Category Archives: Reviews

Campaign Catharsis

Posted on November 10, 2012 by barczablog

For months & months we’ve been inundated with American electoral discourse. Conventions & nominations Debates & speeches Polls & statistics Ads (sigh) The ironic dissection of the GOP in social media (ah yes, this has been fun…!) The drama of … Continue reading →

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R Murray Schafer: My Life on Earth and Elsewhere

Posted on October 28, 2012 by barczablog

a handicap, if not too severe, gives one an advantage in life because it forces the handicapped to work harder. I understand autobiography as a medium associated with fame.  Books about stars sell well, whether they’re readable or not. I … Continue reading →

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First look at Freischütz

Posted on October 26, 2012 by barczablog

Tonight I attended the dress rehearsal of the Opera Atelier production of Carl Maria von Weber’s Der Freischütz at the Elgin Theatre, a moment I’d been eagerly anticipating for weeks. Coming into the evening I was certain we’d have at … Continue reading →

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Gustav vs Alma

Posted on October 22, 2012 by barczablog

I’ve been listening to Julie Boulianne’s 2011 CD Mahler Lieder, in the aftermath of a week contemplating the works of Frida Kahlo at the AGO.  The show reminds us of the changing role for women in the creative world of … Continue reading →

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Frida and Diego @ the AGO

Posted on October 17, 2012 by barczablog

If you only read one sentence please read this one.  The new exhibit Frida & Diego: Passion, Politics and Painting at the Art Gallery of Ontario is the best art exhibit I’ve ever experienced. How so?  Nothing (including my statement) … Continue reading →

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Esprit Tunes the World

Posted on October 15, 2012 by barczablog

Tonight Esprit Orchestra, led by Conductor & Music Director Alex Pauk, marked the beginning of their 30th season with a program celebrating the excellence of Canadian music, a concert titled “The Tuning of the World”.  Of the five items presented … Continue reading →

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Second At Bat

Posted on October 13, 2012 by barczablog

I raved about the new Canadian Opera Company Die Fledermaus when it opened last week.  Tonight I had the privilege of another look with a slightly different cast. Some things inevitably work best the first time.  A joke with a … Continue reading →

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Dichterliebe

Posted on October 11, 2012 by barczablog

Are you seeing Dichterliebe from Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie (CLC) at the Citadel this week?  It’s a multi-media collaboration, and excuse me if that description is so common that it’s almost unintelligible; I’ll decode it in a moment. But you … Continue reading →

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The bat came back

Posted on October 8, 2012 by barczablog

The bat came back: from the dead that is. Forgive me for invoking one of my very favorite animated cartoons (and Richard Condie). I said BAT not CAT.   After many mediocre bats –productions of Die Fledermaus from the Canadian Opera … Continue reading →

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Fledermaus: just like our century

Posted on October 5, 2012 by barczablog

No matter how well they may sing, Johann Strauss Jr’s operetta Die Fledermaus requires its singers to act.  Although the music may be irresistible, I haven’t fully surrendered to any of the Fledermice I’ve seen.  No wonder it was usually … Continue reading →

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