Category Archives: Opera

Interviewing Mike Fan | 范祖铭 (they) aka Tanya Smania (she): probing Tatyana’s Secret

Posted on August 25, 2022 by barczablog

I’m intrigued by the upcoming production of Tanya’s Secret produced by Opera Queens, an adaptation of Eugene Onegin, a work that seems to invite questions. Mike Fan | 范祖铭 (they) aka Tanya Smania (she) is the artistic director and driving … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Interviews, Opera, Press Releases and Announcements | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Bas-Sheve: Yiddish opera at Ashkenaz Festival

Posted on August 19, 2022 by barczablog

An Opera in Yiddish by Henekh Kon, Libretto by Moishe BroderzonAugust 31, September 1, September 2 Ashkenaz 2022 will feature the North American premiere of Henekh Kon’s “Bas-Sheve,” the only known pre-Holocaust Yiddish opera. Never performed after its 1924 premiere … Continue reading →

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Competing icons at the RCM: Gould, Liszt and others

Posted on August 10, 2022 by barczablog

It’s a branding exercise to give a building a name. Roy Thomson has his hall. Both Rogers and Four Seasons have Centres. They already have The Glenn Gould School in the Royal Conservatory of Music. So why not also give … Continue reading →

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Gould’s Wall

Posted on August 6, 2022 by barczablog

Tapestry Opera have premiered Brian Current’s new site-specific work Gould’s Wall, an event that adds another layer to the association between the Royal Conservatory of Music and one of their most distinguished alumni Glenn Gould. I like it more than … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Architecture & Design, Dance, theatre & musicals, Music and musicology, Opera, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Immortal Glenn Gould

Posted on July 29, 2022 by barczablog

I want to write something about Glenn Gould. Who is he, what is his legacy in 2022? I’m thinking about what GG means to me as I anticipate Tapestry Opera’s premiere of Gould’s Wall, a new site-specific opera opening August … Continue reading →

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Thinking of Diefenbaker for Canada Day

Posted on July 1, 2022 by barczablog

A good performance can change how you understand a piece. I stumbled upon a YouTube recording that I keep listening to over and over, a piece I thought I knew. There are two contrasting tenor arias in Mendelssohn’s oratorio Elijah. … Continue reading →

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TOT: A Waltz Dream

Posted on June 20, 2022 by barczablog

Insights sometimes sneak up on you. I was blind-sided by one today watching the Toronto Operetta Theatre Canadian premiere production of Oscar Straus’ A Waltz Dream at St Lawrence Centre. TOT play an important role offering local artists a place … Continue reading →

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Amazing Immersive Sweeney Todd from TIFT

Posted on June 11, 2022 by barczablog

I’m never going to see a better Sweeney Todd than the one I saw tonight from Talk is Free Theatre at the Neighbourhood Food Hub, Glen Rhodes Campus. Wow. Each night there are just 44 seats available, a cohort providing … Continue reading →

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CCOC Alice in Wonderland

Posted on June 5, 2022 by barczablog

Today I watched an outdoor performance of Alice in Wonderland presented by the Canadian Children’s Opera Company. Over the past few weeks it’s been a joy to see productions that signal a return by many companies forced to the brink … Continue reading →

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From the Met: Jocelyn and Dean create a Hamlet

Posted on June 5, 2022 by barczablog

Adapting a play into an opera can be fascinating work, especially when it’s as well-known a play as Hamlet. I’ve seen several attempts to turn this play into something else including a couple of musicals, an opera long ago, and … Continue reading →

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