Browsing: La Scena Online

La Scena Online is the digital magazine of La Scene Musicale.Contents: News, Concert reviews, CD reviews, Interviews, Obituaries, etc; Editor: Wah Keung Chan; Assistant Editor: Andreanne Venne
ISSN: 1206-9973

Deservedly, Don Carlos (1867) enjoys a reputation as one of Verdi’s finest operas, rivaled only by his two final works, Otello (1887) and Falstaff (1893). It’s a colossal piece, Verdi’s longest, and among the most demanding of his operas in terms of casting. Initially premiered in Paris in French, the five-act opera was soon condensed to four acts in Italian. That edition became the standard, until the French version started to reappear in the 1990s. Though the Italian Don Carlo is still much more commonly performed than the original French, the original Don Carlos has gained popularity. It can be…

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On Apr. 6, Orchestre classique de Montréal (OCM) and Jeunesses Musicales Canada (JMC) delivered a delectable treat with Opéra-bonbon: L’aventure gourmande d’Hansel et Gretel, a 60-minute operatic initiation for young audiences that managed to entertain, educate, and enchant in  equal measure. Adapted and narrated in French, the show reimagines the iconic fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel,  enriched with musical additions, including selections from Humperdinck’s own Hänsel und Gretel, as well as works by Beethoven, Handel, Mozart, and Bizet. Pascal Blanchet’s adaptation is a highlight: brisk, witty, and perfectly paced to keep even the youngest minds engaged from  start to…

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Many cities, in addition to well-funded professional orchestras, boast ensembles that consist of musicians playing at a professional level, but who, for one reason or another, decided to pursue professions outside of music. These ensembles vary greatly in terms of quality (as do “professional” orchestras). One that deserves wider recognition, that produces concerts of a consistently high standard, is Sinfonia de Montréal, which celebrates its 25th Anniversary next year. Louis Lavigueur, artistic director since its inception, is one of Québec’s most respected and admired musicians. He demonstrated exactly what can be achieved with modest means, thanks to imaginative programming and…

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It may be a bit early in springtime to be nominating an Album of the Year, but I’ll be very surprised if any release in the next eight months makes me sit up and take note with such awe and excitement as this absolute cracker from the Dutch label Pentatone. The composer turned 99 two months ago. He has been writing this piano series – the Hungarian title means ‘Games – since 1973, adding fresh episodes every now and then. There are 75 complete movements to this suite and another ten in manuscript. Kurtág may yet have more up his…

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The Women’s Musical Club of Toronto’s Music in the Afternoon series continued at Walter Hall on April 3rd with a song recital by soprano Midori Marsh and pianist Frances Armstrong. The theme was “sisters,” with each set designed to explore a particular aspect of sisterhood. The first set dealt with religious sisterhood. It began with the duet, Bone Jesu, fons amoris, by the Benedictine nun Chiara Margarita Cozzollani for which Midori was joined by mezzo-soprano Alex Hetherington. It’s a very lovely piece which sounds more polyphonic than two voices should. The blend was excellent too, with just the right difference…

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Hockey stories for voice(s) and jazz ensemble Last February, at the Prix Opus gala, double bassist and composer Hugo Blouin was awarded the prize for best jazz concert of the year by the Conseil québécois de la musique for his project Sport national. Most music lovers first encountered Blouin in 2018 with Charbonneau ou les valeurs à’ bonne place, his tour de force musical adaptation of the famous public inquiry into corruption vis-à-vis contracts in the construction business. In it, the bassist transformed some of the most memorable (and often hilarious) quotes from testimonies into some remarkably challenging, refreshing and…

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Marc Boucher, founder and artistic director of Festival Classica, is a man with wide open ears. “An artistic director,” he says, “should listen to a lot of music. …I even listen to heavy metal.” The diversity of Boucher’s musical taste is reflected in Festival Classica’s programming. This year, performances include symphonic arrangements of Beatles songs, newly composed tangos for cello and bandoneon (a concertina-like instrument), as well as a variety of classical and contemporary operas. Past editions of Festival Classica took place in Montreal as well as in the Montérégie region of Quebec. This year, the Montérégie region will be…

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The most influential Irishman in the history of music is not Bob Geldof, Bono, Sinead O’Connor or the Dubliners, all of whom are famous as influenza, but a fairly obscure piano salesman who awoke a sub-continent to its creative potential. John Field was born in Dublin in 1782 to Anglican parents who took him to London to work for Muzio Clementi, Beethoven’s publishing partner and piano dealer. As a rep for the wealthy Clementi, Field travelled to Paris and Vienna before settling in St Petersburg, where he starred at the new-founded Philharmonic Society. Field gave three piano lessons to Mikhail…

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In these troubling moments, music brings us what the news doesn’t. There is nothing ‘fake’ here”. Thus, a characteristically engaging Yannick Nézet-Séguin announced what he called “one of my favourite programs”: three chronologically close works, united by their shared tonality (C). The three Cs reminded me of the “Communication, collaboration and commitment” mantra of motivational speakers; add competence, confidence and consistency, and you have a fair summary of this outstanding Orchestre Métropolitain concert (heard on March 26). The Overture No. 3 by Emilie Mayer, dubbed ‘the Female Beethoven’ in her time, had as much Rossinian warmth and Mendelssohnian youthfulness as…

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La Scena is sad to learn of the passing of tenor Alain Nonat on Dec. 31, 2024 at the age of 82. Alain was a good friend of singers and La Scena Musicale. We include below his official obituary and the last article we wrote on Jeunes Ambassadeurs Lyriques (JAL) organized by Théâtre Lyrichorégra 20 (TL20). We offer our condolences to his family. Update March 27, 2025 The funeral will take place on Saturday, March 29, 2025 at Saint-Édouard Church in Montreal, at the top of 425 Beaubien East, Montreal.  The family will receive condolences starting at 1 p.m. A…

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