Author Archives: barczablog

To re-purpose

Posted on August 12, 2018

The word is in my head after The Death of Stalin. Iannucci’s film takes music and uses it in new ways. Whether we’re talking about John Hughes, Stanley Kubrick or your organist at church, the re-use of an existing piece … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Music and musicology, Popular music & culture, Theatre & musicals | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The pain I felt reading Kathleen Turner’s interview

Posted on August 12, 2018

There’s a great deal in Kathleen Turner’s fascinating recent interview with David Marchese.  So naturally if you’re a beautiful actress people will react, comment, and draw their own conclusions about what’s really important. I find it desperately sad when I see what … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Food & Nutrition, Personal ruminations, Popular music & culture, Psychology and perception | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

The Death of Stalin

Posted on August 11, 2018

It was promoted as a comedy. That reminds me of a joke I heard years ago. Stalin is addressing the Supreme Soviet, speaking and suddenly: a sneeze is heard. Stalin stops speaking, and asks sternly “who snyeeezed?” (my friend who … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Music and musicology, Politics, Popular music & culture, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sabbatical

Posted on August 8, 2018

I’m taking a break from teaching for 2018-2019, while I focus on other projects. In past years I’ve taught introductory film music and opera courses at the School of Continuing Studies.  The blog will continue but for this year I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in Film Music Course, Opera Course, Personal ruminations, what's Leslie Barcza up to | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Escape from wartime reflections

Posted on August 1, 2018

Tonight’s installment of the Toronto Summer Music Festival might seem to have ignored their theme of “Reflections of Wartime”. The only real battle in Walter Hall was for our hearts, a friendly popularity contest between Angela Cheng and Alvin Chow. … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Oxymoronic Gould Transcriptions

Posted on July 29, 2018

It seems like a lifetime ago, back when Glenn Gould was still alive. I’d first learned of him in my childhood as the one who showed us a new approach to Bach, a famous performer who had then abandoned live … Continue reading →

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

Music minus one

Posted on July 28, 2018

I write a lot about transcriptions possibly because they’re so much fun. Sometimes I can manage to play them, sometimes they’re too difficult but still fascinating to explore.  One plays a piano piece while imagining an original from another context, … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays, Music and musicology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment