Category Archives: Personal ruminations & essays

#COCgingerbread: Joel Ivany softens a Grimm tale of cruelty

Posted on February 9, 2020 by barczablog

It’s called “Hansel and Gretel”, not “kill the witch”. And in the original the witch isn’t even the nastiest character. You may already know that the new Canadian Opera Company production of Humperdinck’s Hansel & Gretel modernizes the setting to … Continue reading →

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TBA

Posted on February 7, 2020 by barczablog

On Monday February 10th the Canadian Opera Company will tell us what they’re producing next season aka  their “Season Reveal” aka #2021COC.  It’s a celebratory moment, and can feel a bit like Christmas morning as we unpack the goodies, for those of … Continue reading →

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Joker reminds me of….

Posted on February 4, 2020 by barczablog

Resonance is a function of history, right? You’ll pick up allusions and associations depending on what you usually see. So of course it’s no wonder Todd Phillips’ 2019 film Joker reminds me of Wozzeck as someone who’s more likely to … Continue reading →

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The Lost Karaoke Tapes

Posted on January 31, 2020 by barczablog

I’m impressed. Nicole Lizée has more reason to be pompous & full of herself than any composer or performer I know. But she seems to be totally unpretentious. Exhibit “A”: the piece we saw & heard tonight is called “Karappo … Continue reading →

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Money is the root of all opera

Posted on January 26, 2020 by barczablog

You probably didn’t expect that did you? Did you anticipate where that sentence was going? It starts like a truism that we hear so often about money being the root of all evil, which I can relate to heartily. How … Continue reading →

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Kent Monkman: Miss Chief Eagle Testickle’s big New York Adventure

Posted on January 14, 2020 by barczablog

Early in the musical documentary film The Last Waltz we see Ronnie Hawkins coming out onto the stage of the Winterland Ballroom. The music begins to play. Hawkins may be a musical legend but he is nervous, about to sing … Continue reading →

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Framing the Pollyanna proposition

Posted on January 9, 2020 by barczablog

January is named for that two-headed god who is able to look ahead and back. As I ponder the wreckage of 2019 I wonder if Janus was too busy looking down at his phone and not watching where he was … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Music and musicology, Personal ruminations & essays | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Tribal Messiah

Posted on December 22, 2019 by barczablog

I’m trying to find the right word, so please bear with me. For someone who goes to see concerts & theatre more often than most people, you might never guess that I’m sometimes frustrated. My mantra is “I’m a lucky … Continue reading →

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Questions for Beste Kalender

Posted on December 18, 2019 by barczablog

Beste Kalender could tell you about the different pathways to success. One can be discovered in competitions, especially if one wins. You can be mentored by great singers. There’s even the Hollywood legend, the understudy going on as last minute … Continue reading →

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News from Alexander Neef about Parsifal

Posted on December 13, 2019 by barczablog

“September 25 is going to be a big night for the Canadian Opera Company.” That’s how Alexander Neef’s email to subscribers began. It was in my inbox early this afternoon. It will be an expensive project, so of course he … Continue reading →

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