No, not those foursomes, but musical foursomes. Specifically, the three piano quartets Jack Mendelsohn and his chamberWORKS! coterie will present this Sunday at 7:30 p.m. in the Dofasco Centre for the Arts, 190 King William St.

The Foursomes concert will open with Gustav Mahler's Piano Quartet, a work written in 1876 when the budding composer was 16 years young. "That's the only work that survived from that time because he destroyed everything else," said Mendelsohn.

Now, if you're thinking Mahler's Piano Quartet will be a life-and-death odyssey similar to his symphonies, think again. There's only one movement, and it lasts all of 11 minutes. However, the piece is definitely by Mahler. "If you listen to it, you wouldn't be able to say it's something else," said Mendelsohn. "Is it very deep and complex? No, but it's very pleasant to listen to."

Pleasantness is one thing, but what about inventiveness? "It's not as good as some other composer's early works," stated Mendelsohn. "It's not as good as Brahms's op. 60."

Funny Mendelsohn should mention op. 60 since it, too, is on Sunday's bill.

"I would play this (work) every concert if I could get away with it," admitted Mendelsohn, who last programmed op. 60 in November 2005. "It has a fantastic Andante movement."

Rounding out the bill will be Joaquin Turina's Piano Quartet op. 67. Joining the cello-playing Mendelsohn on stage will be violinist Mark Skazinetsky, violist Chau Luk and pianist Bernadine Blaha. Tickets are $30, $25, senior $25, $20, student $5. Call 905-522-7529.

In Toronto, they're readying for what is probably the most popular foursome ever to strut the operatic stage. Yes, it's those 19th-century Parisian bohemians, the beau monde of Cafe Momus society, the tragic, young lovers Mimi, Rodolfo, Musetta and Marcello in yet another production of Puccini's La Boheme at the Canadian Opera Company.

Over the COC's 59-year history, Boheme has been on the mainstage 14 times, most recently in 2005. In that time, noted sopranos such as Mary Morrison, Teresa Stratas, Yoko Watanabe and Adrianne Pieczonka, among others, have sung the role of Mimi. Tomorrow's opening-night performance, set for 7:30, will see Quebec-born soprano Frederique Vezina as Mimi in a spruced-up version of the COC's 1989 production.

Vezina, who previously bowed as Mimi at L'Opera de Quebec, and Vancouver Opera, finds the foursome's two couples contrast perfectly with each other.

"What makes them (Mimi and Rodolfo) tick is the instant connection, just the instant comprehension of who the other is," said Vezina two weeks ago from New York just prior to a voice lesson with Robert White, who's on staff at the Juilliard School of Music.

"The other couple (Musetta and Marcello) is very fiery, and that turns them on. They're very passionate in a more visceral, physical way. Their downfall is what made them tick in the first place: that fire, that passion and also that desire to be free."

Joining Vezina onstage will be fellow graduates from the COC's Ensemble Studio, David Pomeroy as Rodolfo, and Peter Barrett as Marcello. Anna Leese is Musetta.

Boheme has 12 performances at the Four Seasons Centre, 145 Queen St. W., and runs throughout April in tandem with an excellent production from Covent Garden of Verdi's Simon Boccanegra, then in May with Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream.

For more information, and ticket prices, log on to coc.ca or call 1-800-250-4653.

Leonard Turnevicius writes on classical music for the Spectator.

leonardturnevicius@hotmail.com