Category Archives: Books & Literature

Jussi 2021

Posted on February 3, 2021 by barczablog

I’m reading Jussi, a biography of Swedish tenor Jussi Björling from his widow Anna-Lisa Björling, and a surprisingly honest look at the life of a famous singer. It’s an appropriate week to think about Jussi. He used to celebrate his … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Literature, Dance, theatre & musicals, Music and musicology, Opera, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Fareed Zakaria’s Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World

Posted on January 11, 2021 by barczablog

The title grabs you, doesn’t it? Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World portends something well-informed, if not brilliant. As 2021 begins I wonder what’s to come, and wish i could turn to someone knowledgeable to tell me what’s to come. … Continue reading →

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Wohin: where do we go from here? now what?

Posted on December 31, 2020 by barczablog

As we come to the end of 2020, we may wonder. Where do we go from here? Now what? It’s in that spirit that I invoke a Schubert song, “Wohin” from his cycle Die Schöne Müllerin. First there was a … Continue reading →

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Wagner, Mendelssohn, Korngold & beyond with Sam

Posted on December 29, 2020 by barczablog

Sam appears to be feeling a lot better. Last week began with her staggering weakly, doing a scary impersonation of a carcass (lying on her side so forlorn in appearance that a couple of times I was asked to check … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Architecture & Design, Books & Literature, Cinema, video & DVDs, Dance, theatre & musicals, Music and musicology, Opera | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Looking back, aka Alex Ross’s Wagnerism: Art and Politics in the Shadow of Music

Posted on December 28, 2020 by barczablog

I’m ending 2020 with a pair of complementary book reviews. No they’re not in any way similar in their topics, yet they frame the transition to a new year rather well. Fareed Zakaria’s Ten Lessons for a Post-pandemic World, (the … Continue reading →

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Schirmer Serenade: a cure for Sam’s insomnia

Posted on December 27, 2020 by barczablog

Last night Sam the dog went to bed but didn’t close her eyes. It’s disturbing. As you may have read in other recent posts, she’s sick. The liver isn’t working right, an incurable malady whether you’re a human or a … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, domestic & wild, Books & Literature, Music and musicology, Personal ruminations & essays | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Beethoven 250: Immortal Beloved

Posted on December 15, 2020 by barczablog

Immortal Beloved (1994)  is one of my favorite films.  While I’ve been told by a Beethoven scholar that the facts aren’t correct in the film, that doesn’t stop me from liking it. How could it be otherwise? Spoiler alert #1: … Continue reading →

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Beethoven 250: recalling Brian Macdonald’s Diabelli Variations

Posted on December 7, 2020 by barczablog

As I reminisce about a piece choreographed by Brian Macdonald I hope I can be forgiven for seguing into remembrance of the man, who is known for many things. You probably saw one of the musicals he directed at Stratford, … Continue reading →

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Rapt and unwrapped

Posted on December 6, 2020 by barczablog

There are days when I’m sure the powers that be are trying to tell me something. Anything can be an omen, but some creatures are especially portentous. I didn’t take Sam the dog outside right away, when I got home … Continue reading →

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Beethoven 250: ethnic music

Posted on December 2, 2020 by barczablog

This blog expands on something I proposed November 20th when I talked about Beethoven’s multiple incarnations. Everyone has dimensions or facets to their personality. I hope that’s not a radical idea. There are things we proudly show off, other things … Continue reading →

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