Musical Toronto’s weekly Critic’s Picks are a fully curated list of some of the best concerts happening now through the end of the week. Of course this is not to say we are the provocateurs of taste, but simply seek to provide a good weekly summary. For a look at the full breadth of what’s available in and around Toronto, check out the comprehensive concert listings from our friends at Wholenote Magazine.
Tuesday 25
Soundstreams at Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre. 8:00 p.m. $20-67.50
The past catches up to us tonight with a look at the universal spirituality of Monteverdi’s Renaissance chef-d’oeuvre Vespro della Beata Vergine. Also includes Canadian composer Gilles Tremblay’s recent Les Vêpres de la Vierge with Shannon Mercer, Choir 21, and two chamber orchestras (one made up of period instruments, the other contemporary) conducted by the Toronto Consort’s David Fallis. Info here.
Wednesday 26
Toronto Symphony Orchestra at Roy Thomson Hall. 8:00 p.m. $33–145
Tonight the TSO presents a program about orchestral innovation with Stravinsky’s Petrouchka and Pulcinella Suite, Haydn’s Piano Concerto in D Hob.XVIII/11, and Britten’s Soirées musicales (after Rossini). The great pianist Ingrid Fliter will be backed by visiting guest conductor Andrey Boreyko. Highly recommended. Details here.
Thursday 27
Elizabeth Reid (viola) at Gallery 345. 8:00 p.m. $20
Often overshadowed by the younger better-looking violin, the viola has been sadly neglected as a solo instrument. Elizabeth Reid is about do something about it in a fascinating concert of solo and amplified viola works by Barone, Healey, Jaeger, Olson; Báthory-Kitsz, Martin, Erik Nielsen, and Ross-Gunn. Info here.
Friday 28
Toronto Bach Consort at Runnymede United Church. 7:00 p.m. $25-60
As Christmas inches closer and closer, so do the many festivities celebrating the season across the city. For 20 years the Bach Consort has been dedicated to sharing the work of Bach with the city of Toronto. This year they will be performing J.S. Bach: Christmas Oratorio (Weihnachtsoratorium) BWV248 with a collection of musicians of the Toronto Symphony and Canadian Opera Company orchestras. Includes Mississauga Festival Chamber Choir and conductor Johannes Debus. More info here.
Leon Fleisher and the Royal Conservatory Orchestra at Koerner Hall. 8:00 p.m. $25-$55
Leon Fleisher is a force to be reckoned with. At 86 years old, the pianist and pedagogue has indispensable in guiding the next generation of musicians at the Royal Conservatory of Music. Fleicher will conduct the Royal Conservatory Orchestra in the program featuring Mozart’s Symphony No.39, Walton’s Partita for Orchestra, and Brahms’ Symphony No.3. There will be a special Prelude Recital at 6:45. Details here.
Saturday 29
Tallis Choir at St. Patrick’s Church. 7:30 p.m. $10-30
The Tallis Choir are one of the purist sources of old school choral music in Toronto. Join them in a concert of Purcell and Handel with special guests The Talisker Players. Listing info here.
Toronto Symphony Orchestra with Second City Comedy Theatre at Roy Thomson Hall. 7:30 p.m. $29–99.
Continuing with one of the most innovative TSO seasons in years, Toronto’s premiere orchestra and Music Director Peter Oundjian have teamed up with Second City. I can’t say what they have in store, but you can expect some big laughs and an entertaining night. According to the press release, “This presentation includes adult language and situations and is intended for mature audiences.” Info here.
Music in the Barns Chamber Ensemble at Artscape Wychwood Barns Mainspace. 8:00 p.m. $25-35
Carol Gimbel and the Music in the Barns Chamber Ensemble are back this week with a program featuring Beethoven’s Piano Sonata “Moonlight” in c-sharp Op.27 No.2 (Sonata quasi una Fantasia), Debussy’s Sonata for Violin and Piano in g L.140, and Dvořák’s Piano Quintet in A Op.81 B155. Includes a cash bar (booze!) and a post-concert reception (more booze!). More details here.
Sunday 30
VOICEBOX: Opera in Concert with Isabel Bayrakdarian at the Jane Mallett Theatre, St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts. 2:30 p.m. $40-$52
Closing out the last week of November is a very special concert opera presented by VOICEBOX: Opera in Concert. Originally founded by Stuart Hamilton, Opera in Concert seeks to explore the voice in its purest form – sans sets, costumes and other distractions. They will perform de Falla two-act opera, La Vida Breve, with Isabel Bayrakdarian (soprano), Ernesto Ramirez (tenor), José Hernández (piano), and Robert Cooper (conductor). More details here.
Zukerman Chamber Players at Koerner Hall. 3:00 p.m. $45-90.
For those with an ear for chamber music, Pinchas Zukerman’s Zukerman Chamber Players are in town this afternoon to perform Schumann’s Piano Quintet in E-flat and Brahms’ Piano Quintet in f. Always a treat. Info here.
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