Author Archives: barczablog

En Bateau / in a boat

Posted on September 5, 2015 by barczablog

I was playing a delightful piano piece and for no apparent reason was suddenly overcome, and started to cry. Debussy’s “En bateau” is a lovely piece, about recreation. It’s the end of the summer for North Americans as we observe … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal ruminations & essays | Leave a comment

Ten Questions for Dr Gábor Maté

Posted on September 5, 2015 by barczablog

Doctor Gábor Maté is someone I’ve admired from afar for a long time, without really knowing more than a few superficial details.  He’s known for the sort of beliefs that go beyond mere image management, an advocate and activist who … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Interviews, Politics, Psychology and perception | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Bicycle Opera: Shadow Box at Curbside Cycle

Posted on September 5, 2015 by barczablog

The Bicycle Opera Project are now in season four, cycling around from venue to venue, putting on opera. They carry their set, costumes & instruments along (except perhaps the piano…) in trailers pulled behind their cycles. I first encountered them … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera, Reviews | 1 Comment

Bill Blair at the door

Posted on September 1, 2015 by barczablog

He wasn’t knocking on the door. He was in an SUV. One of the members of the Lberal team had come to our front door and we immediately said we wanted a sign. I had planned to wait until I … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal ruminations & essays | 19 Comments

Scary music in Theatres of Terror

Posted on August 25, 2015 by barczablog

Halloween is still several weeks away but already terror is more than a gleam in the eye of some. Opera By Request are presenting Carl Maria von Weber’s gothic masterpiece Der Freischutz on Friday Sept 18th.  There will be no … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Opera | 3 Comments

Introducing you to opera

Posted on August 11, 2015 by barczablog

How should one be introduced to opera?  It’s a question I’ve thought about, one I have seen tossed around lately. American opera educator & broadcaster Fred Plotkin was asked the question “how does one become an opera buff?” Here are … Continue reading →

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Karita Mattila at Koerner Hall: personalities on parade

Posted on August 8, 2015 by barczablog

There was more drama in this recital than any recital I can ever recall.  Karita Mattila assumed several roles, in several distinct voices in her concert tonight at Koerner Hall in Toronto as part of the Toronto Summer Music Festival. … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Opera, Personal ruminations & essays, Reviews | 2 Comments

SOLT’s Der Vampyr

Posted on August 1, 2015 by barczablog

It might seem dangerous to see Marschner’s opera Der Vampyr (The Vampire) on a full moon, but we lived to tell the tale. Der Vampyr was staged by Summer Opera Lyric Theatre and Research Centre (aka “SOLT”).  While SOLT offers … Continue reading →

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

DIVE preview mesmerizing

Posted on July 31, 2015 by barczablog

I attended the preview performance of DIVE tonight, a new work from The Mermaid Collective: Nik Beeson, Alex Fallis, Fides Krucker and Richard Sanger. It’s quite erotic & funny, a little bit political and a powerful evocation of remembered passion. … Continue reading →

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Der Vampyr and the birth of horror

Posted on July 29, 2015 by barczablog

I’ve been immersed in blood for the past few weeks. No I am not training to be a butcher or a surgeon.  None of this gore is real. I’ll be teaching a new course at the Royal Conservatory of Music … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Literature, Cinema, video & DVDs, Music and musicology, Opera, Personal ruminations & essays | Leave a comment