TORONTO and the STRATFORD FESTIVAL Thursday, October 26Th Through Sunday, October 29Th

TORONTO AND THE STRATFORD FESTIVAL Thursday, October 26th through Sunday, October 29th Toronto on Lake Ontario “When the curtain went up, opera in Canada entered a new era… ur two most recent Tours to Toronto were completely Toronto now finds itself with one of the finest new opera houses sold out, reflecting the high standards and wide-ranging anywhere .” Opera repertoire of the Canadian Opera Company (‘COC’) , the outstanding Toronto Symphony Orchestra , and the Ovariety of the great theatre companies – the Stratford Stratford Festival: “No. America’s largest classical repertory theatre, presenting the works of Shakespeare and other great Festival and the Shaw Festival . For the coming fall, we have writers…” www.stratfordfestival.ca planned a similar four-night visit to Canada’s cultural capital for a pair of irresistible operas (both in new productions) , a “Erin Wall made the case that she is the Arabella for this stimulating orchestral concert, and a classic American musical generation, just as Kiri Te Kanawa was for the last.” on Stratford’s main Festival stage . Toronto continues to be a www.operawarhorses.com preferred destination due to the advantageous rate of the U.S. dollar against the Canadian dollar, for independent dining and shopping. “The coloratura of soprano Jane Archibald as Zerbinetta, who stopped the show with her brilliant vocal pyrotechnics….” The two not-to-be-missed productions at the Canadian Opera Toronto Globe and Mail Company will be Richard Strauss’s lyrical Arabella , one of his supreme collaborations with librettist Hugo von Hoffmansthal, “Andrew Haji has a glorious tenor, bright, clarion, sweet, rich, with Canadian stars Erin Wall and Jane Archibald ideally cast always used with musicality and discerning taste.” as the Viennese sisters Arabella and Zdenka opposite Tomasz La Scena Musicale Konieczny as Mandryka; and Gaetano Donizetti’s most enduring “At the heart of the cast was Andrew comedy, L’Elisir d’Amore , a seam - Shore , as convincing a Fat Knight less succession of ‘bel canto’ arias and (Falstaff), both physically and vocally, duets featuring Simone Osborne and as any I have seen or heard.” Andre Haji as the young lovers and London Times ‘buffo’ specialist Andrew Shore as the charlatan Dr. Dulcamara. A third “Is it possible for a pianist to be too performance will be a concert by the good? If anyone faces jeopardy with that city’s esteemed Toronto Symphony question, it’s Marc-André Hamelin .” Orchestra at Roy Thomson Hall, NY Times where guest conductor Juanjo Mena will be on the podium for works by Ginastera, Ravel and Schubert. The Stratford 16 piano soloist will be Marc-André Hamelin . Finally, our long weekend will also take us to the celebrated Stratford Festival about two hours West of Toronto, where we will enjoy a performance of the milestone American musical, Frank Loesser’s Guys and Dolls . For North American aficionados of classical music, the 2007 opening of Toronto’s new state-of-the-art Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts proved a sensational success. Designed by the Toronto firm of Diamond and Schmitt Architects, this 2,000 seat jewel in the heart of the city has galvanized the city’s operatic scene. “Acoustics have been designed to showcase the full glory and range of opera. The tiered horseshoe-shaped audi torium is modeled on the best European houses, offering unpar al leled intimacy and sightlines.” (C0C). All opera enthusiasts should Roy Thomson Hall travel to Toronto to share the enrich ing experience of a perfor - Marc-André mance in R. Fraser Elliott Hall. Hamelin Accommodations for four nights at the deluxe Hilton Toronto , During the past generation, ideally located across the street from the new opera house for Toronto has emerged as Can - our performances of the Canadian Opera Company and only a ada’s leading metropolitan center few blocks from Roy Thomson Hall. Situated in the heart of the and the largest city in the coun - city’s commercial and entertainment district, the Hilton offers try. The population of just over the Tundra Restaurant for award-winning cuisine, Ruth’s two million is spread over an area Chris Steak House for prime beef and fresh seafood. There is of more than 600 square miles also an inviting Irish pub ( Fionn MacCool’s ) next door for and is characterized by a prag - convenient light fare and Timothy’s World Coffee on the same matic conservatism which sociol - block. Twenty-four hour room service and a fitness ogists claim is the reason for the room/swimming pool area are among the hotel’s outstanding features. The Hilton overlooks Toronto’s expansive University CN Tower Avenue on the corner of Richmond Street West. Early Thursday evening, October 26th, a cocktail reception will provide an opportunity to meet other members of the Tour. Our party will be in a private entertainment suite of the hotel. At 8:00 pm on Thursday, our first performance will be a concert by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra in Roy Thomson Hall , a comfortable walk from our hotel. The Spanish conductor Juanjo Mena , currently Chief Conductor of the BBC Philharmonic, will be the guest conductor. He varied program will include Maurice Ravel’s Concerto for the Left Hand and Franz Schubert’s expansive Symphony No. 9 (‘Great’). Tonight will also mark the Canadian premiere of Ollantay , a tone poem by the late Argentinian composer Alberto Ginastera. The piano soloist for Ravel’s challenging concerto will be the Canadian virtuoso, Marc-André Hamelin . Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts and the Hilton Toronto On Friday, October 27th, we will discover the high thespian standards of the famed Stratford Festival . While the Festival is city’s present state of health. For primarily devoted to the Shake - Toronto is above all a town of many spearean canon, it has also neigh borhoods with small town achieved remarkable success with virtues of decency and order liness. a number of musical revivals Unlike many urban sprawls, Tor onto ranging from Stephen Sondheim is a clean, safe and civil ized center and Rodgers & Hammerstein to where visitors feel free to stroll Noel Coward and Gilbert & through the parks and amble Sullivan. A two-hour morning drive through the imagi native shopping will take us to the charming town areas. of Stratford, where we will return to our favorite Canadian restaurant – Rundles – for a gourmet lunch . We will then continue to the Festival Theatre for the 2:00 pm Stratford Festival Theatre matinee of Frank Loesser’s Guys 17 and Dolls . The Canadian soprano Jane 1950 musical Archibald will assume won the Tony the ‘trouser’ role of Award and the Arabella’s sister Zdenka. ’51 Pulitzer Gundula Hintz and Prize, by virtue John Fan ning will be of the Damon heard as Arabella’s Runyon-based parents, Adelaide and characters and Count Waldner, and Simone Osborne Andrew Haji the timeless coloratura soprano score. Among Claire de Sévigné will be the Carnival the memorable queen Fiakermilli. Strauss’s sensous score songs are ‘A will be in the hands of conducor Patrick Art Gallery of Ontario; Henry Moore gallery Bushel and a Lange , and the traditional co-production with Peck’, ‘Adelaide’s Lament’, ‘If I Were a Bell’, ‘I’ve Never Been in the Santa Fe Opera is new to Toronto. The Love Before’, and ‘Luck Be a Lady Tonight’. We will return to the director is Tim Albery and the set designer hotel in the early evening. No performance tonight. is Tobias Hoheisel . Sung in German with English titles . Saturday, October 28th, is left free during Andrew Shore the day for inde pendent sightseeing in On October 29th, a Sunday brunch will Toronto. Of particular interest are the be planned at one of the several restaur - Royal Ontario Museum , Toronto’s ants in the Hilton complex convenient to largest and most important; the Art the opera house. Gallery of Ontario , containing the world’s largest collection of the English Sunday afternoon, we will return to the sculptor Henry Moore; and the McMich - opera house for the 2:00 pm matinee of ael Canadian Collec tion , a rustic Gaetano Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore . timbered gallery a ‘Elisir’ maintains its popular position in the few miles north of operatic repertoire due to Donizetti’s the city, displaying melodic genius in this charming ‘bel canto’ works by the Cana - comedy. “Ultimately, the work’s continuing dian ‘Group of Seven’ Royal Ontario Museum appeal lies in the approp riateness of painters formed in Donizetti’s music to the ‘male Cinderella’ l920. Or you may wish to browse along myth. Nemorino’s good-heartedness and his singleness of purpose Toronto’s ‘uptown’ Bloor Street , where a win out in spite of potions and unforeseen inheritances.” ( New number of designer shops and boutiques Grove Dictionary of Opera ). This afternoon’s cast will feature three Erin Wall offer excellent value for the U.S. dollar. gifted Canadians among the principals – tenor Andrew Haji as the lovelorn hero Nemorino, soprano Simone Osborne as Adina, Saturday evening at 7:30 pm, our first opera and baritone Gordon Bintner as the swaggering Sergeant at the Four Seasons Center for the Belcore. The ‘buffo’ role of Dr. Dulcamara will be a ‘tour-de-force’ Performing Arts will be the Canadian opportunity for British baritone Andrew Shore . The conductor is Opera Company’s performance of Yves Abel , and the refreshing new production is directed by Richard Strauss’s Arabella , among the James Robinson with scenic designs by Allen Moyer . Sung in finest collaborations of Richard Strauss and Italian with English titles. his favorite librettist Hugo von Hofmann - Jane Archibald sthal. ‘Arabella’ was premiered in Dresden Independent departures should be on Monday morning, October in 1933 and remains a staple item in Vienna, 30th.

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