Ali Kashani
Based in Toronto, Ali Kashani caught the opera bug as a young teen and has progressively and obsessively grown his love of the art form through recordings, magazines and participation in on-line groups. He proudly tries to insert opera into the lives of all he touches. He has been reading parterre.com for over a decade and began contributing reviews in 2015.
Ali has given opera talks and moderated discussion panels for the Canadian Opera Company and used to be regular panelist on the now-defunct CBC Opera Quiz with Stuart Hamilton. Though he has musical training, his goal of taking vocal lessons is still, regrettably, on the to-do list.
The opening night of the Canadian Opera Company’s 2019-20 season was all about the Wilsons.
By Ali Kashani
The Canadian Opera Company’s new production of Otello is a collection of welcome returns.
By Ali Kashani
Rufus Wainwright is determined to offer a spectacle and that intention overrides all other considerations.
By Ali Kashani
By the end of the first act, it was clear to me that I was experiencing an artist performing at her absolute peak.
By Ali Kashani
Der Rosenkavalier (on Blu-ray and DVD) is from the Met HD broadcast which also happened to be the final performance of the run, becoming a true souvenir of the farewells of its two leading ladies.
By Ali Kashani
Erin Wall was an elegant, warm, and sensitive Arabella.
By Ali Kashani
By virtue of its subject matter and the auspicious occasion of its commissioning, Louis Riel was destined to be iconic.
By Ali Kashani
In her debut solo album, Jamie Barton surrounds Gustav Mahler’s staples of the song repertoire, Rückert Lieder, with the less familiar Gypsy Songs of Antonin Dvorák and select songs by Jean Sibelius.
By Ali Kashani
The Canadian Opera Company scored a coup when they secured Christine Goerke for the revival of their Ring productions over the last three seasons
By Ali Kashani
Revive is a manifesto of sorts, declaring Elina Garanca’s intentions for the new direction in her career.
By Ali Kashani
Joyce DiDonato’s atest album, In War & Peace: Harmony through music, is more specific than it sounds.
By Ali Kashani
Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette, and a slew of their members of court are hanging out in the afterlife…
By Ali Kashani
First seen in 2005, Siegfried makes a welcome return as a stand-alone production this season.
By Ali Kashani
“CanCon”, or Canadian Content, is always a concern in Canadian cultural discourse.
By Ali Kashani
There is a simple elegance to the single-composer recital album format. For the listener in the mood for, say, Puccini, it’s a chance to delve into his music without any pesky interruptions by those other guys like Verdi or Massenet. And if one is also in the mood for a particular singer’s art, then the…
By Ali Kashani
The studio opera recording is a rare beast these days and its arrival always a cause for celebration.
By Ali Kashani
I was greatly anticipating Karita Mattila’s recital on Friday in Toronto’s Koerner Hall.
By Ali Kashani
