As nice as Tafelmusik’s regular home at Trinity-St. Paul’s United Church undoubtedly is, it can’t possibly compare to the sublime new Koerner Hall, which is where the orchestra and chamber choir will cap their current season May 29, 30 and June 1 with Handel’s choral tour de force, “Israel in Egypt”.
By turns dense and dynamic, the libretto tells the story of Exodus, depicting Moses’s struggle to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. Orchestra and choir director Ivars Taurins, left, clearly relishes the opportunity to reinvigorate this popular “warhorse”, particularly in Koerner Hall.
“Orchestrally and chorally, the work is brilliant, in the large brushstrokes and in the small details,” he enthuses. “Normally, one hears this work with a larger ensemble and a philharmonic chorus, a group that numbers around 100, but with a smaller group like ours, the immediacy of the work, the drama of the piece, comes through not from weight or sheer force of sound, but through the direct narrative and I think this hall is going to really enhance that.”
In some ways, these performances of “Israel in Egypt” are a gift to the ensemble’s incredibly loyal subscribers who have kept the group flourishing for 30 years. Specializing in the baroque repertoire played on period instruments, the Tafelmusik orchestra was founded in 1979 and the choir was established two years later. Taurins has been there from the start, initially as principal violist and then as choir director. It’s only in recent years that he has hung up his viola to concentrate on conducting (he also directs the Calgary Philharmonic) and teaching music at University of Toronto. It’s a taxing schedule but one he clearly thrives on: “If it wasn’t thrilling, I’d be doing something else,” he says.
As we chat in the Koerner Hall Green Room, Taurins presents himself as a serious and thoughtful man but later, as he leads a rehearsal upstairs, he’s much more relaxed, joking and guiding his charges through the nuances of Handel’s virtuosic choruses.
“Israel in Egypt” is one of the chestnuts of the chorale canon and Taurins says the company feels obliged to mix familiar classics with lesser-known works in order to keep each season satisfying and also interesting. “Over the 30 years we have created this wonderful sense of trust with our audience,” he says. “The audience knows they’ll be treated to something special even if they don’t know the work.”
Tafelmusik tours doggedly — the orchestra is just back from a three-week tour of Europe, one of five road trips this year. But no matter how grand the halls become, Taurins is always happy to come home to humble Trinity-St. Paul’s.
“Being in the Annex, even though it was a bohemian, brown bread kind of neighbourhood for so many years, there is a sense that it’s a real hub of a thriving community. There are many groups around the world that rely on touring as their bread and butter, ensembles like the Academy of Saint Martin in the Fields, for instance. Sure they have a few choice concerts in London but they don’t have this solid foundation of a subscription series that runs from September to May with multiple performances of the same program over a week. That’s quite unique for our size of orchestra. We have such a solid and loyal subscription base and we’re very grateful for it.”
Clearly, Tafelmusik is doing something right; all three performances of “Israel in Egypt” are sold out.
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