Category Archives: Music and musicology

Questions for Maxim Lando: Lang Lang’s protégé

Posted on February 16, 2018 by barczablog

Maxim Lando is a 15 year old American pianist. In 2017 at the age of fourteen, Maxim performed Rachmaninoff 3rd Concerto with the Mariinsky Theater Orchestra in Saint Petersburg,  receiving rave commentary on the popular Russian TV Kultura program Tzar’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Interviews, Music and musicology | 1 Comment

Planets via Storgårds and TSO

Posted on January 27, 2018 by barczablog

There are many possible ways to interpret great pieces of music.  I was struck tonight, listening to the Toronto Symphony led by John Storgårds at Roy Thomson Hall, that sometimes there are more important considerations than the interpretation. I say that … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Reviews | Leave a comment

Safe Haven Mackay’s best yet

Posted on January 20, 2018 by barczablog

The headline is meant to convey an enthusiastic response to something I’ll attempt to analyze.  I liked it. Alison Mackay has grown from her role playing violone & double bass with Tafelmusik into their programmer extraordinaire, creating a series of … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Reviews | 1 Comment

Film music as lens: another way to study cinema

Posted on January 3, 2018 by barczablog

It’s the same for Episode VIII as in IV, V, VI, as it was in I, II, III and more recently in VII. No this isn’t a spoiler. No I won’t give anything away. I just saw the most recent … Continue reading →

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Questions for Derek Bate

Posted on December 19, 2017 by barczablog

Derek Bate has impacted different aspects of the musical life of Toronto, known both for music-theatre & opera. A one time Chorus Master of the Canadian Opera Company, Derek was in the pit for the original Toronto Production of Les … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Interviews, Music and musicology, Opera | 1 Comment

Singalong Messiah

Posted on December 18, 2017 by barczablog

I took advantage of the free fares on the TTC (celebrating the extension on Line 1) to ride downtown to Massey Hall for my first Tafelmusik Singalong Messiah in 20 years or more. And it’s the last one for awhile … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Personal ruminations & essays | 1 Comment

Makeover or decay, vocally and otherwise

Posted on December 16, 2017 by barczablog

I’m preparing to sing something and I am afraid it — that I– will sound terrible. Ah this blog, it’s a big public diary, my therapy. These gut level perceptions in the moment without too much reflection, are assembled after … Continue reading →

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

Questions for George Frideric Handel

Posted on December 10, 2017 by barczablog

I feel blessed to have had a chance to interview a hero and one of the most popular of all composers. “Popularity”? Let’s set aside the 21st century understanding with the weekend “box-office champion”.  When a work of art survives … Continue reading →

Posted in Interviews, Music and musicology | 6 Comments

Best of Tchaikovsky

Posted on December 7, 2017 by barczablog

Tonight we heard one of the three Toronto Symphony orchestra concerts titled “Best of Tchaikovsky” at Roy Thomson Hall.  While I’m not sure if I’d agree with the title (I can think of pieces I would prefer), if they’re playing … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Reviews | 2 Comments

TIFT Candide

Posted on December 3, 2017 by barczablog

While 2017 was a year to celebrate Canada’s 150th, we’re now coming up on the 100th birthday of Leonard Bernstein.  Whether you pronounce it Bern–steen or Bern-stine, the composer, pianist & conductor was born in 1918, which means that it … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Music and musicology, Opera, Reviews | 3 Comments