Category Archives: Reviews

Toronto Symphony Ratatouille

Posted on February 18, 2017 by barczablog

I’ve been loving the live performances of film-scores accompanying screenings of films presented by the Toronto Symphony over the past couple of years.  They set up a huge screen above the stage, the orchestra assembles in their usual place, but … Continue reading →

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

A Bach Tapestry

Posted on February 11, 2017 by barczablog

It’s been a JS Bach sort of week, what with the tiff screening on Wednesday (“Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach” coming Friday, March 3 at 6:30 p.m)  and the press release announcing the upcoming Bach Festival, including a reconstruction of … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Reviews | Leave a comment

Chester Brown’s Louis Riel

Posted on February 4, 2017 by barczablog

Last week a fun outing with a child to a bookstore led to a windfall.  I hadn’t expected to find a book for myself but as I browsed through graphic novels I saw a title that grabbed me. “Louis Riel” … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Reviews | Leave a comment

Toronto Consort’s Utopian Kanatha/Canada: First Encounters

Posted on February 4, 2017 by barczablog

I totally loved what I saw tonight from Toronto Chamber Choir in collaboration with the Toronto Consort led by their artistic director David Fallis, so much so that I’m taking a moment to double-check. I’m writing about something very complex, … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Reviews | 3 Comments

Götterdämmerung

Posted on February 3, 2017 by barczablog

When I did my year-end review of the highlights of 2016, I cited the Canadian Opera Company’s production of Wagner’s Siegfried in January. Here we are beginning 2017 and once again I’ve experienced something that will be hard to beat. … Continue reading →

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

TSO Eruption

Posted on January 29, 2017 by barczablog

The Toronto Symphony have taken to giving brief powerful titles to their concerts. Last night it was “Eruption”, taking the name from one of the works being presented.  But for all the primeval force implied by that word, we were … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Reviews | Leave a comment

Liv Stein

Posted on January 27, 2017 by barczablog

I’ve just come home from opening night of Nino Haratischwili’s play Liv Stein presented by Canadian Stage, directed by Matthew Jocelyn. The first time I see something, a big part of my energy does into distinguishing between what’s exciting in … Continue reading →

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

Feminist Flute Opens

Posted on January 20, 2017 by barczablog

The Canadian Opera Company opened their revival of Diane Paulus’s interpretation of Mozart’s Magic Flute tonight directed for this incarnation by Ashlie Corcoran. Forgive me for a simplistic headline, but if I had to find one word for Paulus’s reading, … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera, Reviews | 2 Comments

Mozart Forever Young @261

Posted on January 12, 2017 by barczablog

To hear and see the Toronto Symphony Concert tonight was to be confronted with some ageless questions about age. Mozart, that avatar of youthful brilliance, is indestructible, no matter how he’s played. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear what the … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Reviews | Leave a comment

Danny and that question

Posted on January 9, 2017 by barczablog

I’m viewing Danny and the Deep Blue Sea, the live show I saw previewed tonight, through the same lens through which I stared at La La Land last night. Yesterday was a big movie house full of people. Tonight was … Continue reading →

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