Academy Concert Series Revies

Nicolai,

I'd like to thank you and your colleagues for putting on such a fine performance last Saturday.

The period instruments blended well together and had a light-toned elegance that was entirely suited to the compositions being played. It is hard to pick a favourite moment, but I truly enjoyed the d'Alayrac duet you played with Anthony Rapaport. Anthony has a light deft bow arm and a performance style that belies the viola's reputation as the so-called 'dull dog' of the stringed instruments. His playing was anything but dull, actually quite inspiring and totally beguiling. Your own playing of the clarinet part was wholly admirable and had some delightfully subtle phrasings.

In the other pieces Sharon Burlacoff played some delightfully light, scintillating passage work on her period piano. Robin Howell provided solid support on his bassoon. Everybody got to play short cadenzas which I thought added nicely to the excitement of the evening (and how often do we get to hear a bassoon cadenza?).

I would also like to thank you for playing some seldom heard repertoire and some seldom heard composers. It's interesting to hear pieces by composers that were working at the same time as and even influencing Mozart and Haydn, as you pointed out in your opening remarks. It gives an interesting perspective on the compositions of the great composers and also gives the listener background knowledge on the sort of thing that was being written at the time and the sound of the instruments that were being played on during the period. The composers were well-chosen and provided some very well-crafted compositions, worthy of being heard more frequently.

Keep up the good work. I must say that, for a mere $17, the Academy Concert Series is one of the best buys in town.

Best regards - Kimball Quigley

The last event in the 2008-2009 season’s Academy Concert Series, last Saturday’s performance titled "Inspired by Greece" was a fascinating look at modern interpretations of classical Greek music, running the gamut from sorrowful laments to the upbeat tempos of traditional dances. Presented by early-music enthusiast, composer and expert woodwind instrumentalist Nicolai Tarasov, the concert series has aimed to present its music in as authentic a way as possible, even to the point of using period instruments or accurate recreations. Featuring Tarasov on clarinet, piano by Russian-trained Alexander Kats and violin by Greek performer Jani Papadhimitri, it was a highly skilled performance that succeeded in creating an emotional connection to the lives, loves and sorrows of the people of ancient Greece. Performed in the heart of Greektown at the stately Eastminster Church, the austere oak panels and simple setting let the background fade away as the music took hold.

Despite the rainy evening, the concert was very well attended and with a diverse audience that ranged from young families, to elegant older chaps in suits, and even a group of young men barely out of their teens hanging out in the upper balcony in rock t-shirts (perhaps being uncharacteristically reverential).

The origins of many of the pieces stretched back nearly two thousand years, to the stone stages of ancient Greek tragedies, to the windswept Apollonian shrine where the Delphic oracle resided, and the rustic hillsides that inspired soft pastoral tributes. Surprisingly, the compositions themselves were all of very modern vintage, with the oldest among them – "Three Greek Dances", by Russian composer Oleg Grebenshikov – just a "baby boomer" born in 1960. "Three Greek Dances" and the first piece of the evening, the bright "Aegean Dances" by English composer Edward Watson, were both broad interpretations of the same theme, using the classic tempo found in the dancing sequences of the choruses of ancient Greek tragedies. The most upbeat pieces of the evening, even the Dances contained notes of melancholy that blended well with the rest of the programme.

The elegiac "Threnos", one of Tarasov’s own compositions for clarinet and piano, was based on some of the most ancient music of the evening – a "threnody" or hymn dedicated to the deceased, dating from 200 AD. Powerfully sad yet without the despair often present in funereal compositions, he described the piece as written in the Dorian mode, the voice of one who meets misfortune with strength and discipline.

For me, the standout piece of the evening was the violin and piano composition "Epirus Rhapsody", a creation of the violinist Papadhimitri and a stunningly gorgeous piece of music with its origins in the mountains and valleys of Northern Epirus. Based on a heartbreaking lamentation traditionally sung by a group of women, the exchange of violin for their mournful voices made for a highly emotional and moving work.

Having already presented concerts in authentic Baroque and Soviet-era styles, Tarasov says it was a natural step to look to the melodies of ancient Greek. As he reminded the audience when introducing the evening’s programme, "music" itself is a Greek word, deriving from the term for arts governed by the Nine Muses. What more perfect culture than Greece for exploring the potential and continuing relevance of beautiful early music?

Alexis Papas, from Greek and Czech parents is the Director of Operations for a luxury real estate firm, a magazine editor and widely-published writer. With a background in International Relations and experience in grass-roots politics, she brings a diverse voice to the English section of the Greek Press. Alexis volunteers her time as a director of the Hellenic-Canadian Board of Trade.

January 19, 2008 8 p.m. Eastminster United Church

There have been many prodigies in the history of classical music, but few of them revealed their gift as early and spectacularly as Felix Mendelssohn. Last weekend on Saturday night at the Academy Concert Series’ presentation of “Felix the Happy”, his music once again worked its magic, igniting players and listeners alike when the Windermere String Quartet and fortepianist Sharon Burlacoff performed this exciting programme of early Mendelssohn masterpieces.

The concert began with an impassioned performance of Mendelssohn’s Viola Sonata by Anthony Rapoport and Sharon Burlacoff. The Sonata does not always receive such a splendid interpretation as it did on Saturday. Both players sounded very confident, neither aggressive nor indulgent, presenting melodic lines nicely accentuated and keeping accompaniment lightly and beautifully flowing.

The programme proceeded with Mendelssohn’s String Quartet Op.13 performed by the entire Windermere String Quartet. The Mendelssohn quartets, particularly the earlier ones, often stress the first violin's role, and Rona Goldensher made her every solo and leading part striking, thanks to her beautiful sound and fluent virtuosity. She was perfectly supported by the prominent resonance of the lower voices – cello played by Laura Jones and viola by Anthony Rapoport - which brought both warmth and detail to the interpretation. In fact, warm sonority - wonderfully blended, rounded, and full – is a noticeable component of the ensemble's signature sound. Altogether, the playing was brilliant with good balance and sense of proportion. A great musician once wrote that a string quartet performance is the most glorious music-making experience, and Saturday night it was difficult to be a different opinion.

Following intermission came Mendelssohn’s Piano Quartet in B minor Op.3, a chamber work which, unfortunately, is seldom heard in live performances. What was instantly very convincing about Saturday’s performance was the lightness and clarity of the playing. Sharon Burlacoff was most impressive in the piano part, where she tossed off difficult finger work with ease. The group’s performance overall was vigorous, energetic, and precise. Inspired and passionate, it would be hard to imagine an interpretation more satisfactorily done. And if Felix could have been in the audience that night, he would have been very happy!

by Geoff Ferguson

The trio Kats-Papadhimitri-Tarasov made its debut in April 2005 and, on February 17^th of this year, we encountered these musicians in the Academy Concert Series seasons once again. The group has a reputation for coming up with innovative programmes, and last night was no exception. This time, it was Stravinsky’s chamber music. Congratulations to the trio on its choice of pieces - it was one of the most effective stylistically-linked programmes.

The concert got off to a strong start, following the old wisdom that you have to capture your audience in the first few seconds. Pianist Alexander Kats, who started the programme with his solo performance of the Petrouchka Suite, put the audience on the edge of their seats. Playing with great commitment and passion, he captured the spirit of this glorious composition with great skill. It was truly a demonstration of Russian Piano School in full swing and, frankly, I never heard the old church’s Yamaha grand resonating like that. Listeners were so delighted by Kats’ sound that, at intermission, I overheard one concertgoer exclaim: "It didn’t sound like a piano. When I closed my eyes, it sounded like an ORCHESTRA!"

The Russian Maiden’s Song was a pleasant contrast to the rich sonority of the opening piece. Originally arranged by Stravinsky for violin, it was performed on clarinet by Nicolai Tarasov with much sensitivity and personal flair. It was a very convincing performance, fully justifying the change of the instrumentation.

November 11th, 2006, 8 p.m. Eastminster United Church

The Windermere String Quartet (Rona Goldensher and Geneviève Gilardeau, violins; Anthony Rapoport, viola; and cellist Laura Jones) made its Academy Concert Series debut in 2005 and since then the group has made several appearances at Academy programmes.

This year they opened the Academy Concert Series season with the all-Schubert programme. The group introduced the programme with the invigorating Quartettsatz (Quartet Movement) of 1820, Schubert’s undertaking of a work more dramatic than any he had written until then. The quartet’s playing style was focused on the intensely emotional aspect of this music, making the performance sound deeply personal. Their fine tone was well balanced and their dynamic contrasts, especially in the sforzando chords and rising scales, were excellent, as was the group's intonation. The quartet built up plenty of momentum and drama, demonstrating at the same time a sense of concerted attack and strong control.

For the Piano Trio in E flat Major, violinist Rona Goldensher and cellist Laura Jones were joined by guest soloist fortepianist Sharon Burlacoff. These musicians have been playing together for several years, and it showed in the well-blended tone, flawless ensemble playing and smoothly synchronized interaction. They favoured lively tempos and sharp accents, which emphasized the drama alongside the melodic beauties of this glorified Schubert work. The piano tone was full and rich, the violin was well-projected and mellow, and the slow movement was beautifully sung by cellist Laura Jones. This was an accomplished performance, and the group neatly captured the great beauty of melody and harmony throughout this work.

While Schubert’s Trout Quintet composition has not lacked fine performances, the Windermere Quartet’s interpretation of this piece was a particular success, both smoothly gracious and musical. The ensemble builds through the introduction to the opening allegro with a sure sense of where the music wants to go, and continues with lively rhythms and excellent balances. Played by Alison Mackay, the doublebass had presence but never weighed the players down. The group brought particular energy to the scherzo and characterized the "Trout" variations extremely well. Sharon Burlacoff’s fluent pianism was a distinct plus; her rounded tone and precise articulation reflected her solid early fortepiano credentials. Other pluses included the warmth and poetry of the interpretation, the tonal beauty of the strings, and the detailed characterization of each of the variations of the "Trout" theme. A very fine and attractive performance.

by Paul Rose