Review:
Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page.
Article content
It was a night of finales and farewells. On the last weekend in May, the CPO performed its final pair of concerts of the current season, a season with many highlights (including this one) and with 40 sold-out performances, a company first. Recovering from near bankruptcy some years ago, the CPO is now enjoying some of the strongest support it has had in many years.
Article content
Article content
Article content
At least some of the reason for this lies in the astute programming, but perhaps even more lies in the new manner of presentation, not the least by its outgoing conductor, Rune Bergmann, whose smiling face and manner have signalled to all that classical concerts can be both serious and simple fun.
Article content
Article content
Bergmann has been with the orchestra for nine years, which includes the difficult years of COVID-19. It hasn't been easy to bring audiences back, but Bergmann persevered and has led the orchestra in delicate performances of works by Mozart as well as monumental symphonies by Mahler.
Article content
And it was with Mahler, specifically Mahler's popular Second Symphony (Resurrection), that Bergmann chose to conclude his time with the orchestra. A symphony about farewells, it is also about hope and new life. It is also a symphony by which to measure the growth in the performing stature of the orchestra and the Calgary Philharmonic Chorus, both of which are enjoying a period in which a great many of their recent concerts have been of a very high level.
Article content
Article content
Just this past season, the orchestra performed a splashy Carmina Burana to open its season (also with the CPO Chorus), with concerts featuring world-famous soloists like Jonathan Biss and Honens winner Nicolas Namoradze. It also gave superb performances of Mozart and Elgar with Bergmann at the helm, and a wonderful Symphonie Fantastique by Hector Berlioz. String soloists were not ignored either, with outstanding performances by violinists James Ehnes and Diana Cohen, and recently a sold-out appearance with cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
Article content
This list of accomplishments, together with an earlier Beethoven symphony and concerto cycle and several Mahler symphonies, including an impressive performance of the Third Symphony, gives an indication of the wide range of music performed, and with impressive surety and confidence.
Article content
These qualities marked Bergmann's final appearance with the orchestra. One could only marvel at the authority of the opening cello section solo, as well as the numerous solo turns given to the wind and brass players (especially the solo trumpet of Adam Zinatelli). The percussion section whipped up a storm, and the chorus sang with hushed emotion and, in the final moment, with dramatic grandeur.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Calgary Herald
2 hours ago
- Calgary Herald
Sully Burrows, Noeline Hofmann and Jake Vaadeland rock Canadian country music scene
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Sully Burrows, Noeline Hofmann and Jake Vaadeland are one step closer to becoming the next big name on Canada's country music scene after a nationwide vote in SiriusXM's Top of the Country contest. Article content The singing competition saw the trio beat out hundreds of hopefuls in a bid to land the $25,000 grand prize and the title of Top of the Country champion. The winner will be crowned at next month's Canadian Country Music Awards in Kelowna, B.C. The two runners-up will each take home $10,000. Article content Article content All three couldn't be more different musically — Burrows graduated high school in Parry Sound, Ont., last June before landing his first hit song Youth last October; Hofmann was a rancher in Alberta who caught the ear of country superstar Zach Bryan; and Juno-winning Vaadeland puts his own unique spin on country and bluegrass — but the trio are all united in wanting to have their voices heard. Article content Article content Since she was a little girl, Hofmann, 22, always dreamed of playing music for a living. 'But I grew up in a town of 1,500 people … I never saw an example of how pursuing a career in music could be possible,' she told Postmedia in an interview at Nashville's CMA Fest earlier this summer. 'Still, I always felt in my heart that was something I wanted to do.' Article content After recording her plaintive track Purple Gas, the Bow Island, Alta. native saw her career take off when Bryan asked if she would sing it with him on his 2024 album The Great American Bar Scene. Article content Article content The song's title is a reference to a type of fuel farmers and ranchers use in Alberta. Article content Article content 'I never could have imagined that it would end up on his album,' the Country Music Alberta Award winner says. 'It's hard to measure the impact Zach has had on my journey … he's such an advocate for artists and writers and I'm so grateful to him for giving me a chance to take the ball and run with it.' Article content She's spent most of the summer on the road, with a show booked alongside Bryan, Kings Of Leon and Turnpike Troubadours at San Francisco's Golden Gate Park set for Aug. 15 and opening dates on The Crooner & The Cowboy Tour with Leon Bridges and Charley Crockett. Article content Hofmann is also up for two CCMAs — Breakthrough Artist and Alternative Country Album of the Year.
Edmonton Journal
3 hours ago
- Edmonton Journal
Lethbridge model and philanthropist Jaime VandenBerg crowned Miss Universe Canada
Article content On Saturday, the five finalists of Miss Universe Canada gave a minute-long speech during a gala in Windsor, Ont. Article content The contestants could talk about anything they wanted. So Lethbridge's Jaime VandenBerg chose a heavy topic, albeit one that is close to her heart. She spoke about gender-based violence. It was part sobering reality and part motivational speech. Article content 'I used the time to talk about how every 11 minutes a woman dies due to gender-based violence, but we can be the generation of change,' says VandenBerg, repeating part of the speech in a phone interview with Postmedia. 'Every moment and every second we are here is an opportunity to make change, go after your dreams and accomplish anything that you've ever wanted to.' Article content Article content 'When I spoke about surviving gun violence, the entire audience went quiet,' she says. 'It was insane to be able to speak to thousands of people like that. To silence a room of that many people was absolutely wild.' Article content Later in the evening, VandenBerg was declared Miss Universe Canada, which means she will represent the country in November at the Miss Universe Pageant in Thailand. Article content Article content The win came after more than a week of competition that pitted the international model and philanthropist against 70 delegates from across Canada. That included Calgary's Elise Featherstone, who was once a contestant on the American reality series Naked and Afraid; entrepreneur Kirsten Andresen, who recently earned a degree in biomedical engineering at the University of Calgary; Sarah Lambros, a seismic processor and former Calgary Stampede Princess; and Sonia Saxon, an entrepreneur and engineer. Article content The delegates were put through various competitions since Aug. 1, including traditional judged components based on evening gowns and swimwear and a 'best-body' competition, which caused a bit of an uproar on social media as some deemed it to be a severely outdated category. Article content But the delegates also had to prepare a humanitarian report, which was worth 25 per cent of their score, based on each delegate's fundraising for the Canadian Mental Health Association.
Vancouver Sun
4 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
The End charts a new beginning for Wolfgang Van Halen and Mammoth
Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. The End is another hit for Wolfgang Van Halen. The third album by his band Mammoth is one of the summer's hot rock records. Propelled by the title track and its accompanying video, which is directed by Robert Rodriguez and stars Danny Trejo, the album is also something of a new beginning for the one-man band launched in 2015 by the son of the late guitar hero Eddie Van Halen. Previously known as Mammoth WVH, the group has dropped the last three letters and now has two No. 1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay charting releases to its credit. Get top headlines and gossip from the world of celebrity and entertainment. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sun Spots will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Having started his professional career playing bass in his father and uncle's namesake group, the younger Van Halen made Mammoth his main focus after Van Halen disbanded in 2020. The name was taken in honour of his dad's pre-Van Halen band, where he was both lead guitarist and singer. Multi-instrumentalist Wolfgang holds down all duties on all three Mammoth releases, hiring touring musicians for the concert combo. The End video is one of the few where the other players appear, as most Mammoth clips present several Wolfgang's playing everything. The recently released new single the Spell returns to this format. 'The End was a whirlwind two-day shoot and a lot of work, but I think music videos are an important part of the business and, maybe, something of a lost art that we should be doing,' said Van Halen. 'The new album is all parts me again, as that is how I really feel that I can fully express my ideas in the studio, fighting creatively with myself all the while. The band, it's all about bringing their own playing styles to the music and making the live show something powerful and all its own. Because I'm no stickler to doing it just like the recording.' Recording at Van Halen's 5150 studio, where his only collaborator is producer and friend Michael 'Elvis' Baskette, Van Halen meticulously constructs modern rock in line with groups such as Foo Fighters or Creed. Mammoth will open for Creed on the band's Summer of '99 tour, which comes to Vancouver's Rogers Arena on Aug. 16. Tickets are on sale at . Wolfgang briefly played in Creed guitarist Mark Tremonti's group, Tremonti, from 2012-2016. Mammoth has previously toured with Guns N Roses and Metallica, among others. 'I'm very much looking forward to the dates, as I'm excited to be exposed to their fans,' he said. 'Big Wreck is on the tour, too, and I've never seen them live but really like what I've heard. I kind of like the introductory audition-ary approach of being first of three on a bill.' Having the last name he does means there is pretty relentless trolling around his career and questions about his talent. This seems unfair given the musicianship on Mammoth WVH, Mammoth II and the End, which showcases a style of rock that is very different from Van Halen's sound. Wolfgang says you just have to deal with it as part of the package. 'It would be different if I was out there playing Panama every night, which is an important distinction, that unabashedly doing my own thing instead,' he said. 'Dave Grohl formed the Foo Fighters and didn't go out playing Nirvana songs, and I think I'm doing the same thing and will continue to do so. It seems to be working out well so far.' With three albums and a host of solid singles to Mammoth's credit, putting together the opening slot set list has been pretty easy. But once this tour is done, the band will embark on its first headlining tour in the fall. Planning what to play in a longer show is interesting and presents opportunities to do things differently. 'With three records to choose from, it's easier to tailor a full experience, but it's never an easy thing for me to play live,' he said. 'I'm a shy introvert by nature, but need to force myself out of my comfort zone to be out there representing what I'm putting out. I think after five years, I'm starting to get the hang of it, but the headlining tour will be a challenge.' One song that isn't planned for the set at the moment is I'm Just Ken. Wolfgang plays guitar on the Ryan Gosling-sung piece from director Greta Gerwig's Oscar-winning hit film Barbie. Van Halen joined Mark Ronson and Slash as a member of the backing band of Kens at the 2024 Academy Awards broadcast. 'I wasn't in on the award at all, as that was all Mark and his co-writer, Andrew Wyatt, that got the Oscar,' he said. 'I just dropped in the guitar and some extended tapping stuff for the longer version in the film. It was a lot of fun, though.' 'Tapping stuff' refers to the playing technique of striking the guitar strings between frets with your finger to create a sound that is almost keyboard-like in its fluidity. While there are many examples of tapping recorded long before Eddie Van Halen showcased it on his legendary solo titled Eruption, the guitarist brought the style to prominence in hard rock and today it is commonplace. For his part, Wolfgang doesn't see the flashier elements of his late father's approach to guitar as his greatest musical accomplishment. 'Honestly, I don't think he gets nearly enough credit for his rhythm playing,' he said. 'Solos are all fun and flashy, but you don't have a song without rhythm, and his efforts as that kind of player and overall song creation is more important than anything else. His songs could exist without solos.' As to which of the many instruments he displays the most command over on Mammoth recordings, Wolfgang says guitar was the one he had the most trouble finding an individual voice with. Part of this was due to the inevitable comparisons that came with his name, but more so with finding his own style to go along with his singing voice. 'Singing has always come to me really naturally, easily even,' he said. 'But, from the inception of Mammoth, I wanted to find my own sound to go with that. I think that was when I started to fall in love with the sound of semi-hollow body guitars like the EVH SA-126 signature model I play now.' The Mammoth headline tour starts in November. Look for updates at . sderdeyn@ Love concerts, but can't make it to the venue? Stream live shows and events from your couch with VEEPS, a music-first streaming service now operating in Canada. Click here for an introductory offer of 30% off. Explore upcoming concerts and the extensive archive of past performances.
