There is room to explore between the lines, says Côté, and dance is very good at evoking emotions and atmospheres that can rival the power of words. Hamlet is one of dramatic literature’s most complex and challenging roles, which likely explains why classical actors dream of playing him. Not just actors but dancers, too; including […]

A Russian Pianist Speaks Out Against the War From Home Polina Osetinskaya, a critic of the invasion who has stayed in Moscow even as the government cracks down on dissent, will play a Baroque program in New York. When Russia invaded Ukraine last year, the pianist Polina Osetinskaya, who lives in Moscow, was distraught. She […]

Polina Osetinskaya discusses Baroque Music from the Greatest Movies of All Time on The Oasis The sublime virtuoso pianist and human rights advocate Polina Osetinskaya returns to Toronto for her Canadian solo debut featuring music from some of the greatest films of all time.   It’s no secret that music by Bach, Handel, Purcell, and Rameau […]

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685 -1750) The Talented Mr. Ripley, 1999; dir. Anthony Minghella  Italian Concerto in F Major, BWV 971 Spanning four volumes, the Clavier-Übung traversed every style and skill set a keyboardist would need to know. Published over a ten year period between 1731-41, it contains some of the most widely known and well-loved […]

Maxim Vengerov, violinist; Polina Osetinskaya, pianist. Bach; Beethoven; Shostakovich; Tchaikovsky.  January 15, 2023, Koerner Hall, Toronto. When I first heard Maxim Vengerov in recital over 20 years ago, I came away very impressed by the Russia-born Israeli violinist’s dazzling technical virtuosity, but little else. So I was unprepared for the warmth and expressivity he brought […]