Category Archives: Music and musicology

Against the Grain Orphée+

Posted on April 28, 2018 by barczablog

Orphée+? That plus sign might signify an opera updated, enlarged, perhaps even reformed(?). The “+” means some remarkable additions and changes from Gluck’s original, Orphée et Eurydice (or the Italian version aka Orfeo ed Euridice). Gluck created more than one … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Music and musicology, Opera, Popular music & culture, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Candide with the Toronto Symphony: using our imaginations

Posted on April 27, 2018 by barczablog

Tonight was the first of two concert performances of Candide presented by the Toronto Symphony at Roy Thomson Hall in the worldwide celebration of Leonard Bernstein’s centennial year. Earlier this week Joseph So was rapturous in his description of a … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Opera, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Ulysses comes home

Posted on April 22, 2018 by barczablog

Opera Atelier’s Revival of Monteverdi’s The Return of Ulysses (1640) starts slowly but builds to a strong finish.  By intermission I had enjoyed a few moments (Kresimir Spicer in the title role and Mireille Lebel as Penelope, and Meghan Lindsay … Continue reading →

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Eagerly anticipating Against the Grain’s Orphée⁺ next week

Posted on April 21, 2018 by barczablog

I’m writing about Against the Grain Theatre right now as I think about their imminent co-production of Gluck’s opera, that they are calling Orphée⁺ (the original press release said “an international co-production between AtG, the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, and Opera Columbus“, … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Music and musicology, Opera, Personal ruminations & essays | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Questions for Tracy Dahl

Posted on April 19, 2018 by barczablog

In the recent Canadian Opera Company Cosi fan tutte from just over 4 years ago, Tracy Dahl’s sparkling portrayal of Despina was the breath of fresh air that we desperately needed in Atom Egoyan’s dark intense interpretation. Here’s what I … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Interviews, Music and musicology, Opera | Leave a comment

Yom HaShoah: Holocaust Remembrance at the RBA

Posted on April 11, 2018 by barczablog

It’s interesting that on consecutive days, the Canadian Opera Company gave their noon-hour concert in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre over to a performance resembling an act of remembrance. Yesterday was Jeremy Dutcher’s concert, in which he seemed to address the … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Opera, Politics, Reviews, Spirituality & Religion | 1 Comment

I Remember: UTS

Posted on April 11, 2018 by barczablog

I’m going through a series of retrospective experiences. Yesterday was Jeremy Dutcher’s concert exploring and re-visiting music from his culture.  Today I heard a Holocaust memorial performance (review still to come). And the whole time as a kind of background … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Personal ruminations & essays, University life | 3 Comments

Jeremy Dutcher at the RBA

Posted on April 11, 2018 by barczablog

I’ve heard Jeremy Dutcher before in collaboration with other artists: As part of the first Electric Messiah in 2015 As part of Toronto Consort’s Kanatha/Canada: First Encounters, a little over a year ago This time we heard him alone. Having … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Spirituality & Religion | 5 Comments

Tafelmusik Bach Mass in B Minor

Posted on April 6, 2018 by barczablog

Tonight I heard the first of five performances to be given of JS Bach’s Mass in B Minor by Tafelmusik (four at Jeanne Lamon Hall in Trinity St Paul’s Centre, April 5-8 inclusive, and one more at the George Weston … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Reviews | 6 Comments

The Overcoat: a musical tailoring

Posted on March 30, 2018 by barczablog

I’ve just seen the premiere of a new opera from James Rolfe & Morris Panych adapting Gogol’s story “The Overcoat”. There’s much to admire, and frankly I feel like saying “it’s about time.” Opera is often bogged down in virtuoso … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Opera, Reviews | 2 Comments