Nov 17 at 8pm, Nov 18 at 8pm, & Nov 19 at 3pm
Ivars Taurins, director
“The best period-performance choir anywhere in the world.” (Globe and Mail)
October 19, 2023 … Tafelmusik Chamber Choir inaugurates its 2023/24 Season with A Choral Kaleidoscope: from Monteverdi to Bach. Directed by Ivars Taurins, the concerts take place on Nov 17 at 8pm, Nov 18 at 8pm, & Nov 19 at 3pm at Jeanne Lamon Hall, Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre. Tickets are available at tafelmusik.org.
Taurins has curated some of his favourite works in this soundscape of 17th- and 18th-century European choral music—from the breathtaking originality of Monteverdi to the luminosity of Bach. Within this spectrum, the choir and orchestra explore a rich palette of contrasts encompassing the singular styles of several European baroque composers.
“I think ‘kaleidoscopic’ is the perfect description of the Tafelmusik Chamber Choir’s first program of this 45th anniversary season,” says Taurins. “We experience a prismatic array of musical styles as we visit Italy, France, England, and Germany through some of the greatest composers of the 17th and 18th centuries. Some, like Bach, Monteverdi, and Purcell, are well known, while others, like Lotti, Lalande, Rossi, and Steffani, show us that there are still many hidden musical treasures worthy of our listening ear.”
The Gloria from Claudio Monteverdi’s monumental Selva morale e spirituale opens the concert, which includes excerpts from two motets by Michel Richard de Lalande and sacred music by Venetian composer Antonio Lotti. Among the program’s hidden jewels is Shir hamma ‘allot. ‘Ashrei kol yere ‘adonai, an arresting a cappella setting of Psalm 128 by Jewish composer Salamone Rossi, sung in Hebrew.
No kaleidoscope of 17th-century vocal music would be complete without Henry Purcell, and the choir offers a sampling of pieces from three spheres of his work in London: the court, the town, and the theatre.
At the heart of A Choral Kaleidoscope is Bach’s motet “Jesu, meine Freude,” an intricately woven work that remains as compelling today as it was when it was first written 300 years ago.
LISTING INFORMATION:
A Choral Kaleidoscope: from Monteverdi to Bach
Nov 17 at 8pm, Nov 18 at 8pm, & Nov 19 at 3pm
Ivars Taurins, director
Jeanne Lamon Hall, Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre
Tickets start at $30 for the Nov 17 & 19 concerts, and $42 for the Nov 18 concert. Available at tafelmusik.org.
Website: tafelmusik.org
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Tafelmusik gratefully acknowledges the support of BMO, Presenting Sponsor of the 2023/24 concert season. We are also grateful to our government partners Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, and the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
ABOUT TAFELMUSIK
Tafelmusik is a world-renowned period orchestra and choir in the heart of Toronto.
Founded 45 years ago on the pillars of passion, learning, and artistic excellence, Tafelmusik brings a fresh perspective to baroque music and beyond. Historically informed performances of 17th- to 19th-century instrumental and choral music share the stage with exciting multimedia programs, bold new commissions, and intriguing cross-cultural collaborations. The orchestra plays on period instruments, and all performances are illuminated by scholarship. From dynamic live concerts at Jeanne Lamon Hall in Toronto’s historic Trinity-St Paul’s Centre and stunning Koerner Hall, to international tours, award-winning recordings, and inspiring education programs, Tafelmusik is a musical powerhouse with a reputation for thrilling and delighting audiences.
Media contact:
Luisa Trisi, Big Picture Communications
luisa@luisatrisi.com | 427 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON M5S 1X7