Category Archives: Opera

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

Hockey Noir: A bilingual Chamber Opera in 3 Periods

Posted on April 18, 2018 by barczablog

May 10–11, 2018, 8 pm Jane Mallet Theatre St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts 27 Front Street East, Toronto, ON, CA,M5E 1B4 MAP BUY TICKETS Continuum is thrilled to present our first full-scale multimedia opera in this special collaboration. Set in the 1950s, … Continue reading →

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The Nightingale is back

Posted on April 15, 2018 by barczablog

There’s another signature production for the Canadian Opera Company.  At one time it was Robert Lepage’s double bill of Bluebeard’s Castle & Erwartung but I think a more recent Lepage opus has at least joined it, if not taken its … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera, Reviews | 1 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

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

Davies’ Ecstasy of Rita Joe

Posted on March 26, 2018 by barczablog

I’ve just seen Victor Davies’ adaptation of George Ryga’s 1967 play The Ecstasy of Rita Joe, a very faithful treatment of Ryga’s work, the world premiere production in Toronto. As a result we’re in a funny place culturally with this … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera, Politics, Reviews | 3 Comments