Author Archives: barczablog

Glenn Gould: extra hands

Posted on December 11, 2014 by barczablog

Thank you Edward Johnson Building library, once again I found treasure in the collection that never disappoints. I’d grabbed a great mass of scores in anticipation of a couple of gigs, never knowing fully what to play, but wanting to … Continue reading →

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

Don’t miss Stanley Kubrick at TIFF

Posted on December 7, 2014 by barczablog

Stanley Kubrick: The Exhibition is currently on at TIFF Bell Lightbox until January 25th. You know it’s a happening when you see people dressed in special costumes. When the droog is actually a polite gentleman sharing quips with no threats … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs | Leave a comment

10 Questions for Colin Balzer

Posted on December 4, 2014 by barczablog

I’ve never seen tenor Colin Balzer in person, but I did watch his Don Ottavio twice in the broadcast of Tcherniakov’s Don Giovanni presented by TFO less than a year ago: when it was becoming evident that the COC would … Continue reading →

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

10 Questions for Brett Polegato

Posted on November 29, 2014 by barczablog

Brett Polegato is a baritone with a beautiful voice. He’s a capable interpreter of songs, for example, in the recent Canadian Art Song Project concert: “I was more delighted by Brett Polegato’s loveliness of tone –one of the nicest baritones … Continue reading →

Posted in Interviews, Music and musicology | 4 Comments

COC Centre Stage 2014

Posted on November 26, 2014 by barczablog

Tonight was the fourth public competition for membership in the Canadian Opera Company’s Studio Ensemble. I missed the first one in 2011. The second was held in November 2012, in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, aka the space in the upper … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera | 5 Comments

Maleficent’s traumas

Posted on November 24, 2014 by barczablog

Spoiler alert: this discussion requires me to give away a bunch of plot points, so if you haven’t seen this film & want to, don’t read this OR don’t complain if I give it all away.   (OH AND YOU … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Psychology and perception | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

A fit of Christmas musick against Christmas music: Toronto Consort’s The Little Barley-Corne

Posted on November 23, 2014 by barczablog

Come for the rant, stay for the review. If you’re like me, you’re conflicted about Advent, a period before Christmas. While the season of Advent isn’t quite here yet (meaning the four Sundays before Christmas, ergo, Sundays Nov 30 + … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Reviews, Spirituality & Religion | Tagged | 2 Comments

Beethoven, Nielsen and Mozart: TSO & Jan Lisiecki

Posted on November 23, 2014 by barczablog

Tonight was the last of the mini-festival of three programs / five concerts from the Toronto Symphony ostensibly featuring the music of Carl Nielsen & two of his big influences, namely Mozart & Beethoven. It’s as though there were two … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Reviews | Leave a comment

Maghan McPhee: Portrait

Posted on November 22, 2014 by barczablog

I missed seeing Carmen on Tap last summer, a version of Bizet’s masterpiece seen around the province (including Toronto) last summer. If I’d known that Maghan McPhee was in the show I would have made more of an effort to … Continue reading →

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

Social media and performance: bane or boon?

Posted on November 19, 2014 by barczablog

To tweet or not to tweet: that is the question. Saturday night at the Tapestry Briefs performance, Artistic Director Michael Mori invited the audience to employ social media, to post to Facebook or to tweet.  He even gave us the … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera, Popular music & culture | 8 Comments