The Harp of Fire
The wisdom and the passion of Rabindranath Tagore.
Tuesday and Wednesday, November 20 and 21, 2007, at 8PM
Trinity St. Paul's Centre
For Immediate Release - Toronto, October 31, 2007: Talisker Players one of Toronto’s most innovative chamber ensembles, opens its eighth season at Trinity St. Paul’s Centre with The Harp of Fire on November 20 and 21. The programme celebrates the life and work of the great Indian poet, mystic, musician and peacemaker Rabindranath Tagore. The adventurous instrumentalists of Talisker Players are joined by guest artists Zorana Sadiq, soprano and Krisztina Szabó, mezzo soprano.
An extraordinary figure in the culture of his native India, and a major force in world literature and the expanding understanding between East and West during the 20th century, Rabindranath Tagore is best known as a Nobel-prize-winning writer of poetry, plays and philosophical essays. He also composed over 2,000 songs - two of which became the national anthems of India and Bangladesh. The Harp of Firefeatures a selection of these beautiful melodies, arranged especially for Talisker Players by visiting Indian scholar and composer Suddhaseel Sen.
The concert also includes the North American premieres of two pieces by the acclaimed Punjabi-British composer Naresh Sohal, whose prolific output includes many settings of Tagore poetry – Songs of Tagore II, for mezzo soprano and cello, and Three Songs from Gitanjali, for soprano, string quartet and tabla. This event presents works by a veritable United Nations of composers who have been inspired by Tagore’s lyrical, mystical poetry to write some of their loveliest compositions. Included are Tryptych by Arthur Shepherd (U.S.), for soprano and string quartet; Écoute, mon coeur by André Caplet (France), for mezzo-soprano and flute; Four Songs by Tagore by Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov (Russia), for mezzo-soprano, violin and piano; and Dweller in My Deathless Dreams by Frank Bridge (Britain), for soprano, violin and piano.
As always, this Talisker Players programme includes the spoken word – in this case, Stewart Arnot will be reading selections from Rabindranath Tagore’s many writings on the beauty of art and its importance in fostering peace and understanding among different cultures.
A native of Toronto, soprano Zorana Sadiq has performed throughout Canada and the U.S., winning acclaim for her clear, agile voice and charismatic acting. She is a versatile performer and a passionate proponent of new music. Highlights of her opera career include her performance as Granada Girl in the west coast premiere of Osvaldo Golijov’s Ainadamar with Dawn Upshaw, an opera she had premiered at Tanglewood in 2003: Susanna in the Banff Festival’s recent production of Le nozze di Figaro; Lauretta in Opera York’s Gianni Schicchi; and as Pamina in Summer Opera Lyric Theatre’s Die Zauberflöte. The versatile artist made her film debut as Felice Bauer in the film of the multi-media World Stage presentation of Autumn Leaf’s opera, Kafka in Love and recently hosted a season of the CBC programme, Zed: Candid.
Mezzo-soprano Krisztina Szabó has become a highly sought-after artist throughout North America and Europe, acclaimed for her “powerful, mahogany voice” and compelling stage presence. Her opera repertoire is extensive and wide-ranging. In Toronto, she has appeared numerous times with the Canadian Opera Company and Opera Atelier. Her 2007-08 season is highlighted by performances of new roles: Komponist in Ariadne auf Naxos with Stadttheater Klagenfurt in Austria, and Donna Elvira in Don Giovanni in her fourth production with Chicago Opera Theater. She is also in demand in recital, concert and chamber repertoire. Future engagements include appearances with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra to sing Mozart’s Mass in C Minor and the San Antonio Symphony for a performance of Handel’s Messiah.
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Media Contact: Francine Labelle/flINK
416-654-4406
labellefrancine@rogers.com
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