| Colin Eatock, composer |
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 Krzysztof Urbański led the TSO. It’s reassuring to know that The Rite of Spring was not so over-performed in 2013 – the 100th anniversary of the ballet’s premiere – that orchestras have now lost interest in it. At least, that’s not true of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, which I heard play the piece on Friday evening at Roy Thomson Hall, under the baton of the 32-year-old guest conductor Krzysztof Urbański.
But I’m getting a little ahead of myself.
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 English composer George Benjamin. Correct me if I’m mistaken – but I believe the Toronto Symphony has never before presented a full-length concert opera within its annual New Creations Festival.
That’s what the TSO did on Saturday night at Roy Thomson Hall. The opera was Written on Skin, by the London-based composer George Benjamin. And the results were quite impressive, in their own way.  Composer Peter Togni. This review was originally written for the Musical Toronto website (here).
On Friday evening in Walter Hall, the spotlight was on Peter Togni. The Elmer Iseler Singers, under Lydia Adams, presented an entire program of music by the Halifax-based composer and broadcaster. What a fine idea the concert seemed to be. Togni has written extensively for choir, and has enjoyed an artistically productive relationship with the Iselers. In 2009, the choir released a recording of his Lamentatio Jeremiae Prophetae (Lamenatations of the Prophet Jeremiah) on the ECM label, and the disc was well received.  No angles, edges or hooks. Every now and then, an unfortunate thing happens. A first-rate ensemble puts together a first-rate program – and a publicist contacts me, asking if I can write an advance feature story on the upcoming concert. Sometimes I’m able to say yes, but sometimes I must say no.
And when I say no, it’s often because, from a journalistic standpoint, the concert in question is like a perfectly round, smooth sphere. It has no angles, no edges, no hooks – nothing for a journalist to grab onto and work with.  Composer David Lang. Once again, we can thank Soundstreams Canada for bringing something remarkable to Toronto: The Whisper Opera, by the American composer David Lang, performed at the Theatre Centre by the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE). The production was designed and staged by Jim Findlay.
The piece – as I experienced it on Friday night – isn’t hard to describe. Four instrumentalists (playing flutes, clarinets, cello and percussion) accompany a soprano, who spends the greater part of 70 minutes whispering a fragmentary text. (There’s a bit of singing at the end.) The small audience – only about 50 people are admitted to a performance – sits in little cul-de-sacs cut into the stage, cleverly designed so that everyone has a front-row seat and yet only a partial view. |
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