Monthly Archives: August 2020

Service or Business? the election selection

Posted on August 29, 2020 by barczablog

We’re helpless in the face of a mystery virus. It seems that everywhere you turn in the media, conspiracies are all around us. The gentler word is “hoax”, that stops short of the kind of thing one sees with ideas … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Music and musicology, Opera, Personal ruminations & essays, Politics, Popular music & culture | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Question on the radio

Posted on August 26, 2020 by barczablog

I was listening to a Chopin Waltz played on the radio as it came to its brilliant conclusion. The host said something under her breath, not entirely complimentary. “Why” she asked “does it build to that big loud bang at … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Literature, Music and musicology, Personal ruminations & essays | Tagged | Leave a comment

What’s shaking in Scarborough

Posted on August 25, 2020 by barczablog

I’m no geologist. But I can’t help connecting two phenomena. The first one is simply the Scarborough Bluffs. They’re a beautiful formation, a tourist attraction. They’re made of sand. Are they strong? Yes and no. Sometimes big chunks of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal ruminations & essays | Tagged | 2 Comments

TSO Thais: via Massenet & Anatole France

Posted on August 12, 2020 by barczablog

The Toronto Symphony concert performance of Thaïs, recently released on Chandos, has me wishing we could see & hear more from Jules Massenet, the opera’s composer.  I begin to understand why the late Stuart Hamilton in his time with Opera … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Literature, Music and musicology, Opera, Reviews, Spirituality & Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment