Author Archives: barczablog

Fledermaus: just like our century

Posted on October 5, 2012 by barczablog

No matter how well they may sing, Johann Strauss Jr’s operetta Die Fledermaus requires its singers to act.  Although the music may be irresistible, I haven’t fully surrendered to any of the Fledermice I’ve seen.  No wonder it was usually … Continue reading →

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10 Questions for Arthur Wenk

Posted on October 4, 2012 by barczablog

Arthur Wenk is so multi-faceted he’s what would once have been called a Renaissance Man. I wrote about Wenk earlier this year in connection with the sesquicentennial of the birth of Claude Debussy: because among so many other achievements, Wenk … Continue reading →

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Safe asset: Kaffe Fassett

Posted on October 3, 2012 by barczablog

Today I escaped from the urban rat race in the company of hundreds of fans of designer Kaffe Fassett.  We’d gone where the GPS won’t go, somewhere in the vicinity of Brantford Ontario. Fassett is the Mick Jagger of the … Continue reading →

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Ten Questions for Alex Pauk

Posted on October 2, 2012 by barczablog

Alex Pauk is an artistic activist, a composer, a conductor, driving force behind many commissions for other Canadian composers,  and the Founding Music Director & Conductor of the Esprit Orchestra, an ensemble embarking upon their 30th Anniversary Season with a … Continue reading →

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Radical Cycle

Posted on September 30, 2012 by barczablog

When you think about it, the notion of a “radical cycle” is a bit of an oxymoron.  Cycles are usually understood to be stable and repeating, which is hard to imagine if something is radical. Radical Cycle is also the … Continue reading →

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The eternal question

Posted on September 30, 2012 by barczablog

Paper or plastic?  Shaken or stirred? How about Verdi or Wagner?  That was one big question tonight.  While some people chose to attend the opening of the COC’s Il trovatore, I opted for Wagner, namely Die Walküre.  Oh dear, …I’m … Continue reading →

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Fry and Wagner

Posted on September 28, 2012 by barczablog

It’s almost 2013, the bi-centennial for both Giuseppe Verdi & Richard Wagner (that is, a pair of composers born in 1813). Last night I watched the dress rehearsal of Il trovatore at the Canadian Opera Company’s Four Seasons Centre.  Tonight … Continue reading →

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Sounding amazing

Posted on September 27, 2012 by barczablog

I saw and heard the dress rehearsal of the new Canadian Opera Company Il trovatore at the Four Seasons Centre. While it’s understood that singers are permitted to mark, the headline tells you everything you need to know: Ramón Vargas’s … Continue reading →

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Gould Burg

Posted on September 26, 2012 by barczablog

Today and this week, we celebrate the 80th birthday of a famous Canadian.  If Toronto is Glenn Gould’s city we live in “Gould burg”.  In the Beaches there’s a plaque not far from his high school reminding us of his … Continue reading →

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10 Questions for A.J. Gray

Posted on September 25, 2012 by barczablog

A.J. Gray, aka Alison Gray, was born in England.  Parents with talents of their own encouraged an interest in the arts. While it is still not clear which of these would have been most appropriate as an occupation, many years … Continue reading →

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