Category Archives: Music and musicology

Late night reading

Posted on July 15, 2014 by barczablog

Whether it was a virus, a cold or summertime allergies isn’t the point. I’ve been awake at night, coughing, sneezing, blowing my nose, and otherwise trying not to be a nuisance to anyone unlucky enough to be under the same … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Literature, Music and musicology, Opera, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Ten Questions for Hugh Ritchie

Posted on July 10, 2014 by barczablog

I first met Hugh Ritchie at Ryerson this winter, where we worked together on an adaptation of Dickens’ Martin Chuzzlewit. At one point in the show he was all pastoral Americana, singing a down-home “Little Brown Jug”, even though he … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Interviews, Music and musicology, Politics, Popular music & culture | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Great and Big

Posted on July 3, 2014 by barczablog

Franz Schubert wrote two symphonies in C Major. Indeed he wrote two in D major and two in B-flat major as well. The two C Major symphonies are sometimes distinguished by size. One is called “the little C Major Symphony”, … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

When The Sun Comes Out

Posted on June 27, 2014 by barczablog

On the occasion of World Pride in Toronto, Queer Innovative Theatre has brought Leslie Uyeda’s recent opera When The Sun Comes Out to Toronto for two performances at the intimate Ernest Balmer Studio. If you’ve read about it you’ve probably … Continue reading →

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

Ideal Pelléas

Posted on June 15, 2014 by barczablog

It may be redundant to speak of an ideal Pelléas et Mélisande. The work is symbolist, which means it’s by definition a kind of ideal work. And notice I did not say “An” or “The” ideal Pelléas. It was “Ideal … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Architecture & Design, Music and musicology, Opera, Personal ruminations & essays | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Richard Wagner: A Life in Music

Posted on June 14, 2014 by barczablog

I just finished Martin Geck’s Richard Wagner: A Life in Music in Stewart Spencer’s 2013 translation. Published only in 2012 as Richard Wagner: Biografie you can judge for yourself how good this book must be, that its translation was pushed … Continue reading →

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

Dueling ear-worms: surrender and adventure

Posted on June 6, 2014 by barczablog

It ís Friday, a national holiday I am told. Does it matter why? People need to celebrate, and yes, people sometimes need to rest. I didn’t realize how tired I was. I boarded the plane Wednesday night in Toronto. When … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Music and musicology, Opera, Personal ruminations & essays, Spirituality & Religion | 1 Comment

Yapping dog

Posted on June 6, 2014 by barczablog

I m far away. Far from home. Far from work.  I’m on vacation, musing about where this compulsive blogging fits in. Everything in a blog is necessarily about the person writing. Sure, the topic may be foreign cars or foreign … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, domestic & wild, Music and musicology, Opera, Popular music & culture, Psychology and perception | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Recreation

Posted on June 3, 2014 by barczablog

Eleanor Farjeon used a word in one of her lyrics, a word that always catches my eye. She is not a one-hit wonder.  She’s a two-hit wonder, and her hits are hymns. Farjeon’s contribution was lyrics rather than music. While … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Literature, Music and musicology, Personal ruminations & essays, Psychology and perception, Spirituality & Religion | Leave a comment

A Poet’s Love

Posted on May 28, 2014 by barczablog

Writing in Opera’s Second Death, Slavoj Zizek claims that opera served a purpose at one point, before Freud & the invention of psychotherapy.  Watching “A Poet‘s Love”, tonight’s concert from Talisker Players & baritone Alexander Dobson , I had parallel … Continue reading →

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