Arthur Kaptainis

1 week ago | classicalvoiceamerica.org | Arthur Kaptainis

TORONTO — David and Jonathan: The Biblical Bromance has obvious operatic potential. Marc-Antoine Charpentier thought so in 1688, and while the libretto by the Jesuit preacher François de Paule Bretonneau sometimes adheres a little too obediently to the rhetorical conventions of the era, the five-act work (David et Jonathas in French) still afforded Opera Atelier a handy platform to do the many things this Baroquecompany does well.

1 month ago | classicalvoiceamerica.org | Arthur Kaptainis

TORONTO — On the circuit for half a century, the Takács Quartet has earned a worldwide reputation for refined phrasing, detailed articulation, and silky sound. All these qualities were apparent Feb. 21 during the ensemble’s seventh appearance in Koerner Hall under the auspices of the Royal Conservatory of Music. The substantial (but not overflowing) crowd rewarded the players with warm applause. I was left wondering whether I had heard too little of a good thing.

Dec 4, 2024 | classicalvoiceamerica.org | Arthur Kaptainis

PERSPECTIVE — Not the first trip to Europe by the Orchestre symphonique de Montréal. Not even the first with its music director of two-and-a-half seasons, Rafael Payare, who led a six-concert campaign in 2022. The eight-stop 2024 tour that concluded Nov. 30 in Vienna is deemed by the OSM to be its 59th since 1962, when the ensemble was overseen by Zubin Mehta. Travel was abundant during the tenure of Charles Dutoit (1977-2002) and frequent enough under Kent Nagano (2006-2020).

Oct 31, 2024 | classicalvoiceamerica.org | Arthur Kaptainis

MONTREAL — Awards and prizes for contemporary music are plentiful but not — with the exception of the Pulitzer — familiar to concertgoers. Since 2014, the Canadian-based Azrieli Foundation has worked assiduously to establish its biennial Azrieli Music Prizes as honors with gravitas. The prize packages are generous, the juries are impressive, the applicant pool is international, and the performers are first-rate. The prizewinning compositions? Hit and miss. This was the lesson of the gala concert Oct.

Oct 15, 2024 | ludwig-van.com | Arthur Kaptainis

Faust, opera by Charles Gounod, Oct. 11 in the Four Seasons Centre. Long Long (Faust), Kyle Ketelsen (Méphistophélès), Guanqun Lu (Marguerite), Szymon Mechlinski (Valentin), Alex Hetherington (Siébel), Megan Latham (Marthe), Korin Thomas-Smith (Wagner). Canadian Opera Company Orchestra and Chorus, Johannes Debus, conductor. Direction by Amy Lane. Repeats Oct. 16, 18, 24, 27, Nov. 2. Tickets here.