Category Archives: Music and musicology

Perlman’s Cinema Serenade: vol 1 & 2

Posted on November 14, 2016 by barczablog

You think you know someone, what they’re all about, and what they really like. That can be true of your friends, or of famous artists, where they surprise you with a hidden dimension, an unexpected interest. I thought I knew … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Music and musicology, Reviews | Leave a comment

Ayre: counter-discursive affirmations

Posted on November 10, 2016 by barczablog

I needed that. Ayre, the piece I saw/heard just now in its noon-hour incarnation at the Canadian Opera Company’s free concert series, will be presented tonight in a fuller version by Against the Grain Theatre , but I doubt they’ll … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Opera | 1 Comment

Interview with James Anagnoson

Posted on November 2, 2016 by barczablog

It’s 40 years that James Anagnoson has been part of a duo with Leslie Kinton, to be celebrated in a sold-out concert Sunday November 13th at the Royal Conservatory of Music. By coincidence I happened to listen to their version … Continue reading →

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TSO exhibit Elfman – Burton brilliance

Posted on October 31, 2016 by barczablog

While there are still two months left in 2016 I am pretty sure that I just saw the best concert of the year, and I didn’t see it coming.  At the intermission I was musing to myself that I had … Continue reading →

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All But Gone

Posted on October 29, 2016 by barczablog

When you’re ushered into the chapel for a wedding, sometimes they ask you “bride or groom?” That’s to identify where you should sit. I was thinking of that quaint custom as I came into the Berkeley Street theatre tonight for … Continue reading →

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

Christophe Coin’s Eloquent Cello

Posted on October 8, 2016 by barczablog

An intermission conversation at a concert–Christophe Coin playing “The Eloquent Cello”– made a natural lead-in to Thanksgiving weekend, a reminder of the things I love about Tafelmusik baroque orchestra, for which I should be grateful.   We were discussing things of … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Reviews | 3 Comments

Toronto Symphony flex their muscles

Posted on September 24, 2016 by barczablog

There are weeks when the ensembles in town confuse and confound us with their crossover efforts, doing things we might not expect.  This is supposedly a good thing, when historically informed players with their lovely old instruments venture into a … Continue reading →

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Elisa Citterio inspiring Tafelmusik

Posted on September 23, 2016 by barczablog

As I sat in the balcony an allegorical tableau seemed to be enacted before me. To my right sat Marshall Pynkoski and Jeannette Lajeunesse Zingg, co-artistic directors of Opera Atelier. To my left sat Topher Mokrzewski and Joel Ivany, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Opera, Reviews | 1 Comment

Taking up Lance’s nationalist challenge to the CBC #Canada150

Posted on August 31, 2016 by barczablog

Lawrence Wiliford (AKA Lance Wiliford) posted the following on Facebook today: I challenge @CBCMusic @CBCclassical @CBCArts to air 15 mins/day of music by Canadian classical composers during 2017. Not film or crossover.#Canada150. Canadian Music Centre Canadian League of Composers/La Ligue … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Personal ruminations & essays, Popular music & culture | 6 Comments

Florence Foster Jenkins, everywoman

Posted on August 21, 2016 by barczablog

When I was a child I was introduced to the singing of Florence Foster Jenkins, on a record called “The Glory (??) of the Human Voice”. There was a kind of illicit pleasure in listening to her singing, because She … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Music and musicology, Opera, Personal ruminations & essays | 5 Comments