CLASSICAL SCENE MIXES NEW, TRIED AND TRUE
Exciting events on the calendar with holiday programs on the horizon
The short autumn season needs to get audience demand up and running before the juggernaut of holiday music takes over (earlier each year, it seems).
This fall heralds a few new developments: we are still getting to know Vancouver Symphony Orchestra music director Otto Tausk, who began his second season last month; and the venerable Vancouver Chamber Choir has a new artistic director, Kari Turunen.
For the most part tried-andtrue formulas seem to be working nicely for classical organizations. This year is Early Music Vancouver’s golden jubilee, and there are suitably festive plans, including a fascinating pairing of Purcell and Michael Nyman this month.
The Vancouver Recital Society celebrates 40 years of concerts this season with a succession of celebratory events, including a big November Orpheum program featuring Measha Brueggergosman.
For Friends of Chamber Music, this is season 72 of bringing top-quality chamber ensembles to town, mainly on Tuesday evenings, but with some Sunday matinees.
Vancouver Opera offers just three productions this year, with perennial favourite La Traviata the fall offering.
So for classical music, business as usual is a rich and diverse proposition — as the following events demonstrate.
SHEKU KANNEH-MASON & ISATA KANNEH-MASON
When: Dec. 8, 3 p.m.
Where: Orpheum Theatre Tickets and info: vanrecital.com Arguably the most important mission of the Vancouver Recital Society is importing the best of the international crop of young performers for Vancouver audiences, something founder Leila Getz has done with consistency and enthusiasm over four decades.
In 2017, she brought a young British cellist to town, and immediately made plans for his return visit.
In the interim, Sheku Kanneh-mason has become one of classical music’s hottest properties. Hailed by critics, he’s released a bestselling recording, played concertos with major orchestras, and was featured at the Proms. And, if we’re talking about exposure, it doesn’t hurt to have played at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
Sheku’s Canadian debut was in the intimate Vancouver Playhouse. This time around he’s in the Orpheum, playing a lovely program of favourite cello sonatas by Barber and Rachmaninov, plus shorter works by Beethoven and Lutosławski, with his gifted sister Isata Kanneh-mason at the keyboard.
COULOIR AND THE TURNING POINT
When: Nov. 9 and 11, 7:30 p.m. Where: Orpheum Annex
Tickets and info: turningpointensemble.ca
Harp and cello duo Couloir started making music in Vancouver. But these days harpist Heidi Krutzen has a gig with London’s Philharmonia Orchestra, and cellist Ariel Barnes has an equally prestigious one with the Nurnberger Symphoniker.
Despite all that geography between them, the duo continues to prosper, and both players have an enduring commitment to new music by Canadian composers. They spent part of the summer, for example, introducing Polish and Czech audiences to Kelly-marie Murphy’sstriking double concerto En el escuro es todo uno.
The Turning Point Ensemble welcomes the duo for its first concert of the season, a new music extravaganza featuring The Razor Hiss of a Whisper, a commission from James Maxwell, electronics soundscape And/or by Anthony Tan, and pieces by Ruth Crawford Seeger and Sabrina Schroeder.
BACH’S CHRISTMAS ORATORIO
When: Dec. 6, 7:30 p.m. Where: Orpheum Theatre
Tickets and info: vancouverchamberchoir.com
An early December event just happens to be particularly important this season: the Vancouver Chamber Choir’s performance of selections from Bach’s Christmas Oratorio.
It’s always good to hear a great work by Bach whatever the time of year, but this concert has even more to recommend it. The choir will be working with the Pacific Baroque Orchestra, and this will be the first Orpheum outing of its new artistic director, Kari Turunen.
Long a distinguished player in the much admired Finnish music scene, Turunen has pursued a lifelong commitment to early music.
It should be fascinating for both choral and early music fans to hear his take on Bach’s seasonal masterwork.
The composer’s aim was to provide the soundtrack for six of the 12 days of Christmas, in a sequence of instalments. We get to hear three in a festive fanfare for the start of the holiday season.