Author Archives: barczablog

Embedded in David Warrack’s oratorio Abraham

Posted on October 29, 2015 by barczablog

Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built againt it  — Rumi I am home after standing & singing alongside the Elmer Iseler Singers. It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal ruminations & essays | Leave a comment

Mahler’s Symphony No. 2: benefit for St. Michael’s Hospital

Posted on October 27, 2015 by barczablog

Benefit concert for St. Michael’s Hospital presents Mahler’s monumental Symphony No. 2  TORONTO — An epic Mahler masterpiece takes centre stage on Nov. 16, 2015, in a special concert at Metropolitan United Church to benefit St. Michael’s Hospital (SMH). This annual fundraiser … Continue reading →

Posted in Press Releases and Announcements | Leave a comment

NDP delusions: a leader stays on, and what we need instead

Posted on October 26, 2015 by barczablog

Justin Trudeau is a very lucky man. Oh I’m not saying he doesn’t deserve his win. I am ecstatic about the election last Monday, and as mentioned previously, had a Liberal sign on my lawn. But our democracy needs a … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | 3 Comments

Ideal Pyramus and Thisbe

Posted on October 25, 2015 by barczablog

There are several ways to approach opera composition & opera production. I would like to propose that there might be a polarity we could imagine between extremes, given that at least one of those options is entirely in the mind. … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts Mahler 10

Posted on October 24, 2015 by barczablog

I will put aside the question of the new Orchestre Métropolitain recording of Mahler’s 10th Symphony (Deryck Cooke version) for the moment, to talk about Yannick Nézet-Séguin, who conducts. Is Nézet-Séguin the most successful conductor Canada has ever produced? That … Continue reading →

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The erotic agonies of Armide 2.0

Posted on October 23, 2015 by barczablog

Opera Atelier opened their 30th anniversary season with their latest take on Lully’s 17th century masterpiece Armide. They’ve done the work before, the greatest opera you’ve never seen.  Perhaps it isn’t performed as frequently as it deserves, but it is … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Opera, Reviews | 3 Comments

Embedded in Oshawa Opera

Posted on October 19, 2015 by barczablog

I spent an afternoon observing auditions for Oshawa Opera alongside Artistic Director Kristine Dandavino and Michael Robert-Broder.  For the AD, an extra set of eyes and ears offer additional perspectives.  Or as she herself said, she’s the one who makes … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera, Personal ruminations & essays | 2 Comments

Back to the Future, live with Toronto Symphony

Posted on October 18, 2015 by barczablog

“Great Scott! After thirty years we find ourselves being sent Back to the Future. This time the re-entry is in the concert hall…” So said composer Alan Silvestri in his program note for showings this weekend of Robert Zemeckis’ 1985 … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Music and musicology | 1 Comment

Enough tenors for now: COC 2015 Ensemble Studio Finalists

Posted on October 17, 2015 by barczablog

It should be no surprise that the eight finalists just announced for the the COC’s 2015 Ensemble Studio competition don’t contain any tenors in the group. No wonder, when last year the top three places in the competition went to tenors, … Continue reading →

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

Tragic Canadians in Traviata

Posted on October 17, 2015 by barczablog

I had a second look at Arin Arbus’ production of Verdi’s La traviata for the Canadian Opera Company with a few cast changes. At the centre of this world is Joyce El-Khoury in the title role, opposite Andrew Haji as … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera, Reviews | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments