Category Archives: Opera

10 Questions for Stuart Graham

Posted on September 26, 2013 by barczablog

Stuart Graham is a teacher, a singer & founder of Atelier S.  The Saskatchewan born baritone received his formal education at the Faculty of Music of McGill University with  Bernard Turgeon.  Graham has been heard in recital, oratorio and in … Continue reading →

Posted in Interviews, Opera | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Tapestry Briefs

Posted on September 21, 2013 by barczablog

Back i go to the laboratory. A couple of nights ago I wrote about YouTopia and spoke of the virtues of experimentation. The Tapestry Briefs are a dozen short works from a handful of collaborators who were paired off for … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

10 Questions for John Mills-Cockell

Posted on September 8, 2013 by barczablog

I only found out who John Mills-Cockell was after the fact of encountering his music without knowing who he was.  A tune by Syrinx –“Tillicum”— was my first encounter with sounds that have been near & dear to my heart, … Continue reading →

Posted in Interviews, Opera | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Post

Posted on September 7, 2013 by barczablog

When i go to write a new piece here on the blog, i follow the tab to “new post”.  We were promised a paperless office, a paperless world long ago, but it never happened.  It’s funny to keep bumping into … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera, Personal ruminations & essays, Popular music & culture | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Filet of Carmen

Posted on September 7, 2013 by barczablog

Considering that the heroine of Bizet’s opera usually ends up stabbed, I want to make clear that the headline refers to Peter Brook’s La Tragédie de Carmen, a much shorter version of the original, and not the violence meted out … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Histories

Posted on September 5, 2013 by barczablog

As I revised the outline for “The Most Popular Operas” (a course I teach here at the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies, beginning September 18th), I was asked as usual to recommend books. I used to suggest Roger … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Literature, Opera, Personal ruminations & essays, Reviews | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

Adam Klein – Winterreise

Posted on August 26, 2013 by barczablog

On his Vimeo webpage Eric Solstein says  “This amazing performance by Adam Klein & Craig Ketter of the Schubert song cycle will be the soundtrack to a film I’m just finishing. It’s too powerful not to be available on its … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Music and musicology, Opera, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Diva distress

Posted on July 27, 2013 by barczablog

Nothing is quite so delicious as a delicacy imperilled.  We love our rare wines, cheeses, hard to find films & DVDs.  Part of the enjoyment is in boasting of your exclusive enjoyment. It’s summertime, when some go to see operas … Continue reading →

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

Figaro’s Honeymoon

Posted on June 3, 2013 by barczablog

It’s summertime, a season when young men’s minds turn to mush, in the presence of humidity and hotness of various kinds.  Of course men have no monopoly on this, but I was just mis-quoting Tennyson.  I’m thinking of this as … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Opera, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Altared Figaro

Posted on May 30, 2013 by barczablog

If the dress fits, wear it! Against the Grain’s modern adaptation of The Marriage of Figaro, namely Figaro’s Wedding accomplishes almost everything it set out to do: tell the familiar story in a new way give us all that amazing … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Opera, Reviews | 3 Comments