Category Archives: Essays

December 30, 1960

Posted on December 30, 2010 by barczablog

December 30th, 2010 is a date of personal interest, the anniversary of the day my father succumbed to leukemia, at the very end of 1960.   I understand he had been sick for a few years. I don’t think of … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays, Personal ruminations & essays | 1 Comment

Risky performance: when it’s not just a metaphor

Posted on December 24, 2010 by barczablog

Will the new Spiderman musical ever open?  It’s been prohibitively expensive to marry Julie Taymor‘s  vision to the music of Bono & The Edge.  I’ve read estimates of $65 million USD: and counting.  One wonders how many years of full … Continue reading →

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What price virtuosity, or the (body) image problem.

Posted on December 14, 2010 by barczablog

I used to see opera and ballet as two sides of the same coin. I understood them in terms of an obsession with power & fluidity, accomplished by ballet’s bodies, and by opera’s voices.   The dancer’s movements were what … Continue reading →

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Into the sunset: cue heroic music

Posted on December 1, 2010 by barczablog

I’ve been talking to friends about the missing cat.  The cat is not here.  Why?  she sauntered or dashed or flew through an open door.  Her name is Tara, while her sister is Scarlette.  Scarlette is still here, while Tara … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, domestic & wild, Essays | 2 Comments

Comfort ye

Posted on November 30, 2010 by barczablog

The tenor soloist in a Christian Church during Advent Season sometimes gets to be an ambassador of hope.  The text for Handel’s Messiah comes directly from the Bible: Recit: Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, domestic & wild, Essays, Spirituality & Religion | 2 Comments

Feasting and saying thanks

Posted on November 26, 2010 by barczablog

In the book Authentic Happiness by Martin Seligman, we read about the psychological benefits of saying thank you.  He calls them “gratefuls”, a good daily ritual that can help make you healthier. And so, as a kind of prayer, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays, Psychology and perception, Spirituality & Religion | 4 Comments

In our closet, Freddie Mercury

Posted on November 25, 2010 by barczablog

Are Don Cherry and Ron McLean hard of hearing? When –on Hockey Night in Canada– McLean interviews Cherry in the segments known as “Coach’s Corner” the entire conversation is loud.  While they claim to be friends they seem to be … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays, Popular music & culture, Sports | Leave a comment

Mamma Mia! from Glee Across the Universe to Rock of Ages

Posted on November 24, 2010 by barczablog

That was not an attempt to jam as many titles into one sentence as possible.  Okay, maybe I was playing a bit but that’s not all I was attempting… I am sitting watching Glee as I write this.  When the … Continue reading →

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