Four Seasons Centre
Encyclopedia
The Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts is a 2,071-seat theatre
in Toronto
, Ontario
, Canada
which had its grand opening Wednesday, June 14, 2006. The first actual performance however, commenced in September 2006 with the first Canadian production of Richard Wagner
's Der Ring Des Nibelungen
. The theatre, designed by Jack Diamond
, is at the southeast corner of University Avenue
and Queen Street West
, across from Osgoode Hall
. The land on which it is located was a gift from the Government of Ontario
.
(COC) and the National Ballet of Canada
, replacing the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts (earlier named the Hummingbird Centre and O'Keefe Centre) that had housed the COC for some 40 years. Earlier in the city's history the Grand Opera House
had stood at Bay and Adelaide, but it was demolished in 1927.
promised that a piece of provincial owned land at Bay and Wellesley would be the home for the new opera house. The prime real estate was estimated to be worth some $75 million. A design competition was won by Moshe Safdie
who proposed a strikingly postmodern project (Image). In 1988 the project was approved and the existing stores and government offices on the site were demolished.
In 1990 a new provincial government was elected under Bob Rae
. The new NDP government found the $311 million project excessively costly, especially as the province was faced with a large deficit due to the recession. The province was also still dealing with the $550 million cost of the SkyDome project that had become a financial disaster for the government and worried about a sequel. The government attempted to reduce the costs of the project, but the Opera House corporation refused to modify the design. Thus two months after being elected the new government withdrew its funding for the project. In 1992 the province finally cancelled the project and the land was sold to developers. Two towers in the "Opera Place" development have been built on Bay Street, but as of June 2011 the rest of the property remains vacant.
In 1997 the province promised a parking lot that had previously been the site of offices for the Supreme Court of Ontario
at Queen and University for the project. The lot was valued at C$
31 million and the federal and provincial governments also pledged funding for a new more modest project that would only cost some $130 million. The original plan called for an 190 metre tower of offices and condominiums to be built by Cadillac Fairview
that would help fund the project. It would be further supplemented by a $20 million donation by Christopher Ondaatje
. However both Cadillac-Fairview and Ondaatje developed concerns about the project and pulled out. More importantly the municipal government of Mel Lastman
refused to provide and municipal funding. The project collapsed again in 2000.
In 2002 the COC under Richard Bradshaw
launched a new set of plans that included a $20 million donation from the Four Seasons
hotel chain in exchange for perpetual naming rights to the complex. The COC organized a competition to select an architect
for the new theatre. Ten firms of architects submitted their proposals, from which Canadian Diamond and Schmitt Architects
was selected as the winner for its modernist
design. The complex took three years to construct at an estimated cost of $181 million. Elevator access to the concourse level of Osgoode subway station
was integrated into the construction of the Centre, which along with an elevator to the platform level within the fare paid area, makes the station fully wheelchair accessible.
The auditorium is modelled after Europe
an opera house
s, with its five-tiered, horseshoe-shaped auditorium. Collaborating with Diamond Schmitt, New York-based theatre planning and design specialists Fisher Dachs Associates designed the room’s geometry and seating configuration to bring every seat as close to the stage as possible, maximizing a sense of intimacy between audience members and the performers. Every seat was computer-modeled in 3D to insure the best possible sightlines.
The COC and its design team attempted to create the best natural acoustics possible, guided by acoustician Bob Essert of Sound Space Design and a team that included Aercoustics Engineering, Wilson Ihrig & Associates and Engineering Harmonics.
The inaugural production in the new opera house was Richard Wagner
’s epic tetralogy
Der Ring des Nibelungen
(The Ring of the Nibelung), attended by Governor General
Michaëlle Jean
, as well as numerous other Canadian luminaries. Three complete Ring Cycles were performed in September 2006.
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
which had its grand opening Wednesday, June 14, 2006. The first actual performance however, commenced in September 2006 with the first Canadian production of Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
's Der Ring Des Nibelungen
Der Ring des Nibelungen
Der Ring des Nibelungen is a cycle of four epic operas by the German composer Richard Wagner . The works are based loosely on characters from the Norse sagas and the Nibelungenlied...
. The theatre, designed by Jack Diamond
Jack Diamond (architect)
A.J. "Jack" Diamond, OC, O.Ont is a Canadian architect.Born in Piet Retief, South Africa, he received a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Cape Town in 1956. He received a Master of Arts degree in politics, philosophy and economics from Oxford University in 1958...
, is at the southeast corner of University Avenue
University Avenue (Toronto)
University Avenue is a major north-south road in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. At its north end, University Avenue is the site of the Ontario Legislative Building. The eight-lane wide street is the location for several hospitals, numerous office buildings, Osgoode Hall and the Four Seasons...
and Queen Street West
Queen Street West
Queen Street West describes both the western branch of Queen Street, a major east-west thoroughfare, and a series of neighbourhoods or commercial districts, situated west of Yonge Street in downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Queen Street begins in the west at the intersection of King Street, The...
, across from Osgoode Hall
Osgoode Hall
Osgoode Hall is a landmark building in downtown Toronto constructed between 1829 and 1832 in the late Georgian Palladian and Neoclassical styles. It houses the Ontario Court of Appeal, the Divisional Court of the Superior Court of Justice, and the Law Society of Upper Canada...
. The land on which it is located was a gift from the Government of Ontario
Government of Ontario
The Government of Ontario refers to the provincial government of the province of Ontario, Canada. Its powers and structure are set out in the Constitution Act, 1867....
.
History
The venue is the home of the Canadian Opera CompanyCanadian Opera Company
The Canadian Opera Company is an opera company in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the largest opera company in Canada and the third largest producer of opera in North America. The COC performs in its own opera house, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.-History:For 40 years until...
(COC) and the National Ballet of Canada
National Ballet of Canada
The National Ballet of Canada is Canada's largest ballet troupe. It was founded by Celia Franca in 1951 and is based in Toronto, Ontario. Based upon the unity of Canadian trained dancers in the tradition and style of England's Royal Ballet, The National is regarded as one of the premier classical...
, replacing the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts (earlier named the Hummingbird Centre and O'Keefe Centre) that had housed the COC for some 40 years. Earlier in the city's history the Grand Opera House
Grand Opera House (Toronto)
The Grand Opera House was an opera house and concert hall located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Opened in 1874 on Adelaide Street West, west of Yonge Street, the Grand Opera House was Toronto's premier concert hall during the late 19th century...
had stood at Bay and Adelaide, but it was demolished in 1927.
Failed Bay St project
There had been a long standing desire to replace the O'Keefe Centre with lobbying led by financier Hal Jackman, president of the Ballet Opera House corporation. In 1984 Ontario premier Bill DavisBill Davis
William Grenville "Bill" Davis, was the 18th Premier of Ontario, Canada, from 1971 to 1985. Davis was first elected as the MPP for Peel in the 1959 provincial election where he was a backbencher in Leslie Frost's government. Under John Robarts, he was a cabinet minister overseeing the education...
promised that a piece of provincial owned land at Bay and Wellesley would be the home for the new opera house. The prime real estate was estimated to be worth some $75 million. A design competition was won by Moshe Safdie
Moshe Safdie
Moshe Safdie, CC, FAIA is an architect, urban designer, educator, theorist, and author. Born in the city of Haifa, then Palestine and now Israel, he moved with his family to Montreal, Canada, when he was 15 years old.-Career:...
who proposed a strikingly postmodern project (Image). In 1988 the project was approved and the existing stores and government offices on the site were demolished.
In 1990 a new provincial government was elected under Bob Rae
Bob Rae
Robert Keith "Bob" Rae, PC, OC, OOnt, QC, MP is a Canadian politician. He is the Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre and interim leader of the Liberal Party of Canada....
. The new NDP government found the $311 million project excessively costly, especially as the province was faced with a large deficit due to the recession. The province was also still dealing with the $550 million cost of the SkyDome project that had become a financial disaster for the government and worried about a sequel. The government attempted to reduce the costs of the project, but the Opera House corporation refused to modify the design. Thus two months after being elected the new government withdrew its funding for the project. In 1992 the province finally cancelled the project and the land was sold to developers. Two towers in the "Opera Place" development have been built on Bay Street, but as of June 2011 the rest of the property remains vacant.
University Avenue project
Supreme Court of Ontario
The Supreme Court of Ontario was a superior court of the Canadian province of Ontario. Now defunct, in 1989 the Courts of Justice Amendment Act, 1989 was enacted by the Government to create one large superior trial court for Ontario...
at Queen and University for the project. The lot was valued at C$
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
31 million and the federal and provincial governments also pledged funding for a new more modest project that would only cost some $130 million. The original plan called for an 190 metre tower of offices and condominiums to be built by Cadillac Fairview
Cadillac Fairview
Cadillac Fairview Corporation Limited is a North American investor, owner, and manager of commercial real estate.The name "Cadillac Fairview" came into existence in 1974 as a result of the merger between Cadillac Development Corporation Ltd and Fairview Corporation...
that would help fund the project. It would be further supplemented by a $20 million donation by Christopher Ondaatje
Christopher Ondaatje
Sir Philip Christopher Ondaatje, OC, CBE is a Sri Lankan-Canadian businessman, philanthropist, adventurer, writer and Olympian. He lives in the United Kingdom.-Overview:...
. However both Cadillac-Fairview and Ondaatje developed concerns about the project and pulled out. More importantly the municipal government of Mel Lastman
Mel Lastman
Melvin Douglas "Mel" Lastman , nicknamed "Mayor Mel", is a former businessman and politician. He is the founder of the Bad Boy Furniture chain. He served as the mayor of the former city of North York, Ontario, Canada from 1972 until 1997. At the end of 1997, North York, along with five other...
refused to provide and municipal funding. The project collapsed again in 2000.
In 2002 the COC under Richard Bradshaw
Richard Bradshaw
Richard James Bradshaw, O.Ont was a British opera conductor and the General Director of the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto....
launched a new set of plans that included a $20 million donation from the Four Seasons
Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts
Four Seasons Hotels, Inc. is a Canadian-based international ultra-luxury, five-star hotel management company. Travel + Leisure magazine and Zagat Survey rank the hotel chain's 84 properties among the top luxury hotels worldwide...
hotel chain in exchange for perpetual naming rights to the complex. The COC organized a competition to select an architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
for the new theatre. Ten firms of architects submitted their proposals, from which Canadian Diamond and Schmitt Architects
Diamond and Schmitt Architects
Diamond and Schmitt Architects Incorporated is an architectural practice founded in 1975 and located in Toronto, Ontario Canada. The firm currently employs 137 people.-History:...
was selected as the winner for its modernist
Modern architecture
Modern architecture is generally characterized by simplification of form and creation of ornament from the structure and theme of the building. It is a term applied to an overarching movement, with its exact definition and scope varying widely...
design. The complex took three years to construct at an estimated cost of $181 million. Elevator access to the concourse level of Osgoode subway station
Osgoode (TTC)
Osgoode is a station on the Yonge–University–Spadina line of the subway/RT system in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Osgoode Station is located at 250 University Avenue at Queen Street West...
was integrated into the construction of the Centre, which along with an elevator to the platform level within the fare paid area, makes the station fully wheelchair accessible.
The auditorium is modelled after Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an opera house
Opera house
An opera house is a theatre building used for opera performances that consists of a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and set building...
s, with its five-tiered, horseshoe-shaped auditorium. Collaborating with Diamond Schmitt, New York-based theatre planning and design specialists Fisher Dachs Associates designed the room’s geometry and seating configuration to bring every seat as close to the stage as possible, maximizing a sense of intimacy between audience members and the performers. Every seat was computer-modeled in 3D to insure the best possible sightlines.
The COC and its design team attempted to create the best natural acoustics possible, guided by acoustician Bob Essert of Sound Space Design and a team that included Aercoustics Engineering, Wilson Ihrig & Associates and Engineering Harmonics.
The inaugural production in the new opera house was Richard Wagner
Richard Wagner
Wilhelm Richard Wagner was a German composer, conductor, theatre director, philosopher, music theorist, poet, essayist and writer primarily known for his operas...
’s epic tetralogy
Tetralogy
A tetralogy is a compound work that is made up of four distinct works, just as a trilogy is made up of three works....
Der Ring des Nibelungen
Der Ring des Nibelungen
Der Ring des Nibelungen is a cycle of four epic operas by the German composer Richard Wagner . The works are based loosely on characters from the Norse sagas and the Nibelungenlied...
(The Ring of the Nibelung), attended by Governor General
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
Michaëlle Jean
Michaëlle Jean
Michaëlle Jean is a Canadian journalist and stateswoman who served as Governor General of Canada, the 27th since Canadian Confederation, from 2005 to 2010....
, as well as numerous other Canadian luminaries. Three complete Ring Cycles were performed in September 2006.
Exterior Facade
The myriad of different materials used within the FSCPA contrast and combine to create a multi-faceted piece of architecture. The most exquisite and detailed exterior cladding is also a central part of the architectural design: the City Room glass walls. These monumental transparencies are curtain walls held by steel fixtures. These apertures are situated on the University Ave and Queen St sides, with the dominant emphasis of the City Room towards University Ave. The intensity of the dark brick and lack of other cladding material on the East, South and North sides have been subject to scrutiny due to its perceived lack of interaction with the rest of the street. A major part of the argument presented is the North facing Queen Street side of the building which has a beautiful view of Osgoode Hall from inside the Four Seasons Centre, but from the Osgoode Hall side of the road, the view is less attractive. Billboards advertising city events, a coffee shop, a small retail area and vast brick wall do not engage the robust and animated nature of Queen St. On a similar note, the solid, intimidating Eastern facing facade is a completely different atmosphere than the inviting, transparent Western facade. The West is the sidewalk extension City Room, which defines the structure in its context and illuminates the street, whereas the East blends too well into its office building and brick surroundings, offering no relief, but simply continuity to the adverse York Street. A multi-dimensional plane with several depressions covered in charcoal brick broken only by linear and longitudinal windows. John Bentley Mays states in his 2006 Canadian Architect article that East wall is “unresponsive to the need of vitality on the street.” The final facade in high criticism is the Southern, Richmond Street facing facade that is opposite the Hilton Hotel. This exterior wall does nothing to appeal to the buildings around it other than camouflage itself into the backdrop of office towers. In retrospect, how Diamond defends his design choice does conclude an intelligent and conscious decision in its exterior design: “[people] don’t get it. There’s a kind of provincial attitude out there what wants spectacle... [people] are aesthetic barbarians, fascinated by glass baubles. [People] want [architects] to shoot their bolt every time. Of course, there is a place for pavilion-like buildings. It depends on where they are, but you do not do it on every block. You do not make a city out of iconic pieces.” (Bently Mays, 2006). The points of interest in the quote are that this building is not a pavilion, it is a composition of squares designed to complement the geometry of Toronto’s Downtown grid and high rise architecture, the need for brilliance and extravagance on all the facades is negligible. The solidity of the North, East and South walls reinforce the voids in the City Room, truly allowing the space become an extension of the sidewalk and a light in the night time. It could be looked at in a way that the solid planes that are the less influential North, South and East facing walls guide pedestrians to the most fundamental side of the building, which is also the entrance.R. Fraser Elliott Hall
The R. Fraser Elliott Hall has been given a lot of praise as one of the world’s best theatre spaces for a number of reasons. Diamond’s design amplifies the idea of being close to the music by keeping the audience in literal close proximity to the stage. Each of the 2,000 seats in the theatre has an unobstructed view of the performance stage, including the tiered balconies that start 27 metres from the stage (Collins, 2006). In fact, less than a quarter of the seats are farther than 30 metres from centre stage (Collins, 2006). Another important factor of any theatre is the acoustics; and acoustician Robert Essert, of Sound Space Design LTD, worked intently on not only the acoustics of the interior reaching every audience member equally, but also on blocking the noises and distractions from the Toronto cityscape (De Santis, 2008). “500 rubber and steel pads” (Church, 2008) remove specific sounds and vibrations from detection including traffic noise, the rumble from the adjacent subway line and streetcar line, and even the sirens of the emergency vehicles rushing to the nearby hospitals. The Al Merson of the Four Seasons Centre said that "for opera, it is critical to carry all the subtleties, with sounds totally transparent and appearing to originate exactly where the director wishes. The Meyer Sound system accomplishes just that while keeping discreetly out of sight." (Meyer Sound, 2007). The hall’s horseshoe shape was taken from European opera house design and other design elements were inspired by historic performance halls, including the Roman Amphitheatre . The hall's interior decor was also inspired by acoustic design: hardwood floors to absorb sounds, and textured walls made from plastered gypsum to reflect sound (De Santis, 2008).Structure
As the home of the Canadian Opera Company, the Four Season’s Centre for Performing Arts modestly highlights the importance of opera through its advanced acoustic technology. The horseshoe auditorium is a pod within the exterior shell of the building, and is structurally isolated to prevent sound penetration. The auditorium rests on massive reinforced concrete beams spanning at the same level as the orchestra pit. Underneath the beams are rubber pads which absorb shock, vibrations and sound waves, ultimately soundproofing the space from any interruptions caused by the subway line. Other less structural considerations are the undulating back-walls of the venue, which diffuse the sound throughout the auditorium by reflecting the sound waves back to the stage, accounting for about 90 percent of the audible sound for the audience.Economical Impact
The Ballet Corporation and The Opera House Corporation were advocating for a new home in the 1980s. As with all building ventures government and private industry begin collaborating on joint efforts involving shared expenditures. Following a design competition won by Moshe Safdie approval for a new building at Bay and Wellesley was underway and demolition of existing properties began for a $311,000,000 project in 1988. In 1990 a new NDP government was elected and this costly project was scrapped due to its costs in an economic climate where excessive spending was not being supported. The Canadian Opera Company and The National Ballet of Canada never gave up hope of a new building and in 2002 presented to the government plans for a new building later to be called The Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. Since a large hotel chain, Four Seasons was contributing millions of dollars into this project it was agreed that the name Four Seasons would remain part of the new building name. Architects from Diamond and Schmitt won the design contest and three years of construction lead to the opening of a building at 145 Queen Street West at a cost of $181 million dollars in 2006. This modern building is known for having long floating glass staircase and an auditorium that is in the shape of a horseshoe shaped 2035 seat auditorium with exceptional acoustics.Production History
- 2006: Der Ring Des NibelungenDer Ring des NibelungenDer Ring des Nibelungen is a cycle of four epic operas by the German composer Richard Wagner . The works are based loosely on characters from the Norse sagas and the Nibelungenlied...
(COCCanadian Opera CompanyThe Canadian Opera Company is an opera company in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the largest opera company in Canada and the third largest producer of opera in North America. The COC performs in its own opera house, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.-History:For 40 years until...
) - 2010: Miss SaigonMiss SaigonMiss Saigon is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil, with lyrics by Boublil and Richard Maltby, Jr.. It is based on Giacomo Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly, and similarly tells the tragic tale of a doomed romance involving an Asian woman abandoned by her American lover...
(Dancap ProductionsDancap ProductionsDancap Productions is a theatre production company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.It was founded in 2007 by Aubrey Dan. Since then, it has brought many productions to Toronto. Its longest running production is Jersey Boys. The touring company opened their show on 21. August 2008 at the Toronto...
) - 2010: South PacificSouth Pacific (musical)South Pacific is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II and book by Hammerstein and Joshua Logan. The story draws from James A. Michener's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1947 book Tales of the South Pacific, weaving together characters and elements from several of its...
(Dancap ProductionsDancap ProductionsDancap Productions is a theatre production company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.It was founded in 2007 by Aubrey Dan. Since then, it has brought many productions to Toronto. Its longest running production is Jersey Boys. The touring company opened their show on 21. August 2008 at the Toronto...
) - 2011: Next to Normal (Dancap ProductionsDancap ProductionsDancap Productions is a theatre production company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.It was founded in 2007 by Aubrey Dan. Since then, it has brought many productions to Toronto. Its longest running production is Jersey Boys. The touring company opened their show on 21. August 2008 at the Toronto...
) - 2011: Colm WilkinsonColm WilkinsonColm Wilkinson is an Irish tenor, best known for originating the role of Jean Valjean in Les Misérables and for playing the title role in The Phantom of the Opera .Due to his association with these musicals, he reprised the role of...
in Concert (Dancap ProductionsDancap ProductionsDancap Productions is a theatre production company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.It was founded in 2007 by Aubrey Dan. Since then, it has brought many productions to Toronto. Its longest running production is Jersey Boys. The touring company opened their show on 21. August 2008 at the Toronto...
) - 2011: Come Fly AwayCome Fly AwayCome Fly Away is a dance revue conceived, directed and choreographed by Twyla Tharp, around the songs of Frank Sinatra. The musical, set in a New York City nightclub, follows four couples as they look for love....
(Dancap ProductionsDancap ProductionsDancap Productions is a theatre production company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.It was founded in 2007 by Aubrey Dan. Since then, it has brought many productions to Toronto. Its longest running production is Jersey Boys. The touring company opened their show on 21. August 2008 at the Toronto...
) - 2011: Iphigenia in Tauris (COCCanadian Opera CompanyThe Canadian Opera Company is an opera company in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the largest opera company in Canada and the third largest producer of opera in North America. The COC performs in its own opera house, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.-History:For 40 years until...
) - 2011: RigolettoRigolettoRigoletto is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the play Le roi s'amuse by Victor Hugo. It was first performed at La Fenice in Venice on March 11, 1851...
(COCCanadian Opera CompanyThe Canadian Opera Company is an opera company in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the largest opera company in Canada and the third largest producer of opera in North America. The COC performs in its own opera house, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.-History:For 40 years until...
) - 2012: ToscaToscaTosca is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900...
(COCCanadian Opera CompanyThe Canadian Opera Company is an opera company in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the largest opera company in Canada and the third largest producer of opera in North America. The COC performs in its own opera house, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.-History:For 40 years until...
) - 2012: Love From AfarL'amour de loinL’amour de loin is the first opera by the Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho from a five act French libretto by Amin Maalouf...
(COCCanadian Opera CompanyThe Canadian Opera Company is an opera company in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the largest opera company in Canada and the third largest producer of opera in North America. The COC performs in its own opera house, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.-History:For 40 years until...
) - 2012: The Tales of Hoffmann (COCCanadian Opera CompanyThe Canadian Opera Company is an opera company in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the largest opera company in Canada and the third largest producer of opera in North America. The COC performs in its own opera house, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.-History:For 40 years until...
) - 2012: A Florentine TragedyA Florentine TragedyA Florentine Tragedy is a fragment of a never-completed play by Oscar Wilde. The subject concerns Simone, a wealthy 16th century Florentine merchant who finds his wife Bianca in the arms of a local prince, Guido Bardi. After feigning hospitality, Simone challenges the interloper to a duel,...
/Gianni SchicchiGianni SchicchiGianni Schicchi is a comic opera in one act by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Giovacchino Forzano, composed in 1917–18. The libretto is based on an incident mentioned in Dante's Divine Comedy. The work is the third and final part of Puccini's Il trittico —three one-act operas with...
(COCCanadian Opera CompanyThe Canadian Opera Company is an opera company in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the largest opera company in Canada and the third largest producer of opera in North America. The COC performs in its own opera house, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.-History:For 40 years until...
) - 2012: SemeleSemeleSemele , in Greek mythology, daughter of the Boeotian hero Cadmus and Harmonia, was the mortal mother of Dionysus by Zeus in one of his many origin myths. In another version of his mythic origin, he is the son of Persephone...
(COCCanadian Opera CompanyThe Canadian Opera Company is an opera company in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It is the largest opera company in Canada and the third largest producer of opera in North America. The COC performs in its own opera house, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.-History:For 40 years until...
)