Art of Time Ensemble's popular Source & Inspiration series, a season highlight, returns this April to showcase the connection between classical and pop music. Taking place tonight, April 5 and the 6th, Schubert: Source & Inspiration pays homage to Franz Schubert, featuring his epic Piano Trio No. 2, as well as original songs inspired by his music and written by some of Canada's leading pop singer-songwriters, including Carole Pope, Andy Maize, Danny Michel, Martin Tielli and John Southworth.
Based on the idea of using existing material as a springboard for creativity, the Source & Inspiration series originated in 2007. Art of Time Ensemble's artistic director Andrew Burashko enlisted five unique artists to honour Schubert by creating works provoked by his Piano Trio No. 2. The pop musicians he collaborated with wrote songs that either borrowed melodies or chord progressions from the Trio, or tried to recreate the vibe of the chamber work in their own voice. The result is ten original songs written and then performed in each songwriter's distinctive style.
"The rift that exists today between classical music and popular culture has not always been there. Through the 19
th and early 20
th century, there was a lot of cross-pollination and intermingling between the two areas," said Burashko. "The goal of this concert, and all Art of Time concerts, is about re-establishing the reciprocity between classical music and modern culture. I asked this incredible group of artists to participate, as I admire their work and believe they represent the best of popular Canadian music today. I was thrilled to hear what they concocted through this musical experiment and look forward to revisiting the material with audiences."
This year's concert once again features Schubert, called the "father of modern art song", and welcomes back Andy Maize (The Skydiggers),
Danny Michel and
John Southworth, all of whom performed in the original series. Joining them will be Gregory Hoskins, who will perform the songs written by Martin Tielli, and the legendary Carole Pope (Rough Trade) making her Art of Time debut. The concert showcases each musician's disparate sensibilities and highlights the magical connection between chamber and pop music. The songs created for the original iteration of this series in 2007 went on to appear on each musician's record, including The Skydiggers' "City of Sirens", Michel's "Motorcade" and Tielli's "The House With The Laughing Window".
The performance is made up of two parts - the source and the inspiration. In the first half, Andrew Burashko (piano), Benjamin Bowman (violin) and Rachel Mercer (cello) perform Schubert's virtuosic Piano Trio No. 2. Burashko chose this epic, sprawling piece as it lends itself well to pop music; ironically, Schubert himself lifted a tune in the second movement from a folk song. The second half features the aforementioned artists performing their original works, with a new twist. In the original concert, each artist performed in their own distinctive style; this season, each of the pieces has been arranged to be played by the Ensemble, to remain cohesive with the Schubert Trio from the first half . The songs were arranged by long-time Art of Time collaborators
Jonathan Goldsmith, Andrew Downing, Rob Carli,
Kevin Fox and
Michael Johnson.
Schubert: Source & Inspiration will be on stage for two nights only at the intimate Enwave Theatre (231 Queens Quay West). Tickets from $25 to $59 are available online at
harbourfrontcentre.com, by phone at 416.973.4000 or in-person at the box office.
For more information, find
Art of Time Ensemble on Facebook, Twitter:
@artoftime and online at
www.artoftimeensemble.com.
Director/Conductor: Andrew Burashko
Singers: Carole Pope
Gregory Hoskins
Andy Maize
Danny Michel
John SouthworthMusicians: Andrew Burashko Piano
Benjamin Bowman Violin
Rachel Mercer Cello
Art of Time Ensemble is the creation of renowned classical pianist and Artistic Director
Andrew Burashko. Not content to rehash basic classical repertoire, Burashko and Art of Time Ensemble have become known for their daring interaction with the Toronto cultural scene. Now in its fourteenth season, Art of Time Ensemble is one of Canada's most innovative and artistically accomplished music ensembles. Their mandate is to give classical music the contemporary relevance and context it needs to maintain a broader audience to survive. Since its inception, Art of Time has steadily grown in reputation as an ensemble that undertakes and delivers programs that are at once thought-provoking and compelling. Committed to finding new ways of blending classical music with other genres as well as other art forms, each Art of Time program is uniquely different in theme and content.
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