Author Archives: Stanley Fefferman

Isabelle Faust and Alexander Melnikov Play Beethoven Violin Sonatas with Passion Tempered by Gentleness

Posted on January 25, 2014 by Stanley Fefferman

January 24, 2013. Koerner Hall, Toronto. When Tolstoy listened to Beethoven’s “Kreutzer Sonata,”  he imagined a crime of passion. Tolstoy wrote a story about a performance of this violin sonata that drives a husband  to kill his wife  after hearing … Continue reading →

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Atom Egoyan hits Trifecta with Cosi Fan Tutte in Toronto reviewed by Stanley Fefferman

Posted on January 19, 2014 by Stanley Fefferman

  January 18, 2014. Four Season’s Centre, Toronto. Cosi Fan Tutte is Mozart putting it all on the line. He gambles on the unattractive premise of Lorenzo Da Ponte’s book: that women are all the same: treacherous—not one can be … Continue reading →

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Ignat Solzhenitsyn Lights Up Toronto’s 10th Mozart Festival

Posted on January 12, 2014 by Stanley Fefferman

  January 11, 2014. Roy Thomson Hall, Toronto. He conducts the orchestra as if he were playing the piano; his playing is a dance, and beyond that when he speaks, Ignat Solzhenitsyn reveals the writer in his blood. Because of the … Continue reading →

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Ensemble Made In Canada’s Debut CD Paced with Style and Grace reviewed by Stanley Fefferman

Posted on December 9, 2013 by Stanley Fefferman

ENSEMBLE MADE IN CANADA. Mozart Piano Quartet No. 2, Brahms Piano Quartet No. 3. 65’07”. www.ensemblemadeincanada.com Ensemble Made in Canada offer Piano Quartets by Mozart and Brahms for their debut CD.  The program is nicely balanced and they play well … Continue reading →

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Plenipotentiaries of the Piano: Five CD Reviews by Stanley Fefferman

Posted on December 8, 2013 by Stanley Fefferman

There has been a predominance of piano music coming for review in recent weeks. The players are among the best in the world: Angela Hewitt, Stephen Hough, Marc-André Hamelin, and Kristian Bezuidenhout. Their albums, in my opinion, are gifts to … Continue reading →

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Sweet Nutcracker Suites by Ellington/Strayhorn and Tchaikovsky: a CD review by Stanley Fefferman

Posted on December 6, 2013 by Stanley Fefferman

THE NUTCRACKER SUITES:Harmony Ensemble/New York. Steven Richman. Harmonia Mundi. This is an album that asks the question—”Does the Duke Ellington/Billy Strayhorn ‘Americanized’ version of The Nutcracker Suite give the original ‘European’ Tchaikovsky a run for its money?” I think it … Continue reading →

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THE PHOENIX RISING: Tudor sacred music takes off with STILE ANTICO reviewed by Stanley Fefferman

Posted on December 6, 2013 by Stanley Fefferman

Stile Antico: The Phoenix Rising (Harmonia Mundi) In a CD review I like to write about two things: what the music is and what it does for me. Let me begin by mixing both headings. Stile Antico is NOT music … Continue reading →

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The Gryphon Trio at Music Toronto: A Night to Remember reviewed by Stanley Fefferman

Posted on December 6, 2013 by Stanley Fefferman

December 6, 2013. Jane Mallett Theatre, Toronto. A great night to be with the Gryphon Trio. On the anniversary of their 20th year together, Jamie Parker, Annalee Patipatanakoon and Roman Borys were awarded the Canada Council’s $ 30,000 Walter Carsen … Continue reading →

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