Tag Archives: Berlioz

Homecoming for Carsen’s Eugene Onegin

Posted on October 1, 2018 by barczablog

Better late than never, the Canadian Opera Company have premiered Robert Carsen’s Eugene Onegin, a production originally premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in 1997. It’s a triumph of Canadian talent on all sides, from the sets & costumes by Michael … Continue reading →

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Plummer, Shakespeare & Oundjian

Posted on June 27, 2018 by barczablog

Tonight’s concert, the latest in the month-long Toronto Symphony celebration of Peter Oundjian, was like a cross between a pops concert and a play reading, titled “Christopher Plummer’s Symphonic Shakespeare”. It was like “Shakespeare’s Greatest Hits”, a series of textual … Continue reading →

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The Birth of an Opera

Posted on June 22, 2013 by barczablog

I’m enjoying The Birth of an Opera, a fascinating book by Michael Rose. My jaw dropped at the simplicity of the concept of the work, and now I’m thoroughly hooked by the smoothness of Rose’s execution. Rose combines two very … Continue reading →

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High-def Troyens

Posted on January 6, 2013 by barczablog

Seeing Les Troyens at the Met Monday night, Elizabeth Bishop replaced Susan Graham as Dido, which led me to wonder who’d be singing the role in today’s high-definition broadcast. Silly me.  While it’s possible Graham was unwell Monday, her performance … Continue reading →

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Jan 1st Troyens

Posted on January 4, 2013 by barczablog

Francesca Zambello’s production of Berlioz’s Les Troyens has returned to the Metropolitan Opera.  When it premiered a decade ago it was Deborah Voigt as Cassandra, Ben Heppner as Aeneas and Lorraine Hunt Lieberson as Dido, conducted by James Levine. A … Continue reading →

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A remembered tune: Les Troyens

Posted on January 2, 2013 by barczablog

Melodies are time-machines.  I can hear a song and instantly I go back in time. Composers know this.  It’s why films often employ compositions we’ve heard before to invoke a whole set of meanings.  In Forrest Gump Robert Zemeckis accomplishes … Continue reading →

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Homesick tenor

Posted on July 21, 2012 by barczablog

Early in the act, we have a plaintive moment.  A sailor sings a tune, clearly longing for home and the company he misses there.  The quietness of the big orchestra now playing so gently after its earlier savagery seems to … Continue reading →

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Hurry September

Posted on August 10, 2011 by barczablog

In the middle of a driving rainstorm, my doorbell rang this morning.  The mailman, bless his heart, was dropping off a bundle just as the heavens opened to drench the guy,  and my mail. Among the wet items was –oh … Continue reading →

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Risky performance: when it’s not just a metaphor

Posted on December 24, 2010 by barczablog

Will the new Spiderman musical ever open?  It’s been prohibitively expensive to marry Julie Taymor‘s  vision to the music of Bono & The Edge.  I’ve read estimates of $65 million USD: and counting.  One wonders how many years of full … Continue reading →

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