Monthly Archives: June 2021

As my mom approaches 100

Posted on June 26, 2021 by barczablog

I must explain the reason for my previous post telling my mom’s stories yesterday: because she was born in 1921. In other words, she’s approaching her one-hundredth birthday. She has had five children although one of them died very young. … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Literature, My mother, Opera, Personal ruminations & essays, University life | 7 Comments

Tales from my Mom

Posted on June 25, 2021 by barczablog

After lunch my mom sometimes tells me tales from her youth. It’s good practice to see if I can understand her Hungarian, and it’s a privilege, a glimpse of another world. ONE)There was a teacher who thought my mom’s rosy … Continue reading →

Posted in My mother, Opera | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The Mission in 2021

Posted on June 21, 2021 by barczablog

It’s been a month of reflection for Canadians following the discovery of the remains of 215 children buried on the grounds of the Kamloops residential school, another discovery near Brandon residential school, and the possibility of more to come. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Architecture & Design, Cinema, video & DVDs, Dance, theatre & musicals, Music and musicology, Personal ruminations & essays, Politics, Spirituality & Religion, University life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Silent Chorus Trope: Peter Hinton and Amélie Niermeyer

Posted on June 18, 2021 by barczablog

I’m trying to wrap my head around something. It first caught my eye in Peter Hinton’s Louis Riel in the 2017 Canadian Opera Company production. Hinton added a chorus of silent witnesses to the action, lending weight to the proceedings, … Continue reading →

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

Hamburg Lucia: go big or go home

Posted on June 16, 2021 by barczablog

OperaVision are making Staatsoper Hamburg’s Lucia di Lammermoor available to you for three months. Here’s how they describe it. Lucia loves Edgardo, the last heir of her family’s enemy clan. They are in danger, but Lucia refuses to betray her … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Literature, Cinema, video & DVDs, Dance, theatre & musicals, Opera, Press Releases and Announcements, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Untangled by Lisa Damour

Posted on June 9, 2021 by barczablog

One of the pleasures or perils of reading multiple books at the same time is how suddenly one captures your attention, shutting everything & everyone out in the process. It can be fun to disappear down a rabbit hole with … Continue reading →

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

Opera Atelier’s Resurrection

Posted on June 2, 2021 by barczablog

When you study theatre history one of the first things you may encounter is the quem quaeritis trope. It’s so short that I can quote it in its entirety, a tiny four line drama re-enacted at Easter in churches. Angels: … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Architecture & Design, Cinema, video & DVDs, Dance, theatre & musicals, Music and musicology, Opera, Reviews, Spirituality & Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment