Author Archives: barczablog

Late to the party: The Double’s Trio

Posted on November 4, 2013 by barczablog

Getting to Tarragon Theatre’s Extraspace 20 minutes before the start of The Double, would have been early for most shows in Toronto.  But all the good seats were gone, and so we were forced to sit near the back.  I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Bogdanowicz & Ramirez: a common language

Posted on November 2, 2013 by barczablog

I met some new people tonight.  Some of them were singers, some were composers, and everyone got along beautifully in several languages. Tonight Michèle Bogdanowicz and Ernesto Ramirez sang a quintessentially Canadian program at Gallery 345, with pianist Rachel Andrist. … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Live Light in the Piazza

Posted on October 31, 2013 by barczablog

On June 15th 2006, Beverly Sills welcomed the television audience to the Vivian Beaumont Theatre for a live performance of The Light in the Piazza.  Yes, I was busy that night in June 2006, unaware that I should have been … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Reviews | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

O Gamelan

Posted on October 31, 2013 by barczablog

“Press releases and announcements” are presented verbatim without comment. O GAMELAN An exotic evening blending Traditional Indonesian & Modern Western Sounds Sunday, November 17, 2013 at Koerner Hall For Immediate Release: October 30, 2013 – Toronto, ON: On Sunday, November … Continue reading →

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R.I.P.

Posted on October 28, 2013 by barczablog

“Requiescat in Pace” is the last line in the third of three operas presented by Opera 5, namely Cecilia Livingston’s The Masque of the Red Death, whereby we had the name for the evening’s program. I wonder if Poe’s story … Continue reading →

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

The Italian Lesson

Posted on October 27, 2013 by barczablog

Yesterday I was on the University of Western Ontario campus, attending a special performance of Lee Hoiby’s The Italian Lesson in a production from Diva Lounge Productions.  UWO welcomed back alumnae Sonja Gustafson (soprano & Diva Lounge founder) and Tanya … Continue reading →

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Opera Atelier Abduction from the Seraglio

Posted on October 25, 2013 by barczablog

I had a wonderful time at the dress rehearsal for Opera Atelier’s new Abduction from the Seraglio.  It’s a remount but as usual they probed more deeply this time, accentuating the comic elements of the work.  Anyone who’s seen this … Continue reading →

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Symbolic Meatballs II

Posted on October 20, 2013 by barczablog

Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs II continues more or less where the first left off.  The story resumes a short time after the end of the first film, that I saw (and reviewed) just a little while ago.   I … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Reviews | 2 Comments

Ten Questions for Mark Shulgasser

Posted on October 20, 2013 by barczablog

Mark Shulgasser is a librettist especially known for his collaborations with composer Lee Hoiby.  They created several operas together, until Hoiby’s passing in 2011.  One might call Shulgasser a champion for Hoiby’s work, except that I believe Shulgasser is still … Continue reading →

Posted in Interviews, Opera | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Feral piano: Beatriz Boizán

Posted on October 19, 2013 by barczablog

It’s a truism that some artists are different in live situations than on record.  The presence of an audience can inspire & illuminate a performance in a way that doesn’t happen in a studio. That’s what I experienced tonight.  When … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Personal ruminations & essays, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments