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Vienna Piano Trio in Toronto

7/29/2012

The Vienna Piano Trio.

Here’s my review, from Toronto’s Globe and Mail newspaper, of the Vienna Piano Trio, presented by Toronto Summer Music on July 25.

It’s often said that chamber music is all about equality. Ideally, a chamber group – with just one player per part, and each part vital to a greater musical whole – invokes the spirit of egalitarianism and camaraderie.

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Should Composers Be Critics?

7/26/2012

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Virgil Thomson: whose side was he on?

The question of whether or not composers should also be critics is an ethical issue that’s debated from time to time. There’s no cross-industry consensus on the answer. As a result, some newspapers have firm policies against composers (or performers) writing criticism, and others don’t.

I was reminded of this never-ending conundrum when I ran across an article online about theatre people – actors, playwrights, directors – as critics (see here). And as today marks the official launch of my new CD, Colin Eatock: Chamber Music (see here), I thought it would be an apt occasion to address this issue. It will, I trust, come as no surprise for me to say that I’m basically pro-composer-critic.

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About My New CD

7/20/2012

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My finest hour!

In just six days, my first compact disc, Colin Eatock: Chamber Music, will be released at a launch event in Toronto.

The CD – issued on the Canadian Music Centre’s Centrediscs label (CMCCD 17812) – is a collection of half a dozen pieces I’ve written over the last 25 years, for small combinations of voices and instruments. It is, I sincerely believe, my finest hour!

I’m very grateful for the support of Roger D. Moore, who made a generous donation to the CMC in support the manufacture of this compact disc. Moore is a a rare bird: a philanthropist with a strong interest in contemporary music. We could use more like him.

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How Fanfare Blows Its Horn

7/19/2012

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Where never is heard a discouraging word.

Once again, the ever-vigilant Norman Lebrecht had taken aim at Joe Flegler, the editor of Fanfare magazine (see here). Lebrecht makes it pretty clear that he disapproves of Flegler’s favourable-review-for-purchased-advertisement policy – describing it as “on the outer margins of media ethics.”

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Elitism (Yet Again)

7/16/2012

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Rock n' rollers have their own elitism issues.

I’ve just read an intriguing article in England’s Guardian newspaper (here). It is a dialogue between Roger Wright, director of London’s Proms Festival, and Laura Barton – identified as a fan of rock n’ roll. (She herself uses this charmingly antiquated term – which seems intended as an umbrella covering about six decades, from Elvis Presley to Coldplay.)

The article lies firmly within the why-kids-today-don’t-like-classical-music genre. And it addresses many of the themes common to such articles. (It’s also a bit of a cliché, as Wright looks to be in his 60s and Barton could pass for 30. Wouldn’t it be fun, for once, to stage a debate between a younger classical musician and an older rocker?)

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Vienna Piano Trio in Toronto

Should Composers Be Critics?

About My New CD

How Fanfare Blows Its Horn

Elitism (Yet Again)

Eatock Daily

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