Toronto. October 11, 2011-  Already a two year recipient of the Bernard Diamant prize from the Canada Council, Canadian counter tenor Daniel Cabena has placed third is the International Baroque singing competition in Froville, France.

Mr.Cabena is currently based in Basel, Switzerland studying at the Schola Cantorum, an early music institute with a long history of graduating stars in the Baroque performance practice world. While Basel is his base, Mr.Cabena can be heard around Europe with various early music performance groups. This past summer heard him sing in Austria, The Netherlands, Belgium and of course in France.

Daniel has sung under the direction of Lydia Adams, Ashiq Aziz, Boris Brott, Robert Cooper, Howard Dyck, Noel Edison, David Fallis, Gary Kulesha, Kevin Mallon, Gerald Neufeld, Raymon Perrin and John Tuttle in Canada, and under the direction of Leonardo Garcia Alarcon, Hervé Niquet, Helmuth Rilling, Masaaki Suzuki and Dominique Vellard in Europe.  He has worked with, amongst others, Pax Christi Chorale, Chorus Niagara, the Ottawa Choral Society, the Guelph Chamber Choir, the Classical Music Consort of Toronto, the Toronto Masque Theatre, Scaramella, the Studio de Musique Ancienne de Montréal, and Les Violons du Roy.

Daniel’s engagements this season include appearances with Le Parlement de Musique, Berlin Baroque, Le Concert Spirituel, Le Choeur de Chambre de Namur, l’Ensemble Gilles Binchois, Musica Fiorita and La Cetra of Basel, and the Ensemble Weser-Renaissance of Bremen.  He will also sing the role of Tolomeo in Handel’s Giulio Cesare with Ottawa’s Thirteen Strings, under the direction of Kevin Mallon.

Daniel has taken part in broadcasts for CBC/Radio-Canada, National Public Radio in the United States, Schweizer Radio in Switzerland, and for France Musique in France.  He appears on recordings on the Analekta, ATMA, Chestnut Hall, Dorian, Naxos and URSH labels.

Gossage Artists Management has almost 20 years of  high quality singer development in Canada. Our boutique agency has prompted the careers of some of Canada’s leading singers from emerging through to becoming well established international performers.

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Toronto Centre for the Arts, 5040 Youngs Street, North York

October 23, 2011

Orchestra Toronto, with the Oriana Singers

Click through to see and interview with Zorana and background of the peice

Z

OPENS

TORONTO OPERETTA THEATRE’S 2011-2012 SEASON

Toronto, 27. September 2011…Toronto Operetta Theatre opens the 2011 – 2012 Season on Sunday, October 23 at 2 pm at the St. Lawrence Centre with ZARZUELA GOLD, a special concert highlighting the music of Zarzuela from Spain and Latin America. TOT is the only company in Canada devoted to music theatre in all its variety and has been instrumental in raising the profile of this exciting facet of the music theatre art form.  ZARZUELA GOLD will be presented under the Honorary Patronage of Don Francisco Pascual de la Parte, Consul General of Spain in Toronto.

Drawing from hundreds of Zarzuelas, some written as far back as 18^th century, TOT’s General Director Guillermo Silva-Marin has chosen a thrilling mix of dramatic, lyrical, passionate and witty arias, duets and ensembles from this vast heritage that showcases the undeniable Spanish musical allure, its fascinating rhythms and its signature tonality.

TOT features the sensational mezzo soprano Michele Bogdanowicz, who appeared in the title role of LUISA FERNANDA in March 2011, alongside the world-renowned Mexican born tenor Edgar Ernesto Ramírez, who is “garnering rave reviews for his distinctive Italianate sound, his youthful exuberance, and for his expressive musicality”. Mr. Ramirez comes back to us celebrating his most recent success in France where he boldly embodied the role of Nemorino in L’ELISIR D’AMORE with Opera Angers-Nantes.  Rómulo Delgado, also of Mexican background returns to us from Vienna after a rousing triumph as Don José in CARMEN. Colombian soprano Margie Bernal will complete a roster of artists that will also include General Director Guillermo Silva-Marin, for a stupendous musical matinee under Music Director and Pianist Raisa Nakhmanovich.

Excerpts from the Cuban zarzuelas CECILIA VALDES by Gonzalo Roig, MARIA LA O by Ernesto Lecuona will mingle with those from LA TEMPRANICA by G. Giménez, EL BARBERILLO DE LAVAPIES by Federico Barbieri, LA TABERNERA DEL PUERTO by Pablo Sorozabal, LOS GAVILANES by José Guerrro and many more.

ZARZUELA GOLD will be immediately followed by a President’s Reception hosted by TOT Board of Director’s President Zofia Hall right on the premises of the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts attended by His Excellency Don Francisco Pascual de la Parte, our artists, TOT Friends and special guests.

Imre Kalman’s greatest work, THE GYPSY PRINCESS (Die Csardasfürstin), the World Premiere of the Beckwith/Reaney ballad opera, TAPTOO! and G & S’s  H.M.S. PINAFORE completes the 2011-12 Season.

Toronto Operetta Theatre is grateful for the support of Deutsche Presse (media sponsor), the Jackman Foundation, the Bedolfe Foundation, KPMG, Barrick, Marriott Hotels, the Canada Council, Toronto Arts Council and the Ontario Arts Council.  All performances are wheel chair accessible at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts – Box Office (416) 366-7723 or 1-800-708-6754. On line sales www.stlc.ca For information, call TOT at (416) 922-2912.

For further information contact Henry Ingram at 416-922-2912.

Click here for more information

NEW YORK CITY

Kent Tritle & Musica Sacra

2/23/11

Handel’s Israel in Egypt shares several characteristics with his ubiquitous masterpiece Messiah: both works are Biblical oratorios in English, scored for chorus and soloists. However, while Messiah features numerous star solo turns that contrast sharply with the choral movements, Israel in Egypt finds the role of the soloists drastically reduced, with extended stretches of choral singing the norm. Handel compensated for this focal shift in the latter work by substantially varying the choral writing in both mood and texture; the choruses based on the Plagues of Egypt are particularly vivid in this regard, as they successfully strive to create distinct “pictures” of the plagues through purely musical means. Because of the substantial demands made of the choral forces, however, a performance of the work cannot be truly satisfying without a superb chorus to sing it.

Musica Sacra’s February 23 presentation of Israel in Egypt at Carnegie Hall was given in two parts (Handel’s original version consisted of three parts), preceded by the overture from Handel’s Solomon. The thirty-two-voice chorus produced a polished, even sound across its four/eight parts (many of the choruses are scored for double choir), with tight ensemble and crisp diction. Highlights included a deliciously playful realization of the plague of flies and lice; still, glassy vocalism depicting darkness covering the land; and the aurally convincing drowning of Pharaoh’s army in the Red Sea. The rapid-fire choral coloratura in the final movement was exemplary in its speed, accuracy and synchronicity. One downside throughout the performance, however, was the somewhat underpowered soprano section. Though ethereal in the often stratospherically high tessitura and beautifully blended as a group, these ten ladies were unable to produce an adequately powerful sound for the work’s climactic moments. This deficiency was also noticeable in long phrases with held notes, when the section often maxed out too soon in volume, with no reserve for further crescendo.

The evening’s six soloists were strong overall. Soprano Leslie Fagan sang effortlessly, with clear, shimmering tone, while chorus member Kathryn Lewek — filling in on short notice for ailing soprano Jamet Pittman — added her round, sensuous voice to Fagan’s in a gorgeous duet, the two voices blending together ideally in both color and artistry. Also first-rate in an extensive duet was bass Kevin Deas, who possesses a beautifully even and controlled voice of velvety richness. Partnering him was baritone Tyler Duncan, singing vigorously but perhaps a bit too much so; his sound occasionally lost its resonance and flattened out. Deep-voiced mezzo-soprano Charlotte Daw Paulsen seemed challenged by her relentlessly low-lying music; her timbre took on a rather murky quality as it attempted to fill Carnegie’s expanse in such a low range. Light-voiced tenor Oliver Mercer looked apprehensive and uncomfortable onstage; his singing lacked both authority in the narrative recitatives and vocal depth in the tenor aria.

Kent Tritle conducted energetically, with clear, often poetic gestures, but there were times when he seemed to be asking for more volume than the modest-sized chorus could provide. The orchestra’s spirited, fine-tuned playing was first-rate. 

DEREK GRETEN-HARRISON

Get tickets online here

Or buy in cash at CSI Spadina and CSI Annex

Here’s Ten Things to Look Forward to on Friday June 17!

1. You + Your Friends + Goin’ Steady DJ’s = unlimited fun on the main floor of CSI Annex
2. How ’bout a 2nd party floor with music in your ears but not in your chest? You got it! Martinis, fruitinis, snacks, prizes & surprises

3. Cavort in the Courtyard – be one of the first to celebrate CSI’s success under the stars

4. Toronto Fringe Festival passes, event tickets, YMCA family membership and tons more are up for grabs at our Innovators Auction

5. The Stop is going all the way with a delicious dinner for the lucky folks who come earlier for exclusive performances and a dynamic dining experience

6. Steam Whistle and their friendly staff are hosting a Big Beer Bar on the main dance floor

7. First ever CSI Ukelele Recital at 8:30 pm!

8. Hoola Hoops are back!! (If you don’t know yet what this means…get your tickets now!)

9. Way more bathrooms than last year. And fresh air pumping too to keep you cool(er) on the dance floor

10. The only chance to find out what a CSIzzler is. Find out at the Raindance Bar!

Dance Party + More

$15 in advance
($20 at door if available)
8:00pm – 1:00am
Get tickets here!

Reception + Dinner +
Dance Party + More

$150
6:00pm – 1:00am
Featuring The Stop catering
Get tickets here!

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Contribute here!

Composed by Alexina Louie, the recording of this film score was in the summer of 2010.

Given that this piece required some unusual work from the artists, they needed to find a way to help the singers and the actors come together to be convincing on screen.

We asked  Zorana to comment on the challenges this presented:

“The Mulroney’s was a real labour of love for everyone involved.  I was really lucky be involved at a few different levels.  Firstly, I sang the voices of Mila and a few other smaller characters, secondly I acted on-camera in a few small roles, and thirdly, I was a lip-synch coach on set for the actors.  I coached actors for about a week of shooting before we got to my actual “on-camera” days where I would be in the hot seat, actually lip-synching to my own voice while acting on camera.  After offering up lots of advice on how to anticipate initial consonants and how to exaggerate pronounciation to match the velocity of an opera singer’s diction, the pressure was on.  Director Larry Weinstein and choreographer Donna Feore kept making jokes about how perfect my synch was going to be.  Of course, that first take, I was a total disaster.  I think I even mis-counted the instrumental intro and came in a bar early.  Thank goodness we had a few takes after that for me to find my groove!”

“When we were doing the recording for our initial pitch for funding, all the singers were doing double and triple duty, singing the voice of multiple characters etc.  One of the voices I sang was that of Brian Mulroney as a young boy.  When I got the offer for the actual film, I was surprised to see that alongside the voice of Mila, I was still singing Young Brian.  Dan Redican, the librettist, gave me a suggestion that I certainly ended up using.  He said, “think BART SIMPSON” and you’ll get the voice right.  And I did!

On set when we were filming the scene with the actor playing Young Brian, the director, Larry Weinstein thought he’d loosen the young boy up a bit and asked him if he knew who the voice of Young Brian was.  Of course, the kid drew a blank, and when Larry pointed to me, the kid just sized us up as if to say, “What, do you think I was born yesterday?”.”

The film is a Rhombus media production, and is distributed by Alliance films. It will see nation wide release in selected theatres April 16, 2011.

For more information: Mulroney: The opera or buy advance tickets