Toronto Summer season Music: Songs by Duparc, Fauré, Debussy, Lili Boulanger, Amy Seashore, Déodat de Séverac, Jeanne Landry, Nadia Boulanger, Pauline Viardot, Mel Bonis, Pierre de Bréville, Marguerite Canal. Mary Bevan, soprano; Roger Vignoles, piano. Walter Corridor, July 14, 2025.
A serious element of the annual Toronto Summer season Musical Pageant is its Artwork of the Track program, which incorporates an Academy wing that provides intensive coaching for aspiring singers and collaborative pianists.
Annually, two established professionals, a singer and a pianist, function mentors within the Academy. Additionally they give a recital to the TSM public. Through the years, we’ve heard many excellent Canadian and worldwide artists in efficiency.
This yr, the Artwork of Track friends are two well-known UK artists, soprano Mary Bevan and pianist Roger Vignoles. Whereas Vignoles has carried out in Canada a number of instances, I’ve a sense that this is likely to be Ms. Bevan’s Canadian recital debut. Final night, an enthusiastic crowd of tune lovers have been handled to a tasty program of artwork songs within the intimate, 495-seat Walter Corridor.
The Program
It was an attention-grabbing program of songs about love, composed by well-known male composers, contrasted with songs by extra obscure girls composers. That stated, names similar to Pauline Viardot, Nadia Boulanger and Amy Seashore hardly want introductions lately. It’s a testomony to the altering instances and the growing recognition of the contribution of ladies tune composers.
Mary Bevan has recorded fairly a couple of of those songs in a Signum Classics CD that got here out in 2017. Yow will discover a style of it on YouTube right here. Identical to her CD, she sounded pretty final night in a few of these songs, providing a felicitous mixture of great thing about tone and communicative energy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWxS7kUIwm8&listing=RDFWxS7kUIwm8&start_radio=1
Efficiency
Her supply has outstanding depth, via her voice in addition to via facial features and physique language. A few of these songs have virtually operatic moments, which she delivered with aplomb.
Some are well-known, similar to Duparc’s “L’Invitation au voyage” and “Romance de Mignon.” For the much less acquainted ones, the surtitles got here in helpful. That stated, it was unusual that tune titles have been omitted within the projections.
Bevan is a really effective recitalist, with out query. However, maybe in her intention to supply the loveliest sounds attainable, her supply of the textual content was not ideally clear. It was troublesome to make out the phrases. Whereas it could possibly be my poor French, however not totally; I additionally observed that within the single encore, it took me awhile to determine it was sung in English!
Last Ideas
One other level — whereas I respect the thematic nature of this system, I might have appreciated a bit extra selection and distinction within the songs — the inclusion of 1 or two glad songs would have been good!
Via all of it, Mr. Vignoles was the rock-solid, supportive pianist. He has been to TSM earlier than, and it’s all the time a pleasure to listen to him play. I stay up for his upcoming masterclass.
The live performance was relative quick, with beneath an hour of music. The viewers confirmed its appreciation with large ovations, particularly from the younger members. An effective way to spend a summer time night.
- There are many fantastic live shows to come back between now and August 2 at Toronto Summer season Music; discover particulars [HERE].
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Joseph So is Professor Emeritus at Trent College and Affiliate Editor of Opera Canada.He’s additionally a long-time contributor to La Scena Musicale and Opera (London, UK). His curiosity in music journalism focuses on voice, opera in addition to symphonic and piano repertoires. He seems recurrently as a panel member of the Massive COC Podcast.He has co-edited a e book, Opera in a Multicultural World: Coloniality, Tradition, Efficiency, revealed by Routledge (Taylor & Francis Group).
