Night songs
Of sleep and dreams . . . exploring the wonder and the terror of the night.
Tuesday and Wednesday, October 31 and November 1, 2006 at 8PM
Trinity St. Paul's Centre
For Immediate Release - Toronto, October 11, 2006: Talisker Players, one of Toronto's most innovative chamber ensembles, opens its seventh season at Trinity St. Paul's Centre with Night Songs on October 31 and November 1. Perfectly timed for Hallowe’en and the ancient celebrations of All Souls and All Saints, this dramatic production explores the mystery of the night in words and music. The adventurous musicians are joined by soprano Teri Dunn and baritone Tyler Duncan. As the Talisker Players’ annual concert series is becoming increasing popular, the group is pleased to announce that they will offer two performances for each concert this season.
Night Songs features the ethereally beautiful Night Pieces I, by George Crumb. One of the seminal pieces of 20th-century American music, it is a setting of poems by Pablo Neruda for soprano with piano, celesta and percussionist. A younger generation of Americans is represented with Twilight Settings by Laura Kaminsky, an evocative setting of Indonesian folk tales, for soprano, string quartet and percussion.
The evening also features excerpts from Ellis Portal, the very popular song cycle by Andrew Ager and Rex Deverell, which the Talisker Players premiered in 2001. The pieces chosen – ‘The Queen Car at Night’, ‘The David Dunlap Observatory’ and ‘3 A.M.’ are wonderful evocations of very different aspects of night life in Toronto, for soprano, baritone, string quartet and clarinet. Also included will be a revival of Two Night Songs, by Jean Coulthard, the doyen of Canadian women composers. One of her most charming and accessible works, it is a setting of poems by Harold Monro and Hillaire Belloc – the first full of romantic longing, the other wryly ironic – for baritone, string quartet and piano.
Three short works round out the programme: Les Violons dans le soir by Camille Saint-Saëns, a setting of a gothically romantic poem by Anna, Comtesse de Noailles, for baritone, violin and piano; Evening, Morning, Night by Benjamin Britten, a setting of poems by Ronald Duncan for baritone and harp; and Black Arch of the Night, by Vally Weigl, a setting of poems (by an assortment of writers) for baritone, viola and clarinet. The last, in particular, is a striking example of the kind of hidden gems that make Talisker Players’ productions so fascinating. Weigl was born and educated in Vienna in the early 20th century. She fled to the U.S. before the Second World War, and taught and composed in relative obscurity well into her eighties. Her writing is beautifully crafted yet highly individual and always lyrical.
As always, this Talisker Players programme includes the spoken word – in this case readings from Acquainted with the Night, the wonderful collection of information, musings and lore about night-time by the Toronto poet Christopher Dewdney. They will be woven into the programme by the well-known actor and reader Jan Filips.
The vocal artistry of Canadian soprano Teri Dunn is a combination of many things: an impeccable technique combined with a deep musical understanding and a natural feel for early music combined with a daring approach to avant-garde works of today’s leading composers.
Described as a ‘great communicator with suave vocal complexity’ (Vancouver Sun), baritone Tyler Duncan is a versatile soloist who is at home singing in the Lied, opera and oratorio genres spanning from Monteverdi to modern music. He is in demand around the world as a concert and recital soloist, where his performances have met with critical acclaim.
###
Media Contact: Francine Labelle/flINK
416-654-4406
labellefrancine@rogers.com
- 30 -