Author Archives: barczablog

Crow and Chiu play Beethoven live and in person

Posted on July 28, 2021 by barczablog

The performance is almost incidental to the miracle of live music. Please let me never become blasé, never lose my sense of wonder and gratitude, inured to magic. This is a privilege. I was stunned that not only the Toronto … Continue reading →

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Kreutzer rather than Bridgetower

Posted on July 27, 2021 by barczablog

2020 was to have been the Beethoven year, the 250th anniversary of the composer’s birth in 1770. But of course the plans for operas, plays or concerts collided with the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. Thank goodness Toronto Summer Music … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal ruminations & essays | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Opera coming out of the pandemic

Posted on July 20, 2021 by barczablog

We weren’t permitted to go to live theatre. Performers have struggled with the loss of income, companies evaluating their business models as they contemplate the future. It remains to be seen just what impacts will be felt upon opera, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, domestic & wild, Dance, theatre & musicals, Opera, Press Releases and Announcements | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Cakes and champagne

Posted on July 18, 2021 by barczablog

She’s not an energizer bunny, but she is still going. My mother has passed her 100th birthday. She received a letter from Queen Elizabeth, congratulating Katherine on the milestone. Let that be an incentive to you, that you might live … Continue reading →

Posted in My mother | Tagged , , | 8 Comments

Savitri

Posted on July 5, 2021 by barczablog

Gustav Holst’s one act chamber opera Savitri is available from Against the Grain theatre (aka “AtG”) as an online film. They offer it free of charge from their website, while inviting you to make an optional contribution to the company. … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Literature, Cinema, video & DVDs, Opera, Reviews, Spirituality & Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Nixon in China, 2021

Posted on July 4, 2021 by barczablog

The Metropolitan Opera feed of free streaming performances celebrate American composers the week of July 4th Independence Day. I was especially excited to get another look at John Adams’s Nixon in China, that we saw both via a production by … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Dance, theatre & musicals, Music and musicology, Opera, Politics, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Voicebox Adriana Lecouvreur

Posted on July 2, 2021 by barczablog

What is the point posting a review when the run is over? My motto is borrowed from the Hippocratic Oath, namely “above all do no harm,” if that tells you anything. Some of the voices sounded better than others, some … Continue reading →

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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 | 6 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 →

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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