Category Archives: Music and musicology

Discovering Mandle Philharmonic via YouTube

Posted on July 3, 2025 by barczablog

I’ve been watching the passionate responses to the concert at Roy Thomson Hall last week when Mandle Cheung conducted the Toronto Symphony in Mahler’s 2nd Symphony. The Globe & Mail contacted me the day before, asking me if I’d be … Continue reading →

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A Real Pain’s Chopin

Posted on June 24, 2025 by barczablog

I have just seen Jesse Eisenberg’s film A Real Pain (2024). I call it his, in the sense that Eisenberg wrote & directed and also stars as David opposite Kieran Culkin who is David’s cousin Benji. They are on a … Continue reading →

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Gimeno Conducts the Best of Brahms

Posted on June 13, 2025 by barczablog

I would not dispute the title of tonight’s Toronto Symphony concert: “Gimeno Conducts the Best of Brahms”. Among the many wonderful pieces Johannes Brahms composed, his first piano concerto and fourth symphony are not just popular but arguably among his … Continue reading →

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Embedded at Apocryphonia Cabinet of Curiosities2

Posted on June 9, 2025 by barczablog

The invitation sought uncommon music to be performed. I proposed to play a piano transcription of an orchestral piece. Alex Cappellazzo, Artistic Director of Apocryphonia encouraged me to participate for their Cabinet of Curiosities2 in the Heliconian Hall Sunday June … Continue reading →

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St John Passion variant for Bach Festival Finale

Posted on June 2, 2025 by barczablog

Sometimes I’m a little compulsive about dates and details. Sunday I attended the 3:00 pm performance of the St John Passion, to close the 2025 Bach Festival at Eastminster United Church. Maybe it doesn’t matter which version they present when … Continue reading →

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Beethoven’s Eroica and Goodyear’s Callaloo: TSO’s triumph

Posted on May 29, 2025 by barczablog

Tonight the Toronto Symphony continue their winning streak, another wonderful program of diverse musical compositions, played brilliantly. A key contributor to our enjoyment was guest conductor Kristiina Poska. We heard three pieces tonight after the obligatory Oh Canada performance. Speaking … Continue reading →

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Inside the Cabinet Full of Curiosities 2, to be randomly presented by Apocryphonia

Posted on May 29, 2025 by barczablog

June 8th Apocryphonia will present a concert at Heliconian Hall titled “A Cabinet Full of Curiosities 2”. As the program says “an eclectic mix of classical music from around the world performed entirely at random!” Alex Cappellazzo, and his Apocryphonia … Continue reading →

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Adam Sherkin investigates the queer canon in upcoming Piano Lunaire concert COMPOSERS IN PLAY XVI.

Posted on May 12, 2025 by barczablog

Thursday night at 7:30 pm May 15th, at the Arts and Letters Club, Piano Lunaire will present COMPOSERS IN PLAY XVI, a concert subtitled “Sounding the Queer Canon”. I asked Piano Lunaire founder Adam Sherkin a few questions about the … Continue reading →

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Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique from the Toronto Symphony

Posted on May 8, 2025 by barczablog

Tonight was entirely an orchestral night for the Toronto Symphony. No concerti, no soloists, just the virtuoso players of the TSO in two big works, one a world premiere. As Gustavo Gimeno suggested in his program note, tonight’s pieces “examine … Continue reading →

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Scarborough Philharmonic season finale

Posted on May 4, 2025 by barczablog

Tonight’s concluding concert of Scarborough Philharmonic Orchestra’s 2024-25 season is like a perfect mirror, as I reflect on questions of nationalism, artistic leadership and approaches to programming. This concert was the concluding evening of Linda Rogers’ tenure as the Executive … Continue reading →

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