Category Archives: Opera

Bicycle Opera: Shadow Box at Curbside Cycle

Posted on September 5, 2015 by barczablog

The Bicycle Opera Project are now in season four, cycling around from venue to venue, putting on opera. They carry their set, costumes & instruments along (except perhaps the piano…) in trailers pulled behind their cycles. I first encountered them … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera, Reviews | 1 Comment

Scary music in Theatres of Terror

Posted on August 25, 2015 by barczablog

Halloween is still several weeks away but already terror is more than a gleam in the eye of some. Opera By Request are presenting Carl Maria von Weber’s gothic masterpiece Der Freischutz on Friday Sept 18th.  There will be no … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Opera | 3 Comments

Karita Mattila at Koerner Hall: personalities on parade

Posted on August 8, 2015 by barczablog

There was more drama in this recital than any recital I can ever recall.  Karita Mattila assumed several roles, in several distinct voices in her concert tonight at Koerner Hall in Toronto as part of the Toronto Summer Music Festival. … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Opera, Personal ruminations & essays, Reviews | 2 Comments

SOLT’s Der Vampyr

Posted on August 1, 2015 by barczablog

It might seem dangerous to see Marschner’s opera Der Vampyr (The Vampire) on a full moon, but we lived to tell the tale. Der Vampyr was staged by Summer Opera Lyric Theatre and Research Centre (aka “SOLT”).  While SOLT offers … Continue reading →

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

DIVE preview mesmerizing

Posted on July 31, 2015 by barczablog

I attended the preview performance of DIVE tonight, a new work from The Mermaid Collective: Nik Beeson, Alex Fallis, Fides Krucker and Richard Sanger. It’s quite erotic & funny, a little bit political and a powerful evocation of remembered passion. … Continue reading →

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

Der Vampyr and the birth of horror

Posted on July 29, 2015 by barczablog

I’ve been immersed in blood for the past few weeks. No I am not training to be a butcher or a surgeon.  None of this gore is real. I’ll be teaching a new course at the Royal Conservatory of Music … Continue reading →

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

Ten Questions for Nicole Brooks

Posted on July 29, 2015 by barczablog

Nicole Brooks is a filmmaker, director, performer, singer, playwright, composer, curator, teacher and “art-ivist,” who has devoted over 15 years producing innovative content (for the stage and screen), with a focus on narratives that illuminate the peoples of the African Diaspora. … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Interviews, Opera | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Mussolini vs The Mermaid: what little girls –and boys—dream

Posted on July 27, 2015 by barczablog

Thursday night is the preview performance of DIVE: Odes for Lighea, Nik Beeson’s new opera at The Array Space. DIVE is based on Giuseppe di Lampedusa’s short story The Professor and the Siren. That’s “siren” as in mermaid. I am … Continue reading →

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

10 Questions for Timothy Vernon

Posted on July 27, 2015 by barczablog

One of the biggest opera stories of the year will come to fruition this fall.  Timothy Vernon, already founder & Artistic Director with Pacific Opera Victoria, will take on the additional role as Artistic Director with Opera Lyra Ottawa, sometimes … Continue reading →

Posted in Interviews, Opera | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Partnerships: the next evolutionary step

Posted on July 26, 2015 by barczablog

Over the past few years we’ve been watching a new model for opera in Ontario, with the appearance of several small companies: Against the Grain Essential Opera Opera 5 I couldn’t help noticing the latest development, namely companies entering into … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera | Leave a comment