Category Archives: Spirituality & Religion

Glorious Of the Sea

Posted on March 26, 2023 by barczablog

Of the Sea opened tonight to tumultuous applause from the Bluma Appel Theatre crowd, a co-production of Obsidian Theatre & Tapestry Opera. Kanika Ambrose (libretto) and Ian Cusson (music) have collaborated to bring a beautiful myth to life. I heard … Continue reading →

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Salome: from Matthew and Mark, through Oscar, Richard and Atom

Posted on February 1, 2023 by barczablog

It can be enjoyable to trace the changes in the way a story is adapted and/or interpreted. Salome begins in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark. Matthew 14:1-11 (NIV)1 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the reports about Jesus, … Continue reading →

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Holst’s Neptune and Wagner’s Lohengrin Prelude

Posted on November 5, 2022 by barczablog

I’ve just noticed something concerning Gustav Holst’s Planets suite. You’ve probably heard that Holst did not mean planets in the sense of astronomy but rather to be more of a meditation on the astrological significance of each planet. His seven … Continue reading →

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Darkly Comic Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo

Posted on October 17, 2022 by barczablog

I’ve just come from the matinee of Rajiv Joseph’s play Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, presented by Crow’s Theatre in co-production with Modern Times Stage Company. The title tells you the basic premise, a tiger is caged in a … Continue reading →

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Philip Glass: The Complete Piano Etudes

Posted on September 9, 2022 by barczablog

Do you compartmentalize? I ask because it’s common, a given in a modern life. Whether we’re speaking of the things we do for work-life balance, as part of an artistic discipline or simply to get through a busy day, it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, domestic & wild, Books & Literature, Food, Health and Nutrition, Music and musicology, Opera, Personal ruminations & essays, Popular music & culture, Psychology and perception, Spirituality & Religion | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Thinking of Diefenbaker for Canada Day

Posted on July 1, 2022 by barczablog

A good performance can change how you understand a piece. I stumbled upon a YouTube recording that I keep listening to over and over, a piece I thought I knew. There are two contrasting tenor arias in Mendelssohn’s oratorio Elijah. … Continue reading →

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Ecology of Being –Duo Concertante

Posted on April 16, 2022 by barczablog

In childhood I heard musicians and performers protesting the Vietnam War or advocating as part of the Civil Rights Movement. Ever since I’ve admired activist artists. Music, film, satire, humour, painting, can all be powerful voices advocating change, moving emotions, … Continue reading →

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Performing The Lord’s Prayer

Posted on March 10, 2022 by barczablog

Lent in 2022 is becoming darker, war casting a horrific shadow over our fortunate prosperity on this side of the world. I treat gratitude as a kind of sacrament, the foundation of everything; we begin with recognition that we are … Continue reading →

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Missing church

Posted on January 1, 2022 by barczablog

The last thing I posted had the word “missing” in the title. A few days ago I wrote a rambly thing as I thought about a canceled show and one of its canceled performers, pushed off the stage by contagious … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, domestic & wild, Books & Literature, Cinema, video & DVDs, My mother, Personal ruminations & essays, Spirituality & Religion, Sports | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Missing Greg

Posted on December 26, 2021 by barczablog

In the final week of 2021 I ponder the year that’s passed and contemplate the one that lies ahead. We all may have something we miss doing, something or someone that we wish we could see or hear. Re-reading Dickens’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera, Personal ruminations & essays, Spirituality & Religion, Sports | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments