Author Archives: barczablog

TSO on the road with Lau, Mendelssohn and Bruckner

Posted on May 7, 2015 by barczablog

Tonight’s Toronto Symphony concert was a kind of farewell before going on a short tour to Ottawa & Montreal. The Roy Thomson Hall audience heard the programme they’re taking on the road. Each of the three works represents a special … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Reviews | 3 Comments

Eitan Cornfield passes Music Mondays torch to Ian Grundy

Posted on May 6, 2015 by barczablog

Dear Friends of Music Mondays, Our series has served as a launching pad for the best of Toronto’s emerging talent since its inception in 1992. We continue the tradition this year with an exciting lineup of performers  both familiar and … Continue reading →

Posted in Press Releases and Announcements | Leave a comment

10 Questions for Stu and Jess

Posted on May 3, 2015 by barczablog

The time is short.  Stu &Jess Productions will be presenting Ravel’s wonderful L’Heure Espagnole in Montreal the weekend of May 7-9. Stu and Jess are Stuart Martin and Jessica Derventzis. Conductor and pianist Stuart Martin received his Bachelors of Music at University … Continue reading →

Posted in Interviews, Opera | Leave a comment

Questions for Augustin Hadelich

Posted on May 2, 2015 by barczablog

I’m fascinated to have recently discovered the brilliant, busy young violinist Augustin Hadelich. Augustin Hadelich’s first major orchestral recording featuring the violin concertos of Jean Sibelius and Thomas Adès (Concentric Paths) with Hannu Lintu conducting the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, … Continue reading →

Posted in Interviews, Music and musicology | 1 Comment

A Musical, The Importance of Being

Posted on May 2, 2015 by barczablog

I’ve just seen & heard the Toronto Operetta Theatre’s production of Earnest, The Importance of Being, a recent adaptation of Wilde’s play of (almost) the same name.  It was premiered in 2008 by TOT, music by Victor Davies and book … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Opera, Reviews | 4 Comments

Towards a new theatre vocabulary: Lepage, Cavalia and the legitimacy of aerials

Posted on May 1, 2015 by barczablog

It’s aerial week in Toronto: Robert Lepage’s pair of brief operas (Bluebeard’s Castle / Erwartung) for the Canadian Opera Company open May 6th at the Four Seasons Centre, including moments when you can’t tell which way is up Robert Lepage’s Needles … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, domestic & wild, Art, Architecture & Design, Dance, theatre & musicals, Music and musicology, Opera, Personal ruminations & essays | 5 Comments

Barber @ RBA: voice trumps schtick

Posted on April 28, 2015 by barczablog

Today’s noon-hour presentation at the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre was a teaser, sampling Act I of the upcoming Ensemble Studio performance of Rossini’s Barber of Seville.  These concerts are usually less than an hour including announcements, but today’s was a very … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera, Reviews | 1 Comment

Fearless Metro Youth Opera Béatrice et Bénédict

Posted on April 27, 2015 by barczablog

We live in a funny time. On the one hand it’s the era of director’s theatre, when operas can be a departure point for elaborate adventures so extreme that the composer’s work becomes mere background music for interpretations of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera, Reviews | 1 Comment

Youtube’s revolutions, big and small

Posted on April 23, 2015 by barczablog

It’s youtube’s tenth anniversary today.  Much will be written / spoken about the impact of this empowering channel and its imitators, the influence on political movements.  It’s played a role in uprisings & elections, actions both democratic and violent. And … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal ruminations & essays, Popular music & culture | Leave a comment

Ararat: Music of Armenia

Posted on April 22, 2015 by barczablog

That’s better! Peter Oundjian is back in the saddle leading the Toronto Symphony with his easy authority, and once again there is an intersection between political and musical spheres, but without the friction we saw last time. Those parts of … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology | Leave a comment