM
As I mentioned earlier today, guitarist Alpha Yaya Diallo (originally from Guinea, but based in Vancouver for many years) is featured on Canada Live this evening, with bassist David Marion and cellist Peggy Lee, in a new project, called the Alpha Yaya Diallo Trio. (I didn't find any info about the new group online, but in searching I did come across this video of Diallo featuring some amazing dancing, from last year's Ottawa Bluesfest.)
But there is also another concert on the show tonight, of classical Indian music, from both north and south India. It features two groups, first a Vancouver trio with vocalist Neetu Matharu, harmonium player Mohan Bhide and tabla player Sunny Matharu. The second part of the concert (all this presented by the Vancouver organization SaPaSa) brings veena performer Geetha Ramanathan Bennett together with Ramamurthy Dharmala on the mridangam, as well as local grade 12 student Sayenden Supramaniam on kanjira.
Posted by on October 9, 2007 at 04:00 PM
Tonic starts off tonight's show with a duet from pianist Hank Jones and Diana Krall, performing Dream A Little Dream Of Me.
Krall is of course an excellent pianist herself -- but it must have been a thrill for her to play with Jones -- she's always quick to acknowledge her heroes.
That modesty, and tendency to a kind of awkwardness at times with the media, has sometimes led people to believe she's humourless. She's not. Here's a quote from a feature that ran yesterday in the Dallas News about Krall:
"So, why has a shy 42-year-old from a seaport city in British Columbia been able to revel in worldwide recognition? 'Because of my legs,' she says without hesitating. 'I've got good legs.'"
Posted by on October 9, 2007 at 01:45 PM
Bob Dylan may have become somewhat more accessible/media friendly in recent years, but twas not always thus. Perhaps this prompted New York magazine to revisit the past, by posting this video list they describe as The Ten Most Incomprehensible Bob Dylan Interviews Of All Time. (As well as being prompted by the release of the Dylan biopic, I'm Not There.)
Actually they're not ALL incomprehensible -- in some cases it's just Dylan taking people where he would like to take them, starting with a legendary interview with a reporter from Time magazine in 1965. Best line: "There's no ideas at Time magazine."
But without question, some are Dylan at his most, shall we say, "difficult." If you do decide to have a look, to paraphrase Bette Davis: "Fasten your seat-belts, it's going to be a bumpy ride."
Posted by on October 9, 2007 at 10:38 AM
Sparks Plug Changed!
Last minute change, contrary to what was posted earlier... (Though I'm leaving part of that post since I'm sure you WILL want to know what Midori read when she was a little girl.)
As conductor Leonard Slatkin has been named music director of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Studio Sparks has decided to salute their many Detroit and Windsor listeners by substituting a Slatkin performance of the Bruch Violin Concerto. (The soloist in this performance is violinist Cho-Liang Lin.)
I'm sure Eric will get to the new recording of the Bruch Violin Concerto featuring Midori, with Mariss Jansens conducting the Berlin Philharmonic some other time.
But here's that Midori trivia bulletin...to be filed under "Midori Reads": She loves both fiction and non-fiction, has read biographies of Albert Schweitzer and Marie Antoinette, and early reading experiences included White Fang, Pinocchio and Heidi.
Posted by on October 9, 2007 at 09:00 AM
Live from Vancouver, Alpha Yaya Diallo is a guitarist you're quite possibly familiar with, either as part of the African Guitar Summit, or ffrom his own solo work. He's originally from Guinea, but has been based in Vancouver for many years. And in case you're not familiar with his music, here's some critical response to his playing, from south of the border -- Rhythm magazine said "Diallo ranks easily as among the most exciting and appealing African artists to ever hit the United States."
Canada Live's Tuesday night broadcast features Diallo in a new configuration (also known as a band), with bassist David Marion and cellist Peggy Lee. (Cello, how interesting.) Logically enough, he's calling it the Alpha Yaya Diallo Trio. I don't actually see any info about this new group online, but in searching I did come across this video of Diallo featuring some amazing dancing, from last year's Ottawa Bluesfest...
Posted by on October 9, 2007 at 07:57 AM
It so feels like a Monday today, and where I am it's also dark and rainy and perfect stay-in-bed weather. Or at least, stay-at-desk weather.
If you are intending the same, here are a few morning highlights from Here's To You that will accompany your slow slide into the working week...German Baroque composer Johann David Heinichen’s Concerto In A For Oboe d'Amore. And Violet Archer’s Fantasy on Blanche Comme La Neige, performed by Blanche Cumming on guitar. Also, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra performs Pictures At An Exhibition by Mussorgsky.
October 08, 2007
Posted by on October 8, 2007 at 08:46 PM
One of Steve Reich's best known pieces is what has been called "a magnum opus of minimalism," the composition Drumming.
Tonight, in honour of Reich's 70th birthday, The Signal broadcdasts the University of Montreal's Percussion Studio performing that work.
And if you're interested in what Reich has to say these days, here's a piece from the New York Times, an an interview with Reich and a look at some of the celebrations taking place in connection with his birthday. (Some have already happened, but you can always hear Drumming tonight.)
Posted by on October 8, 2007 at 06:00 PM
Three concerts this Monday evening on Canada Live, starting with Chris Norman and David Greenberg, internationally-renowned as performers of both traditional and baroque music
On deck, Symphony Nova Scotia, in a performance of Haydn’s Symphony No. 104. And in the hole, Angela Cheng, one of Canada’s finest pianists in an intimate performance -- recorded onstage at the Indian River Festival. Not that Angela's waiting around for her turn at the plate -- here's what an unnamed critic writing in the Globe and Mail said about one of her performances:
"...[Cheng] is now speaking not with the voice of generic virtuosity and conventional received wisdom, but with her own voice, about individual works in which she is passionately and artistically involved...It was enthralling."
Posted by on October 8, 2007 at 05:05 PM
Ray Charles joins Poncho Sanchez for a Latin-infused tune called Mary Ann, Thanksgiving Monday on Tonic. The gratitude continues with Bebe Winans' nineties soul anthem Thank You! and Rosemary Clooney’s touching rendition of Thanks For The Memories.
Certain members of the Tonic team also admit that they're most thankful for Rosemary's handsome (actually, they used the word "gorgeous") nephew, George...hey, aren't we all?
Posted by on October 8, 2007 at 02:02 PM
The other week I went to three concerts by three very different artists, Marcel Khalife, Zach Condon's band, Beirut, and fado singer Mariza. While no one performance was without something you could take issue with, if you are of the issue-taking kind, each of those concerts reminded me of why hearing live music can be a very good thing.
I admit it -- often I'm disappointed by live music. The sound is lousy, or the artist is having a very off day, or the guy in front of me is tall. Suddenly I'm getting a neck ache and wishing I could hear the vocals properly and all is grumpy.
But this was not the case with any of these shows, nor with what I heard broadcast live as part of, you know, the ten-day celebration of that GG guy. (I do realize some are on overload, so that is my tip of the hat to you.)
No, these were good concerts, with few technical gaffes. And more importantly, the artists really connected with their audiences. And that, in the end, is key to live music. It's a kind of exchange between musicians and audiences, an experience that is, at its best, truly a communal one.
Happy thanksgiving.
Posted by on October 8, 2007 at 12:45 PM
The other day someone commented that they'd like to hear the Idea Of North concert as a Concert On Demand. And I figured others, not just those who read the comments, might also like to know that it is indeed available.
Six songwriters were asked about their ideas of north, inspired by Glenn Gould's documentary about that very thing, and then they gathered at Ottawa’s Museum of Civilization to explore the answer through music.
Representing everything from throat singing (Tanya Tagaq) to acoustic instrumentals (Creaking Tree String Quartet) to art-pop (Veda Hille), the musicians reacted to, re-interpreted, and re-thought Glenn Gould’s 1967 CBC Radio doc, through specially commissioned new works.
Sprinkled throughout, excerpts from Gould’s original documentary, as well as on-stage interviews with the musicians.
Idea of North at Concerts on Demand.
Posted by on October 8, 2007 at 10:30 AM
Studio Sparks marks the holiday with an encore presentation of Eric’s conversation with Adrienne Clarkson. Now, "encore presentation" is a nice radio euphemism that means "repeat." Could be a polite way of saying that Eric, or maybe the producer of the show, wanted to go have turkey someplace and not work today.
That's OK. Particularly when the rep-- I mean encore is an interesting, encore-worthy show, as this one is. The former Governor General talks with Eric about her memoir Heart Matters, which is now out in paperback. And as music has always been a big part of her life, the show reflects that with Ms. Clarkson's music choices.
Posted by on October 8, 2007 at 07:45 AM
Apparently one of you, (yes you), requested the Smothers Brothers -- and Here's To You is honouring that request today in the form of "a salute to crustaceans." Can someone please explain?
Meantime, I present you, for your pain or pleasure, depending, The Smothers Brothers live-in-concert singing Boil That Cabbage Down. You get some special prize if you watch it to the end. Maybe a crustacean? Or at least a cabbage. But it is fun, for a while. And will take you back to a whole other era, one that seems decidedly more innocent.
October 07, 2007
Posted by on October 7, 2007 at 08:14 PM
Often when writing about the highlights of a show, I have some advance info from the producer of that particular programme. And often I have my way with it, as you may have inferred, if you happen to read this blog on a regular basis.
But this time I give you a verbatim explanation of the main event on Sunday night's broadcast of The Signal with Pat Carrabré. Here goes:
"Pat gets jiggy with a classically trained Turkey, explores the wishbone variations and ponders three compositions just stuffed with goodness on this Thanksgiving Sunday edition of The Signal."
I only wish I was there to see it. They do offer a translation too though:
"What does all that mean? Well Pat offers up a gift: a world premier performance of The Dog Done Gone Deaf, a piece based on an American Indian legend recorded in Montreal. As a side dish there will also be a few pieces by the Gen-X composer crowd including Abigail Richardson. And to help you digest a concert: The Ergo ensemble harvest concert."
Hmm, I think I hear that second piece of pumpkin pie calling...
Posted by on October 7, 2007 at 06:00 PM
Did you know there's only 361 days left to the Jerusalem Ridge Bluegrass Festival? That's right. But there are only mere minutes to the Canada Live broadcast (8pm Sunday night) of Edmonton's Jerusalem Ridge.
Like the fest, they take their name from the western Kentucky birthplace of Bill Monroe, the grandaddy, Big Kahuna, however you want to look at it, of bluegrass music.
And some advanced press -- the last time a Jerusalem Ridge concert was played on CBC, people went nuts for them! btw, this is not the same concert, this one comes to you from the Arden theatre in St. Albert, Alberta, a SRO show. (That's "Standing Room Only" for those of you who do not subscribe to such shorthand. FYI.)
Posted by on October 7, 2007 at 02:30 PM
Skylarking has moved a little later in the day on Sundays, now it will be heard at 5 p.m. But it's still the same short strange trip with host Andre Alexis. (Andre, you don't mind that description, do you? What a short, strange trip it's been...just a little musical aside. So "strange" in the best sense...)
Now, Skylarkin' listeners answered a 13th century riddle with no problem. You're a brilliant bunch. But do you know your vis art? This week Andre describes three well-known Canadian paintings and dares you to name the three artists who painted them. Skylurkers, come on out...
Posted by on October 7, 2007 at 11:30 AM
For its premiere edition, Sunday Afternoon In Concert (a.k.a. Sunday Aft, since I think that looks nicer than "SAIC"), hosted by Bill Richardson, features a concert from Iqaluit with the CBC Radio Orchestra, a world premiere of a piece written by Winnipeg composer Jim Hiscott for button accordian and chamber orchestra.
You may have heard Jim Hiscott's work before on CBC, and if you have you'll know he's written some wonderful music for accordion (he's also an accordion player himself) as well as other "folk" instruments. He has a great sense of how "folk" instruments and sometimes folk themes, can work so beautifully in contemporary classical music.
Also on today's show, recitals by pianists Louie Lortie, Andre LaPlante and Marc-Andre Hamelin, from the Glenn Gould Studio.
But wait, there's more! A documentary about Glenn Gould's spiritual home, Uptergrove, Ont, which includes conversation with people having lunch next to the statue of Glenn Gould outside the Toronto Broadcast centre.
(I love watching people see that statue for the first time. You just know that some, at a glance, think that's a real person sitting there.)
Hope you enjoy the first broadcast of Sunday Aft.
Posted by on October 7, 2007 at 10:30 AM
#2 out of the gate this Sunday (in terms of new programming, that is, the horses are resting quietly in the barn, waiting for Thanksgiving apples, no doubt) is Inside The Music, hosted by Patti Schmidt.
I've mentioned a couple times what it's about, but in case you missed those posts, a quick re-cap -- the show explores what inspires and motivates the people who compose and perform the music that you hear. Simple as that!
The series begins with four shows under the umbrella title Driven By Music, all about composers and inspiration. The first episode is called Wilderness Landscapes, and it looks at how Canadian composers are inspired by the land.
So you’ll hear people like Allan Bell, Gilles Tremblay, Murray Schafer, Hildegard Westerkamp, John Estacio, and Alexina Louie explaining how land, nature and the sounds they hear outdoors affect their music. And they’ll walk you through some of their works, illustrating just what that means.
What a lovely idea.
Posted by on October 7, 2007 at 08:30 AM
The day is finally here. Thanksgiving, sure, but also the day three new programmes launch on Radio 2. And the first of the day is In The Key Of Charles. If you are not familiar with Gregory Charles, here's the thumbnail. He's a pianist, actor, songwriter, conductor and broadcaster (and once in a while he sleeps, too). He's a very big star in Quebec, both musically and as a broadcaster, and now he makes his English-language radio debut, from the piano bench, no less.
So he will play, but also spin discs, sharing his own eclectic tastes in music, and encyclopedic knowledge.
This week, you can hear everything from John Rutter conducting the Cambridge Singers in sacred music of his own, to a tune from the fabulous collaboration by Herbie Hancock and Bill Evans, called You Must Believe in Spring. ("And love," as the words go.) Plus songs from Mahalia Jackson, Claude Dubois...and the proverbial more.
Welcome to Radio 2, Monsieur Charles!
Posted by on October 7, 2007 at 07:00 AM
Happy Thanksgiving Sunday! Whether or not you celebrate it in any sort of traditional manner, involving feasts and/or family, you can celebrate it this morning musically, if you like, as Choral Concert marks the day with a special program of Hymns and Anthems for Thanksgiving, plus Mendelssohn's Cantata Symphony No. 2 (Song of Praise), performed by Chorus Musicus and Da Neue Orchester under the direction of Christoph Spering.
October 06, 2007
Posted by on October 6, 2007 at 08:14 PM
Pat Carrabré gives musical thanks tonight, with some of his personal favourites, so if you've ever wondered what Pat likes to listen to when not thinking strictly in radio-host mode, now's your chance to find out! (Spoiler alert -- fave tracks include Philip Glass, Andrew Bird, Feist and Caribou.)
Also, The Signal will also toast Patrick Watson. What with his big Polaris Prize win he must be the most thankful musician in the land.
Although you know, I heard him interviewed after the award, and was glad to hear him say how much music is NOT a competition in the sense of an athletic event. And that really, to win does not mean you are the best band or whatever, it means that on that particular day, those particular judges/critics achieved some kind of consensus of the moment.
Though the money was going to come in handy, paying a whopping $16,000 bill the band had just received, something to do with an incident with their rental van while on tour....the Polaris is worth $20,000...so, enough left over for a very good party, anyway.
Posted by on October 6, 2007 at 06:02 PM
CBC Radio teams up with Espace Musique this Saturday night on Canada Live to present Africa Musique, a concert that honours the U-N’s International Day of Peace. It's an excellent lineup, featuring performers from Africa and of African heritage who bring messages of peace through their songs. (Which, I have to say, means you would have a wide choice, given how frequently songs from African artists connect to the topic.)
So, on the bill: Congo’s Lokua Kanza, a witness to the Hutu/Tutsi holocaust, along with former Sudanese boy-soldier and now rapper for peace Emmanuel Jal.
Also performing, Vancouver-based Alpha Ya Ya Diallo and Montreal-based Lilison Di Kinara (originally from Guinea Bissau), plus Cameroon/Montrealer Muna Mingole and Malian singer, via Moncton N.B., Oumou Soumare. The band is led by Haitian vibraphonist Eval Manigat. (Sorry, those last two are Youtube links, but can't seem to find websites. However, you won't be sorry if you take a look at that Manigat performance...nice groove, horns...) I'll say it again, quite a line-up!
Posted by on October 6, 2007 at 02:30 PM
The C.O.C. launched its season with its first production without the late Richard Bradshaw -- Mozart's Marriage Of Figaro. So far, two rather different responses:
Continue reading "Two Takes On Figaro" »
Posted by on October 6, 2007 at 12:00 PM
Saturday Afternoon At The Opera, hosted by Bill Richardson, is responding to listener requests for the publication of librettos (when possible!!). For instance, this Saturday's opera, Weber's Der Freischutz, does have a libretto available on the R2 website. You will find it at the SATO website and by clicking on the schedule for October.
(For your convenience here is a direct link: Freischutz libretto.)
And a few more details about today's broadcast of Der Freischutz...it's a production from this year’s Salzburg Festival, and Markus Stenz conducts a cast that includes Petra Maria Schnitzer, Aleksandra Kurzak, Peter Seiffet and John Relyea.
And finally, although Bill has been guest hosting the show for a while -- now it's official. So happy official first day, Bill!
Posted by on October 6, 2007 at 11:00 AM
Rick Phillips spotlights recordings of Early Music this week on Sound Advice - all the way back to the 13th century, and all the way up to Bach and Handel.
In The Library, more in the series on Great Gould Recordings. Yes, it's true the official CBC celebrations are over, but it is still The Year Of Gould, after all. (Besides, Rick didn't finish playing all the music he wanted to play last week.) So this week you can hear Glenn Gould’s version of Bach’s Italian Concerto.
Posted by on October 6, 2007 at 10:21 AM
This Sunday there are three new shows launching on Radio 2. In chronological order: In The Key Of Charles, from 10-noon, Inside The Music, until 1pm, and then the four-hour classical music performance show, Sunday Afternoon In Concert. I've yet to blog about Inside The Music -- and wanted to take a few minutes to let you know what you can expect.
Continue reading "Inside The Music With Patti Schmidt Launches Sunday" »
Posted by on October 6, 2007 at 08:01 AM
"The importance of the unimportant," I wonder if that's at all like having "a show about nothing?" Or perhaps even the aphorism, "God is in the details?"
Anyhoo, The Arthur Awards, named after Dave's dog, Arthur, are handed out by Stuart McLean this morning, and they do indeed recognize the "importance of the unimportant," as well as those who have "performed small acts of kindness."
That's on the Vinyl Cafe. Come to think of it, aren't they "not big, but small?"
October 05, 2007
Posted by on October 5, 2007 at 08:00 PM
The prolific Kronos Quartet are a perfect band for Pat Carrabré's Vertical Tasting, a feature every weekend where he looks at an artist's career, over time. So tonight Pat samples some of the many and eclectic Kronos collaborations. (I don't know which collaborations he's focussing on, but as an indication of their diversity, they've worked with, among many others, Bollywood singer Ashe Bhosle, soprano Dawn Upshaw, and Taraf de Haidouks.)
Also on the show -- did I mention I'm talking about The Signal, Friday night version? -- the premier of new music from Buck 65, from the soundtrack to the trucker documentary film BIG RIG. That's right, Buck 65, and a trucker documentary.
10-4, 65.
Posted by on October 5, 2007 at 06:00 PM
Chris Frye (once called "Victoria's answer to Lyle Lovett!) and his solo project (with a band made up of guest musicians, called Analog Ghosts) play music from his recently released CD Raised On Rhythm And Rhyme tonight on Canada Live.
Not coincidentally, Chris is also the leader singer of folk quintet The Bills, who are also presented tonight in concert.
Chris, busy man, is even in a third ensemble called The Marc Atkinson Trio.
What does Chris do in his spare time? We don't know. Call around to see if anyone's free to get together and play?
Posted by on October 5, 2007 at 02:30 PM
If you google Gregory Charles, the host of In The Key Of Charles, set to debut on R2 Sunday at 10 a.m., and you're looking for English language results, you will find at least a few write-ups saying "he won't be Gregory who? in English Canada much longer." They're right.
And if you're curious to find out more about Charles, cbc.ca/arts did a piece on him last year, calling him a "One Man Industry" -- it'll give you more of a context for just how well-loved he is in Quebec.
Of course if you live in Quebec, chances are you already know that. But for the rest of us, it's a good "Super Gregory" primer.
Posted by on October 5, 2007 at 01:30 PM
You may have heard, on air, or on ye olde blogge, that there are three new shows launching this weekend. Including the new flagship CBC R2 live classical music performance show, Sunday Afternoon in Concert, hosted by Bill Richardson. The show is broadcast from 1pm until 5pm, (thus the name), and is going to have a lot of very fine music, and conversation about music.
For its premiere edition, Sunday Aft (I think that's going to become it's blog nickname, unless you can think of something better) you can hear a four-hour classical music extravaganza that features a concert from Iqaluit with the CBC Radio Orchestra, featuring a world premiere of a piece written by Winnipeg composer Jim Hiscott for button accordion and chamber orchestra.
I don't know if you're familiar with Jim Hiscott's work, but he's written some wonderful music for accordion (he is an accordion player himself, and has performed with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra), as well as other instruments of course. But I really like his sense of how "folk" instruments and sometimes "folk" themes, can work so beautifully in contemporary classical music.
Continue reading "Sunday Afternoon In Concert Debuts On (Naturally) Sunday!" »
Posted by on October 5, 2007 at 11:00 AM
Alain Trudel is both a conductor and a virtuoso trombone player. And he's also Eric's houseguest in the second hour of Studio Sparks this morning.
Funny, that notion of the radio house guest. I love it as a concept -- some interesting person hangs out with the host, talks about interesting things -- in this case Alain picks some music, and chats with Eric about being a conductor.
But when I hear "houseguest" I can't help imagining someone in slippers in the on-air booth, feet up by the mic, maybe reading the morning paper, while the host is busy making sure there's fresh coffee, clean towels, and music playing.
Probably it's not like that at Studio Sparks though. I bet Alain shows up with Timbits or something. And would never stay too long, just long enough.
Posted by on October 5, 2007 at 08:20 AM
As well as playing your requests this morning on Here's To You, Catherine Belyea chats with Bill Richardson about this weekend's launch of Sunday Afternoon In Concert, hosted by Bill, as as well as what's coming up this week on Saturday Afternoon At The Opera. So if you're curious as to what the new flagship classical music show has in store -- tune in to hear Catherine and Bill this a.m.!
Posted by on October 5, 2007 at 07:44 AM
Was just listening to Tom announcing the Cage Match results on Music & Co., a Toronto vs. Montreal match, partly inspired by hockey. (But bless the boots of the young man who suggested Toronto should win "because they have the Blue Jays," yes, my boy, there's always next season.) Funny how that city rivalry lives on though. As for me, I live in T.O. but love Montreal -- which does not equate to loathing my own town though. Anyway, the Montreal music that was played as a result of popular vote was great -- Andre Mathieu's Concerto de Quebec. Thanks Tom!
October 04, 2007
Posted by on October 4, 2007 at 11:59 PM
Thanksgiving weekend approacheth, and many a Tofurkey and Toturkey will be consumed. It's also the weekend when three new CBC Radio 2 shows launch -- the first to be heard, on Sunday mornings, is In The Key Of Charles, from 10 a.m. until noon.
Gregory Charles is a huge star in Quebec, as a musician and a radio show host -- since 2001 he's hosted the extremely popular Des airs de toi on Radio Canada.
His new, English-language show, In the Key of Charles will feature the ridiculously multi-talented Charles (the guy plays piano, he's an actor, a songwriter, a conductor and of course a broadcaster!) at the piano.
So he'll play, but he'll also spin discs, covering a wide range of genres -- his own tastes are diverse, from classical to jazz and pop.
That's all I'll say for now. But then, that's a fairly intriguing description, don't you think?
Posted by on October 4, 2007 at 08:30 PM
New music from Newfoundland tonight on The Signal. The program features highlights from a concert by Canadian guitarist Sylvie Proulx, from this year's Newfound Music Festival in St. John's. OK, this is the second day in a row I have found myself website-location-challenged -- cannot find a link to said Newfound Fest. Any help out there? I'd like to know more about the Newfound, it's a great name, at any rate.
Posted by on October 4, 2007 at 07:03 PM
Just to reprise from many hours ago, in case you missed it, tonight's final concert broadcast on Canada Live, from the Variations On Gould celebrations, is a perfomance by pianist MARC-ANDRÉ HAMELIN. He'll perform a programme devoted to works from the 1st and 2nd Viennese School, from Haydn and Beethoven to Schoenberg and Berg - all works that Gould championed.
Posted by on October 4, 2007 at 05:00 PM
Some Tonic highlights on today's show:
-Trumpeter Ray Vega with a high-voltage Latin take on the Gigi Gryce tune Social Call.
-The classic Alone Together from the trio of Canadian pianist Chris Sigerson, recorded in an exclusive CBC studio session.
-And Canadian soul singers Ivana Santilli and Glenn Lewis in a duet called If Ever I Fall.
Diversity, thy name is Tonic.
Posted by on October 4, 2007 at 03:30 PM
The other night, hanging out with the the kids at the Beirut concert, (sold out on a Tuesday night, some indication of the intense appeal of leader Zach Condon's vision of Balkan Brass Band meets indie band meets French chanson), I started wondering about the glockenspiel, which is also an important part of that band's sound. And many, many others as well. Why the revival?
But then I remembered something I saw earlier in the year that that reminded me it's not exactly as if glockenspeil was relegated to highschool bands until the 21st century when it suddenly became chic. What about the conections between Bruce Springsteen and the glock?
Cory Arcangel talks (and plays) about this in the Bruce Springsteen Born To Run Glockenspiel Addendum.
Possibly you'll just want to watch him playing Born To Run on the glockenspiel, though along with"pre-recorded" Bruce, in front of a live audience. At least for a few seconds, anyway.
Posted by on October 4, 2007 at 12:30 PM
In case you were having problems deciding what to get them: In the Neiman Marcus catalogue, you can buy a Classical Superstars Fantasy Concert. For a mere 1,590,000.00 you get the Kirov Orchestra with Valery Gergiev conducting, in your very own home.
Regis Philbin hosts your party, for 499 guests. (Guess the whole package is for 500 -- including the recipient of the gift.)
And thanks to Soho The Dog and his librarian for pointing this out.
Posted by on October 4, 2007 at 09:40 AM
If you hear the name Lara, I'm betting you have two associations. One, Lara St. John, who has a new disc of Bach violin music you can hear today on Studio Sparks. And the other, original Lara, the Lara of trains and snowy fields and breaking hearts and that damn, I mean wonderfully haunting theme. Oh Lara, Lara...
Sobering up for a moment...actually, if you click on that link, you can hear quite a moving version of both "Lara's theme," and other music from Dr. Zhivago, with Maurice Jarre conducting, in tribute to director David Lean from 1992.
But also on your radio today on Sparks...a complete performance of the Tchaikovsky Symphony N.2, with Maris Jansons conducting the Oslo Philharmonic.
Posted by on October 4, 2007 at 02:58 AM
Consider this the first heads up! CBC R2's new flagship live classical music performance show, Sunday Afternoon in Concert, hosted by Bill Richardson debuts this weekend. The show is broadcast from 1pm until 5pm, (not 4pm, as was previously advertised) and for its premiere edition, you can hear a four-hour classical music extravaganza that includes a concert from Iqaluit with the CBC Radio Orchestra, featuring a world premiere of a piece written by Winnipeg composer Jim Hiscott for button accordian and chamber orchestra.
As well, three stellar recitals from the Variations On Gould series, by pianists Louie Lortie, Andre LaPlante and Marc-Andre Hamelin, from the Glenn Gould Studio.
As for the listener, what kind of experience will it be? A rich and varied one, judging from the first show line-up, and potentially a quite moving one as well. We'll laugh, we'll cry, we'll...actually, I don't know whether or not we'll laugh, cry etc. etc., but I do know that as Bill Richardson is involved, it will not be dull. Other known quantity? There will be plenty of good music.
More on this and the other two new shows in the days to come...
Posted by on October 4, 2007 at 12:00 AM
No doubt about it, it's been a bit of a Gouldathon. I hope you've enjoyed what you've heard, and can still hear, at Concerts On Demand -- many of the concerts broadcast during the Variations On Gould fest are available there.
Thurday night you can also hear the final concert of the series, Live To Air (as always, you must imagine some kind of fanfare to accompany those words) from the Glenn Gould Studio.
And that concert features (and here you can insert a drum roll) MARC-ANDRÉ HAMELIN, at the piano.He'll perform a programme devoted to works from the 1st and 2nd Viennese School, from Haydn and Beethoven to Schoenberg and Berg - all works that Gould championed.
btw, at time o'bloggin', there were some tickets left for this concert, if you happen to be in the vicinity. If not, you can always tune into Canada Live.
October 03, 2007
Posted by on October 3, 2007 at 09:00 PM
The Windspiration Edmonton Organ Festival (who do not appear to have a website, but the conference was sponsored by the Royal Canadian College Of Organists) presented some new music this summer, with a kind of "flower power" type theme. Tonight The Signal takes its turn and presents some of that music on Radio 2.
Songs of the Seven Strings by composer Siaw Kin Lee tells the story of thousands of flower petals dropped from the sky by a playful nymph. Oh those playful nymphs, you want to watch out for them.
Aso, a piece called Blumen, for organ and string orchestra by composer Charles Stolte, which takes its inspiration from the spring flower awakenings out of "mud, water, warmth and seed." Yes, Canadian spring is around the corner...musically, if nowhere else. (Not that I'm complaining, it's been crazily summer-like where I live. I say bring on the snow! Who knows, perhaps then there'll be motivation for more composers to write spring-related music...)
Posted by on October 3, 2007 at 07:04 PM
Tonight's Variations On Gould concert is called Don't Be Frightened, Mr. Gould Is Here and it pays tribute via new compositions to Gould's unusual creative vision, and striking individualism. (Broadcast, as all the Gould Concerts have been, on Canada Live.)
What you'll hear is three new works commissioned for the occasion by CBC Radio, from composers Chantale Laplante, Louis Dufort and Martin Tétreault.
You can also hear a rare performance of Glenn Gould's only major composition: his String Quartet, Opus 1 featuring violinists Jonathan Crow and Olivier Thouin, violist Neal Gripp and cellist Brian Manker.
Posted by on October 3, 2007 at 05:00 PM
Now here's a nice line-up of what Tonic is calling "great ladies," Dinah Washington, Madeleine Peyroux, Anita Baker and Nina Simone. Though of course I know what Tonic means, I'm not sure Nina Simone would have thought of herself as a lady!
I was reading this interview with her daughter Simone earlier today, also a singer, and this is one thing she had to say about her mom. If this (rather vivid!) description intrigues you, the whole interview is published at All About Jazz.
"She was a child prodigy, a chocolate brown little girl in the South in the ‘30s, '40s, and '50s, living on the other side of the railroad tracks. I think that has a lot to do with it. Watching what her own mother had to go through. Nina being told that she was ugly, her lips were too big, her skin was too dark, her nose was too wide. Why do you think she embraced the Civil Rights movement as much as she did? So I think there was a lot of anger, a lot of torment, a lot of insecurity. I think she carried that with her into her later years. I think there were a lot of unresolved issues. All this on top of the fact that she was a true genius. Most geniuses I’ve read about had some serious human relations issues."
Posted by on October 3, 2007 at 03:36 PM
Jazz musician extraordinaire Don Thompson was so inspired by Paul Galbraith’s performances on an 8-string guitar, (an instrument Paul helped design!) he told the CBC he’d drop whatever he was doing to join him in a performance at Glenn Gould Studio.
And he did, for this concert - part of CBC Radio 2’s Variations on Gould series - Don Thompson and Paul Galbraith perform music inspired by Gould. Each takes a solo turn at J.S. Bach and in the second half Don and his ensemble perform their own version of The Goldberg Variations.
Don Thompson and Paul Galbraith at Concerts on Demand.
Posted by on October 3, 2007 at 01:00 PM
Speaking of violinists, as we were mere posts ago, (actually the last post, to be exact) a newsy note about violinist Julia Fischer. She was named artist of the year at this year's Gramophone Awards.
It was a kind of "classical idol" thing, fans in 13 countries voted -- and Ms. Fischer, a 24-year-old German, beat out big-name nominees Bryn Terfel and Daniel Barenboim.
You can read the whole story at BBC News.
Posted by on October 3, 2007 at 10:45 AM
Eric Friesen wraps up his conversation with celebrated Russian violinist Vadim Repin today on Studio Sparks, with Repin’s version of Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata (performed with pianist Martha Argerich). He'll also explain his approach to the piece, a nice behind-the-scenes perspective.
btw, looking at Mr. Repin's website I see that he is performing at Roy Thomson Hall tonight and tomorrow...just a note for fans who are in Tranna.
Posted by on October 3, 2007 at 07:45 AM
Ever wondered what the theme of Here's To You is? Today is your chance to hear it played in its entirety.
Pianist Linda Lee Thomas joins the CBC Radio Orchestra for a performance of that lovely piece, which, as we all know is called....drum roll...The Here's To You Theme Music, by Michael Conway Baker. (OK, so it does have another name, as Mr. Conway Baker's website reveals...but to us, it's The HtY Theme Music...)
Posted by on October 3, 2007 at 12:01 AM
...Mr. Gould is Here..." is the name of a concert. Yes, it is. You may have thought, hey, great name for a kid's book, and it could be that as well, but in this case, it's a concert that pays tribute to Gould's unusual creative vision, and striking individualism. And you can hear this concert from Montreal Wednesday night on Canada Live. It's part of CBC Radio 2's Variations On Gould. But you probably figured that.
What you'll hear is three new works commissioned for the occasion by CBC Radio, from composers Chantale Laplante, (who has the most marvellous picture of a two-lane highway on her website), Louis Dufort (who has a most intriguing picture on his) and Martin Tétreault, (his "self-portrait" photo is the ultimate anti-Facebook shot going).
Also on Wednesday night's broadcast, a rare performance of Glenn Gould's only major composition: his String Quartet, Opus 1 featuring violinists Jonathan Crow and Olivier Thouin, violist Neal Gripp and cellist Brian Manker.
October 02, 2007
Posted by on October 2, 2007 at 08:45 PM
There's been a fair bit of talk of Gould's Idea Of North documentary in recent days, as a source of musical inspiration, as a starting point to consider Canada's north. But I don't think the "sound documentary" has been aired until tonight.
So you read it here (if not first, close to, I'll bet): This evening The Signal plays the whole documentary.
And here's one idea of what the north meant to Gould, from the official record co. Glenn Gould website:
"To him, the North represented solitude, independence, reasonableness, courage, elusiveness, spirituality, strength of character, adherence to laws, moral rectitude, and peace."
Tonight's Signal programme also includes the Fantasia And Fugue by composer Chan Ka Nin, commissioned by the CBC and performed in honour of Glenn Gould's 75th anniversary by pianist Lydia Wong.
Posted by on October 2, 2007 at 07:00 PM
A reminder that you can hear Hilario Duran and David Virelles, two really fabulous Cuban-Canadian piano players, performing music they've written inspired by Glenn Gould. This concert will be broadcast live this evening, on Canada Live.
They represent two generations of Cuban-Canadian pianists, the younger rising star, David Virelles, and the established virtuoso, Hilario Duran.
I heard David Virelles on our local morning show today, talking about when he was a music student still living in Cuba, and his teacher played him some Glenn Gould. What impressed him as a kid was the way Gould had such an individual style.
More recently Virelles has been listening to Gould's radio docs, and he described them as a "vehicle for composition," suggesting they show how Gould saw/heard "music in everything."
Should be a very interesting concert.
Posted by on October 2, 2007 at 04:00 PM
On this day, in 1950, the cartoon strip Peanuts made its debut. I'm astonished it could have been that long ago, since naturally we all tend to assume that whatever happened in our own childhoods occured at the same time we did. (So really, Snoopy must have been invented at around the same time I learned to read, right? Not so.)
Tonic honours Peanuts musically tonight with the inimitable Vince Guaraldi themes from the animated adaptations of Peanuts. Anyone who watched the shows knows that music -- I'd bet that for some, the sound of Vince Guaraldi is the sound of Christmas. (Beats associating it with, say, I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, any day.)
btw, Vince had a long musical career before he got near to Peanuts in the late 1960s, including writing a jazz arrangement for the choral Eucharist, performed at San Francisco's Grace Cathedral in 1965. (His piece was for jazz trio and a 68-voice choir.)
As his bio says, "Clearly, if Vince Guaraldi could write music for God, he could pen tunes for Charlie Brown."
Posted by on October 2, 2007 at 02:00 PM
You may have been curious about this concert if you saw it blogged about earlier -- Sudanese-Canadian Waleed Abdulhamid's take on the music of Glenn Gould. Now you can hear it as a Concert On Demand.
“Glenn Gould opened a door for me,” says Abdulhamid. “I heard a freedom in the way he played the Goldberg Variations. And I felt I really wanted to perform this music in a pan-African way.”
Waleed brought his band WALEED KUSH to Glenn Gould Studio to participate in CBC Radio’s “Variations on Gould”. “I want to honour Glenn Gould’s creativity,” he says, “and to bring my own Sudanese view of music to Bach’s mighty Goldberg Variations.”
The piece was commissioned by Craig Scott earlier this year.
African Goldberg Variations at Concerts on Demand.
Posted by on October 2, 2007 at 10:58 AM
As I mentioned yesterday, Radiohead's decision to make their upcoming release available as a download -- for whatever amount of moolah you wish to shell out for it -- was making headlines everywhere. (It's possible you missed this post as it was called, for reasons which will become clear if you read through it, Go Cubbies Go!)
Anyway, as predicted there is an enormous amount of ongoing chit chat about the Radiohead "revolution," some of it on our very own website, over at cbc.ca arts news, where there is currently a forum available to make your opinion known.
Posted by on October 2, 2007 at 08:00 AM
I almost started this post by saying "Hi!" possibly because I've just finished writing about a million emails. Then I stopped myself, thinking it far too casual somehow, even in that decidedly informal medium that is a blog. But really, once the word "blog" is uttered what could seem any sillier. So here goes.
Hi! Hope you're enjoying your Tuesday morning so far! And as to your Gould requests on Here's To You, they are as follows:
Gibbons’ Fantasy in C, and Allemand (or Italian Ground) performed by Glenn Gould on piano. Plus a performance of Sonata For Basson And Piano composed by Glenn Gould, with Emile Naoumoff on piano and Catherine Marchese playing bassoon.
Posted by on October 2, 2007 at 12:00 AM
This looks so interesting. Hilario Duran and David Virelles, two really fabulous Cuban piano players, both living in Canada, performing Live To Air music they've written inspired by Glenn Gould. (The show is happening Tuesday night at the Glenn Gould Studio, and at time o'bloggin' there are still some tickets, plus the show will be broadcast on Canada Live.)
They also represent two generations of Cuban-Canadian pianists, the younger rising star, David Virelles, and the established virtuoso, Hilario Duran. They'll be performing with their own ensembles, and some pieces with string quartet. They'll also play together -- something I understand they've not done before rehearsals for this concert.
What will the music be like? I honestly don't know. But I'm extremely curious. I've heard both guys play Cuban music and jazz, both have formidable technique and are great musicians, so the forecast is excellent.
October 01, 2007
Posted by on October 1, 2007 at 07:55 PM
A brief reminder -- pianist André Laplante pays tribute to Glenn Gould this evening with a programme that includes piano works by Scriabin, the 7th Sonata of Prokofiev, and Shostakovich’s Piano Quintet, and is broadcast Live To Air from the Glenn Gould Studio, on Canada Live. Broadcast Time: 8 p.m. (9 AT, 9:30 NT).
Posted by on October 1, 2007 at 05:00 PM
Tonight Tonic opens up the latest Michael Kaeshammer disc to play his funky interpretation of Irving Berlin's Blue Skies.
(Never a truer word was spoke, at least in my neck of the woods -- hasn't rained much in days, nothing but blue skies, do I see.)
Following what you could call a journalistic hunch (though you probably wouldn't) I decided to see if Youtube was replete with versions of the song. And, no surprise, it is. But what was a surprise (to me, anyway) was that there were a couple of harmonica versions. Like this one, featuring a man I think of as Cold Harmonica Player." And this one, with Fidel Harmonica Player.
Am I forgetting something, like a famous Toots Thielman version? (Guess I should give into my journalistic hunch and check that possiblity out, but must run right now, will report back on that later.) Meantime, I think I can safely say you will probably enjoy the Kaeshammer version more than the pocket pianos.
Posted by on October 1, 2007 at 03:25 PM
The big music news today is Radiohead's seemingly bold decision to offer up their upcoming recording via digital download -- for however much consumers want to pay for it!
When I saw an early report today on Pitchfork what first caught my eye was the eyecatching lede I assumed related to Radiohead: TODAY IS A GREAT DAY!
But then the piece continued:
"First, the Phillies clinched the NL East for the first time in 14 years! YESSSS!!!"
Funny how often music and baseball connect, isn't it? Like a fast line drive right into the glove. Fer instance: Soho The Dog, home to composer/conductor etc. Matthew Guerrieri, has a wonderful post about the Cubs clinching the National League Central, and has previously blogged about the Cubs in connection with a music format change of Milwaukee station WFMR.
You see, there is no connection too small.
As for Radiohead, an interesting move, no doubt. Though already the gripers are griping about how, yeah, they can afford it, it's hardly a realistic model for most bands. And the more gungho point to artists like Issa, formerly Jane Siberry, who've been on the paywhatyoucan bandwagon for a while (somehow not seeming to recognize that actually she wasn't doing too badly herself either). Others wonder if it's really a ruse, since you can also order it as a "discbox," which contains the recording on LP! And enhanced CD! With ACTUAL liner notes. Anyway, much debate in the days to come no doubt.
But back to the Other Subject...now that our "baseball north" season (as they cleverly but briefly called the Jays, dropping the slogan for something totally unmemorable) is well and truly and ignobly over, I say, GO, CUBBIES, GO!
Posted by on October 1, 2007 at 01:30 PM
It was nice to read these reactions from a blogger a-bloggin' at Firsthand Freelance about the Variations On Gould extravaganza on Thursday presented by Espace Musique. (6 pianists, 6 cities, a lot of effort and passion.)
Seems to have inspired her to think about perhaps taking up piano again herself -- which aside from the pleasures of hearing the music, is probably the best impact of a broadcast event like this, of music like this. To paraphrase an old line from Doonesbury, the world needs more musicians!
Well, some might not agree. But I do. As long as they play in tune.
Posted by on October 1, 2007 at 10:30 AM
Quick Sparksplug: today on Studio Sparks Eric presents a new recording of Dvorak’s most popular Symphony, Number 9, better known as From The New World, (or even better known as just The New World). This recording features the Danish conductor Thomas Dausgaard and the Swedish Chamber Orchestra.
(Wanna know what the Swedish Chamber Orchestra look like? Here you go. (I like the burgundy, nice change from black.)
Posted by on October 1, 2007 at 09:00 AM
And the Gould Concerts On Demand begin -- Glenn Gould And The Art Of Transcription is the title of this one, and of the concert that took place last week as part of R2's Variations on Gould celebrations, featuring the great Canadian pianist Louis Lortie.
In this concert Lortie performs transcriptions by J.S. Bach, Glenn Gould and . . . Louis Lortie! And the final piece on the programme was an extraordinary performance of Ravel's La Valse.
Ken Winters, reviewing the concert for the Globe and Mail, said that "Louis Lortie made a dazzling and thought-provoking onslaught on another aspect of Gould's interest: transcriptions." And that was just towards the beginning of what was a glowing review!
Louis Lortie at Concerts on Demand.
Posted by on October 1, 2007 at 12:00 AM
Not only is it Glenn Gould’s 75th birthday and the 25th anniversary of his death, but this year also marks the 50th anniversary of Gould’s historic Russian debut. (Listen, this is nuthin' compared to baseball stats...)
Anyway, fittingly enough, on Monday night pianist André Laplante pays tribute to Gould with a programme that includes piano works by Scriabin, the 7th Sonata of Prokofiev, and Shostakovich’s Piano Quintet, and is broadcast Live To Air from the Glenn Gould Studio.
Which means if you are in the T Dot, as almost no one says anymore, you might be able to be in the audience, if tickets are still available -- just check the listing for André Laplante - Glenn Gould - Russia and Russian Chamber Music.
The broadcast can also be heard on your radio of course, on Canada Live.
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