Starry Night
Of sleep and dreams...exploring the wonder and the terror of the night
Tuesday and Wednesday, January 31 and February 1, 2011, at 8PM
Pre-concert talks at 7:15 pm
Trinity St. Paul's Centre
For Immediate Release - Toronto, January 9, 2012: Talisker Players embrace the depths of winter with Starry Night, presented on January 31 and February 1. The programme gives in to the darkness and celebrates both the liberating and the more sinister aspects of the night. The musicians of the chamber ensemble are joined by tenor Rufus Müller and baritone Alexander Dobson, as well as by theatre artist Stewart Arnott.
Starry Night features Benjamin Britten's ravishing Serenade for tenor, horn and strings, one of the 20th century's most beautiful and popular works of chamber music. With poetry by Keats, Blake, Tennyson and other English Romantic poets, it hauntingly evokes both the mystery of the nocturnal hours.
The evening also includes Notturno, for baritone and string quartet, by the Swiss composer Othmar Schoeck - another of the great works of 20th-century chamber repertoire, though not nearly as well-known as the Britten. Much of the piece is a journey through the turbulent world of poet Nikolaus Lenau, but it concludes with a poem by Gottfried Keller that glows with childlike innocence.
Three Canadian works enhance the programme: Roberta Stephen's Nocturnes, for baritone, flute and piano, sets poetry by Canadians Archibald Lampman, Kristjana Gunnars and Virginia Stewart. John Plant's La Notte bella, for baritone and piano trio, sets a poem by Giuseppe Ungaretti, which evokes the peace that night bestows in a time of war. Larysa Kuzmenko's Nocturne and Dance, for tenor, flute and piano, is a short piece about the dreams of lovers, on a text by Gary Kulesha.
Finally, Talisker Players shine light on a small gem by Camille Saint-Saëns, Les Violons dans le soir, for baritone, violin and piano, a setting of a romantic text by Anna de Noailles.
As always, this Talisker Players production blends instrumental music, song and the spoken word. Joining the musicians for these performances, the acclaimed actor and director Stewart Arnott will perform passages about the night, by famous writers both past and present.
The English-German tenor, Rufus Müller was acclaimed by The New York Times following a performance in Carnegie Hall as "...easily the best tenor I have heard in a live Messiah." He is a leading Evangelist in Bach's Passions and his unique dramatic interpretation of this role has confirmed his status as one of the world's most sought-after performers. Known for his early music performances, Mr. Müller is also in demand for oratorio and opera, and is an acclaimed recitalist. This marks his awaited return with Talisker Players.
A dedicated concert and recital artist, British-Canadian baritone Alexander Dobson has been praised for his musicality and dramatic awareness in a range of repertoire on both opera and concert stages. Opera highlights include his riveting title role portrayal of Wozzeck and Don Giovanni both conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, and his Royal Opera Covent Garden debut in The Midnight Court. 'Alexander Dobson, one of the most impressive Canadian baritones of this generation, is a wonderful actor and has a beautiful, rich and commanding voice that is also as smooth as silk.' - Opera Canada
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Ticket information
Media Contact: Francine Labelle/flINK
416-654-4406
labellefrancine@rogers.com
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