Category Archives: Opera

Sellars’s Hercules

Posted on April 6, 2014 by barczablog

If I had a dime for every time I’ve seen an opera modernized via the use of modern military garb I could buy an opera subscription.  But someone was bound to make it work, right? I saw the Canadian Opera … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Tapestry’s Revolutionary Questions

Posted on April 5, 2014 by barczablog

I apologized to Michael Mori –Tapestry Opera’s Artistic Director & the director of Tap:Ex Revolutions, the program that opened tonight at the Ernest Balmer Studio—after the show for what I knew was going to say.  Not critical words, but rather, … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Music and musicology, Opera, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Hallelujah Sellars

Posted on March 29, 2014 by barczablog

Hallelujah Junction is: 1) A place. When John Adams went there –so he said recently—he figured that it would make a great title for… 2) A musical composition. And so it came to pass, a composition for two pianos. And … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Literature, Opera, Reviews | 2 Comments

10 Questions for Michael Mori

Posted on March 28, 2014 by barczablog

Michael Mori was announced as the new Artistic Director of Tapestry Opera earlier this year. Having worked alongside Tapestry founder, Wayne Strongman for two years as Associate Artistic Director and for the past eight months as Artistic Director Designate, this … Continue reading →

Posted in Interviews, Opera | 1 Comment

CASP at RBA

Posted on March 27, 2014 by barczablog

I’d like to call the Canadian Art Song Project a recent initiative, but I think the truth is that they’ve been around since 2011 and so I’m late to the party. Today was my first encounter with CASP. They were … Continue reading →

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

10 Questions for Laura Pudwell

Posted on March 21, 2014 by barczablog

Laura Pudwell’s reputation as a superb vocalist has been well-established as a result of her performances worldwide, in a vast repertoire ranging from early music to contemporary works. I’ve been watching her engaging performances for many years, fascinated by her … Continue reading →

Posted in Interviews, Music and musicology, Opera | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Creature to Creature

Posted on March 17, 2014 by barczablog

Talisker Players’ program themed around the animal kingdom titled “Creature to Creature” was better than expected. I should explain, because I love Talisker.  Why lower expectations?  Classical programs using music about animals usually condescend. Such compositions –however excellent—are relegated to … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, domestic & wild, Music and musicology, Opera, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Unfinished dreams from Borodin to Putin

Posted on March 2, 2014 by barczablog

Today’s High Definition broadcast from the Metropolitan Opera (Dmitri Tcherniakov’s version of Borodin’s Prince Igor) threw me.  I’m sure I couldn’t be the only person amazed at how perfectly the show seemed to match what’s unfolding, while the world holds … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Opera, Reviews | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Gentle Dafne

Posted on February 26, 2014 by barczablog

The Dafne I refer to is not that of Jacopo Peri from 1598, and considered the first opera (for those who might want to make that kind of statement), but Marco da Gagliano’s 1608 setting, also using Ottavio Rinuccini’s libretto. … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Opera, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Tcherniakov’s Wozzeck

Posted on February 26, 2014 by barczablog

Dmitri Tcherniakov is a brilliant young artist—just approaching his 44th birthday—who designs his own sets & costumes as well as directing his singers.  The DVD I just watched of Alban Berg’s opera Wozzeck was a co-pro. between the Bolshoi Theatre … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Opera, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments