All posts by
HyesMusings

Image provided by Duo Corcentante

Fresh from a highly successful Carnegie Hall debut, Duo Concertante (Nancy Dahn, violin and Timothy Steeves, piano) celebrates its brand new Marquis Classics recording, Beethoven: Complete Sonatas for Violin and Piano. The 3-CD box set is currently available at Canadian and U.S. retailers.

Duo Concertante will make a short Toronto stop on April 22nd for a special celebration: an evening of live music, delectable conversation and friendly refreshments in the welcoming and informal atmosphere of Gallery 345. Duo Concertante will perform some Canadian music, a bit of Bach and of course, Beethoven!

Dahn and Steeves have a particular affinity for the music of the illustrious German composer. “We actually took our name, Duo Concertante  from the inscription over Beethoven’s “Kreutzer” sonata, which was the very first piece we played together”, they explain. “The inscription reads “in stile molto concertante,” with the implication being that the performers are two equal and dynamic voices, sometimes together and sometimes opposing each other, and that’s what we thought we wanted to become as a duo.”

This all-Beethoven CD box set – Duo Concertante’s sixth recording- was recorded at Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto (production, editing and mastering by David Jaeger; engineer and editing by Dennis Patterson).

Based at Memorial University in St. John’s (Newfoundland), Dahn and Steeves are dedicated teachers. In 2000, they founded the Tuckamore Chamber Music Festival, of which they are Artistic Directors. Definitely a treat to have such an energetic duo here in Toronto even if for a short stop!

Amitai Marmorstein and Celine Stubel Photo by Barbara Pedrick

In 2011, Atomic Vaudeville surprised Toronto theatre audiences with their sold-out run of Ride the Cyclone. Now comes the prequel: Legoland, currently playing at Theatre Passe Muraille.

Penny (Celine Stubel) and Ezra (Amitai Marmorstein) portray the infamous Lamb siblings, who in this installment are extradited to Canada after a brutal attack on one of America’s most beloved pop stars, Johnny Moon. At the request of Penny’s social worker, they give a presentation to their high school. It is here where we, the audience, learn of their trouble-filled journey, which began with their upbringing in a commune in Saskatchewan, to their time in a boarding school, to their trip across the U.S.A. in search of aforementioned pop star. Penny leads us through their journey, while Ezra provides us with other background details, and other comedic bits.

Stubel plays 16 year-old Penny in a manner I like to call ‘a bit extra’ by her own narration, and in the way she acts as well. Marmorstein plays the younger yet uber intelligent Ezra with great flare… not ‘over the top’ but an understated  yet very funny tone. Both actors excel in their delivery but Mamerstein’s is a stand out performance.

The set design is simple with a few props for the actors and puppets, yes, I said puppets. The story is told in vaudeville style (hence the name Atomic Vaudeville) with the use of ukulele, puppets, multi-media and gangster rap. Light and sound designs also add to the funny, punny and witty show. All the elements combine well to make this an absolute hoot!

Richmond’s written a play that is full of precociousness, and somewhat obnoxious tones. Stubel and Mamerstein do a good job in their pacing during this one-hour show. My companion for the night and I both enjoyed all the witty lines very much. We both laughed out loud many a times but agreed that for non-theatre fans this show may seem just “a bit much” in terms of the way it is written. Nonetheless, if ever you’ve felt like an outcast for being intelligent, being ‘different’, or simply well-read, and if you’re looking for a great evening of theatre, this show is for you. And just as FYI, I did not see Ride the Cyclone… You will miss nothing, if you’ve not seen it. All in all, I surely suggest seeing Legoland.

Amitai Marmorstein and Celine Stubel Photo by Barbara Pedrick

Shorts That Are Not Pants, Toronto’s quarterly short film screening series, returns to the Carlton Cinema with a very interesting selection featuring drunken babies, kung-fu babies, a stranded astronaut, a crooning truck driver in love, an encounter in the belly of a whale, just to name a few!

This latest installment will include short films from Canada, USA, UK Spain, Sweden, and Iceland. In total, there nine films in the series. Here are a few titles to pique your interest…

TYPESETTER BLUES
Dir: Hector Herrera
Canada – 2012
Beastly Bards is a collection of animated shorts featuring loveable monsters. Each short is a distinct piece, written in rhyming verse and inspired by the poetic styles of Edward Lear, Shel Silverstein and Robert Service. The animation features clean lines with a textural mixed-media approach and incorporates a classic mid-century modern esthetic. The shorts are narrated by some of the best voices of the Canadian stage and screen: Gordon Pinsent, Jayne Eastwood, and Kenneth Welsh.

VOICE OVER
Dir: Martin Rosete
Spain – 2012
A certain voice leads us through three extreme situations that are actually the same… Will we survive? From Luis Berdejo, the writer of REC and REC 3: Genesis comes this ten minute epic, which has screened at more than 80 film festivals around the world and picked up more than 30 awards.

DRAGON BABY
Dir: Patrick Boivin
Canada – 2012
In this Kill Bill-inspired short short, the filmmaker’s son Romeo takes on a stuffed dragon with some awesome kung-fu moves.

BELLY
Dir: Julia Pott
UK – 2011
I can feel you in my Belly… Oscar is coming of age, against his better judgment. In doing so he must experience the necessary evil of leaving something behind, but he can still feel it in the pit of his stomach.

THE PIRATE OF LOVE
Dir: Sara Gunnarsdóttir
Iceland – 2012
Daniel C, a truck driver, records an entire CD of ballads for Sherry. Can his music conquer his loneliness?

When asked how this series came together, curator James McNally explained “for the most part the programme seems to come together pretty organically. I saw a few of the films because I write for ShortOfTheWeek.com, while others came through our submission process. Another one was due to a connection with a guy who curates short films in Quebec…That one led to another one with a similar vibe from Sweden… So it’s not particularly scientific, but after I’ve locked the programme, I’m always happy that there seem to be some connections between the films”.

In the case of Shorts That Are Not Pants, I’d say this “organic” process works out perfectly. The great thing about short films is that you do not have to commit to an hour or longer to it. And when executed well, they leave you wanting for more…

Paloma Nuñez as Manuelita Photo by Alameda Theatre

Alameda Theatre Company continues its effort in bringing Toronto audiences stories that are reflective of Latin-American culture. Their latest production, Chile Con Carne, takes us back in time to Vancouver. Where we meet, eight-year-old Manuelita, whose family has recently moved here from Chile. Manuelita is determined to save Cedar, her tree. Inspired by her parents recent experience as political refugees from Chile, Manuelita recruits her new friends from school to campaign with her at all costs.

Chile Con Carne Set Design Photo by Heidy M.

This solo act is a very dark comedy, which not only paints a portrait of childhood innocence stained by political turmoil, disco dancing lessons, being an immigrant, and the struggle to fit in. Paloma Nuñez does a really wonderful job in portraying Manuelita’s own turmoil as well as her ups-and-downs. Children find ways to cope with trauma, be it their own or their families, and Manuelita is no different. Her wishes to fit in, wanting to be like her parents, wanting to look different are themes that drive this play.

The lighting, set design and music also add to the comedic yet tragic aspects of this story. The backdrop looks exactly like drawings we’d see in a grade four class… sunny and hopeful. On it, images of Chilean political leaders and Manuelita’s abuela (grandmother) are projected. These help the audience understand the underlying themes in this story. An excellent team effort, led by Marilo Nuñez.

On a personal note, I am not a child product of exiled parents. But I emigrated to Canada as a child and do remember what it was like being the ‘new kid’, not knowing how to speak the language very well, and trying to fit in as best as possible. Chile Con Carne may be set in a very specific time with specific cultural references; nonetheless, the characters, the story, and the themes cross the lines of culture. A look around the theatre confirmed my opinion that this story transcends the notions of culture… that it also encapsules humanity in a way that anyone can relate to Manuelita, her parents, their struggles, and their longing for their homeland. I also think this story is relevant today given that most of us occupy foreign lands.

Una nota personal: No soy producto del exilio pero conozco lo que es ser una niña imigrante… El no entender muy bien el idioma local, lo que es no pertencer aquí ni en mi país nativo. Esta obra, Chile Con Carne, presenta temas y realidades que han vivido muchos que por una razón u otra dejaron sus países. Manuelita, apenas de ocho años, nos explica muy bien lo que es sentirse extraño y triste en lugares desconocidos. Y a la vez, nos enseña que no debemos olvidar nuestros origines, nuestra familia; todo lo que forma parte de cada uno de nosotros. Se las recomiendo mucho.

Opera Atelier continues its season with a revival of Mozart’s wildly popular The Magic Flute. The Magic Flute is one of the most-performed operas worldwide. It is about a prince, Tamino, who is sent by The Queen of the Night to rescue her daughter Pamina from her nemesis Sarastro. Accompanied by the endearingly incorrigible Papageno and with the aid of a magic flute, the besotted Tamino ventures into the temple and quickly finds that all is not as it seems. An enchanting tale that delights audiences of all ages, The Magic Flute is perhaps Mozart’s greatest popular success.

The Magic Flute reunites several of the cast members from Opera Atelier’s 2006 production, including Colin Ainsworth as Tamino and Olivier LaQuerre as Papageno. They will be joined by Ambur Braid as The Queen of the Night, Carla Huhtanen as Papagena, Laura Albino as Pamina, and João Fernandes as Sarastro, as well as Aaron Ferguson, Eve McLeod, Cassandra Warner, Laura Pudwell and Curtis Sullivan with the full corps of the Artists of Atelier Ballet. The creative team includes director Marshall Pynkoski, choreographer Jeannette Lajeunesse Zingg, set designer Gerard Gauci, and lighting designer Kevin Fraser. Music Director David Fallis conducts the Tafelmusik Orchestra and Chamber Choir.

Given the story, the music, the costumes, and the dancing, I think this will certainly appeal to fans of all ages. The Magic Flute runs April 6th to the 13th at the elegant Elgin Theatre. It will be sung in English. Tickets are selling fast! For more info on tickets, performance dates and times, go to operaatelier.com.

In the meantime, I leave you with James Levine, the Met Orchestra, and The Magic Flute‘s Overture.

Cinéfranco celebrates its 16th anniversary with a wide variety of Francophone films for Toronto audiences. This year’s film line-up showcases many themes including women’s dignity, the plight of children, justice, and prison life to name a few.

This year, the Cinéfranco will bring some of the best in Francophone cinema with 3 World Premieres, 7 North American Premieres, 13 English Canadian Premieres and 2 Toronto Premieres and a showcase of 25 features, 1 documentary and 6 shorts.

As I often try to do, I like to suggest a few films for you to sample.

What the Day Owes the Night
Dir. Alexandre Arcady
Monday, April 8 – 6:30pm
Based on the novel by Yasmina Khadra, the film tells the story of little Younes, a helpless witness of his father’s fall to hell after his crops were criminally set on fire. Raised by his uncle, a pharmacist married to a Christian French woman, Younas renamed Jonas, grows up with the “roumis” (name given by Algerians to white Europeans) well-to-do youth… But the identity convulsions of French colonial Algeria will soon generate tragedies, dilemmas, unfulfilled love stories that will tear Younas’ life apart.

Les Invisibles (Documentary)
Dir. Sébastien Lifshitz
Wednesday, April 10 – 8:40pm
Co-Presented by Inside Out LGBT Film Festival and FrancoQueer
The film focuses on men and women born in between the two world wars. They bear the scars of their fight for sexual freedom in a country (France) that considered homosexuality as a mental illness until 1981. They tell their own stories with a disarming, touching and even poignant openness, humour and truthfulness.

Written Woman
Dir. Lahcen Zinoun
Saturday, April 13 – 1:30pm
Naïm, a renowned anthropologist, wants to make a film on beautiful Mririda, a Berber poet and courtesan who mesmerizes him. At the brothel where she used to go, Naïm is struck by the beauty, the sensuous tattoos of young prostitute Adjou. He immediately feels bound in his flesh and soul to Adjou, a kind of mirror image to Mririda. Adjou’s brutal murder triggers a police investigation. In his desperate search for truth, Naïm sways between a world of imagination and reality.

Welcome to Argentina
Dir. Edouard Deluc
Saturday, April 13 – 4:15pm
Two brothers, Antoine and Marcus, arrive in Argentina to go to their cousin’s wedding. But Antoine, the younger brother, has become depressed because of his marital problems. And Marcus strives to lighten him up. The film turns into a fun road-movie full of fresh, dynamic, crazy and also emotional experiences.

Ichi Bin Eine Terroristin
Dir. Valérie Gaudissart
Sunday, April 14 – 11:00am
At the tender age of 11 years and 3 months, Violette feels she is the guardian of the memory of Rosa Luxemburg, the great Marxist activist and German revolutionary. She runs away from home taking with her the ashes of her beloved communist grandmother and the book of the letters written in prison by Rosa.

Tango Libre (Closing Night Film)
Dir. Frédéric Fonteyne
Sunday, April 14 – 6:30pm
JC, an ordinary prison guard, meets Alice at his weekly tango classes. Attracted by the sensual woman, he is surprised to see her visiting two prisoners: Fernand, her husband and Dominic, her lover, both cell mates. Furious to learn his wife tangoes with the prison guard, Fernand ventures to ask the Argentinian boss for dancing lessons.

These are but a few suggestions. I always like to include at least one documentary, some drama, and of course at least some comedy. There are plenty more for you to enjoy, including the short film series screening on Saturday, April 6th. For full festival listings, visit cinefranco.com.

Firefighters, authors, storytellers and artists, media celebrities, and an award-winning video game developer all join Toronto Public Library to bring to life the 8th annual Keep Toronto Reading Festival this April.

This year’s city-wide celebration of reading will spotlight the One Book Community read: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. The themes of this timeless novel – media saturation, censorship, memory and storytelling — are explored at dozens of events in every neighbourhood. Highlights include:

• A Ray Bradbury legacy tribute, with writer Michael Rowe, filmmaker Bruce McDonald and others 
• Amusing Ourselves to Death: Are we dumbing down as a society, as Bradbury warned? With Mark Kingwell, Johanna Schneller, Sara Grimes and Nora Young 
• Book burning in the digital age, with John Ralston, Saul and Charles Foran 
• Dirty Comics: a look at censorship in comics

Plus screenings of the Francois Truffaut film, discussions at 43 book clubs across the city, and performances of passages from banned books.

There will also be some great activities for kids, including outreach events with officers from the Toronto Fire Department, where they’ll read their favourite stories at branches across the city. There will also be author readings, magic and crafts. Science fiction origami! Build your Own Firefighter Mascot!

Firefighters from Yorkville Fire Station 312 – Image by Toronto Public Library

And, in a continuing partnership with the Toronto District School Board, 1,000 students will be reading the book at 35 schools across the city.

In addition to events, Torontonians are invited to:

• Check out an exhibit of Ray Bradbury memorabilia, including first editions of Fahrenheit 451 and a rare edition of his poetry, at the Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Speculation and Fantasy at Lillian H. Smith Branch from April to June.
• Play the library’s first alternate reality game: KTR 451. Participants are invited to join the “Literary Resistance” on April 2 to prevent the dystopian future that Bradbury prophesized in Fahrenheit 451. They can call 647-931-1585 to be assigned three weekly missions that culminate in a live event on April 22.
• Join the TTC One Book Club. From April 2 to 21, Twitter users can respond to daily questions posted from @TorontoLibrary using the hashtag #OneBookTTC. Responses will be posted on Pattison Onestop Media subway screens across the city.
• Participate via social media: post a YouTube video answering the question “If the library were burning, which book would you save?” and tag your video as Keep Toronto Reading. Follow library staff and guest bloggers at torontopubliclibrary.ca.  And join the Library’s #TellTPL Twitter chat on April 10 about sci-fi and fantasy books.

Bloor/Glastone Library Branch – Image by Toronto Public Library

For complete festival information and event listings, go to keeptorontoreading.ca. Throughout the month of April, I’ll also try to post some of my favourite books here, as well as, on my Facebook, Twitter, and other social media pages. Now, go on, pick a favourite book, and set on an adventure… oh, and don’t forget to share!

Every year, the Toronto Silent Film Festival (TSFF) screens some of the world’s finest silent films. And every year these films are paired with music, improvised and played live by accomplished artists. This is my favourite way of seeing and experiencing this type of films… Not only am I transported back in time but in darkness, I’m also immersed in live music. This is the way I’ve discovered some classic silent films, which I now call favourites.

This year’s TSFF line up definitely includes some classics, for me, and is definitely diverse:

Thursday April 4th, 8pm
Passion of Joan of Arc, 1928 (France)
Director: Carl T. Dreyer
Cast: Renée Falconetti, Eugene Silvain, André Berley
Co-produced with Scaramella
Keynote Speaker: Alicia Fletcher



In 1928, Carl Theodor Dreyer turned the story of Joan of Arc’s final hours into one of cinema’s most profound works. And his star—stage actress Renée Falconetti—delivered what critic Pauline Kael later called the finest performance ever recorded on film.

This screening of The Passion of Joan of Arc will feature the world premiere of Tom Peter’s newly composed score, to be performed live by Tom Peters and Joelle Morton, Artistic Director of Scaramella.

Friday April 5th, 7:30pm
Tokyo Chorus, 1931 (Japan)
Director: Yasujiro Ozu
Cast: Tokihiko Okada, Emiko Yagumo, Hideo Sugawara, Hideko Takamine
Musical Interpretation: Laura Silberberg
Introduced by Chris MaGee, Shinsedai Film Festival

A man with a young family loses his job… Tokyo Chorus, the finest of Ozu’s surviving silents, blends delicacy, sensitivity, and farce, creating a film experience you will never forget.

Saturday April 6th, 4pm
The Crowd, 1928 USA)
Director: King Vidor
Cast: Eleanor Broadman, James Murray
Musical Interpretation: Laura Silberberg

John Sims, born on the 4th of July, seems destined for a future as promising as America’s own. But director King Vidor has other plans.

PLUS… The Best Films of TUFF 2012 (Toronto Urban Film Festival)

Sunday April 7th, 4pm
1000 Laffs: Slapstick Smorgasbord
Including: Laurel & Hardy, Charley Chase, Max Davidson, Roscoe Arbuckle, Harold Lloyd
Musical Interpretation: Fern Lindzon

This year’s Slapstick Smorgasbord celebrates the illogical logic that forms the unspoken rule of silent comedy, as enacted by the era’s greatest practitioners, including TSFF favourite Roscoe ‘Fatty’ Arbuckle, highly-embarrassed man-about-town Charley Chase, perpetually heroic & in-a-hurry Harold Lloyd, poor forgotten Max Davidson, and Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy.

Monday April 8th, 8pm
Toronto Theatre Organ Society presents a Mary Pickford Birthday Celebration
My Best Girl, 1927 (USA)
Director: Sam Taylor
Cast: Mary Pickford, Charles “Buddy” Rogers, Lucien Littlefield, Sunshine Hart
Musical Interpretation: Clark Wilson on the Mighty Wurlitzer Theatre Organ

My Best Girl was Pickford’s final silent film, and one of her greatest. The star’s talents, still at their peak, are further enriched by the cinematography of Charles Rosher, who was fresh from photographing Sunrise. This simple tale of love and laughs is one of the highlights of the late-silent period.

Tuesday April 9th, 7pm
The Railrodder, 1965 (Canada)
Director: Gerald Potterton
Cast: Buster Keaton

The General, 1926 (USA)
Directors: Clyde Bruckman, Buster Keaton
Cast: Buster Keaton, Marion Mack

This screening will be accompanied by Australia’s Viola Dana Quartet

Considered by most critics and fans to be Buster Keaton’s greatest achievement, The General’s array of sight gags, twists and turns have been blowing audiences away for nearly a century. A comedy that’s always on-track, The General is a must-see for anyone.

The films will be screened at different venues throughout Toronto. They include the Carlton Cinema, Innis Town Hall, the Fox Theatre, the Revue Cinema, and the historical Casa Loma. They are easily accessible and definitely provide a unique setting for each of these films. For ticketing and theatre information visit torontosilentfilmfestival.com.

Esprit Orchestra’s 30th Anniversary Season Finale concludes its 30th anniversary season with 30 AND COUNTING! The concert, featuring works by established and ascending Canadian stars along with iconic pieces in popular culture, takes place at Koerner Hall tonight, Thursday, March 28, at 8 pm.

This season finale combines the phenomenal energy of soloists Wallace Halladay (saxophone) and Ryan Scott (percussion) with Esprit’s musicians in the premiere of Burn, a virtuosic double concerto for saxophone, percussion and orchestra written for the occasion by Erik Ross. “To me, this piece is about purging our way through the transformations that we experience in our lives”, explains the composer. Ross has worked extensively with both soloists in the past. “The honesty, openness, and desire to produce “great art” that exists between them led to the creation of this concerto”, adds Ross.

Montrealer Denis Gougeon has been commissioned to compose a work to mark Esprit’s 30 years of commissioning, performing and promoting Canadian music. TUTTI signals the start of the orchestra’s next 30 years with fanfare. A colourful work, Gougeon’s piece is based on a few notes derived from the names ‘Esprit’ and ‘Alex Pauk’ – a tribute to the 30 years of Esprit Orchestra and its founding music director.

The evening also features two iconic pieces in popular culture specially arranged for Esprit: Purple Haze and the theme from The Twilight Zone. One of the most recognizable melodies in Western pop culture, the Twilight Zone theme was written for the original American TV series by Marius Constant, the Parisian composer and conductor of classical and contemporary music. Constant was also Alex Pauk’s friend and mentor. Invited to Toronto for an Esprit performance of his Nana Symphony in 1991, Constant made a special arrangement of his famous theme as a gift to Esprit.

Pauk was blown away when he first heard the Kronos Quartet (known for extending string quartet repertoire far beyond traditional boundaries) play Jimi Hendrix‘s Purple Haze in a special arrangement by American composer Steve Rifkin. Pauk immediately contacted Rifkin and asked him to adapt it for Esprit’s full string section. Esprit’s premiere of this wild version brought the house down in 1987; the piece was dubbed as one of “Esprit’s Greatest Hits”.

Always supporting composers of the young generation, Esprit will also present a performance of Alba for large orchestra by Zosha Di Castri, a young and gifted Canadian composer of international importance. Born in Calgary, Di Castri grew up in St. Albert, Alta. before moving to Montreal to complete her Bachelor of Music at McGill University; she is currently living in New York to pursue a doctorate at Columbia University. Di Castri is the recipient of the 2012 Jules-Léger Prize for new Chamber Music.