Timeless Le Corbusier Bauhaus 'Basculant' Chairs Top Designer Pick - Pair Available!

Le Corbusier's Art Deco/Bauhaus chairs, sling back or recliners, have definitely acquired the mythic adoration of designers, decorators and plain folk of supreme taste for over 60 years. Modern architecture and upscale design magazines continue to sing their praises and extol their linear, timeless features, so naturally, copies of the designs abound.  Actually, Italian manufacturer Cassina is the only licensed official producer of the Le Corbusier chairs till 2069. Finding early production original Basculant chairs is difficult and prices can be astronomical, but a friend of mine owns a pair of matching Le Corbusier LC1 Basculant chairs (early production - 60s) in pristine condition. I can't afford them (how I wish I could...) but you may wish to.
They are for sale and you can view them here -  Just type "Corbusier" in the search box in the booth.

A Humble Gazebo Good Enough for Montreal's Literary Giant Mordecai Richler

The Canadian Jewish author, essayist and screenwriter who gave us the memorable The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, Barney's Version, St. Urbain's Horseman, Solomon Gursky Was Here (shortlisted for the 1990 Booker Prize) and Jacob Two-Two, is remembered by our city with a crumbling, dilapidated gazebo at the foot of Mont Royal Park, Richler's humble childhood neighbourhood.  And on the eve of the 10th anniversary of his passing (July 3rd), we ask ourselves if this is a fitting memorial for the great Mordecai Richler, the internationally acclaimed wordsmith who fleshed out the unique essence of Montreal to readers around the globe. Now we hear the city is about to refurbish the structure by next summer and convert it to a speaker's corner. Despite his family's apparent delight with this improvement, I think Richler deserves better. 
Copyright©Jona Rapoport 2011

Montreal's Grands Ballets Revisit China with Naharin's Minus One July 2011

Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, the first Canadian company to perform in China back in 1984, are returning to China with one of my favourite modern works, Israeli Ohad Naharin's 'Minus One'. Details of their four-city tour this July are on their website: www.grandsballets.com

Festival Lanaudiere - 34 Years of Exquisite Music: July 9-August 7, 2011

The Lanaudiere music festival is certainly a success story. It gets Montrealers and visitors out of the city and into the serene setting of the Lanaudiere region for some world-class concerts in a lavish outdoor amphitheatre and in local churches.  Only about 45 minutes from Montreal, it is the ideal outing with a fancy picnic basket, a lawn chair and a blanket, though eateries on the site abound.  This year the festival hosts the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, the Quebec Symphony Orchestra, Les Violons du Roy and the Philadelphia Orchestra, among others, with high-calibre headliners like Valentina Lisitsa, Arnaldo Cohen, Marie-Nicole Lemieux and Benjamin Bielman. The festival runs July 9 - August 7.
More information on http://www.lanaudiere.org/

Montreal Symphony Orchestra - New Home, Sizzling New Season

Montrealers are in love with their symphony orchestra and thrilled with Maestro Kent Nagano's direction and vision.  So it is with great anticipation that we all await the inauguration of the new home of the orchestra in September 2011. The new season looks like an exciting mix of works by Quebecois composers, classics and several great guests, including the NY Philharmonic, the Mariinsky Orchestra and the Borodin Quartet. The New hall is adjacent to the old one, Place des Arts, on St. Catherine Street in Montreal.

Jean-Paul Gaultier Exhibit at Montreal's Museum of Fine Arts

From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk:  The lineups outside the MMBA on Sherbrooke Street rival only the traffic around the Jazz Fest site this year.  Fashion guru JP Gaultier is in town! A thematic approach to his world, tracing all his fascinating influences (from Paris streets to science fiction and beyond), this is an exhibition not to be missed. Check out the scope of his seductive creativity right here in Montreal!

Bela Fleck & Flecktones and Cyrus Chestnut Trio at Jazz Fest July 3.

Four-time Grammy winners, banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck and his Flecktones, return to our festival on July 3rd, this time around with harmonica player Howard Levy.

And the Cyrus Chestnut Trio returns after an 8-year absence from the fest! The pianist and his cohorts will bring us a taste of Chestnut's new album, 'Journeys'. Fleck at Theatre Maisonneuve and Chestnut at Salle Gesu.

The Royal Couple in Montreal

BOO to the 50 protesters who greeted William and Kate, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, with less than cordial welcome to our city.  The couple, on their first visit to Canada, will spend the rest of their visit  here with a tour of the neonatal and cancer wards at the St. Justine Hospital, and a culinary class and dinner at the Quebec Tourism Institute. 

Venini Celebrates 90th Anniversary: Best Breed in Glass Crafting and Design

The Venini story goes back to the establishment in Murano, Italy, of a company manufacturing decorative objects, by lawyer Paolo Venini and antique dealer Giacomo Cappellin. Hundreds of master glassmakers, designers and illustraters have been employed in the company ever since. This year marks Venini's 90th anniversary, with special exhibits, collaborations and showcases far and wide. Find out more about Venini on http://www.venini.it/

You can find several rare Venini mid-century lights at
http://www.bonanza.com/booths/MushkaVintage

Accordionist Richard Galliano and Pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba Shine at Jazz Fest

Supreme accordionist Richard Galliano and the remarkable Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba gave a memorable performance at the Montreal Jazz Fest on July 1st. The undisputed heir to Astor Piazzolla and Gillespie's hand-picked keyboard genius are regulars here.

Source: Jona Rapoport All Rights Reserved jona@2011copyright/jr

No Lady Gaga: Dee Dee Bridgewater Swings at Montreal's 2011 Jazz Fest

No Lady Gaga:  Jazz diva Dee Dee Bridgewater brought down the house with her brand of steamy jazz renditions of Billie Holiday's repertoire.  The American singer donned a flattering metallic dress, the longest eyelashes ever seen, and some 10" platform sandals to strut her stuff onstage with her wonderful quartet. Her daughter, vocalist China Moses, appears at the Festival on July 3, 2011.

Source: Jona Rapoport, All Rights Reserved jona@2011copyright/jr

Venini Murano Mid-Century Lighting, Italian and Danish Designers at Bonanza - Rare Collection

A rare collection of lights and objects by (Venini) Toni Zuccheri, Gino Vistosi, Ludovico Diaz de Santillana, Gio Ponti, Finn Juhl and others is available at http://www.bonanza.com/booths/MushkaVintage
The Items inlcude Zuccheri's famous 'Ninfee' ceiling light; Vistosi's opaque ceiling light, Santillana's rare 'Cannette' ceiling light; Gio Ponti's Walnut/Travertine coffee table for Singer & Sons; Finn Juhl's teak arm chair and much more.

IN TRANSIT - New Elan Kunin Musical from Segal Centre Promotes Youth Integration

No need to extol the musical talents of Montrealer Elan Kunin, who is a superb vocalist and composer. Only months ago he gave us his magnificent rendition of a new musical, The Jazz Singer at the Segal Centre, and now he gives us IN TRANSIT, a parc-touring youth production by the Segal Centre Academy's 'Wandering Stars" program. This new production is made up of youth from diverse cultural backgrounds with a mission to help immigrant youth integrate into our Montreal community while promoting intercultural dialogue.  Catch the production from July 16 to August 12, 2010 in summer camps and public parks in and around Montreal. You can find out all information at  http://www.segalcentre.org/

Cirque du Soleil's TOTEM in Quebec City July 22, 2010

TOTEM, the new creation by Cirque is inspired by ancient myths and  traces the fascinating journey of the human species from amphibian state to its ultimate desire to fly. Can't wait to experience the magic again. TOTEM sets up under the Grand Chapiteau at the  Port of Quebec City on July 22nd and runs until August 29th.
Tickets and info at www.cirquedusoleil.com




 

Lanaudiere and Orford Festivals Summer 2010

Your best bets for classical music in the summer are two established festivals. Lanaudiere is located in Joliette and Orford is nestled in the bucolic setting of the Eastern Townships.

1.  Lanaudiere: This year's classical music festival runs from July 10th to August 8th in Joliette, Quebec. The festival was founded back in 1978 and showcases some of the world's best classical musicians in a variety of concerts in this lovely town some 45 miles off Montreal.

My faves this year:

• July 17, ORCHESTRE SYMPHONIQUE DE QUÉBEC with conductor Yoav Talmi and soprano Yannick-Muriel NOAH, in a program of works by Bellini, Verdi, Sibelius and Hétu .
• July 31, DEUTSCHE KAMMERPHILHARMONIE BREMEN with conductor Paavo JÄRVI and renowned violinist Hilary HAHN in works by Beethoven, Schumann.

More information on the festival's official website: http://www.lanaudiere.org/

2.  Orford Festival


With Jean-Francois Rivest, the new artistic director at the helm, Orford Festival (June 18 to August 15) continues a grand tradition of master classes, workshops and concerts. This year the Montreal Symphony Orchestra joins the prestigious festival for an entire week with Kent Nagano at the helm. The festival takes place in the beautiful region of the Eastern Townships east on Montreal.
Check out the entire lineup at : http://www.arts-orford.org/

Steve Martin at Festival Just for Laughs July 17

HAHAHA!! Steve Martin performs this year at Theatre St. Denis, and the lineup of this festival is again a tickling proposition! The fest runs until July 25th. Here's a link for more info and tickets:
http://montreal.hahaha.com/

Next Year at the Montreal Opera

For those interested in opera, the Montreal Opera lineup kicks off with Verdi's Rigoletto, followed by Donizetti's Roberto Devereux, Massenet's Werther, Salome by Strauss, and Puccini's La Boheme. 
My show, "Art & Fine Living with Jona" has been a media partner of L'Opera de Montreal for three years now. 
Check out the entire season at www.operademontreal.com

The Next Wave: Festival of New Musicals in Montreal

Five new musicals will be presented in the third edition of this young festival in Montreal, running from August 2-21.The Next Wave Festival was founded in 2008 by Centre for Education and Theatre in Montreal to give a voice to new musicals, develop new audiences and provide opportunities for Montreal performing artists.  Some musicals are in French, others in English, all running at either Espace Libre or Monument National. Check this out on CETM's website:  http://www.montrealnextwave.com/

Soprano Renee Fleming Rocks Out in New CD "Dark Hope"

Renee Fleming's "Dark Hope": (Decca)


Opera star Renee Fleming release goes pop, featuring songs by Arcade Fire, Willy Mason, Peter Gabriel and Mars Volta, among others. A family affair involving the famed soprano with vocal contributions by her daughters Amelia and Sage, and her sister Rachelle. Topping the charts since its release in May 2010.


Source: Jona Rapoport All Rights Reserved jona@2010copyright/jr