Jonas Kaufmann really wants you to watch Faust this weekend. How can you say no to that face?

THE BIRDS TAKE UP THEIR CHARMING SONGS ONCE MORE
Special guest narrator: Bruce Hunter
Vivaldi - Four Seasons
Musical Improvisations – The Audience becomes the Storyteller

The holidays are a time to be together with those you love. Join with friends, family and community and participate in some music making with Via Salzburg. The Baroque sounds of Vivaldi prepare our ears as Via Salzburg and our audience create music together for the first time. Friday, December 9, 2011, 8pm. Rosedale United Church, 159 Roxborough Drive, Toronto.

BACK TO BACK - CONTINUUM MUSIC
Continuum Music co-presented with the Music Gallery and Toronto New Music Projects, Back to Back is a concert of works for small ensemble by experimentalist extraordinaire Vinko Globokar. This event, together with a New Music Concerts performance on December 11, creates a rare concentration of Globokar’s work that is not to be missed. The programme includes Dos à Dos, Terres brûlées, ensuite…, a brilliantly theatrical trio for piano, saxophone and percussion with electronics by Thomas Kessler, and a group improvisation led by Globokar on trombone. Performers -
Composer and trombone: Vinko Globokar (FR)
With: Thomas Kessler (electronics), Wallace Halladay (saxophone), Stephen Clarke (piano), Ryan Scott (percussion), David Schotzko (percussion). December 9, 2011, 8 pm. The Music Gallery, 197 John Street, Toronto, ON, CA, M5T 1X6

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Photo by Johan Persson - Mark Ronan's Theatre Reviews

Last night I was fortunate enough to catch the National Ballet of Canada's Canadian premiere of Chroma by Wayne McGregor. It was presented with two other stunning pieces: Serenade, and Emergence.

Wayne McGregor is the Resident Choreographer of The Royal Ballet, and this is the first time his piece has been performed since it earned rave reviews and multiple dance awards when it was first created back in 2006.

Chroma means the intensity of colour and the freedom from white, and in this piece the body behaves as the frequency of colour, and from that colour all different textures and shades are explored. The stark set and the minimalist costumes are designed to enhance the visual intensity of the uncharacteristically beautiful poses and slithering movements.

The entire piece was an exploration of the limits of the human body.  Hyper-extended legs, over-splits, dislocated shoulders, contortionist spines all balanced with clean lines, classic ballet poses and partner work.

Now let's add in the rock music.  Besides the visually stunning shapes, the musical score is an incredible mix of White Stripes hits, orchestrated and mixed in with Joby Talbot's original film music inspired score. The orchestra was huge, and the score managed to be both jarring and comforting, thanks to the memorably melodies that weaved in and out.

Keep reading to see a clip of the opening sequence from The Royal Ballet's production.

The Royal Opera House has become the first performing arts organisation in Europe to launch its own iTunes U site. Nearly 300 items of free multi-media content from the Royal Opera House are now available via a dedicated area within the iTunes Store. The materials being offered include performance excerpts, rehearsal footage, audio and written resources on productions, plus master-classes, interviews with artists, sessions focused on specific repertory of both the operas and ballets performed at The Royal Opera House, London.

Launch Royal Opera House iTunes U

Visit the iTunes U page on the Royal Opera House Website