TSO hits high note during Europe, Israel tour
Michael Schade put it succinctly at a reception preceding the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s recent concert in Vienna: “Canadians have a tough time waving their own flag.”
Not that the popular tenor star of the Vienna State Opera has ever hidden his maple leaf.
For the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) it has been harder. Absent from the European stage for about 14 years, the orchestra returned for a short tour in 2014 without some of the invitations it had hoped to receive. Much of its European profile had disappeared.
This time was somewhat different. No sooner had the 2014 tour concluded than invitations began arriving at Roy Thomson Hall, including one from the prestigious Prague Spring Festival and another from the Konzerthaus in Vienna to participate in a festival celebrating the music of Pierre Boulez.
It was in the Konzerthaus that Andrew Davis had led the orchestra back in 1983 and, this time, Peter Oundjian led it in a program highlighted by Boulez’ Le soleil des eaux, featuring Canadian soprano Carla Huhtanen, following by two days another Boulez concert on the same stage by the great Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Daniel Barenboim.
Yes, things were looking up. At the beginning of the seven-city, fournation tour (May 7-22) the Torontonians became the first North American orchestra to visit Israel in more than 20 years and by the time they reached their penultimate stop, their Prague audience was on its feet, demanding three encores.
“The Toronto Symphony Orchestra is a much better orchestra than people realize,” observed Oundjian, who had himself opened the Czech festival three years earlier at the helm of Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France.
It was Oundjian who had persuaded his initially reluctant board to fund the 2014 tour at a break-even level and the board, with the help of the Canada Council, has done so again, supporting a tour budget of $2.25 million.
The money actually represents a practical investment. “What we have witnessed is the extraordinary impact touring has on the artistic level of an orchestra,” interim CEO Gary Hanson said.
Maxim Vengerov, the celebrated Russian violinist and one of the tour’s two concerto soloists along with Calgary pianist Jan Lisiecki, appeared to agree: “This orchestra never plays one day just the way they played the other. It is not routine. It is one of the great orchestras of North America and even the world.”
On this occasion, it was also an orchestra on a mission. Having conducted the Israel Philharmonic recently and realizing that orchestra would visit Toronto next season, Toronto-born Oundjian saw an opening for cultural exchange. A number of Toronto Symphony patrons accompanied the orchestra to Israel and, in addition to performing mainstage concerts in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, a number of players paid voluntary hospital visits as part of the Save a Child’s Heart program.
“For me, this was special,” acknowledged violinist James Wallenberg. “Many of the children were from Africa, and they were delighted when we showed them our instruments and played for them and their families.”
The TSO has long been a touring orchestra, with regular trips across Canada as part of its legacy, along with excursions as far abroad as Australia and China. But as Konstantin Moritsch of Germany’s Schmid agency, organizer of this year’s tour, explained, rising costs have significantly reduced the number of European tours in recent years by all but a few North American orchestras.
The TSO clearly wants to be on that short list and, judging by the way it played on this tour, that goal is artistically justifiable.
“This is our premier orchestra in Canada,” declared Mark Bailey, ambassador to Austria, at the Vienna reception and “we have to support them when they go on the road.”
Bailey acknowledged that his attitude reflects a change in policy from that of the previous federal government: “It is part of branding Canada. It is important for us to show that Canada is capable of performing at this level.”
And judging from the audience response in the European tour cities (Regensburg and Essen plus Vienna and Prague), Moritsch was right: “You saw the reaction. The public here is interested.”
Part of the rationale for the IsraelEurope tour was to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday as a nation. Besides offering a showcase for Canadian performers — Lisiecki played the Schumann Piano Concerto — it also featured Canadian music, Iris by Jordan Pal in Israel and Carnival Overture by Oskar Morawetz in Europe.
So maybe the flag is flying a little more proudly today. One of our major cultural institutions has once again accepted an international challenge and met it.