Tafelmusik digs into baroque and beyond with new dance video, commission, Tafel Talks, and more
Toronto, September 21, 2021 … Exciting new projects and partnerships are on the horizon at Tafelmusik as the 2021/22 digital season gets underway! In keeping with its quest to explore baroque and beyond while contributing to community life, Tafelmusik is launching a series of initiatives that include a newly commissioned family-friendly program called The Gull, the Raccoon, and the Last Maple; a Musik in Motion video with choreographer Hanna Kiel and recent graduates from The School of Toronto Dance Theatre for Culture Days; three new Tafel Talks panel discussions; and collaborations in partnership with Opera Atelier, Early Music Nova Scotia, Luther Village on the Park, and Ascend Pan-Asian Leaders Canada. These predominantly digital initiatives allow Tafelmusik to reach more people than ever before, complementing its 2021/22 season of eight full-length, newly recorded digital concerts that were announced on August 31.
Musik in Motion at Culture Days
Tafelmusik is thrilled to announce the return of Musik in Motion, its free series of collaborative videos produced by Puncture Design featuring local artists from diverse art forms. The latest installment premieres on September 24 at 7pm as part of Culture Days’ digital offerings, with Movement 1, In Studio, a new video featuring Dora Mavor Moore Award winning choreographer Hanna Kiel and recent graduates from The School of Toronto Dance Theatre — Charlotte Cain, Michael Rayson, and Kurumi Yoshimoto. Movement 1, In Studio is set to music from Tafelmusik’s 2019 recording of Antonio Vivaldi’s Concerto for bassoon in D Minor. Approaching the music as a landscape, Kiel’s choreography draws on the feelings that surfaced from the process. Culture Days runs from September 24 to October 24, 2021.
Café Countercultureat Ascend Pan-Asian Leaders Canada Annual Conference
Tafelmusik has been invited to participate virtually at the 2021 Ascend Pan-Asian Leaders Canada Annual Conference September 21 to 23, 2021. Conference delegates across Canada are invited to a screening of Café Counterculture, Tafelmusik’s baroque-to-folk hit digital concert created by Marco Cera, Andrew Downing, and Elisa Citterio. Founded in 2012, Ascend Canada partners with Canadian organizations to develop and advance Pan-Asian talent and enhance the visibility and influence of current and future Pan-Asian business leaders.
The Gull, the Raccoon, and the Last Maple
“No creature is an island, entire of itself; every creature is a piece of the continent.”
— John Donne
With music by Abigail Richardson-Schulte and words by Alexis Diamond, this contemporary fable commissioned by Tafelmusik for orchestra and narrator pits two of Nature’s most successful scavengers, the Gull and the Raccoon, against each other as they engage in a battle of wits over the Last Maple and the tiny slip of dry land upon which the tree sits. As the swirling waters rise and drenching storms threaten, the three must combine forces, harnessing their resourcefulness and adaptability —or perish. This special family-friendly program premieres as our Winter Social over the Family Day weekend in February 2022.
Tafel Talks 2021/22
Tafel Talks are thought-provoking conversations about the transformative role of music in our world today. At a time when we are all craving deeper connection, these lively online panel discussions navigate a wide range of intriguing topics and feature dynamic guest panelists and moderators from Toronto and beyond, with a viewer Q&A following each discussion. Exact dates, moderators, and panelists for each Tafel Talk will be announced shortly.
Baroque Feast: savouring the musical and culinary arts
Nov 2021
Tafelmusik’s name is the German term for the “table music” that was heard at feasts and banquets, so it’s no wonder that we are constantly drawn to the many connections between food and music! Expressive, dramatic, and full of contrasts, baroque music is the perfect vehicle to inspire everyone from the home cook to the Michelin-starred chef. What would a contemporary baroque-inspired feast look like in 2022, and more importantly, how would it taste? A conversation that explores the parallels between the musical and culinary arts while savouring the essence of all things baroque.
Rethinking Romanticism: a HIP take on 19th-century music
Feb 2022
Can historically informed performance (HIP) bring something new and vital to 19th-century music? Or should period ensembles should “stay in their lanes” and stick to baroque repertoire?
Until quite recently, the HIP movement focused mainly on music composed before 1750. Lately, a number of musicians have been using the HIP lens to explore later repertoire by romantic composers including Tchaikovsky and Dvorak, while other period orchestras have recorded symphonies by Bruckner and Mahler, and even Stravinsky. Our conversation explores the next exciting frontier of historically informed performance.
Remix culture and the concept of authenticity
April 2022
Some would argue that remix culture is nothing new. While the term refers specifically to recorded music, the concept behind remixes and the practise of adapting, sampling, borrowing, and re-arranging has been with us for a very long time, from Bach to bebop. As mashups become more popular than ever, they raise many questions about context, originality, authenticity, appropriation, and ownership. Our conversation explores these questions through a historical lens that takes us from the 18th century to the present day.
Remembering Jeanne Lamon
Two of Tafelmusik’s sister organizations will pay special tribute to the late Jeanne Lamon, Tafelmusik’s Music Director Emerita, who passed away in June 2021. Tafelmusik’s own tribute to Jeanne Lamon is being planned for the 2022/23 season.
Long-time collaborators Opera Atelier will dedicate the film premiere of their upcoming production, Angel, to the memory of Jeanne Lamon, Opera Atelier’s beloved friend, treasured colleague and collaborator for more than 35 years. Angel marks the culmination of composer Edwin Huizinga’s commission for the company in association with Associate Composer/Assistant Conductor Christopher Bagan. The 70-minute film features an international roster of artists led by Opera Atelier’s Artist In Residence – soprano Measha Brueggergosman, the Artists of Atelier Ballet, and Tafelmusik. In addition to Huizinga’s original compositions, the film includes music by William Boyce and Matthew Locke, as well as “Summer 1” and “Winter 1” by Max Richter, from Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi -The Four Seasons. Angel marks the first time Richter’s recomposition will be played on period instruments.
The opening event of Early Music Nova Scotia’s 2021/22 seasonfeatures a members’ screening of Four Seasons Mosaic, Tafelmusik’saward-winning documentary produced by Media Headquarters. In 2004, composer Mychael Danna (Life of Pi) joined forces with Tafelmusik and performers from India, China, and the Canadian Arctic to create a spectacular concert performance — a bold re-imagining of Antonio Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons featuring Wen Zhao (Chinese pipa), Aruna Narayan Kalle (Indian sarangi), and Aqsarniit (Inuit throat singers), along with Tafelmusik under the direction of Jeanne Lamon.
Watch for an announcement later this season regarding a special Tafelmusik screening of Four Seasons Mosaic.
Tafelmusik gratefully acknowledges the support of the Canada Council, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Toronto Arts Council.
Website: tafelmusik.org
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ABOUT TAFELMUSIK
Led by Music Director Elisa Citterio and Executive Director Carol Kehoe, Tafelmusik is an orchestra, choir, and experience that celebrates beauty through music of the past.
Founded over 40 years ago on the pillars of passion, learning, and artistic excellence, Tafelmusik continues to bring new energy to baroque music and beyond. Historically informed performances of 17th- to 19th-century instrumental and choral music (led by Chamber Choir Director Ivars Taurins) share the stage with vibrant, insightful multimedia programs, and bold new music written just for the group. Each piece is played on period instruments, underscored and illuminated by scholarship.
Through dynamic performances, international touring, award-winning recordings, and comprehensive education programs, Tafelmusik invites audiences to engage with beauty and experience the breadth of emotion music can inspire.
Media contact:
Luisa Trisi, Big Picture Communications, (416) 456-0499
luisa@luisatrisi.com | 427 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON M5S 1X7