TonyV
Senior Member
I'm on my way there now! Have already voted. Will let you all know my feelings about how the Prokofiev went.
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Urban Shocker
Doyenne
I'm going on the last night. My gal pal who works there as an usher, or whatever they're called, was full of praise on Saturday.
Roy G Biv
Senior Member
Don Giovanni tonight.
I think War and Piece will be Neef's first chance to show us what he's made of.
Urban Shocker
Doyenne
Don't forget to give us a review, Roy.
Did you see the Ring? You could've called your review "Siegfried and Roy" if you had.
Did you see the Ring? You could've called your review "Siegfried and Roy" if you had.
TonyV
Senior Member
Prokofiev: War and Peace -- Canadian Opera Company at Four Seasons Centre -- if you have tickets to hear and see this, you are very very lucky. This exceeds anything presented by the COC last season, and it got our new season off to an excellent start. We went on Oct 14th.
I don't know where to start, so I'll just babble. One can't imagine better principal singers, at all. The orchestra plays splendidly for guest conductor Johannes Debus. Topping it all of is the amazing score. There is so much in this opera that I wish I could go and hear it again. Best thing since the Ring Cycle, and Elektra, in the new house, as far as I am concerned. If you have tickets, enjoy!
I will let other opera-going UT Forum members do their blow-by-blow critiques on this as I am not into that. But I can add that I have a fear: with the TSO's jaw-dropping performance of Shostakovich 11th Symphony the other week, and this Prokofiev from the COC last night, I wonder if the cultural season is all downhill from here. And we are Russian, aren't we?!
I don't know where to start, so I'll just babble. One can't imagine better principal singers, at all. The orchestra plays splendidly for guest conductor Johannes Debus. Topping it all of is the amazing score. There is so much in this opera that I wish I could go and hear it again. Best thing since the Ring Cycle, and Elektra, in the new house, as far as I am concerned. If you have tickets, enjoy!
I will let other opera-going UT Forum members do their blow-by-blow critiques on this as I am not into that. But I can add that I have a fear: with the TSO's jaw-dropping performance of Shostakovich 11th Symphony the other week, and this Prokofiev from the COC last night, I wonder if the cultural season is all downhill from here. And we are Russian, aren't we?!
TonyV: Archivist and I were at War and Peace on the 14th as well, and enjoyed it thoroughly. It was certainly the most epic production I have seen at the new house (having seen everything save the Cycle. My new seats - Ring 4, dead centre of the third row - are fab! I've literally sat around the hall in the last 2 years, and Ring 3 is still my favourite area, more than the orchestra.) The COC pulled it off brilliantly. I'm not equipped with enough opera knowledge yet (still a neophyte in this musical realm) nor posses a full enough lexicon to describe the show properly, but suffice it to say that War And Peace is quite the opening to the season. Wow.
Arch and I arrived early enough to catch the Opera Talk in the amphitheatre beforehand, and had the pleasure of being introduced to Alexander Neef, who came out before the evening's speaker to present himself and some of his plans for the COC. Very nice touch, and I assume he will be doing this for all Opera Talks for W&P. Neef impressed: the search committee seems to have made a very good choice.
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Arch and I arrived early enough to catch the Opera Talk in the amphitheatre beforehand, and had the pleasure of being introduced to Alexander Neef, who came out before the evening's speaker to present himself and some of his plans for the COC. Very nice touch, and I assume he will be doing this for all Opera Talks for W&P. Neef impressed: the search committee seems to have made a very good choice.
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Urban Shocker
Doyenne
I'm a sukka for Pekka.
Last night, at Roy Thomson Hall, violinist Pekka Kuusisto - a cheeky little blond who looks like he's about 12 - did wonderful and unexpected things with Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, aided and abetted by conductor Giordano Bellincampi ( music director of the Danish National Opera ) and a tight, pared-down house band. Up on stage, tremendous fun. In the audience, rapt attention - because we were hearing an old favourite done in a new way ( a McKinsey Building rather than 1 St.Thomas ). Changes in tempo, the violin by turns scratchy, abrupt, and quietly sweet - the whole shebang.
My only criticism: the intermission divided Spring and Summer from Autumn and Winter.
The evening began with Respighi's Ancient Airs and Dances and ended with his The Pines of Rome ( the full band made a helluva racket with that one ).
Go if you get the chance.
Last night, at Roy Thomson Hall, violinist Pekka Kuusisto - a cheeky little blond who looks like he's about 12 - did wonderful and unexpected things with Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, aided and abetted by conductor Giordano Bellincampi ( music director of the Danish National Opera ) and a tight, pared-down house band. Up on stage, tremendous fun. In the audience, rapt attention - because we were hearing an old favourite done in a new way ( a McKinsey Building rather than 1 St.Thomas ). Changes in tempo, the violin by turns scratchy, abrupt, and quietly sweet - the whole shebang.
My only criticism: the intermission divided Spring and Summer from Autumn and Winter.
The evening began with Respighi's Ancient Airs and Dances and ended with his The Pines of Rome ( the full band made a helluva racket with that one ).
Go if you get the chance.
Roy G Biv
Senior Member
I'm going tonight. I think I was in attendance for a Pekka performance last year (or the year before)... You never forget Finnish violinists. I also remember a recent performance of Pines Of Rome, and I remember it being boisterously good. My sister is accompanying me tonight (she's a classical music virgin), so all of this should bode well.
Don Giovanni-
All in all, it was an enjoyable performance: not spectacular, but better than average. It helped that Polegato carried the whole production on his back with an amazing performance; his voice and acting blew me away. Too often we see a B-list, has-been, fat Euro-star twitch his/her way through a lead role... this was refreshing. With Mozart being Mozart, the music was great, and handled competently by those in the pit. Opinions on the set were polarized, but I liked it a lot. The costumes were kind of odd at times, but not distracting. Unfortunately, Virginia Hatfield was sick, but her understudy did an admirable job.
War & Peace next week.
Urban Shocker
Doyenne
You'll give us a review, too, I hope?
I think Polegato's acting was crucial to the success of the final ten minutes of the Don; I hate to think what could've transpired if a lesser thespian had been lurching around atop that table. Seeing him driven mad by those he'd wronged was a plausible enough ending, perhaps more so than the traditional one - being attacked by a statue and dragged down to hell.
The season's nicely under way. I'm off to see Kitt Johnson at the Enwave at Harbourfront tomorrow night. I wish we had a livelier local dance scene, though being a performing arts centre the touring world doesn't exactly ignore Toronto.
I think Polegato's acting was crucial to the success of the final ten minutes of the Don; I hate to think what could've transpired if a lesser thespian had been lurching around atop that table. Seeing him driven mad by those he'd wronged was a plausible enough ending, perhaps more so than the traditional one - being attacked by a statue and dragged down to hell.
The season's nicely under way. I'm off to see Kitt Johnson at the Enwave at Harbourfront tomorrow night. I wish we had a livelier local dance scene, though being a performing arts centre the touring world doesn't exactly ignore Toronto.
TonyV
Senior Member
I really ought to start going early to get the pre-opera stuff. Hopefully I can do that for the Mozart which we will see on the 28th. And I sure would like to meet Mr. Neef. Thanks to my friends here for prompting me!
Re. the Prokofiev, a favourite performer did surface for me, in the lead female role of Countess Natasha Rostova: soprano Elena Semenova. Fabulous voice and projection, and acting talent, and a beauty. Russel Braun, the male lead, was her equal, but I must confess to a soft spot for the female roles in opera. Call me sexist.
This score has everything: sound explosions with full chorus and orchestra, soft passages, areas where they underscore singers in amazing ways, it's a wonderful thing by one of my favourite composers.
Speaking of beauties, the conductor, Johannes Debus, is so handsome he ought to learn to blush about it.
I love the rename of this thread -- "Urban Shocker's Neighbourhood Watch". Catchy!
Re. the Prokofiev, a favourite performer did surface for me, in the lead female role of Countess Natasha Rostova: soprano Elena Semenova. Fabulous voice and projection, and acting talent, and a beauty. Russel Braun, the male lead, was her equal, but I must confess to a soft spot for the female roles in opera. Call me sexist.
This score has everything: sound explosions with full chorus and orchestra, soft passages, areas where they underscore singers in amazing ways, it's a wonderful thing by one of my favourite composers.
Speaking of beauties, the conductor, Johannes Debus, is so handsome he ought to learn to blush about it.
I love the rename of this thread -- "Urban Shocker's Neighbourhood Watch". Catchy!
Urban Shocker
Doyenne
It makes me sound like a cross-dressing Mister Rogers ( watch out kiddies, he's hiding behind the lace curtains ).
It'll almost certainly change again. If my former co-regent returns we can call it "AP and US's Restoration Comedy Hour".
I'm profoundly humbled that the thread has more views - and far more replies - than "New ride at Wonderland". I'll be signing 8 by 10 glossies in the lobby later.
It'll almost certainly change again. If my former co-regent returns we can call it "AP and US's Restoration Comedy Hour".
I'm profoundly humbled that the thread has more views - and far more replies - than "New ride at Wonderland". I'll be signing 8 by 10 glossies in the lobby later.
Urban Shocker
Doyenne
Thanks, possum.
Love the polka dot floors.
Love the polka dot floors.
Roy G Biv
Senior Member
Pekka brought the house down last night. He really brought something unique to one of the best known classical pieces in history. One of the violinists broke a string, and Pekka managed to notice, and acknowledge it without missing a note.
The small arrangement for Vivaldi vs. the all-out army for Respighi provided a nice juxtaposition.
Pines of Rome was a nice ending. I still cannot fathom how the woman next to me managed to snooze through the ending.
The small arrangement for Vivaldi vs. the all-out army for Respighi provided a nice juxtaposition.
Pines of Rome was a nice ending. I still cannot fathom how the woman next to me managed to snooze through the ending.
Urban Shocker
Doyenne
Perhaps she was bored out of her skull, or shagged out for other reasons. What has creative value isn't defined by those who don't get it, though. Respighi may not have been brilliantly original, but the Pines is nevertheless a lush, atmospheric, late-Romantic wallow.
Polegato was interviewed on CFMZ last night. He sees the Don as an American Psycho sort of character. He pointed out the lameness of the ending - the forces of respectability crow about the naughty, naughty, dead Don and all is made right with the world - and thinks the opera-going public enjoys the Don for his lack of hypocrisy. I think Mozart trowelled on the cloyingly moralistic ending for just that reason, and it keeps those who actually buy into it happy as well.
Polegato was interviewed on CFMZ last night. He sees the Don as an American Psycho sort of character. He pointed out the lameness of the ending - the forces of respectability crow about the naughty, naughty, dead Don and all is made right with the world - and thinks the opera-going public enjoys the Don for his lack of hypocrisy. I think Mozart trowelled on the cloyingly moralistic ending for just that reason, and it keeps those who actually buy into it happy as well.