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Monthly Archives: November 2010
Comfort ye
The tenor soloist in a Christian Church during Advent Season sometimes gets to be an ambassador of hope. The text for Handel’s Messiah comes directly from the Bible: Recit: Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye … Continue reading
Feasting and saying thanks
In the book Authentic Happiness by Martin Seligman, we read about the psychological benefits of saying thank you. He calls them “gratefuls”, a good daily ritual that can help make you healthier. And so, as a kind of prayer, I … Continue reading
Posted in Essays
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In our closet, Freddie Mercury
Are Don Cherry and Ron McLean hard of hearing? When –on Hockey Night in Canada– McLean interviews Cherry in the segments known as “Coach’s Corner” the entire conversation is loud. While they claim to be friends they seem to be … Continue reading
Posted in Essays
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Mamma Mia! from Glee Across the Universe to Rock of Ages
That was not an attempt to jam as many titles into one sentence as possible. Okay, maybe I was playing a bit but that’s not all I was attempting… I am sitting watching Glee as I write this. When the … Continue reading
Posted in Essays
Tagged Bernstein, Genoveva Schumann opera concert virtuoso, Glee, Hutcheon, Jane Lynch, Mamma Mia, Sondheim, Taymor
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Genoveva November 17th
How good is Robert Schumann’s Genoveva? It depends who you ask. Conventional musicological wisdom from a generation ago consigns Schumann to the same kind of niche as other virtuosi such as Chopin and Liszt. Their solo piano works are brilliant … Continue reading
COC: Aida & Death in Venice
Once upon a time, the key to operatic success was understood according to the prestige associated with the famous singers in the cast. Success required star-power, at least in the viewpoint of the influential impresario Sol Hurok, who changed our … Continue reading
Posted in Reviews
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Eonnagata in Toronto
The opening image of Eonnagata, the latest production from Ex Machina, Robert Lepage’s company that premiered recently at the Sony Centre, reminded me of a seminal moment of Wagner’s Das Rheingold, the opera that begins the Ring cycle. We see … Continue reading
Welcome to Verbo City
November 19th… Seems like as good a day as any to start this blog. Hm… I’ve been toying with the idea for literally ages. I grew up in a world where you got other people to publish your words, and … Continue reading
Posted in Personal ruminations
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