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The Toronto Consort performs at TIFF Bell Lightbox in Essential Cinema series Sept. 28 + 29 Launches 2010-11 Season on October 15 + 16 Highlights include The Marco Polo Project - Part II, Barbara Furtuna from Corsica and Constantinople from Montreal
“The music was balanced and period-perfect. The whole effort felt authentic in a natural, unforced way … Music Director David Fallis is a magician.” —Toronto Star Toronto, September 16, 2010 —The Toronto Consort launches its 2010-11 season, its 38th year of outstanding period music. As one of Canada’s premiere period music ensembles, The Toronto Consort is known for inventive programming by Artistic Director David Fallis that breathes life into the music of the Middle Ages, Renaissance and early Baroque. This season’s concerts offer a wide range of contrasts: The Ambassadors, a words-and-music exploration into the world of Renaissance envoys; Praetorius Christmas Vespers, a beloved seasonal ritual by a master of the early Baroque; The Marco Polo Project — an exotic musical journey with special guests Suba Sankaran and Sampradaya Dance Creations; a concert featuring two guest ensembles: the Corsican vocal ensemble Barbara Furtuna and Montreal’s Constantinople in a program titled Canti di a Terra; and Songs of the Celestial Sirens, featuring the Consort’s own virtuoso female singers performing music by women composers of the Renaissance. 2010-11 subscriptions and single tickets are available through the box office at (416) 964-6337, and online at www.torontoconsort.org The Toronto Consort performs at TIFF Bell Lightbox in Essential Cinema series The Toronto Consort goes to the movies! At 8:00 pm on September 28 and 29, David Fallis conducts The Toronto Consort and Choir 21 in association with Soundstreams in performances of Richard Einhorn's 1994 oratorio Voices of Light. The musicians will accompany two screenings of Carl Theodor Dreyer's 1928 silent film masterpiece The Passion of Joan of Arc with a special version of Einhorn's haunting score adapted by the composer himself. This event is part of TIFF Cinematheque’s Essential Cinema, the inaugural show at TIFF Bell Lightbox. For details, visit the TIFF website. New this year: The Toronto Consort launches a Sunday Sampler series of two concerts at 3:30 pm. This introductory series is perfect for people who don’t know the Toronto Consort, or for concertgoers who prefer matinees. The Sunday Sampler includes the popular Praetorius Christmas Vespers on Sunday, December 12, 2010 and Songs of the Celestial Sirens on Sunday, May 8, 2011. 2010-11 SEASON AT A GLANCEThe Ambassadors
Renaissance ambassadors were astute chroniclers of cultural achievements, local customs and dramatic events. Bearers of lavish gifts, writers of secret dispatches and keen observers of courtly life, they were uniquely positioned to “gather intelligence” and many of their accounts describe music-making of the period. Alison Mackay, renowned for her fascinating programs combining words, music and images, creates this exploration into the intriguing world of 16th-century diplomats and the musical riches they encountered. The Consulate General of Spain is the October 15 Performance Sponsor. Praetorius Christmas Vespers “Pure sonic sensuality … the perfect antidote to tinny seasonal Muzak fraying our nerves these days.” —Toronto Star Back by popular demand! Praetorius Christmas Vespers is a jewel of the early Baroque based on the Lutheran church’s Vespers service. The Consort has recorded the work for Marquis Classics and revisits this Christmas service the way it might have been performed in a large church in 17thcentury Germany: singers, cornetti, sackbuts, violins, theorbos and keyboards will be positioned around the church and in the balconies. This early-baroque “surround-sound” experience is interwoven with Christmas carols sung by the audience and performers. Audiences have made the Praetorius Vespers a Christmas tradition, and past performances have sold out on a regular basis. The Marco Polo Project: Part II What tunes would Marco Polo have had on his iPod? The Toronto Consort answers that question with the sequel to its 2008 The Marco Polo Project — the ultimate east-meets-west jam session. The Consort is joined by two special guests: vocalist extraordinaire Suba Sankaran, and Sampradaya Dance Creations in a new work choreographed by Lata Pada. Together, they create an imaginary musical diary of the sounds Marco Polo might have encountered in the 14th century on his travels up the coast of India and back to his native Venice. Constantinople and vocal ensemble Barbara Furtuna in
This season, David Fallis has invited two guest ensembles to present an extraordinary meeting of musical cultures: Montreal’s Constantinople with Barbara Furtuna, the stunning vocal quartet from Corsica who specialize in the centuries-old traditions of Corsican singing. Canti di a terra takes us on a voyage from the heart of the Mediterranean and the mesmerizing vocal polyphonies of the sacred and secular songs of Corsica, to ancient Persia and medieval Europe. This presentation is made possible with the support of the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec. Songs of the Celestial Sirens For its 2010-11 season finale, The Toronto Consort presents Songs of the Celestial Sirens, a program of music from 17th-century Italy written by and for women. Much of this music was found in the convents of northern Italy, including the Convent of Santa Radegonda in Milan. The compositions of one of the sisters, Chiara Margarita Cozzolani, were performed by an ensemble of brilliant nuns dubbed the “celestial sirens”. So irresistible were their songs, they drew dangerously large crowds. The Consort’s own group of virtuoso female singers recreates this mysteriously powerful music. Generously supported by Vivian Pilar. Evening concerts begin at 8:00 pm and matinee concerts begin at 3:30 pm. All concerts take place
Media Contact: Luisa Trisi, Big Picture Communications (416) 481-1161 ltrisi@sympatico.ca © 2011, Toronto Consort |
The Toronto Consort
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