Author Archives: barczablog

Kyle McDonald talks about Conan and Mightier Productions

Posted on April 27, 2022 by barczablog

Kyle McDonald and Mightier Productions premiere a new opera on May 5th, titled Conan and the Stone of Kelior. I asked Kyle a few questions. BB: When I look at your website, I see a commercial venture: (hopefully you recognize … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Architecture & Design, Cinema, video & DVDs, Dance, theatre & musicals, Interviews, Music and musicology, Opera, Popular music & culture | Tagged Alumnae Theatre, Conan, Conan and the Stone of Kelior, Corey Arnold, Diana DiMauro, Fraggle Rock, Geoffrey Davis, Guillermo Silva-Marin, Jim Smagata, Kristi Ann Holt, Kyle McDonald, Mark Rehkopf, Mightier Productions, pasticcio, Robert de Vrij | Leave a comment

Italian Mime Preview

Posted on April 22, 2022 by barczablog

I was at the preview of Italian Mime Suicide from Bad New Days, co-directed by Kari Pederson and Adam Paolozza. It’s short but intense, part lecture, part performance, sometimes serious sometimes funny. No question about it, I’m out of practice, … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, domestic & wild, Dance, theatre & musicals, Music and musicology, Popular music & culture, Reviews | Tagged Adam Paolozza, Arif Mirabdolbaghi, Bad New Days, CAMH, Cheldon Paterson, Domenick Argento, Electric Messiah, Ericka Leobrera, Federico Fellini, Georges Melies, Italian Mime Suicide, Mime, mimesis, My Favorite Year, Nicholas Eddie, Postcard from Morocco, Rob Feetham, SlowPitchSound, Wim Wenders, Wings of Desire | Leave a comment

Adam Paolozza explains Italian Mime Suicide

Posted on April 19, 2022 by barczablog

Adam Paolozza and theatre ensemble Bad New Days are coming back to Toronto with the provocative genre-bending piece ITALIAN MIME SUICIDE at The Theatre Centre (Franco Boni Theatre) beginning April 21 to May 1 (opening night April 23). Inspired by … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Interviews | Tagged Adam Paolozza, Albrecht Durer, Antonin Artaud, Bad New Days, commedia dell'arte, Italian Mime Suicide, lazzo, Melancholia, Melancholiac, Mime, Scott Walker, Susan Sontag, Under the Sign of Saturn, Walter Benjamin | Leave a comment

Ecology of Being –Duo Concertante

Posted on April 16, 2022 by barczablog

In childhood I heard musicians and performers protesting the Vietnam War or advocating as part of the Civil Rights Movement. Ever since I’ve admired activist artists. Music, film, satire, humour, painting, can all be powerful voices advocating change, moving emotions, … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Politics, Spirituality & Religion | Tagged Anthropocene, anthropogenic global warming, Bekah Sims, Carmen Braden, Clara Steeves, Dawn Avery, Duo Concertante, Ian Cusson, Melissa Hui, Nancy Dahn, Randolph Peters, Timothy Steeves | Leave a comment

No words

Posted on April 10, 2022 by barczablog

I need to properly acknowledge a beautiful moment in my life, even as I struggle to find the words. As I glance at the time, I immediately think about Sam’s schedule. At 5:28 my viscera know automatically whether she should … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, domestic & wild, Personal ruminations & essays, Psychology and perception | Tagged Midtown Mobile veterinary hospice services, Quality of Life Scale | 12 Comments

Truth in our Time—NACO

Posted on March 31, 2022 by barczablog

It’s an ambitious package, this National Arts Centre Orchestra Tour. There’s a world premiere of a Philip Glass symphony, commissioned by the family of newsman Peter Jennings, and three other works collected around the idea of “truth in our time”, … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Opera, Reviews | Tagged Alexander Shelley, Blake Pouliot, Dimitri Shostakovich, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, National Arts Centre Orchestra, Nicole Lizée, Peter Jennings, Philip Glass, Roy Thomson Hall, Zeiss After Dark | 2 Comments

Florence: The Lady with The Lamp

Posted on March 28, 2022 by barczablog

Opera in Concert resumed live performance Sunday afternoon with their first of Three Extraordinary Women, namely Florence: the Lady with the Lamp, composed by Timothy Sullivan and with libretto by Anne Mcpherson, an interesting balance between the contemporary and the … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera, Reviews | Tagged Crimean War, Danlie Rae Acebuque, Florence Nightingale, Guillermo Silva-Marin, Lauren Pearl, Opera in Concert, Robert Cooper, Ryan Downey, Sandra Horst | Leave a comment

Alexander Shelley is coming to town

Posted on March 27, 2022 by barczablog

Before there were convoys and honking horns, it used to be said that living in Ottawa gave you advantages, because of your proximity to the seats of power. Yet maybe there’s still some truth to it when we look at … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Literature, Cinema, video & DVDs, Music and musicology, Press Releases and Announcements | Tagged Alexander Shelley, Ana Sokolovic, Carnegie Hall, CBC, CBC-GEM, Dmitri Shostakovich, Donna Feore, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Life Reflected, Luminato, Measha Brueggergosman, NACO, National Arts Centre Orchestra, Nicole Lizee, Philip Gla, Roy Thomson Hall, Shawnee Kish, Southam Hall, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, UNDISRUPTED | Leave a comment

Composers dissing composers

Posted on March 21, 2022 by barczablog

Earlier today I commented on John Gilks’ post about The Lion Heart a new opera by Corey Arnold and Kyle McDonald that received its world premiere in a semi-staged production this past weekend. Near the end of his review John … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Opera, Reviews | Tagged Conversations with Tom Service, Corey Arnold, Elektra, Felix Mendelssohn, Giacomo Meyerbeer, John Gilks, Kyle McDonald, Opera and Drama, operaramblings, Pelleas et Melisande, Richard Wagner, The Lion Heart, Thomas Ades | 6 Comments

The Lion Heart: a first look

Posted on March 20, 2022 by barczablog

I watched the live-stream of The Lion Heart, the premiere of a new opera from Corey Arnold (composer & conductor) and Kyle McDonald (librettist and singer of the lead role). Or at least part of it. Alas connection issues prevented … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera | Tagged André Gretry, Blondel, Corey Arnold, Gioachino Rossini, Giuseppe Verdi, Kyle McDonald, Leopold, Nicole Dubinsky, Richard, Richard Coeur de lion, Richard Wagner, The Lion Heart, Tonatiuh Abrego, Tonatiuh Abrego) and the sadistic Leopold (passionately delivered by Andrew Derynck | 3 Comments