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Monthly Archives: December 2016
Triump of the Will, the post-virtuoso era
This morning in the shower contemplating the meaning of life, I saw a solution to an old problem. The Book of Revelation confused me (and I suspect I’m not alone) in seeming to suggest that The Apocalypse could simultaneously offer … Continue reading
Posted in Personal ruminations & essays
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Fialkowska: Schubert’s Bohemian Rhapsody
This review has had a long gestation. But let me say first, Schubert is not usually understood as any sort of mystery, and maybe that’s a problem. When I open my Schubert impromptus or sonatas, having heard others play these … Continue reading
Posted in Music and musicology, Reviews
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Pollyanna’s 2016
At the end of 2015 I said the following: It was a year when the Pollyanna sentiment seemed to be in the ascendancy. Trudeau beat Harper. I can’t help wondering, would that have been the case if the Paris attacks … Continue reading
Posted in Personal ruminations & essays
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Questions for Dylan Brenton: Danny & the Deep Blue Sea
Dylan Brenton is one of the founding members of Wolf Manor Theatre Collective, their Artistic Director and a member of the Ensemble. Here’s how the WMTC describe themselves & their mission: Wolf Manor Theatre Collective are a Toronto based theatre … Continue reading
Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Interviews
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The mysterious politics of the TSO
Why a series of pieces with the word “mystery”? Sometimes a person may feel clueless. There are times when I feel satisfied with myself and my abilities. I go to a concert or watch a production in a theatre, and come … Continue reading
Mysteries
As we come to the latter part of the year, a festive time when we hoist drinks, hug our loved ones and count our blessings, I’m playing a bit of a game, partly inspired by my friend Ian Henderson. Perhaps … Continue reading
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Metaphysical Sausage Party
Imagine you were having a spiritual crisis. There you are, wondering, asking yourself about God and the meaning of life. And then you stumble upon a film on pay TV that seems to offer answers, precisely at the moment of … Continue reading
Posted in Spirituality & Religion
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All’s Well in Messiahville
Toronto is known for a few things. We’re a very knowledgeable hockey town, even if that’s often been a special kind of torture. We’re possibly the most genuinely multi-cultural city in the world, embracing all colours of the rainbow, including … Continue reading
Posted in Music and musicology, Reviews
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Two different takes on Bach: Busoni vs Brahms
Anthologies tend to be a mixed bag. I’m quite partial to a Schirmer collection of 26 Bach piano transcriptions by an assortment of great composers. It has its strengths and weaknesses. I am not particularly inspired by what Saint-Saëns did … Continue reading
Leon Fleisher: My Nine Lives
I escaped into another world, a place populated by famous musicians. You may remember Leon Fleisher as an American pianist. I recall him for performances that were usually my favourite versions of piano concerti, usually paired with Conductor George Szell … Continue reading
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