Author Archives: barczablog

Woody & Frankie’s Bullet for Adolf

Posted on April 20, 2011 by barczablog

There came a moment when I discovered just how sincere and authentic Woody Harrelson & Frankie Hyman are about their new play Bullet for Adolf. Tonight was the first preview in Toronto at Hart House Theatre, and afterwards they held … Continue reading →

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

Fortresses and tears

Posted on April 18, 2011 by barczablog

Today in church we sang “A Mighty Fortress is our God,” a hymn that has powerful associations for me. I am going to speak of three incarnations of that tune. FIRST?  The original version is Luther’s great hymn of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays, Personal ruminations & essays, Spirituality & Religion | 4 Comments

David Greig’s Cosmonaut

Posted on April 17, 2011 by barczablog

Chances are that when a play has a fifteen word title, neither the work nor its review will be short.  David Greig’s The Cosmonaut’s Last Message to the Woman He Once Loved in the Former Soviet Union has been given … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Reviews | Leave a comment

opera-singer singing

Posted on April 16, 2011 by barczablog

The title must seem like a joke, strangely redundant.  How could that even be a question for study, you may wonder. But singing is not just a vehicle, but also sometimes a primary concern of the opera.  Some operas take … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays | Leave a comment

La Traviata in concert

Posted on April 9, 2011 by barczablog

There’s no better affirmation of the power of a particular opera score than to see it performed in concert: or maybe that should be “hear” rather than “see”.  The only impact a designer has on such a performance is the … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera, Reviews | 2 Comments

On a desert island…in Toronto.

Posted on April 1, 2011 by barczablog

There you are on a desert island, the place where what-if questions are always posited.  One is asked impossible hypotheticals, such as “If you were on a desert island, and you could only take one book, one DVD, one beverage, … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays, Opera, Personal ruminations & essays | Leave a comment

Chopin at the Opera

Posted on March 30, 2011 by barczablog

There’s nothing quite like cinema to change your viewpoint.  Film has changed my perspective on Frederic Chopin more than once. I’d grown up with his music around me, aware of him almost from the beginning.  Anyone learning how to play … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Opera, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Positive about “negative”

Posted on March 26, 2011 by barczablog

When i was in highschool, one of my teachers explained the conventional wisdom of advertising for my impressionable ears.  I still remember my surprise, listening to Mr Kearn tell me that Ford or GM or Chrysler would not ever say … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays | 5 Comments

The Nerds Shall Inherit the Earth

Posted on March 20, 2011 by barczablog

My friend Joseph So recently shared a link on Facebook that started a conversation about conductors. “Carlos Kleiber has been named the greatest conductor of all time in the April issue of BBC Music Magazine…  In a poll, 100 conductors including Sir Colin … Continue reading →

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Honeymoon Song

Posted on March 14, 2011 by barczablog

Today I visited my Mother’s house after church.  I had stayed late  for a rehearsal of the big piece we’re performing in April, namely  Ernest Bloch’s Sacred Service. It’s funny how things sometimes seem to follow patterns, whether in reality … Continue reading →

Posted in My mother, Personal ruminations & essays, Spirituality & Religion | 2 Comments