Category Archives: Music and musicology

Mozart 40, Tafelmusik 40

Posted on September 22, 2018 by barczablog

Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra are at Koerner Hall this week. I can’t be the only one noticing the parallel between the title of tonight’s concert (“Mozart 40”) & a historical note in the program (“Tafelmusik at 40”) Perhaps its an accidental … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique & the fork in the recreational road

Posted on September 19, 2018 by barczablog

I’m responding as much to the serendipity of timing as anything else. Recreational marijuana becomes legal in Ontario next month. The Toronto Symphony are about to begin their 2018-19 season with Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique. Is there a connection? I think … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Literature, Music and musicology, Personal ruminations & essays, Psychology and perception | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Wagner & Sibelius insights with Margarete von Vaight

Posted on September 13, 2018 by barczablog

There’s so much to know about some repertoire, a little flash of insight about this song or that role can get lost in the massive store-house of knowledge. It used to be said among my circle of friends at university … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Personal ruminations & essays | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Liszt’s Winterreise

Posted on September 8, 2018 by barczablog

After experiencing the 24 man deconstructed Winterreise from Tongue in Cheek Productions, I’ve had all that Schubert rattling around in my head the past couple of days. Given that I had to return a couple of books anyway, to the … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Literature, Music and musicology, Personal ruminations & essays, Popular music & culture | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

24 ways of looking at Winterreise      

Posted on September 6, 2018 by barczablog

Tonight’s event at Lula Lounge from Tongue in Cheek Productions was not your typical song cycle. Yes we did get the 24 songs in Schubert’s romantic Winterreise, or “winter journey”.  But instead of a single singer going along that cold … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Opera, Popular music & culture, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Yiddish Glory: The Lost Songs of World War II

Posted on August 29, 2018 by barczablog

Tonight was the opening night concert of the 2018 Ashkenaz Festival at Koerner Hall, an unforgettable evening of Yiddish culture titled “Yiddish Glory: The Lost Songs of World War II”. For awhile Soviet scholars worked to assemble an archive of … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Music and musicology, Politics, Popular music & culture, Spirituality & Religion, University life | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Exploring: Liszt and the Symphonic Poem

Posted on August 22, 2018 by barczablog

Serendipity leads me in my choices at the library. Sometimes I get lucky. There is so much more to Liszt than his abilities as a pianist, or his virtuoso compositions for piano such as the Hungarian Rhapsodies. Did you first … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Literature, Music and musicology, Opera, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa (Our Maliseets Songs) from Jeremy Dutcher

Posted on August 17, 2018 by barczablog

I’ve been listening to Jeremy Dutcher’s debut CD, Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa. When I googled to try to find out what that means, the phrase “Our Maliseets Songs” came up. Wikipedia tells me that “The Wolastoqiyik, or Maliseet are an Algonquian-speaking First … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Opera, Spirituality & Religion | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

To re-purpose

Posted on August 12, 2018 by barczablog

The word is in my head after The Death of Stalin. Iannucci’s film takes music and uses it in new ways. Whether we’re talking about John Hughes, Stanley Kubrick or your organist at church, the re-use of an existing piece … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Dance, theatre & musicals, Music and musicology, Popular music & culture | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Death of Stalin

Posted on August 11, 2018 by barczablog

It was promoted as a comedy. That reminds me of a joke I heard years ago. Stalin is addressing the Supreme Soviet, speaking and suddenly: a sneeze is heard. Stalin stops speaking, and asks sternly “who snyeeezed?” (my friend who … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Music and musicology, Politics, Popular music & culture, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments