Monthly Archives: September 2012

Radical Cycle

Posted on September 30, 2012 by barczablog

When you think about it, the notion of a “radical cycle” is a bit of an oxymoron.  Cycles are usually understood to be stable and repeating, which is hard to imagine if something is radical. Radical Cycle is also the … Continue reading →

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The eternal question

Posted on September 30, 2012 by barczablog

Paper or plastic?  Shaken or stirred? How about Verdi or Wagner?  That was one big question tonight.  While some people chose to attend the opening of the COC’s Il trovatore, I opted for Wagner, namely Die Walküre.  Oh dear, …I’m … Continue reading →

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Fry and Wagner

Posted on September 28, 2012 by barczablog

It’s almost 2013, the bi-centennial for both Giuseppe Verdi & Richard Wagner (that is, a pair of composers born in 1813). Last night I watched the dress rehearsal of Il trovatore at the Canadian Opera Company’s Four Seasons Centre.  Tonight … Continue reading →

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Sounding amazing

Posted on September 27, 2012 by barczablog

I saw and heard the dress rehearsal of the new Canadian Opera Company Il trovatore at the Four Seasons Centre. While it’s understood that singers are permitted to mark, the headline tells you everything you need to know: Ramón Vargas’s … Continue reading →

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Gould Burg

Posted on September 26, 2012 by barczablog

Today and this week, we celebrate the 80th birthday of a famous Canadian.  If Toronto is Glenn Gould’s city we live in “Gould burg”.  In the Beaches there’s a plaque not far from his high school reminding us of his … Continue reading →

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10 Questions for A.J. Gray

Posted on September 25, 2012 by barczablog

A.J. Gray, aka Alison Gray, was born in England.  Parents with talents of their own encouraged an interest in the arts. While it is still not clear which of these would have been most appropriate as an occupation, many years … Continue reading →

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Brian Wyers’ bodies

Posted on September 23, 2012 by barczablog

It sounds overblown, but Brian Wyers’ recent paintings are a genuine study in the power of the human spirit. I’ve watched this painter and the drama enacted on his canvases paralleling the struggles of his life, so much more than … Continue reading →

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Big ideas

Posted on September 22, 2012 by barczablog

Elliott Hayes was a playwright & dramaturg, the literary manager of the Stratford Festival for awhile in the 1980s. A friend of mine introduced me to him, a really big deal I thought, an opportunity to maybe get some input … Continue reading →

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Solidarity

Posted on September 21, 2012 by barczablog

I doubt that anyone of genuinely conservative leanings will read this unless they mistake it for an opera review.  Hm someday someone may write an opera about Lech Walesa, perhaps in Polish or Prussian.  But the title of such an … Continue reading →

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Statement from Ken Gass re: Factory Theatre

Posted on September 20, 2012 by barczablog

Statement from Ken Gass re Factory Theatre The extent of the community response to my abrupt firing from Factory Theatre on June 20th was unexpected and overwhelming.  More than 4200 people signed a petition demanding my reinstatement and the board’s … Continue reading →

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