Heroes, Gods & Mortals
Heroes, Gods & Mortals presents an enchanting exploration of Greek legends throughout the ages
For Immediate Release – Toronto, April 30, 2015: Talisker Players conclude their 2014-15 concert season with an enchanting musical exploration of Greek tales in Hereos, Gods & Mortals on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 12 and 13, 8PM at Trinity St. Paul's Centre. The Players are thrilled to present the premiere performance of Canadian composer Monica Pearce's commissioned work Leda Songs, for mezzo soprano, clarinet and string trio. This rich programme also features soloists Carla Huhtanen and Andrea Ludwig in works from Alan Hovhaness, John Plant, Joaquín Turina, Giovanni Battista Pergolesi and Kurt Weill.
Monica Pearce's Leda Songs draws together three poems which retell the encounter between Spartan queen Leda and the god Zeus in the form of a swan. She bases Leda Songs on poems by Rilka, Hilda Doolittle and D.H. Lawrence, and notes that "while they are quite different in style, the poems I chose, – three different authors' takes on the myth – share a similar sensibility…as if [Leda] is a willing participant in the transformation and sensuality of the experience." Pearce's works have been performed by Array Ensemble, eklektikos ensemble and TorQ percussion quartet. She is also Co-Founder and Artistic Director of Toronto's Toy Piano Composers.
Giovanni Battista Pergolesi's dramatic and moving Orfeo begins with the moment of Orpheus's entry into the underworld in search of his wife, Euridice. The arias that follow portray Orfeo's own grief, his highly rhetorical plea to the "pallid shades" of Hades, and his resolve never to be separated from Euridice again. Despite the famously tragic ending of Orfeo's story, the cantata ends on a hopeful note, emphasizing the power of love.
Talisker Players switches its classical gears to Broadway to perform Kurt Weill's wryly playful Songs from One Touch of Venus in arrangements by Talisker cellist Laura Jones. One Touch of Venus, a musical with lyrics by Ogden Nash, tells the story of a shy barber who falls in love with a miraculously animated statue of Venus and the subsequent complications which arise. In Jones' arrangement, the string quartet brilliantly fulfills the task of a theatre orchestra.
John Plant's Invocation to Aphrodite is set to the only substantial piece by the ancient Greek poet Sappho to survive in its complete form. "I have tried to capture something of the subtle texture of sound, rhythm, and image in this poem […]I also hope to convey Sappho's sense of a shimmering, many-layered reality, and thus to pay homage to the presence and richness of Aphrodite in our own lives," shares Plant. Many of Plant's musical works reflect this passionate interest in language and the human voice.
Alan Hovhaness' Hercules is a unique work which unites a broad range of the world's traditional musical cultures as well as his own Armenia heritage. The American composer wrote Hercules in India after a visit to the Aegean islands. Hovhaness described his own text as "in the style of Indian myths or fairy-tales," but the musical influences he acknowledges are more diverse.
Joaquín Turina's Las Musas de Andalucíais a cycle of nine pieces for strings, piano and soprano which Turina composed in 1942. Talisker Players perform three excerpts from the cycle: Melpomene, the muse of tragedy, Erato, the muse of lyric poetry and Calliope, the muse of epic poetry.
The Talisker Players are excited to feature two of Canada's most brilliant young singers as guest artists for this programme – soprano Carla Huhtanen and mezzo soprano Andrea Ludwig.
Carla Huhtanen is in demand internationally for her soaring, translucent voice, her exquisite acting and her diverse repertoire. Now based in Toronto, Huhtanen has appeared frequently with Opera Atelier. Her performance as Susanna in Mozart's Le Nozze de Figaro in 2010 was nominated for a Dora Award. A leading interpreter of modern and contemporary music, she performs regularly with Soundstreams Canada, New Music Concerts, Music on Main (Vancouver) and Tapestry Opera. She has taught on the faculties of the University of Western Ontario and the Vancouver International Song Institute.
Andrea Ludwig's vibrant musicality, charm and versatility have made her a favourite with audiences and critics alike. Born and raised in Regina, Saskatchewan, she is a graduate of the prestigious Canadian Opera Company Ensemble, and now makes her home in Toronto. She appeared with the Canadian Opera Company in numerous roles, both with the Ensemble and on the mainstage, including Nireno in Handel's Julius Ceasar, Delia in Rossini's Il Viaggio a Reims and the Second Niece in Britten's Peter Grimes.
Talisker Players productions always blend both the sung and the spoken word. Actor Ross Manson joins the musicians with readings from adaptations of Greek myths across the centuries – including poetry by Keats and prose writings by the great novelists Rose Macaulay and Lawrence Durrell.
Heroes, Gods & Mortals
Carla Huhtanen, soprano; Andrea Ludwig, mezzo soprano
Ross Manson, actor/reader
with the Talisker Players strings, winds, harpsichord and piano
Tuesday, May 12 & Wednesday, May 13 at 8PM
Trinity St. Paul's Centre: 427 Bloor Street West
TICKET INFORMATION
Individual tickets: $35 / $25 (seniors) / $15 (students/un(der)employed)
Box office: 416-978-8849
words.music@taliskerplayers.ca
Information: 416-466-1800
www.taliskerplayers.ca
Talisker Players Chamber Music offers one of the most imaginative and exciting concert series in Toronto. In collaboration with some of Canada's finest young singers, Talisker Players present the rarely-heard repertoire for voice and chamber ensemble. Their unique programming includes readings that illuminate the music and delight audiences with a stimulating, theatrical concert experience. The music, engaging and varied, includes both celebrated works and unknown gems from all styles and periods, with a strong presence of Canadian compositions.
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Media contact:
Alexandra Glass, Media Manager
226-792-4849
a.glass@taliskerplayers.ca