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Before the summer break that looms ahead, and before people enjoy
everything that hot weather has to offer, there is always one last
major attempt to end an art season with major works of importance
before announcing the treats for the next season. It is not an end
in itself but also serves to bring people to the city. It is not
only good for the soul, it is also good for business, and business
is what we all need.
As we recently heard, the tourist trade in Canada is in need of
a boost, a big boost. The entire travel trade has changed all over
the world. Peoples habits have not changed so much as the methods
by which they choose places to go to and how they go there, and
what they will do there. Altered monetary values and higher traveling
costs make some folks more likely to look closer to home for interesting
places to see and explore.
In Toronto the choices are always great. If someone does not have
a clue all he/she has to do is go down to Harbourfront and something
of interest in the vast offering will be there to please even someone
with a sense of adventure. There certainly is always something for
an art lover. In fact there is a lot of art in Toronto. As a metropolis
Toronto offers not only the common place type of entertainment that
is expected, but also internationally renowned fare. May it be ballet
or symphony, international artists are performing or being interpreted
all the time.
Even the more eclectic tastes of various cultural interests from
the far places of the planet can be seen and heard in major venues.
Karel Gott at Roy Thomson Hall
 Thus is was not a big surprise to be going to a concert in Roy
Thomson Hall featuring Karel Gott, who has enjoyed a singing career
for over 40 years in Europe and many other places in the world.
He has performed as the golden voice of Prague in his homeland,
in Germany and many other European countries; but his career also
took him to North America, including Las Vegas. Wherever he goes
he sings in a sold out hall, even Carnegie Hall.
 After 41 years he came back to Canada, giving 3 concerts: one each
in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal.
Roy Thomson Hall, Toronto’s most prestigious venue, was hopping
with his fans that did not want to let him go. He obviously enjoyed
the adoration and was prepared for many encores. He sang in Czech,
German, Russian and English, truly something for everyone. He sang
many different styles, including operetta,
 and also interpreted
some of the great voices of our times. Best of all were his Elvis
Presley renditions. The audience could hardly contain itself.
It was truly amazing to see such a seasoned performer still delivering
in such a powerful way. If there is any critique warranted it is
simply that too much Czech was spoken, not only by him, -but we
do understand!- but also by the M.C.
Karel Gott,
the band and the audience |
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 That music really does not require a lot of words became clear when
Felix Slovacek, saxophonist and clarinetist extraordinaire delivered
a few solo tunes that would knock any jazz fans socks off! The rest
of the band was also noteworthy.
Alvin Ailey at the Sony
Centre
The Sony Centre has become a terrific venue for out of town big
events such as Swan Lake on Ice, which we saw a month earlier, and
Alvin Ailey- American Dance Theatre.
To celebrate the dance theatre's 50th anniversary a special
program was created that started with a video introduction before
actually dance in the most unique style of this company graced the
stage. There has not been a full blooded dancer that would not want
to perform with this group, as the testimonials attested to. We
saw innovative pieces and a world premiere by Camille A. Brown.
The Firebird by legendary European choreographer Maurice Bejart,
a new production of Alvin Ailey’s, was to die for.
Wherever this company tours there are sell out shows to tell of
the innovative approach that calls dance fans in droves to the theatre.
We only wish that the Sony centre would improve on the acoustics
in the hall. Otherwise the event was extremely memorable.
For other happenings go to
www.sonycentre.ca
The Sound of Austria
"The Sound of Austria" was the topic of a
concert held by the Toronto Choral Society. This Community Choir
is 160 years old and features 120 singers, since 1994 under the
Baton of Geoffrey Buttler , the artistic director, who also conducts
North 44 and The Street Haven Women’s Choir. This triage is a unique
community venture in the best of all traditions that make a society
a responsive instrument of its community.
 Geoffrey Butler put together an astounding and very sophisticated
choral program, interspersed with solo performances, which highlighted
the sound of Austria, starting with motets and the Te Deum by Anton
Bruckner. This difficult and demanding work was astoundingly well
performed by the choir, especially since it is a non-auditioned
choir and rather large with 129 voices.
 The nuances of various passages,
the pianissimos as well as the crescendos were executed with amazing
precision, causing Goosebumps and other phenomena of the delightful
feeling of overwhelm from the sheer beauty of it.
 The second half of the program was enhanced further with a narration
by Sybille Forster-Rentmeister, who chose, rather than delivering
the customary musical history lesson, to evaluate each performance
piece as to its relevancy in our lives and with personal philosophical
musings.
A quote from Friedrich von Schiller spoke about the ability and purpose
of true art to set an individual free, not just monetarily but permanently.
Sacred Music by Mozart was followed by lighter fare and the soloists
delighted the audience with a special performance of The Erlkoenig,
written by Johan Wolfgang von Goethe and composed by Franz Schubert.
The narration of the text was sung with great emotion in a beautiful
alto voice by Adrian Albu. The father was sung with a rich baritone
by Andrew Tees, tenor Keith Klassen sang the alluring Erlkoenig,
and the child was sung by Giovanna Carina and her clear as a bell
soprano.
| The Soloists |
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Giovanna Carini also garnered much applause for her rendition
of Vilia,from Franz Lehar’s Merry Widow, touching that chord in
every immigrant’s heart that has a homeland to remember. Other favorites
invited to hum along, but the audience did in fact sing by invitation
to balance the books of incoming and outgoing sound a famous North
American song: Edelweiss from the Sound of Music. No harm
done here, because the story is decidedly Austrian, as we all remember
the many members of the von Trapp family and their flight to America.
The song also served as an encore after the last bars of Vienna,
City of my Dreams, and a bit of a history lesson of this most cultural
and charming city had disappeared into the rafters of the Eastminster
United Church, the home of the Toronto Choral Society.
| The Toronto Choral Society |
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Much applause was the appropriate acknowledgement for such fine
efforts on behalf of the choir, its artistic director and the solo
performers.
Anyone interested in joining the choir or wanting to learn more
about this great institution can peruse the options on a website:
www.torontochoralsociety.org
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