Monthly Archives: February 2013

10 Questions for Carla Huhtanen

Posted on February 27, 2013 by barczablog

Soprano Carla Huhtanen is in demand internationally for her soaring, translucent voice, her winning stage presence, and her diverse repertoire, gracing stages throughout Europe and across North America, a strong interpreter of traditional repertoire, unafraid of new composition. A regular … Continue reading →

Posted in Interviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Metropolitan Opera 2013-2014

Posted on February 27, 2013 by barczablog

Depending on your taste, there are good and bad things in Peter Gelb’s announcement of the 2013-2014 season at the Metropolitan Opera. I am most excited by an item that seems to currently be under the radar.  Dmitri Tcherniakov will … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera, Personal ruminations & essays | Tagged , | Leave a comment

10 Questions for Isabel Bayrakdarian

Posted on February 26, 2013 by barczablog

When I pictured writing a biographical essay about Isabel Bayrakdarian, the phrase that popped into my head –no lie—is exactly the one you find on her official bio on her website.  She really did “burst onto the international opera scene”.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Interviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Pageants of Power

Posted on February 25, 2013 by barczablog

Whenever a new pair of presenters come out onto the stage at the Academy Awards, the pit band begins to play something suitable. Nobody does that when I walk into a room. I was thinking about this after reading some … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays, Opera, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Akhnaten in Indiana

Posted on February 24, 2013 by barczablog

It’s late at night.  It’s intermission, as I watch Philip Glass’s opera Akhnaten from Jacobs School of Music, at Indiana University, Bloomington, conducted by Arthur Fagen, directed by Candace Evans, and live-streamed on my laptop.  This student production is very … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera, Reviews, University life | 7 Comments

Canadian Pride

Posted on February 24, 2013 by barczablog

It’s the day before the Academy Awards, which means Canadians can indulge in our favourite sport.  No I don’t mean hockey, which is more of an obsession than something you could dismiss as mere fun.  It’s too much of a … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Mozart’s last year

Posted on February 22, 2013 by barczablog

As usual, concerts by Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra & Baroque Chorus are exercises in creative programming.   Their latest (premiered last night, running until the weekend, and announced as completely sold out) isn’t simply a presentation of the Mozart Requiem, but a … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | 2 Comments

For the Lisztomaniac

Posted on February 21, 2013 by barczablog

McLuhan’s dictum “the medium is the message” has some curious ramifications in the fourth dimension (the dimension of time). An archive gathered across any significant period will function not just as a record for the subject(s) portrayed in the images, … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

10 Questions for Jacqueline Woodley

Posted on February 18, 2013 by barczablog

Soprano Jacqueline Woodley is as comfortable undertaking original music as she is taking on well-known classics. Modern? Woodley created the role of Milica the bride in Ana Sokolovic’s Svadba with Queen of Puddings.   This past year she sang Arvo Pärt’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Interviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Ophelia revived

Posted on February 17, 2013 by barczablog

I’m a father with grown children.  I encountered Mary Pipher’s book Reviving Ophelia in the 1990s.  The title might give you an idea of what sort of book it is, and why I would have read it. Ophelia?  Collateral damage … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Literature, Psychology and perception, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment