the arts - toronto vs montreal

[Edward Skira]

Remember it wasn't that long ago that you could rent a house in downtown Montreal for what it would cost for a one bedroom in downtown Toronto. I had lots of musician friends in the 90's that moved to Montreal from Toronto to take advantage of the cheap rents.

 

[JasonParis]

However, as mentioned ealier, there is a sense that Montreal is more culturally conscientious than TO- but whether that is perception or reality I don't know.

Some reality in there as well as the Ville de Montreal spends far more on culture than Toronto does. I can't remember the budgetary numbers, but I think it was at least twice what Toronto does. Not to say this necessarily makes Montreal more "arty" though.

Remember it wasn't that long ago that you could rent a house in downtown Montreal for what it would cost for a one bedroom in downtown Toronto. I had lots of musician friends in the 90's that moved to Montreal from Toronto to take advantage of the cheap rents.

Indeed, many of the press darlings of the Montreal indie scene aren't even from Montreal in the first place!

 

[JayeMarsh]

I understand the gist of the original comparison, given that the lady is a musician. I am a musician here in Toronto and there are VERY few places for classical musicians to play, in terms of the larger ensembles, and the fight for audiences is legendary.
Montreal has so many, professionally paid orchestras of varying sizes that one can actually consider a career as an orchestral wind player (for example). Ditto for the theatrical shows and musicals. Most have live musicians and not canned or 'keyboard strings' like most of the shows in Toronto.
I would move to Montreal except my family is here and I am left to play weddings and corporate parties to make my living as a musician.

My 2cents...

 

[Urban Shocker]

Our first classical musician!

What instrument do you play?

I never have problems finding classical concerts to go to. Tonight it's a toss-up between baroque violinist Linda Melsted with dance accompaniment at the Music Garden ( free!), or soprano Karina Gauvin at Walter Hall ( if there are still tickets ) doing Faure, Debussy, Poulenc and Duparc as part of the month-long Toronto Summer Music Festival.

The best Montreal artists regularly play Toronto. My man Yannick accompanied Alexander Dobson's Winterreise on a cold night here last winter, and it was superb. I caught his return in February to conduct our Bach Consort and choir in the Bach B Minor Mass, the COC's Faust, and one surprise appearance with the TSO when Gergiev was snowed in in New York and couldn't make it.