Category Archives: Psychology and perception

Talking to Stacey about fearing fear: Choose Joy

Posted on March 28, 2020 by

When you have a toothache you go to the dentist. When you’re feeling troubled in spirit where do you go? At times in my life I’ve gone to a psychotherapist or to a church for solace. Live theatre & concerts … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays, Food & Nutrition, Interviews, Music and musicology, Personal ruminations & essays, Psychology and perception, Spirituality & Religion | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

The Lost Karaoke Tapes

Posted on January 31, 2020 by

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 →

Posted in Art, Architecture & Design, Music and musicology, Personal ruminations & essays, Popular music & culture, Psychology and perception, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

AMPLIFIED OPERA @ birth: The Way I See It 

Posted on October 11, 2019 by

I was among the audience present at the Ernest Balmer Studio for the birth of Amplified Opera, the brain-child of Teiya Kasahara & Aria Umezawa, in the first of three different programs to launch a new opera company. Directed by … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera, Personal ruminations & essays, Psychology and perception, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

Not quite forgotten: Liszt’s Valses oubliées

Posted on October 6, 2019 by

The composer centennials & bicentennials may be artificial stimuli to research, but the effect is real. Knowing that everyone is suddenly focusing upon a particular period seems to inspire all sorts of interesting studies, conferences where people share their research … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Literature, Music and musicology, Psychology and perception | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The miraculous simplicity of Hearing Beethoven

Posted on August 14, 2019 by

I’m very grateful for the serendipity that led to Robin Wallace’s book even if the fate governing its creation is cruel indeed. A shy and short-sighted musicologist named Robin married a nurse named Barbara. She was losing her hearing.  I … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Literature, Music and musicology, Personal ruminations & essays, Psychology and perception, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Robert Lepage’s 887 this time

Posted on May 4, 2019 by

Have you seen Robert Lepage’s 887? This show’s been all over the world. I missed the first Toronto incarnation in 2015 but saw it & raved about  it last time, brought to Toronto via Canadian Stage (one of the co-producers) … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Architecture & Design, Dance, theatre & musicals, Opera, Personal ruminations & essays, Politics, Psychology and perception | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Evolving past jealousy in opera

Posted on March 13, 2019 by

I was thinking about jealousy today.  It’s funny how sometimes a word can come up over and over again. I confessed to some envy in my last review, admiring the way Stephen Walsh wrote about Debussy.  I don’t know if … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Opera, Personal ruminations & essays, Politics, Psychology and perception | 1 Comment