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.
From a distance
The opening night of the Canadian Opera Company’s 2019-20 season was all about the Wilsons.
The evil that men do
The Canadian Opera Company’s new production of Otello is a collection of welcome returns.
Murder on the orientation express
Rufus Wainwright is determined to offer a spectacle and that intention overrides all other considerations.
Sondra castle
By the end of the first act, it was clear to me that I was experiencing an artist performing at her absolute peak.
Mit leichtem Herz und leichten Händen
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.
Girlhood, interrupted
Erin Wall was an elegant, warm, and sensitive Arabella.
The Riel thing
By virtue of its subject matter and the auspicious occasion of its commissioning, Louis Riel was destined to be iconic.
The long and winding road
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.
Cards on the table
The Canadian Opera Company scored a coup when they secured Christine Goerke for the revival of their Ring productions over the last three seasons
Woman on the verge of a repertoire breakthrough
Revive is a manifesto of sorts, declaring Elina Garanca’s intentions for the new direction in her career.
Harmony of contrasts
Joyce DiDonato’s atest album, In War & Peace: Harmony through music, is more specific than it sounds.
Stop me if you’ve heard this one
Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette, and a slew of their members of court are hanging out in the afterlife…
Sag, welch wunderbare Träume
First seen in 2005, Siegfried makes a welcome return as a stand-alone production this season.
Myths, matched
“CanCon”, or Canadian Content, is always a concern in Canadian cultural discourse.
Awakenings
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 […]
A desert breeze whispering a lullaby
The studio opera recording is a rare beast these days and its arrival always a cause for celebration.
From the depths
I was greatly anticipating Karita Mattila’s recital on Friday in Toronto’s Koerner Hall.
I’ll take the fall
The days are getting shorter, but you can keep the prattle going this fall’s Talk of the Town! You will, you can, you must join in the discussion about: Great mezzo soprano performances (October),
Gained in translation (November), Teleport me back to… (December).