Category Archives: Music and musicology

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

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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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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2021 TSO Messiah

Posted on December 16, 2021 by barczablog

As Kevin Bazzana observes in his Toronto Symphony Orchestra program note, “there is no one definitive Messiah.” It’s an ironic turn of phrase considering the religious implications one might give that phrase. Indeed when I look at the bizarre mockeries … Continue reading →

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Confronting mortality: AtG /COC Mozart Requiem

Posted on December 4, 2021 by barczablog

The pandemic is simultaneously new in its requirements and yet old in once again reminding us of our ultimate destiny. Modern science may blind us to history’s lessons. The images on the tray in this picture come from Täby kyrka, … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Music and musicology, Opera, Reviews, Spirituality & Religion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Tafelmusik Christmas

Posted on November 26, 2021 by barczablog

Do you remember how, at the end of It’s a Wonderful Life (that great film encouraging us to be grateful, to appreciate what we have): George Bailey celebrates and appreciates a return to normalcy after the end of his nightmare? … Continue reading →

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TSO Winds, Brass & Percussion Spotlight

Posted on November 20, 2021 by barczablog

We’re still in the earliest days of Gustavo Gimeno’s tenure as music director of the Toronto Symphony, enjoying the pandemic protocol of smaller groups onstage playing for smaller groups in Roy Thomson Hall, in 60 minute concerts. That’s why we … Continue reading →

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TSO String showcase and what’s to come

Posted on November 18, 2021 by barczablog

In this the second week of Gustavo Gimeno’s tenure as music director of the Toronto Symphony, we’re already seeing some exciting programming choices. Someone thought to limit the number of players onstage to around 50 as a safety measure, affording … Continue reading →

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