Category Archives: University life

Young Cassidy, Old Stoppard

Posted on March 28, 2021 by barczablog

Celebrating World Theatre Day in a pandemic that prevents one from going into a theatre might seem to be an oxymoron. Or it might be the best time to really understand what one has lost. Absence and abstinence make the … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Literature, Cinema, video & DVDs, Dance, theatre & musicals, University life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Beethoven 250: recalling Brian Macdonald’s Diabelli Variations

Posted on December 7, 2020 by barczablog

As I reminisce about a piece choreographed by Brian Macdonald I hope I can be forgiven for seguing into remembrance of the man, who is known for many things. You probably saw one of the musicals he directed at Stratford, … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Literature, Dance, theatre & musicals, Music and musicology, Opera, University life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Sky Gilbert’s remarkable new book Shakespeare Beyond Science: When Poetry Was the World

Posted on November 23, 2020 by barczablog

I am on my third read-through of Sky Gilbert’s Shakespeare Beyond Science: When Poetry Was the World. It is the best book I’ve read this year, one of the most interesting books I’ve ever encountered. I’ve been dancing around this … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Literature, Dance, theatre & musicals, Reviews, University life | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Brand new sound: a moving experience

Posted on November 1, 2020 by barczablog

I stumbled upon something quite by accident and want to share the good news. No I can’t take credit. We’re fixing some old windows, and needed to work with the contractor, who was blocked off by the way the furniture … Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, domestic & wild, Art, Architecture & Design, Dance, theatre & musicals, Music and musicology, Opera, Personal ruminations & essays, University life | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Neighbourhood impacts

Posted on September 14, 2020 by barczablog

I was looking in the Canadian Opera Company’s latest publication, a shiny offering that arrived in the mail less than an hour ago, with the title “Audience Impact Report.” Speaking of impacts the mailing included the obligatory return envelope & … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera, Personal ruminations & essays, Popular music & culture, University life | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Walking the University of Toronto Campus Guide

Posted on July 27, 2020 by barczablog

I shouldn’t have needed a book to wake me up to the nuances & subtleties of my many connections to the University of Toronto. But it’s a bit like a family album, these beautiful pictures of loved ones to remind … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Architecture & Design, Books & Literature, Personal ruminations & essays, Reviews, University life | Tagged , | Leave a comment

An agnostic musing about leadership & talent

Posted on July 22, 2020 by barczablog

As I was tidying my office today, I fell into a book. You know how it is. You open it and are seduced or abducted, suddenly lost to yourself, deep in the book. While Jim Fisher’s The Thoughtful Leader: A … Continue reading →

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

Douglas Chambers: The Reinvention of the World

Posted on July 18, 2020 by barczablog

I have been stuck on this one for awhile, not knowing quite what to write. I’m trying to avoid being a downer, but it’s hard to see the silver lining when you’re deep in the dark clouds of a pandemic. … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Literature, Dance, theatre & musicals, Opera, Personal ruminations & essays, University life | Leave a comment

A Knave in the House of Cards

Posted on June 20, 2020 by barczablog

A meditation on dayjobs A long time ago I was an undergraduate, a university student fresh out of high school. At the time a summer job was indispensable to help me afford my life between September & May, living in … Continue reading →

Posted in Essays, Music and musicology, Opera, Personal ruminations & essays, University life | Leave a comment

Disturbance in the Force: a Natural Experiment with Audiences

Posted on June 13, 2020 by barczablog

With all the performers, musicians, artists social distancing at home, you might think that this is an opportunity, that they’d be busy singing, strumming, painting…. All that time to create, right? Yet it’s not what I hear on social media. … Continue reading →

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