Eric Friesen presents the NAC Orchestra
by Canada's National Arts Centre
How did the NAC Orchestra become the world class organization it is today? Veteran broadcaster Eric Friesen chronicles the unfolding drama of the NAC Orchestra from its earliest days in 1969 to the present time. With his charming personality and a host of probing questions, he interviews conductors, orchestral musicians, guest artists and administrators about the Orchestra’s beginnings, the challenges it faced, the tours it made all over Canada and to many foreign lands, and the kind of individuals it took to mold the Orchestra into what it is today.
Episodes
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In With the New: a Golden Age of creativity
With a revived commitment to commissioning and performing new music and particularly new Canadian music the NAC Orchestra is more creatively active than ever. All the forces are working in harmony - from the board, the senior administration, the creative leaders, and all who sail with the NAC-...
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L’ère de Pinchas Zukerman et de l’expansion sonore
Après le claveciniste Pinnock et un assez long intermède dont F.P. Decker sera le héro, l’Orchestre du CNA entre en 1998 dans l’ère du violoniste Pinchas Zukerman. Et du essentiellement baroque, le répertoire se déplacera surtout dans la période romantique et néo-romantique. En même temps,...
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Beyond Ottawa: Touring, Recording, Broadcasting, Digital Engagement
NAC Administrators and music lovers answer the question "Why is it important to have a national orchestra?" The NAC recognizes people are listening to music outside of the concert hall and away from the radio. And it is by touring, educating, recording and connecting with Canadians that the NAC...
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Deux directeurs musicaux : Gabriel Chmura et Trevor Pinnock
De 1987 à 1990 s’installe – pour peu de temps, malheureusement – le second directeur musical, Gabriel Chmura , musicien et chef d’orchestre de classe, qui arrive en une période d’instabilité au CNA. Pourtant, en ces trois ans, que de superbes interprétations de Haydn, Beethoven, Schumann et...
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Deux présences, Franco Mannino et Franz-Paul Decker
En dehors des directeurs musicaux, l’Orchestre du CNA a surtout travaillé sous deux chefs «intérimaires», très différents. Il y a eu de 1982 à 1986, Franco Mannino et,présence presque continu de 1978 à 2006, mais de façon particulièrement dense, Franz-Paul Decker. Après le départ de Bernardi,...
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The players speak: Backstage with the NAC Orchestra musicians
Eric speaks with the players themselves about this decade of transition, the 5th decade of the NAC Orchestra. Musicians share what brought them to Ottawa and why they continue to stay. This orchestra is special, not just for the quality of its performances night after night, year after year…
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Les années Bernardi
Rappelé de son poste de directeur musical d’une des deux compagnies de la Sadler’s Wells à Londres pour former un orchestre de dimension classique, Mario Bernardi «a seul le mérite d’avoir fait de cet orchestre un ensemble d’une extraordinaire distinction, remarquable pour la précision de ses...
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The fifth decade: A new musical vision for the orchestra
The fifth decade of the NAC Orchestra would see Pinchas Zukerman finish up his 16 year tenure as Music Director and give way to a new leader, Alexander Shelley. The Pinchas legacy continues to be evident in the sound of the NAC Orchestra and now in this new era, Alexander Shelly has begun to...
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The 2009 NAC Award Winners: Up Close and Personal
Meet the second group of three Canadian composers given the prestigious NAC Awards: Peter Paul Kaprowski, Anna Sokolovic and John Estacio. Two are immigrants to Canada from Eastern Europe and the third a first generation Portuguese Canadian. They have just begun a 3-year residency with the…
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The Post War Years: Canadian Composers Come of Age
This is the story of the composers from the last two decades of the 20th century. These are men and women who are confident of their place in Canadian culture and yet looked out to the world and embraced minimalism, the influences of pop and rock music, a new rhythmic vitality, eastern music and...
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The Post War Years: Canadian Composers Come of Age
As World War 2 ended, there was a great flowering in contemporary music making in Canada. For the first time, men and women declared themselves professional composers. Listen to the stories, the voices and the music of these magnificent pioneers: John Weinzweig, Harry Somers, Violet Archer, Oskar...
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Beyond Ottawa: NACO and the World!
The NAC Orchestra has from its very early years been known outside the boundaries of Canada. In its third year of life, it made a triumphant debut in New York City. From there touring to Asia, Europe, the rest of the US and South America have won it friends and admirers. Recordings have also been...
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Comparaisons
Dans les enregistrements de concerts de l’Orchestre du CNA, accessibles dans les archives de l’orchestre, nous avons repéré des œuvres qui ont été jouées par plusieurs des six chefs d’orchestre. Ainsi avons-nous pu présenter à votre comparaison des extraits identiques de Haydn, interprétés par...
About this show
How did the NAC Orchestra become the world class organization it is today? Veteran broadcaster Eric Friesen chronicles the unfolding drama of the NAC Orchestra from its earliest days in 1969 to the present time. With his charming personality and a host of probing questions, he interviews conductors, orchestral musicians, guest artists and administrators about the Orchestra’s beginnings, the challenges it faced, the tours it made all over Canada and to many foreign lands, and the kind of individuals it took to mold the Orchestra into what it is today.
Hosted by
Canada's National Arts Centre