Category Archives: Opera

Pollyanna looks back at 2015

Posted on December 28, 2015 by barczablog

The year isn’t quite over yet, but already we’re looking back at 2015 as 2016 draws closer.   When we remember Pollyanna’s credo –“if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all”—no wonder we look back.  As the dollar … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Music and musicology, Opera, Personal ruminations & essays, Politics | Leave a comment

Donald Trump: crossover artist

Posted on December 22, 2015 by barczablog

What is the rationale behind crossover and why is it attractive? Sometimes it’s an escape, no longer being required to follow the rules of your old realm, as you visit a new one. Sometimes it’s the insight, the expertise in … Continue reading →

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

Andrew Davis’ big beautiful Messiah

Posted on December 21, 2015 by barczablog

Today I was fortunate to attend the last of the Toronto Symphony’s annual performances of the Messiah with the Mendelssohn Choir, employing Andrew Davis’ new (2010) orchestration. I missed it when they offered it last time but hope that Jeff … Continue reading →

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2 Natural experiments with audience

Posted on December 12, 2015 by barczablog

Every performance is an experiment, or so said Joyce Wilkinson, a wonderful professor I encountered at OISE a number of years ago.  Performance is a kind of proposition (and you can take that both ways). When you think about that, … Continue reading →

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An Electric Messiah comes to Messiahville

Posted on December 9, 2015 by barczablog

We may as well be living in Messiahville. There are so many performances of this work in Toronto, it’s amazing that they don’t play excerpts on the organ at hockey games (but then again, there’s been so little cause for … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Opera, Popular music & culture, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Sondra Radvanovsky: Beneath The Lights Of Home

Posted on December 5, 2015 by barczablog

There’s a song Deanna Durbin once sang that seemed particularly apt tonight as one of the encores coming after Sondra Radvanovsky’s recital at Koerner Hall with Anthony Manoli piano. I can see the lights of home Shining brightly o’er the … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Opera, Reviews | 4 Comments

10 Questions for John Relyea

Posted on December 5, 2015 by barczablog

John Relyea?  I remember hearing that one of Canada’s great singers, Gary Relyea, had a son who was making a name for himself in the USA, first at the Merola program of the San Francisco Opera and inevitably at the … Continue reading →

Posted in Interviews, Music and musicology, Opera | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

L’Homme et le Ciel: worth the wait

Posted on December 4, 2015 by barczablog

I attended the opening of Adam Scime’s opera L’Homme et le Ciel at the Music Gallery, produced by FAWN Opera, directed by Amanda Smith and conducted by the composer. While I’ve seen two other presentations of portions from Scime’s opera –one … Continue reading →

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Vocalis 2 in the Great Hall

Posted on December 3, 2015 by barczablog

There are so many opportunities to hear great music in this city that the one I chose tonight could easily have slipped under the radar.  There’s so much going on at the Faculty of Music, check out their schedule (click … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Opera, University life | 1 Comment

VOCALIS: a new series at the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto

Posted on November 28, 2015 by barczablog

VOCALIS A new series of four concerts featuring the students of the Masters and DMA Voice programs, the Collaborative Piano program as well as students from the Instrumental program at the Faculty of Music, University of Toronto. This program is … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera, Press Releases and Announcements, University life | Leave a comment