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Paul N Murphy @paulnoelmurphy.bsky.social · 4d

Saw a Canadian Opera Company performance this evening of Robert Carsen’s arrestingly beautiful production of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice. Iestyn Davies as Orfeo was just stunning.

Screenshot of page from the Canadian Opera Company’s digital programme booklet for Orfeo ed Euridice by Christoph Willibald Gluck.

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Paul N Murphy @paulnoelmurphy.bsky.social · 7d

Charmed by Opera Atelier’s English-language performance of Mozart’s The Magic Flute this afternoon.

Cover of programme booklet for Opera Atelier’s The Magic Flute

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Paul N Murphy @paulnoelmurphy.bsky.social · 7d

Very beautiful Toronto Symphony Orchestra concert last night. Good that Welser-Möst visited from Cleveland to conduct; wish we saw him more often.

Concert programme for a Toronto Symphony Orchestra performance. Bruce Liu as piano soloist in Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 and Franz Welser-Möst’s compilation of music from Richard Strauss’ Der Rosenkavalier.

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Paul N Murphy @paulnoelmurphy.bsky.social · 9d

They’re touring the three Schubert cycles - luck of the draw which city gets which one (Die schöne Müllerin is the pick for Carnegie Hall on Sunday)

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Paul N Murphy @paulnoelmurphy.bsky.social · 9d

Last night’s concert: Goerne and Trifonov performing Die Winterreise

Photo of page from Toronto’s Royal Conservatory of Music booklet - programme for concert of Matthias Goerne, baritone and Daniil Trifonov, piano, performing Franz Schubert’s Die Winterreise

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Paul N Murphy @paulnoelmurphy.bsky.social · 14d

Deep admiration for Ted Dykstra and Alexander Thomas as Estragon and Vladimir in Waiting for Godot that I saw this afternoon at Coal Mine Theatre.

Photo of cover of programme for Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett, produced by Toronto’s Coal Mine Theatre

Paul N Murphy @paulnoelmurphy.bsky.social · 18d

Also a Bluesky account, followed by Bob Mould bsky.app/profile/suga...

bsky.app

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Paul N Murphy @paulnoelmurphy.bsky.social · 19d

Hooray, new Pynchon

Photo of cover of hardcover book Shadow Ticket by Thomas Pynchon

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Paul N Murphy @paulnoelmurphy.bsky.social · 21d

Saw the Canadian Opera Company’s performance of Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette this afternoon. Enjoyed the music and singing, can’t quite say the same about the production - I like when opera directors take risks, but Amy Lane’s conception of the piece didn’t really work for me.

Screenshot of page from digital programme for the Canadian Opera Company’s production of Roméo et Juliette. Photo shows the two protagonists standing close together with Roméo’s hands on Juliette’s shoulders, Juliette’s hands on Romeo’s chest.

List of cast and crew members for the Canadian Opera Company’s production of Roméo et Juliette by Charles Gounod

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Paul N Murphy @paulnoelmurphy.bsky.social · 22d

Saw Dave Malloy’s Octet at Crow’s Theatre this afternoon. Outstanding direction, music direction, and performances from the entire ensemble of actors.

Screenshot of cover of digital programme for Octet by Dave Malloy, produced by Toronto’s Crow’s Theatre, Soulpepper, and The Musical Stage Company.

Paul N Murphy @paulnoelmurphy.bsky.social · 25d

First chamber music concert of the Fall season at the Jane Mallett Theatre in Toronto last night was a powerful, intense one: the Ehnes String Quartet with a programme of three heavyweight pieces.

Photo of programme booklet for Ehnes String Quartet listing Mendelssohn’s Quartet No. 6, Janáček’s Quartet No. 2, and Beethoven’s Op. 59 No. 1 Quartet.

Paul N Murphy @paulnoelmurphy.bsky.social · 28d

Saw this at Crow’s Theatre this afternoon and thought it was good spooky fun. Byron Abalos is excellent.

Photo of cover of digital programme for The Veil by Keith Barker and Thomas Morgan Jones

Paul N Murphy @paulnoelmurphy.bsky.social · Sep 21

Godot’s run has been extended by a week (to Oct 12).

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Paul N Murphy @paulnoelmurphy.bsky.social · Sep 18

I’d say that There Will Be Blood is pretty great and not separated by too large a gap from your 123…

Paul N Murphy @paulnoelmurphy.bsky.social · Sep 6

First TIFF screening in the Wavelengths programme this year has me buzzing: Rhayne Vermette’s second feature LEVELS. Chiaroscuro lighting, brooding sound design, occulted symbols and meanings portending the apocalypse — loved it.

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Paul N Murphy @paulnoelmurphy.bsky.social · Aug 24

Glad to see this Soulpepper production of a cryptic, confounding Pinter play yesterday evening.

Photo of cover page of the programme booklet for Soulpepper’s production of Old Times by Harold Pinter.

Paul N Murphy @paulnoelmurphy.bsky.social · Aug 21

Glad to see the remount of this production at the Royal Alexandra last night - I really liked it when I saw it last year at the Crowsnest, and was hugely impressed with how well it plays in the bigger space.