Feb 10 at 8pm, Feb 11 at 2pm, Feb 12 at 3pm
“Throughout, Podger was an expressive treat, leading the players in interpretations
that combined strong phrasing held aloft with rhythmic vigour.”
—Ludwig van Toronto
Toronto, January 11, 2023 … Rachel Podger makes her long-awaited return as soloist and guest director in a program of classical symphonies and concertos. La Passione: Haydn & Mozart takes place at Jeanne Lamon Hall, Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre on Feb 10 at 8pm, Feb 11 at 2pm, and by popular demand, a third performance has been added on Feb 12 at 3pm. Tickets and information are available at tafelmusik.org. La Passione will be filmed for digital broadcast later this season.
“There is probably no more inspirational musician working today,” says Gramophone about Rachel Podger, whose sparkling Tafelmusik debut more than a decade ago left a lasting impression on musicians and audiences alike. Toronto audiences can experience her “astoundingly mature” affinity (Musicweb International) for the music of Mozart in the Violin Concerto no. 1 in B-flat Major, and the Rondo for violin in C Major.
Tafelmusik’s award-winning recordings of Haydn symphonies are widely admired, and this concert is anchored by one of the most dramatic, Symphony no 49. Nicknamed “La Passione,” the work epitomizes the Sturm und Drang style, a precursor to romanticism. Smouldering with intensity, Haydn’s symphony offers early glimmers of the romantic style that would eventually flourish decades later. By contrast, the composer’s witty Symphony no. 43 “Mercury” opens the program.
LISTING INFORMATION:
La Passione: Haydn & Mozart
Rachel Podger, guest director & violin soloist
Feb 10, 2023 at 8pm
Feb 11, 2023 at 2pm
Feb 12, 2023 at 3pm
Jeanne Lamon Hall, Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre
Tickets start at $25 and are available at tafelmusik.org
Tafelmusik gratefully acknowledges the support of BMO, Presenting Sponsor of the 2022/23 concert season and Guest Artist sponsors Alec & Joyce Monro. We are also grateful to our government partners, Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, and the Ontario Trillium Foundation, and to our Media Partner The New Classical 96.3 FM.
ABOUT RACHEL PODGER
“Rachel Podger, the unsurpassed British glory of the baroque violin,” (The Times) has established herself as a leading interpreter of baroque and classical music. She was the first woman to be awarded the prestigious Royal Academy of Music/Kohn Foundation Bach Prize (2015) and Gramophone Artist of the Year (2018). Rachel is the founder and Artistic Director of Brecon Baroque Festival and her ensemble Brecon Baroque.
Following an exciting and innovative collaboration, A Guardian Angel, with the vocal ensemble VOCES8, Rachel was thrilled to be one of the Artists in Residence at the renowned Wigmore Hall in 2019/2020. Alongside this, Rachel and Christopher Glynn released the world premiere of three previously unfinished Mozart sonatas as completed by Timothy Jones (2021). Their second disc together of three Beethoven Sonatas was released in March 2022. Upcoming recordings include a disc of solo repertoire along with a recording of C.P.E. Bach sonatas with fortepianist Kristian Bezuidenhout.
ABOUT TAFELMUSIK
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 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.
Website: tafelmusik.org
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Media contact: Luisa Trisi, Big Picture Communications
luisa@luisatrisi.com | 427 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON M5S 1X7