Tag Archives: Giuseppe Verdi

The Lion Heart: a first look

Posted on March 20, 2022 by barczablog

I watched the live-stream of The Lion Heart, the premiere of a new opera from Corey Arnold (composer & conductor) and Kyle McDonald (librettist and singer of the lead role). Or at least part of it. Alas connection issues prevented … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera | Tagged André Gretry, Blondel, Corey Arnold, Gioachino Rossini, Giuseppe Verdi, Kyle McDonald, Leopold, Nicole Dubinsky, Richard, Richard Coeur de lion, Richard Wagner, The Lion Heart, Tonatiuh Abrego, Tonatiuh Abrego) and the sadistic Leopold (passionately delivered by Andrew Derynck | 3 Comments

In captivity: Nabucco with TCO

Posted on September 27, 2021 by barczablog

Our society and our culture are seeking recovery now, trying to heal. Yes there has been illness & death. But even if we’re safe & healthy (very fortunate to be safe in this city, in this country) we’re troubled in … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera, Personal ruminations & essays, Press Releases and Announcements | Tagged Giuseppe Verdi, Ivan Jovanovic, Jennifer Tung, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Nabucco, TCO, Toronto City Opera, Va pensiero, Voicebox Opera in Concert | Leave a comment

Quilico and Pavarotti in Rigoletto

Posted on April 12, 2021 by barczablog

The Metropolitan Opera’s free feed gave us a lovely trip down memory lane last week, with a 1981 Rigoletto starring Louis Quilico, Luciano Pavarotti and Christiane Eda-Pierre. I can’t be the only one who watched, remembering the times Quilico sang … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Dance, theatre & musicals, Opera | Tagged Canadian Opera Company, Four Seasons Centre, Giuseppe Verdi, Il Trovatore, La Traviata, Louis Quilico, Luciano Pavarotti, Metropolitan Opera, Rigoletto | 5 Comments

Wordless chorus

Posted on May 21, 2020 by barczablog

This subject seems apt right now. The voices in this music have no words, which is a perfect expression for a time when we don’t know what’s to come. Of course we never do, but it’s especially noticeable when we’re … Continue reading →

Posted in Cinema, video & DVDs, Essays, Music and musicology, Personal ruminations & essays, Popular music & culture | Tagged Claude Debussy, Danny Elfman, Edward Scissorhands, Giuseppe Verdi, Good Will Hunting, Gustav Holst, Maurice Ravel, Rigoletto, Scrooged, The Planets, The Wizard of Oz, wordless chorus | 2 Comments

TOT Gypsy Baron

Posted on December 29, 2019 by barczablog

The Toronto Operetta Theatre opened their new production of Johann Strauss Jr’s The Gypsy Baron tonight at the Jane Mallett Theatre with a full house in attendance for the first of five performances. It’s a very uneven production of a … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Opera, Politics, Reviews | Tagged A night at the opera, Beste Kalender, Daniela Agostino, Derek Bate, Giuseppe Verdi, Il Trovatore, Jane Mallett Theatre, Johann Strauss, Karen Bojti, Meghan Lindsay, Michael Barrett, Roma, The Gypsy Baron, The Marx Brothers, Toronto Operetta Theatre | Leave a comment

COC Otello

Posted on May 1, 2019 by barczablog

On paper the Canadian Opera Company’s new offering, an English National Opera production of Verdi’s Otello directed by David Alden and starring Russell Thomas, Gerald Finley & Tamara Wilson is as good as it gets. It’s an incredible luxury to … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Music and musicology, Opera, Personal ruminations & essays, Reviews | Tagged Andrew Haji, Canadian Opera Company, Carolyn Sproule, David Alden, Gerald Finley, Giuseppe Verdi, Onay Kose, Otello, Owen McCausland, Russell Thomas, Tamara Wilson | Leave a comment

TCO Traviata

Posted on March 29, 2019 by barczablog

Toronto City Opera? While the name is new to me, reading the history I see the lineage, going back over forty years to the legacy of Giuseppe Macina’s Toronto Opera Repertoire. You can read more of their history here. This … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Opera | Tagged Alaina Viau, Giuseppe Macina, Giuseppe Verdi, Ivan Jovanovic, Jennifer Tung, La Traviata, Toronto City Opera | Leave a comment

Hadrian’s Dramaturg: Questions for Cori Ellison

Posted on October 6, 2018 by barczablog

Cori Ellison is the Dramaturg for the Canadian Opera Company’s world premiere production of Hadrian¸composed by Rufus Wainwright and with libretto by Daniel MacIvor. Cori Ellison, a leading creative figure in the opera world, was recently appointed staff Dramaturg at … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Interviews, Opera | Tagged Aida, Anthony Everitt, Canadian Opera Company, Cori Ellison, Cosi fan tutte, Daniel MacIvor, Don Carlo, dramaturg, Giuseppe Verdi, Hadrian, Hadrian and the Triumph of Rome, Karita Mattila, Marguerite Yourcenar, Memoirs of Hadrian, Mozart, Peter Hinton, Rufus Wainwright, Thomas Hampson | 1 Comment

Ermanno Mauro: “Great Tenor Arias”

Posted on June 21, 2018 by barczablog

Sometimes recordings can open a window on the past. I’ve got a “new” CD, actually an old one that’s only new to me. Forgive me if I choose to write about something that’s not easily available but the CD immediately … Continue reading →

Posted in Music and musicology, Opera, Reviews | Tagged Canadian Opera Company, Carl Morey, Don Carlos, Ermanno Mauro, Ezra Schabas, Giuseppe Di Stefano, Giuseppe Verdi, James McCracken, Lotfi Mansouri, O'Keefe Centre, Otello, Peter Barcza | 4 Comments

Opera: Passion, Power, and Politics

Posted on June 1, 2018 by barczablog

There it all is, everything a boy or girl could want in one headline. Now in fact that’s the title of a big beautiful book that I’ve been reading. And what good is a book if it doesn’t push your … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Architecture & Design, Books & Literature, Music and musicology, Opera, Politics, Popular music & culture, Reviews | Tagged Antonio Pappano, Aubrey Beardsley, Claudio Monteverdi, Dresden, Giuseppe Verdi, Michael Levine, Peter Brook, Placido Domingo, Richard Strauss, Richard Wagner, Rinaldo, Robert Carsen, Roger Parker, Salome, Simone Young, Tannhäuser | Leave a comment