TORONTO—Jeanne Lamon, a celebrated violinist and conductor, said she was highly impressed by the Mid-Autumn Spectacular currently playing a five-day run at the John Bassett Theatre in Toronto.
“It’s very spectacular, the costumes are wonderful, everything visual is fantastic. I love all the backdrops and all the scenery, and the costumes and the dancing are magnificent,” she said after attending the show on Saturday.
Ms. Lamon said she especially enjoyed the blend of Western and Chinese instruments in the orchestra — something that no other orchestra has ever done.
“I love having live music. I think that it’s wonderful that there are so many Chinese instruments in there. I love the erhu and the flute and the pipa and the drums. It’s great.”
She praised the conductor for her ability to keep the music in time with the dancers, adding that “it’s not a Chinese orchestra, but it gives such a strong flavour of Chinese tradition. I think it’s a wonderful orchestra.”
A baroque specialist originally from New York, Ms. Lamon has won numerous awards and appeared in performances with many prestigious ensembles and orchestras.
In the late 1970s, she made two guest appearances in Canada with the Baroque orchestra Tafelmusik Orchestra, which resulted in an invitation offering her the position of music director. She has resided in Toronto since 1981 and became a Canadian citizen in 1988.
The New York-based Divine Performing Arts, the performance company that presents the Spectacular, uses various art forms such as Chinese classical dance to portray the essence of China’s traditional culture.
Ms. Lamon said she “loved listening or seeing the story and taking in the dance — it’s very expressive, and I love it when it’s expressive. And I love that the tradition is so old in China, that it’s 5,000 years old.”
She also commented on an act in the show that depicts abuses against practitioners of Falun Gong in China and how they triumph over adversity. Falun Gong is a spiritual discipline rooted in Chinese culture that is currently being brutally suppressed by the Chinese regime.
“I loved the Falun Gong scene and I like that it’s something that is current and that it’s happening now. Everything else seems to be traditional stories, it’s the one thing that’s about now. I like that, it grabbed me because it’s about now and it’s a sad situation, one that’s very sad.”
Some of her favourite pieces were the Mongolian Bowl Dance and Lady of the Moon, she said, adding that “the costumes were so beautiful — colorful and beautiful.”
She was also impressed by the state-of-the-art digital backdrops, unique to the Spectacular, and mentioned the importance of form in Chinese culture.
“The form is very important in Chinese culture, I think; the form is very classical. It’s beautiful.”
Ms. Lamon, who teaches at the University of Toronto and the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 2000 for her distinguished work as a baroque violinist, concertmaster, chamber musician, teacher, and music director of Tafelmusik.
In March 1999, the Canada Council for the Arts awarded Ms. Lamon the 1998 Molson Prize in the Arts, recognizing her outstanding lifetime contribution to the cultural and intellectual life in Canada.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is one of China’s most ancient and cherished holidays. The Spectacular expresses Chinese classical dance and showcases authentic traditional Chinese culture. Through background scenery, costumes, and choreography, the Spectacular expresses truthfulness, compassion, and pure beauty. China’s history comes to life in this gorgeous performance that is entertaining, inspiring, and uplifting. The show’s content is presented in both Chinese and English. For more information, visit: http://www.divineshows.com/Toronto
