Today in Toronto: Beethoven and Shostakovich and Obeah Opera

Beethoven and Shostakovich The opening bars of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 have been described as the sound of fate knocking at the door, but the bombast soon transforms into exhilarating complexity. The possibility that fate (in the guise of the Soviet secret police) might literally knock on Shostakovich’s door meant that the premiere of hisViolin Concerto No. 1 was delayed until after Stalin’s death. Find out more »

Obeah Opera Taking its inspiration from the Salem witch trials, this new work explores that atrocity’s Caribbean connection with the story of five women accused of practising magic. Find out more »