Two musical legends in Canada in the news this week

Two musical legends are in the news this week, both from different genres but sharing a love of music and their home and native land.

I was at the Y this morning doing my usual imitation of something resembling exercise and afterwards, a gentleman I see frequently at the Y mentioned he was related to the jazz great Kenny Wheeler, and telling me the grand old master of jazz music is visiting family in St. Catharines this very week.  Kenny is 83 now and still going strong.  He hopes to record again soon and still practices regularly when at home in the U.K.  Imagine, at 83 the fire is still there and the desire to become better every time out on stage.  What an inspiration.

I met Kenny briefly years ago on one of his frequent trips home to St. Catharines, where he spent several of his formative years at St. Catharines Collegiate playing trumpet, perfecting his craft.  He came to Downtown Fine Music when my friend Peter owned the store years ago, and while browsing the CDs I was introduced to him.  At that point I was not as conversant in jazz as I am now, so I didn't really realize what was taking place at the time.

When Kenny left for the London music scene years ago, he took gigs all the time as most musicians would in those days, so it was not at all uncommon for Kenny to show up on any number of great recordings from a myriad of performers, both jazz and otherwise.  Just the other day, in fact, I turned up a two-disc set of German bandleader Bert Kaempfert's Live at London's Royal Albert Hall concert from 1974, and there in the orchestra credits in the trumpet section was the name Kenny Wheeler.  I wonder if he ever remembers those two concerts that filled the RAH so many years ago.

Anyway, welcome home, Kenny, and enjoy your time back here in St. Catharines this week!

The other Canadian music-maker in the news this week is Ontario-born conductor Mario Bernardi, who passed away last Sunday morning in the Toronto retirement home where he lived with his longtime wife, mezzo-soprano Mona Kelly.  He was 82.

Bernardi was during his long career certainly one of the most well-respected conductors anywhere, and it all began in Kirkland Lake, the place of his birth in 1930.  He was raised in Europe, however, moving with his mother to Treviso, Italy at the age of six.  After World War II he studied music at the Venice Conservatory; he also studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, where he launched his musical career as a pianist/soloist, coach and conductor.  For a time Mario worked for the Canadian Opera Company in its very early days before crossing the Atlantic again in 1963 to become coach and assistant conductor with London's Sadler's Wells Opera Company, now known as the English National Opera.  He eventually rose to the rank of musical director there.

It was in 1968 Mario was lured back home to Canada to help found the National Arts Centre Orchestra, developing the orchestra from the ground up including personally auditioning all the original musicians.    Bernardi left the NAC Orchestra in 1982, leaving an indelible mark on the orchestra as one of the finest orchestras in the country.  He did a lot of guest conducting after that before landing in Calgary and then Vancouver as principal conductor in those cities.  With the Calgary Philharmonic he fashioned the orchestra into a western powerhouse, making several acclaimed recordings with the orchestra for the CBC Records label.  I have several in my personal collection, including a memorable recording of the Schumann Symphony No. 2 in C, paired with the Overture, Scherzo and Finale, Op. 52.

In Vancouver, Bernardi conducted the CBC Vancouver Orchestra for many years, making still more acclaimed CBC recordings with that organization, including a long out-of-print two-disc set of Canadian and American Music for Chamber Orchestra entitled Entre Amis.  Composers represented included Canadian and American heavyweights such as Healey Willan, Godfrey Ridout, Aaron Copland and Samuel Barber, along with less-known works by Rudolf Komorous, Ian McDougall and Charles Griffes.  It was a daring release at the time and I have long treasured the copy in my personal collection.

Mario Bernardi was a companion of the Order of Canada, and was also presented with the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2001.  He also received honorary degrees from universities across the country.

The NACO will unveil a recently-commissioned bust of Bernardi - created by noted Canadian sculptor Ruth Abernethy - at the NAC's Southam Hall entrance at noon this coming Canada Day.  They will also create a fund in his name to champion the commission of new Canadian compositions for the orchestra; Mario would be pleased to know that.

So two Canadian giants of music from their chosen fields; Kenny Wheeler from St. Catharines and Mario Bernardi from Kirkland Lake.  Who says we can't provide the world with great home-grown talent?!

June 8th, 2013.