Category Archives: Reviews

Missing comes east to Toronto

Posted on July 25, 2025 by barczablog

Toronto Summer Music presented a single concert performance of the opera Missing, from a libretto by Marie Clements and a score by Brian Current, to a full Koerner Hall. This was its first appearance in Eastern Canada after having been … Continue reading →

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

George Li: virtuosity in the service of good taste

Posted on July 18, 2025 by barczablog

Tonight I had the pleasure of making my first acquaintance with pianist George Li, courtesy the Toronto Summer Music Festival, in an excellent concert at Koerner Hall. The four big works on the program plus the pair of encores all … Continue reading →

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

Calidore String Quartet offering American culture

Posted on July 16, 2025 by barczablog

I love ambitious concerts, and that’s certainly what we heard tonight at Walter Hall from Calidore String Quartet, comprised of violinists Jeffrey Myers & Ryan Meehan, violist Jeremy Berry and cellist Estelle Choi. In one of his brief introductory talks … Continue reading →

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

A Real Pain’s Chopin

Posted on June 24, 2025 by barczablog

I have just seen Jesse Eisenberg’s film A Real Pain (2024). I call it his, in the sense that Eisenberg wrote & directed and also stars as David opposite Kieran Culkin who is David’s cousin Benji. They are on a … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Music and musicology, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Embedded at Apocryphonia Cabinet of Curiosities2

Posted on June 9, 2025 by barczablog

The invitation sought uncommon music to be performed. I proposed to play a piano transcription of an orchestral piece. Alex Cappellazzo, Artistic Director of Apocryphonia encouraged me to participate for their Cabinet of Curiosities2 in the Heliconian Hall Sunday June … Continue reading →

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

St John Passion variant for Bach Festival Finale

Posted on June 2, 2025 by barczablog

Sometimes I’m a little compulsive about dates and details. Sunday I attended the 3:00 pm performance of the St John Passion, to close the 2025 Bach Festival at Eastminster United Church. Maybe it doesn’t matter which version they present when … Continue reading →

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

Beethoven’s Eroica and Goodyear’s Callaloo: TSO’s triumph

Posted on May 29, 2025 by barczablog

Tonight the Toronto Symphony continue their winning streak, another wonderful program of diverse musical compositions, played brilliantly. A key contributor to our enjoyment was guest conductor Kristiina Poska. We heard three pieces tonight after the obligatory Oh Canada performance. Speaking … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Tales of an Urban Indian in Toronto

Posted on May 24, 2025 by barczablog

I’m a bit late to the party, as far as Tales of an Urban Indian, by Darrell Dennis. I was aware of the show awhile ago, speaking as a regular at Talk is Free Theatre, a company that has done … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Satisfying Comfort Food

Posted on May 18, 2025 by barczablog

I’ve just seen Comfort Food, Zorana Sadiq’s second play. It’s another creation supported by Crow’s Theatre, and quite different from MixTape (2021), her one-woman debut show. Zorana is a woman of many talents, a classical singer & actor whose reflections … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique from the Toronto Symphony

Posted on May 8, 2025 by barczablog

Tonight was entirely an orchestral night for the Toronto Symphony. No concerti, no soloists, just the virtuoso players of the TSO in two big works, one a world premiere. As Gustavo Gimeno suggested in his program note, tonight’s pieces “examine … Continue reading →

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