Author Archives: barczablog

10 questions for Andrew Haji

Posted on October 13, 2015 by barczablog

You may know tenor Andrew Haji as a member of the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble Studio, for his appearances with the COC in the Ensemble Studio performance of The Barber of Seville (as Count Almaviva in May 2015), and Così … Continue reading →

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

Eve Egoyan CD launch Oct 16-18

Posted on October 13, 2015 by barczablog

“Less is more.” Eve Egoyan performs intimate contemporary piano music in an intimate space at Toronto’s Small World Music Centre, October 16 – 18. This distinctive recital programme features music by Toronto composers John Mark Sherlock, Nick Storring and Linda … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Press Releases and Announcements | Tagged , | Leave a comment

The wit and wisdom of Eldritch Theatre’s Doctor Wuthergloom

Posted on October 11, 2015 by barczablog

Praetorius Wuthergloom is a 142 year-old widower, an itinerant mediciner of supernatural blight & exorcist–the titles he gives himself—whose most recent extravaganza ended tonight, alas, with the closing performance of his show at the Red Sandcastle Theatre. Be not afeared, … Continue reading →

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

Richard Margison as Abraham: David Warrack’s new oratorio

Posted on October 10, 2015 by barczablog

Abraham, an oratorio by David Warrack about the patriarch of three major faiths, will bring together leading Toronto artists in a special fundraising performance for Syrian refugees, Wednesday, October 28, 8 p.m. at Metropolitan United Church, 56 Queen Street East, … Continue reading →

Posted in Interviews, Music and musicology, Press Releases and Announcements, Spirituality & Religion | Leave a comment

COC traviata and the three faces of Violetta

Posted on October 9, 2015 by barczablog

I witnessed something rare and wonderful at the opening of the Canadian Opera Company’s la traviata at the Four Seasons Centre tonight. It’s almost impossible to do justice to the role of Violetta that Verdi created in his adaptation of … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera, Reviews | 6 Comments

Hannigan conducts the Toronto Symphony

Posted on October 8, 2015 by barczablog

Soprano Barbara Hannigan is also Conductor Barbara Hannigan.  We knew she could sing. Tonight she sang and conducted the Toronto Symphony, her first time conducting an orchestra in North America.  This wasn’t just a concert to enable her to plant the … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Reviews | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Still Alice’s Alzheimer’s

Posted on October 3, 2015 by barczablog

There’s a film from a few years ago called Away From Her, starring Gordon Pinsent & Julie Christie. IMDB tells me it was made in 2006. I waited quite awhile to see it because the subject was very close to … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Personal ruminations & essays, Psychology and perception, Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Questions for Lisa Campbell, Cannabis Activist

Posted on October 2, 2015 by barczablog

Lisa Campbell has been the Outreach Director for Canadian Students for Sensible Drug Policy since 2013. As the former Trip! Project Coordinator and having worked as the manager of a needle exchange, Lisa has worked with a diversity of young … Continue reading →

Posted in Interviews, Politics, Psychology and perception | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Soundstreams: Beyond the Aria but not beyond Virtuosity

Posted on September 30, 2015 by barczablog

Tonight in a Soundstreams concert titled “Adrianne Pieczonka: Beyond the Aria” we saw and heard two great operatic artists go beyond their usual boundaries, using their instruments in unexpected ways.  Soprano Pieczonka was joined by mezzo-soprano Kristina Szabó in a … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Opera, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Love Shards of Sappho at RBA

Posted on September 29, 2015 by barczablog

Today’s free noon-hour concert in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre (the upper lobby of the Four Seasons Centre) offered a rich pairing of matched works, presented by the Array Ensemble & a pair of sopranos.  Today feels especially like a preparation … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Opera, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments