The Theatre of Early Music
Founded by Artistic Director and Conductor Daniel Taylor, the Choir and Orchestra of the Theatre of Early Music (TEM)
are sought-after interpreters of magnificent yet neglected choral and instrumental repertoire from four centuries.
Their appearances include stunning a cappella programmes, with practices and aesthetics of former ages informing
thought-provoking, passionate and committed reconstructions of music for historical events and major works
from the oratorio tradition.
With Daniel Taylor, the Choir and Orchestra of the TEM are new visitors to the
world's most renowned concert halls and festivals and are building an exciting discography in partnership
with Sony Classical Masterworks. Full Biography
The Theatre Of Early Music invite you to attend their upcoming concerts across Canada including Montreal, Ottawa, Victoria, Edmonton, Winnipeg,
Barrie and Lac St Jean and also on their US tours to Seattle, Santa Monica, San Diego and Los Angeles.
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News and Events
Sony Classical Masterworks has signed Daniel Taylor as an Exclusive Recording Artist.....Read more
IMG Artists to represent Daniel Taylor and the
TEM for select touring projects..... Read more
Double your donation today with TEM's Vital Matching Funds Campaign!......Read more
TEM North American Tour : Dido and Aeneas
February 7 - 16th ......Read more
TEM with "Daniel Taylor and Deborah York Perform Handel to Perfection" - Carnegie Hall Nov 2011......Read some reviews
TEM perform for the delegates of the International Congress of Human Genetics......Read more
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Welcome to the world of the Theatre of Early Music
The Choir and Orchestra of the Theatre of Early Music (TEM) records exclusively for Sony Classical Masterworks.
The Choir and Orchestra of the Theatre of Early Music is an ensemble of some of the world’s finest musicians,
sharing a particular passion for early music. Its formation is the result of a search by instrumentalists and
singers for opportunities that would allow devotion and dedication to enter into the creative process.
The core of the TEM consists of an ensemble based in Canada that is primarily made up of young musicians. Their distinctive
style, coupled with its artistic director Daniel Taylor’s expertise and enthusiasm, leads to captivating readings
of magnificent but often neglected works.
In various combinations, leading international musicians in the field perform
on the platform provided by the Theatre of Early Music in concerts conducted by Daniel Taylor
in its regular series in Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto, on tours around the world and on recordings.
The choir and orchestra of the TEM appear in some 30 concerts every year, recently having performed on stages in France,
Argentina, Brazil, England and China. Future engagements include European, North American, South American and Asian tours in 2010 and 2011.
Guest artists performing with the TEM include Dame Emma Kirkby, Nancy Argenta, Karina Gauvin, Suzie Leblanc, Carolyn Sampson,
Deborah York, Robin Blaze, James Bowman, Benjamin Butterfield, Charles Daniels, James Gilchrist, Michiel Schrey,
Alexander Dobson, Michael George, Peter Harvey, Daniel Lichti and Stephen Varcoe.
In Canada, the TEM is perhaps best-known for its performances of compositions from around the time of Bach;
this includes choral literature by Kuhnau, Tunder and Bruhns as well as the early cantatas by Bach himself.
The Theatre of Early Music’s first recording on BIS, Couperin’s Leçons
De Ténèbres (Blaze and Taylor) was released
in March 2005; critics commented “Beauty of this recording bows to no other.” This highly-praised disc was followed
by an imaginative Renaissance programme, Love Bade Me Welcome, featuring the actor Ralph Fiennes reading poetry as
well as countertenor duets with Bowman and Taylor. Reviews were unanimous in their admiration for “the legendary
countertenor James Bowman in magical duet with the remarkable young star Daniel Taylor.” The most recent release on the
BIS label was the Vivaldi disc ‘Stabat Mater’ in June 2009, to be followed soon by the Pergolesi ‘Stabat Mater’ with Dame Emma Kirkby
and Daniel Taylor.
The Choir and Orchestra of the Theatre of Early Music, led by Conductor Daniel Taylor, now records exclusively for
Sony Classical Masterworks. The best-selling debut disc on the Sony label entitled The Voice of Bach was praised in Gramophone
Magazine as “serious music-making of the highest order”. The disc received five stars from both BBC Music Magazine and Classic Music CD,
was featured on BBC’s “Desert Island Discs” and received acclaim worldwide including reviews from the Times (London),
the Globe and Mail (Toronto), the New York Times, the Guardian (London) and La Scena Musicale (Montreal).
The Theatre of Early Music is motivated by a desire to communicate both text and music to their audience.
The TEM explores the depth and substance of the early choral and instrumental literature, sharing their passion and ideas with audiences worldwide.
The key aspect involved in the approach of the Theatre of Early Music is revelation: just as in modern-day
we have restored the frescoes of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel, so do we hope to reveal the original beauty
of ancient works. Therein we hope to understand, communicate and celebrate this inspirational music.
The TEM became a registered non-profit organization in 2002 and a charitable organization in August 2004.
We continue to value and appreciate the generous contributions of music lovers across Canada
Quebec's Le Soleil described the Choir of the TEM conducted by Daniel Taylor in concert:
“Listening to the 20 pure angelic voices had already moved many to tears. The mix of light but exact timbres
conserves a texture that is lithe yet at times sumptuous. The text is sustained and respects the music of the language.
Clear intonation and balance were in evidence: unity and cohesion particularly strong. Daniel Taylor directs as he sings,
this is to say with an ease and economy of gestures. The result is a most moving ensemble that could not be more supple,
more pleasing. Every moment spoke to the audience and answered perfectly, providing it seemed what the audience was searching for.
At a concert entitled ‘The Path to Paradise’, apparently, many had found their path.”
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Sony Classical Masterworks Announces the signing of Daniel Taylor as an Exclusive Recording Artist.
Sony Classical Masterworks, one of the largest major recording companies in the world,
represents the finest musicians in the world including Yo-Yo Ma, Andrea Bocelli and Joshua Bell.
Sony Classical are proud to begin an association with one of the world’s leading early music artists,
the Canadian vocal star, Countertenor Daniel Taylor.
Alexander Cowan, UK-based Senior marketing manager for
Sony Masterworks International, comments: “Daniel Taylor is a world-class recording artist.
We are looking to complement his touring activities with a succession of
records to reaffirm his position as one of the most sought-after countertenors in the world.”
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IMG Artists Europe and Asia:
IMG Artists, the global leader in the artist management business, is pleased to announce the signing of Daniel Taylor
and the Choir and Orchestra of the Theatre of Early Music. With an unparalleled degree of artistic and managerial talent,
IMG is committed to breaking new ground in the ever-evolving world of the performing arts. IMG Artists and Daniel Taylor
look forward to beginning their future touring collaborations. Daniel Taylor comments “I am honoured to have the
opportunity to work with this brilliant management team which will compliment our work with local agents in South America,
Canada and in France.”
IMG Artists is the global leader in the arts management business, combining the highest standards of management with an
incomparable range of services to its customers and clients alike. With offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Paris,
Hanover, Lucca and Singapore, IMG Artists delivers an international suite of capabilities including the management and
touring of the finest musicians, dance companies, orchestras, and attractions, as well as consulting and advisory work for
sovereign clients, arts institutions, concert halls, and culturally engaged corporations.
IMG Artists will continue to seek out distinctive partnerships and craft collaborative initiatives in the years to come.
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Double your donation today with TEM's Vital Matching Funds Campaign!
TEM are thrilled to announce that until March 30th 2012, any gift of $50 or more will be MATCHED by a new grant from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (Quebec Arts Council).
This is a significant opportunity for the Theatre of Early Music and our campaign contributors.
The total cost of creating, developing and producing exceptional new concerts cannot be met by box office revenue alone.
In addition to government and foundation support we also rely on individual donations to help us create great music drama which touches our hearts, feeds our minds, and ultimately
endures for generations.
That is why we are asking today if you would consider making a donation, to ensure that your gift is matched dollar for dollar.
Imagine how much more we can do now that your contributions will go double the distance!
Charitable tax receipts are available upon request for all donations and will be sent automatically for all donations over $100.00
For donations of $75 upwards you may request a free copy of the latest Theatre of Early Music Sony recital disc, "Come Again, Sweet Love"
On-line donations are not yet available, but cheques may be sent to this address :
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Theatre of Early Music
336 Carré St-Louis
Montréal
QC H2X 1A5
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TEM North American Tour : Dido and Aeneas
February 7th & 8th 2012 at 7:30pm - Westminster Church, 745 Westminster Ave, Winnipeg
February 11th 2012 at 8:00 pm - Seattle Town Hall, 8th and Seneca, Seattle
February 13th 2012 at 8:00 pm - Convocation Hall, Edmonton
February 15th 2012 at 7:30 pm - Knox Presbyterian Church, Ottawa
February 16th 2012 at 7:30 pm - Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours Chapel, 400 St. Paul Street East, Montreal
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Cast:
Dido : Noemi Kiss, soprano
Belinda : Grace Davidson, soprano
2nd Woman : Agnes Zsigovics, soprano
Aeneas : Alexander Dobson, baritone
Sorceress : Daniel Taylor, countertenor
Sailor : Benjamin Butterfield, tenor
With the TEM choir and Orchestra |
Other choral & solo pieces on Programme:
Oh Lovely Peace
As with Rosy Steps
The Pilgrim’s Home
Total Eclipse
O Nata Lux
Remember not
Hear My Prayer |
See "Tour Dates" section for more information & booking details
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The New York Times : Embracing Handel’s Leaping Arias and Duets
Weill Recital Hall
Carnegie Hall
New York
November 15, 2011
Theatre of Early Music players:
Cynthia Roberts, violin
Edwin Huizinga, violin
David Miller, viola
Amanda Keesmaat, cello
Reuven Rothman, bass
Eric Milnes, harpsichord
David Jacques, baroque guitar
The Theater of Early Music, a Canadian period-instrument and vocal ensemble led by Daniel Taylor, the countertenor, expands and contracts
to suit the project at hand. Mr. Taylor brought a compact version to Weill Recital Hall for a Handel program on Tuesday,
and though he was listed in the program book as both countertenor and conductor, there was no conducting to be done.
When the instrumentalists had the spotlight -in trim, zesty accounts of a passacaglia (from HWV 432) and the
"Giulio Cesare" Overture - Mr. Taylor left them to it.
The evening was mostly devoted to arias and duets from Rinaldo, Tolomeo, Giulio Cesare and Rodelinda, in which
Mr. Taylor split the spotlight with the soprano Deborah York. They were well matched. In the ebullient Scherzano sul
tuo volto (I look in your beloved eyes) from Rinaldo, Ms. York’s bright, tightly focused timbre perfectly complemented
Mr. Taylor’s velvety tone, and when Ms. York darkened her sound in the mournful duet Io t’abbraccio (I embrace you)
from Rodelinda, the blend was just about perfect.
On her own, Ms. York was at her best in Bel piacere (It is a great pleasure) and Lascia ch’io pianga (Let me weep),
both also from Rinaldo. In Bel piacere, Handel demands an athletic series of barely prepared leaps, which Ms.
York handled so gracefully that she made her ornamentation of the top notes sound natural and comfortable if not
necessarily easy. In Lascia ch’io pianga, one of several tragic arias that gave the program its emotional richness,
she sang with a wrenching dynamic suppleness.
Mr. Taylor matched that quality in several pieces, most notably the lustrous Dove sei (Where are you)
from Rodelinda, where his tone was at its most fully burnished........
By Allan Kozinn, Published in NY Times on November 16, 2011
Photo credit: Karsten Moran for The New York Times
Everything about Tuesday evening’s concert by The Theatre of Early Music at Carnegie Hall was intimate..
....the performance in Weill Recital Hall gave modern audiences a glimpse into how Handel’s audiences would have consumed this music in coffee houses,
concert halls, and in the home. The one-on-a-part ensemble may have left some in the audience yearning to hear a larger group of players to realize Handel’s sumptuous string parts.
However, the balance between the players and singers was perfectly suited to the size of the sold-out Weill Recital Hall, and created a robust
continuo - which contained more than half of the players!
Arias from three of Handel’s most popular operas in modern revival, Giulio Cesare, Rinaldo, and Rodelinda were featured in
the program. But the true gem of the evening was the aria Se il cor ti perde from Tolomeo sung by Daniel Taylor (countertenor).
The opera itself was little known even amongst the most experienced Handelians in the audience. For this piece, Taylor gave a
charming introduction and explained some of his artistic choices. This helped add to the intimacy of the evening....
In the aria, he mixed his falsetto and baritone wonderfully for dramatic effect, and literally let his hair down in order to match
the affekt of the crazed aria. His cadenzas were bombastic, chilling, and downright ferocious. One could really hear and see the rage
of the character Tolomeo, who in the aria threatens his sister Cleopatra.
...Taylor and his colleague Deborah York gave fresh interpretations to these old favorites. Taylor’s delivery of Cara sposa from Rinaldo was
particularly wonderful, and his entrance on the B natural held for more than four full beats was exquisite. A similar effect is written
into the aria Dove sei from Rodelinda, and Taylor let his audience relish in his gentle messa di voce, beginning softly
and then slowly swelling both in volume and vibrato. In all of his arias, Taylor showed remarkable restraint in his use of vocal embellishments and cadenzas.
The result made his choices to alter the music in da capo repeats highly noticeable and effective.
Deborah York’s most stunning aria, perhaps, was Cleopatra’s Tu la mia stella sei from Giulio Cesare. Her da capo ornaments,
more so than in her other arias, were subtly chosen and highlighted her vocal agility. The gorgeous and expansive Se pietá,
another aria for Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare received thunderous applause from the audience.
True to the ensemble’s name, Theatre of Early Music, all of the music was presented in a theatrical manner,....Taylor, for example, never
stood in the center of the stage during introductory ritornelli. For all of his arias, he made a dramatic entrance from stage left.
Often, he even began singing facing away from the audience, singing to the players......
The style of dramatic presentation also contributed to its authenticity.
Submitted by Stephen Raskauskas on 17th November 2011
http://www.bachtrack.com/review-handel-theatre-early-music-daniel-taylor-deborah-york
Daniel Taylor and Deborah York Perform Handel to Perfection
.....all the listener heard was glorious singing, supported by a committed group of instrumentalists. Cynthia Roberts was superb in the role of first violinist,
playing with flare and with an awesome technique. The other instrumentalists were also right on with every note,
including David Jacques who played the Baroque guitar.
Cara Sposa, the best known piece on this program, was touchingly sung by Mr. Taylor.
He has an angelic demeanour which well suits songs of lamentation, and he performed this one effortlessly. Se il cor ti perde, a duet from
Handel’s Tolemeo, is very similar in style to Schezano sul tuo volo. both duets weave the voices in, out and around each other:
the harmonizing is ethereal and almost other-worldly.
The second half of the program opened with the overture to Giulio Cesare, Ms. Roberts and her group put so much spirit into their performance that it
seemed as if a full orchestra was on stage. Tu la mia stella sei followed, a difficult aria that York tossed off with ease, reaching up
to the highest vocal register without undue strain or thinning out.
The group returned to Rodelinda and a more familiar aria performed by Daniel Taylor, Dove sei, a lament made poignantly touching by
Taylor’s attention to each word and meaningful but not overly-emotional gestures. This led into a wonderful and difficult aria,
Se pieta di me non senti from Giulio Cesare. Built on a chromatically descending triplet played repeatedly through the entire piece,
with Ms. York’s impassioned voice doubled or echoed by the strings, this was certainly the most moving aria in the concert, and the
considerable applause that followed was appropriately long.
Taylor then took the stage and graciously thanked the New York audience for giving him the opportunity to play in Carnegie Hall.
It was thrilling to him, but even more so to his mother, who was in the audience. He stated that his natural voice was that of a baritone and
that he was able to use this range in this next aria, Domero la tua fierezza. Loosening his ponytail as he took on the role of the mad Tolomeo,
he tackled this wild aria with all its jumping notes and wide intervals. If there was any question whether this angelic countertenor could belt out
dramatic arias, it was answered here. His exaggerated gestures and emphatic holding of the low notes was tremendous fun after so many rueful songs.
Taylor dedicated the final duet from Rodelinda, Io t’abbraccio, to a deceased friend. Appreciative applause continued until the ensemble
returned to do an encore of their first duet Scherzano sul tuo volto.
Stan Metzger
http://www.seenandheard-international.com/2011/11/18/daniel-taylor-and-deborah-york-perform-handel-to-perfection/
Credit for photo : Nan Melville (C) 2011
And from Milwaukee:
Group’s Reading of Handel is all Pro
Taylor and York form a wonderfully complementary duo ..
York sings with a focused, pure sound, making sparing but effective use of vibrato and executing perfectly timed ornaments
with absolute grace. She brings great musical depth and a tremendous range of colors and dynamics to her musical interpretations,
creating a subtle sense of drama in the process. Her soulful, pristine deliveries of arias such as Lascia ch'io pianga from Rinaldo
on Saturday’s program were exquisite.
Taylor has a bigger, more dramatic sound than York, which is remarkably warm and relaxed for a countertenor.
He uses vibrato liberally and is not afraid to color outside the lines of a perfectly refined sound from time to time for musical effect....
Those differing sounds and styles combine to create musical magic in duets. The two singers work together with a
remarkable musical intimacy based on a combination of great musical instincts and the ability to listen and respond to each other.
They give their duets the feel of extremely personal conversations.
By Elaine Schmidt, Special to the Journal Sentinel, Nov. 20, 2011
Early Music Now: Handel, master of opera
Countertenor Daniel Taylor, who sang from Handel operas Saturday on an Early Music Now program, is the best (countertenors)
I’ve ever heard. His voice is big, beautiful, rich and agile. He guides it with unerring feel for the sentiments of the words and
the direction of the phrase. He ornaments brilliantly and with a historian’s sense of style. ...
They sang and played selections from Rinaldo, Giulio Cesare and Rodelinda, ...The singers and players understood
and fully realized them....
This music is also extravagantly virtuosic for the singers. Both York and Taylor negotiated fleet scales and arpeggios with
ease and applied the most astonishing ornaments when Handel instructs them to repeat a section.....
Taylor took ornamentation a step further in Domero, from Giulio Cesare. He dropped out of countertenor guise
and into his natural baritone for certain words, to startling effect. A couple of critics have taken him to task for the
inauthenticity of such a stunt. They have a point, as this would not have occurred in Handel’s time - castrati don’t develop baritone ranges.
But this music is first about amazing voices doing amazing things. In spirit, Taylor adhered to Rule No. 1 of late Baroque opera performance
practice: If you’ve got it, baby, flaunt it! ....
... A near-capacity crowd applauded the Theatre of Early Music with gusto....
Tom Strini, November 19th, 2011
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Notre Dame Basilica, Montréal October 13th, 2011
Well-received musical experience for the delegates of the International Congress of Human Genetics
If this is Baroque, please don’t fix it!
Approximately 800 attendees of the 12th International Congress of Human Genetics were treated to a selection from Handel operas
in the magnificent setting of the Notre Dame Basilica. Daniel Taylor, Suzie Leblanc and the Theatre of Early Music delivered a
musical experience that will not soon be forgotten.
Mr. Taylor is touted as Canada’s star countertenor and, while not having had the opportunity to hear from the
rest of the field, it is hard not to believe that this is a case of damning with faint praise. Demonstrating extraordinary control of his instrument
Mr. Taylor conveyed the emotional gamut of the selections, from love and passion to despair and most memorably insane rage (with the requisite flying hair).
It is hard to imagine a more devoted interpreter of this repertoire.
As fine as Mr. Taylor’s performance was, for me the revelation of the evening was the soprano,
Suzie Leblanc. With a rich, pure tone of crystal clarity, Ms. Leblanc evokes the voice and style of her mentor,
the great English Baroque soprano Emma Kirkby. Indeed, in this listener’s opinion Ms. LeBlanc’s vocal quality has
infinitesimally more color while matching the unparalleled musicianship of the former. I am looking forward to
exploring her discography not only to hear her perform the Baroque repertoire, but to enjoy performances of Acadian folk song.
The band, using authentic Baroque performance technique, was sensitive in its support of
the singers and was given the opportunity to shine in two overtures. While all of the musicians were
exemplary and the ensemble impeccable, two were especially noteworthy (pun intended). The 1st violinist Chloe Meyers was
given ample opportunity to interact with the vocalists and was their equal in the antiphonal give and take. The obvious delight in
the interplay of ornamentation between the soloists and violinist consistently put a smile on my face. Contemporary jazz musicians
could take a thing or two from these musicians to employ the next time they are trading fours. Praise is also due the oft neglected
member of most ensembles, bassist Reuven Rothman. With such a small group it is almost impossible for the bass not to dominate when
it is playing, yet the blend with the other instruments was perfect, well done!
Perhaps the finest compliment that can be paid to all the performers was the reaction of the audience. Having attended a number of these events
in the past has conjured nightmares of performing before a ‘gabble’ of geneticists who are absorbed in their quatrain of A, C, T and G
to the apparent neglect of the 12 glorious notes between A and G. Indeed, at the outset, applause was polite if a bit perfunctory,
but by the end the assembly erupted in a standing ovation that testified to the connection between the performers and the audience.
Truly one of the finest performances I have attended and the highlight of the meeting. Thanks to the organizers, particularly Judith Allanson, Secretary-General of the ICHG for their work in arranging this wonderful concert.
Marc S. Williams, MD, Director, Clinical Genetics Institute, Intermountain Healthcare, Salt Lake City, Utah
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