Monthly Archives: June 2019

Operatic thought for Canada Day

Posted on June 29, 2019 by barczablog

Is it true that Alexander Neef, General Director of the Canadian Opera Company is headed back to Paris? Today I read Michael Vincent’s news report  via Ludwig-van.com that was a natural segue from the conversation I had with my companion … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Opera, Personal ruminations & essays, Politics, Press Releases and Announcements | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

TSO & Gimeno: a question of leadership

Posted on June 29, 2019 by barczablog

Tonight was the first concert in the Toronto Symphony’s last weekend of the season, giving us a glimpse of their new music director Gustavo Gimeno. Will he come to be known as GG? While last week’s concert with Donald Runnicles … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Personal ruminations & essays, Reviews, Sports | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Questions for Dahlia Katz

Posted on June 22, 2019 by barczablog

Dahlia Katz is the Artistic Director of Solar Stage, a director/dramaturg with a lifetime interest in puppets, and a photographer. If I exclude those who get written up in reviews (the actors-musicians-directors etc) Dahlia Katz may have appeared in my … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Architecture & Design, Dance, theatre & musicals, Interviews, University life | Leave a comment

Pathways to the past with TSO Carmina Burana

Posted on June 20, 2019 by barczablog

Some concerts are put together so well that you can’t help admiring the clever curator, combining compositions. Ai caramba I didn’t mean to be so alliterative. But even so they made magic at Roy Thomson Hall tonight in a Toronto … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Popular music & culture, Reviews, University life | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Making a FUSS

Posted on June 15, 2019 by barczablog

Last night there was a big fuss downtown about a big sporting event. Traffic may have been slow but there was jubilation in the air. And although the game and championship were milestones for Toronto, yet that’s not the FUSS … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Press Releases and Announcements | 4 Comments

Isaiah Bell: The Book of My Shames

Posted on June 9, 2019 by barczablog

Should I have said “The book of HIS shames”? Isaiah Bell’s one-man show is about his shames, right? But no. He is everyman, every-person, and so these are your shames & my shames too. I couldn’t imagine a more apt … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Opera, Politics, Reviews | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Pomegranate

Posted on June 8, 2019 by barczablog

Less is more. Pomegranate, bearing the epithet “a lesbian chamber opera,” is the latest specimen suggesting that grand opera is all but dead. Small is beautiful whatever your sexual politics, both for the lower price-tag and the ideal connection you … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Opera, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Mikolaj Warszynski—Piano Solo

Posted on June 5, 2019 by barczablog

As I’ve been listening to a 2015 solo piano studio recording by Mikolaj Warszynski, I’ve found myself wondering about the process, about how music is made and how it comes to be heard. If a pianist plays brilliantly and no … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments