Category Archives: Music and musicology

Mother Sorrow: workshop December 9th

Posted on December 11, 2022 by barczablog

I was privileged to observe an open rehearsal of a new creation titled “Mother Sorrow.” The creative team is large, but I should mention director & choreographer Jennifer Nichols, Composer and music director Adam Scime and librettist (combining new words … Continue reading →

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Popular Tchaikovsky at the TSO

Posted on November 24, 2022 by barczablog

Handel speaks from beyond the grave to remind musicians how he helps pay the rent in a meme. Ballet companies owe Tchaikovsky a similar debt, when families flock to the theatre for The Nutcracker. Popularity can be problematic when it … Continue reading →

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Pre-Democracy with Lucio Silla

Posted on November 21, 2022 by barczablog

I had an epiphany watching today’s presentation of Lucio Silla from Opera in Concert in the St Lawrence Centre. In my review of the opening night of Hannah Moscovitch’s Post-Democracy (that opened at the Tarragon Theatre last Thursday) I included … Continue reading →

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Peter Oundjian warmly welcomed back to TSO

Posted on November 10, 2022 by barczablog

How could it be otherwise? Peter Oundjian, the Toronto Symphony’s Conductor Emeritus, was greeted with a huge ovation when he came out at Roy Thomson Hall to begin tonight’s concert. We brought his wit to the microphone, cleverly mangling Shakespeare … Continue reading →

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Tahara, Royer and SPO play Schubert and Saint-Saëns

Posted on November 6, 2022 by barczablog

Tonight’s Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra was my first live experience of the ensemble, a return to live in person appearances featuring pianist Lisa Tahara conducted by music director Ronald Royer. It’s a pleasant change of pace to have a concert relatively … Continue reading →

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Holst’s Neptune and Wagner’s Lohengrin Prelude

Posted on November 5, 2022 by barczablog

I’ve just noticed something concerning Gustav Holst’s Planets suite. You’ve probably heard that Holst did not mean planets in the sense of astronomy but rather to be more of a meditation on the astrological significance of each planet. His seven … Continue reading →

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ARC Ensemble: Chamber works by Alberto Hemsi

Posted on November 4, 2022 by barczablog

ARC Ensemble are the Artists of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. They are superb players but they’re also important because of the work they do. For example, their new recording Chamber Works by Alberto Hemsi, that was just … Continue reading →

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Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas—In Concert with the TSO

Posted on October 29, 2022 by barczablog

Tonight Erika and I watched The Nightmare Before Christmas shown with the Toronto Symphony playing the score live, conducted by Sarah Hicks at Roy Thomson Hall. As with the 100 Years of Film Music concert we attended earlier this week, … Continue reading →

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Yuja Wang, Magnus Lindberg, Anton Bruckner and the TSO

Posted on October 21, 2022 by barczablog

As we tentatively poke our heads out, looking for signs that normal life has resumed after the pandemic, concerts like tonight’s from the Toronto Symphony affirm relationships & collaboration, the latest in a series of celebratory moments in the orchestra’s … Continue reading →

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Provocative TSO program: a glimpse of Gimeno

Posted on October 5, 2022 by barczablog

It’s fun getting to know the new music director of the Toronto Symphony, Gustavo Gimeno. I’m excited both by the programming and the performances. Assembling concerts involves a curating process, picking & choosing pieces for performance. Forgive me for repeating … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Literature, Cinema, video & DVDs, Music and musicology, Opera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments