Category Archives: Essays

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 →

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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 →

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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 →

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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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Let us now praise famous women

Posted on March 9, 2011 by barczablog

Serendipity is such a wonderful word.  I love that it’s a big long word, implying something complex, when in fact it sounds like a series of vocal accidents.  Accidents are not to be confused with serendipity, for the word always … Continue reading →

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COC take Nightingale to BAM

Posted on March 1, 2011 by barczablog

Gosh darn…(!) I am not going to Brooklyn to see the remount of a Canadian Opera Company production that I saw in November 2009; but i figured i would repost excerpts from a review posted to drama.ca, as a kind … Continue reading →

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Spiritual rather than religious

Posted on February 22, 2011 by barczablog

Conversations online can be as real as the ones we have with the people around us.  A brief little remark I made to a Facebook post from my friend Romy Shiller concerning Roland Joffé’s The Mission has spurred additional conversation.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays, Spirituality & Religion | 3 Comments

Opera Atelier & Glimmerglass to collaborate

Posted on February 8, 2011 by barczablog

Opera Atelier‘s announcement of their 2011-2012 season included some interesting news: two operas to be produced in Toronto a new partnership with The Glimmerglass Festival Who are these people and why would they want to work together? Opera Atelier: call … Continue reading →

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Linda and the jokes we don’t get

Posted on February 6, 2011 by barczablog

I am going to talk about one of Linda Hutcheon’s ideas. Ever notice that some jokes make you laugh, and some don’t?  Of course you do.  You probably would say it’s because some jokes are good and some are bad.  … Continue reading →

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The King’s Speech

Posted on January 3, 2011 by barczablog

We’re always hearing about the impact of media upon our world. As anyone who has seen Singin’ in the Rain can tell you, new media –such as talking pictures in the late 1920s—can cause a complete upheaval not just within … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Essays, Reviews | 1 Comment