Author Archives: barczablog

Lessons of the Paralympics

Posted on March 9, 2022 by barczablog

As usual I’ve been watching tv with my mom when I visit her to bring her lunch and dinner. During the Winter Olympics she would sometimes get up in the night to watch opening or closing ceremonies, given the time … Continue reading →

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The Princess Bride at the TSO

Posted on March 5, 2022 by barczablog

The Princess Bride is showing at Roy Thomson Hall, accompanied by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra who play the accompaniment live. It’s the perfect film for 2022. How? It features a tyrannical villain who lies shamelessly, just like certain people we … Continue reading →

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Chatting with Bruce McGillivray about the German bow, music and rehabilitation

Posted on February 28, 2022 by barczablog

After a short stay in Mt Sinai after collapsing in early September, my mother went to Bridgepoint Hospital for rehab, gradually seeking to re-cover her mobility with the help of physical therapy. The beautiful view through the window lifts patients’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Food, Health and Nutrition, Interviews, Music and musicology, My mother, Personal ruminations & essays, Popular music & culture | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Toddler masterclass with Brian Cox

Posted on February 21, 2022 by barczablog

I’ve just finished reading Brian Cox’s delightful memoir, subtitled Putting the Rabbit in the Hat. Cox is an actor currently famous for his role as the powerful father Logan Roy, in the tv series Succession, although you might know him … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Literature, Dance, theatre & musicals, Opera, Psychology and perception | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sky Gilbert talks about Pat and Skee, a dark new comedy about his parents

Posted on February 14, 2022 by barczablog

Pat and Skee opens February 25 at Theatre Aquarius in Hamilton, a darkly comic memoir of a challenging childhood. Sky Gilbert is a ‘child of divorce.’ Pat and Skee is an homage to Sky’s parents—who did their best to raise … Continue reading →

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Gimeno, Schumann’s Spring, Pal’s Scylla at the TSO

Posted on February 6, 2022 by barczablog

What an unusual night for the Toronto Symphony. It’s 11:20 pm as I begin to write this, recalling the headline on CP24 (a picture I snapped at 4:33 pm) about Toronto’s downtown, that says “BREAKING: Traffic is gridlocked in much … Continue reading →

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The Music of Our Time: John Williams at 90

Posted on February 4, 2022 by barczablog

It can be awe-inspiring to look at a composer’s lifetime of work. We know that JS Bach composed over 1,000 pieces in his 65 years, while Mozart, who lived only 35 years, composed perhaps 600 pieces. Yet we only care … Continue reading →

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2021 False starts and #BellLetsTalk

Posted on January 26, 2022 by barczablog

That may be the goofiest headline I’ve ever written. I waited to post my review of 2021 until today for a couple of reasons, although the main one is simple. 2021 was not a normal year, not one where I … Continue reading →

Posted in My mother, Personal ruminations & essays, Psychology and perception | Leave a comment

Being There revisited, with a little help from Mahler

Posted on January 16, 2022 by barczablog

I could use any old film I watched on television for the point I’m about to make. Last night Erika and I watched Being There (1979). Hal Ashby’s film is based on a best-selling novel from 1970 by Jerzy Kosiński … Continue reading →

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Things we do for love

Posted on January 15, 2022 by barczablog

This is a brief tale of tail, concerning two things that really happened to me recently. Event #1 was on Thursday when I was at my mom’s giving her lunch and dinner, as I will do a few times per … Continue reading →

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