Tag Archives: Olivier Messiaen

Gimeno Conducts Messiaen’s Epic Turangalila

Posted on May 5, 2023 by barczablog

Roy Thomson Hall was quite full tonight for the first of two Toronto Symphony concerts undertaking Olivier Messiaen’s Turangalila-Symphonie. But for such an event one wants a full house. The response from the audience was as rapturous as the music … Continue reading →

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Visions of Spain, Glimpses of Gimeno

Posted on April 3, 2023 by barczablog

This past week’s Toronto Symphony concert offering “Visions of Spain” also gave a few interesting perspectives on their new Spanish-born music director Gustavo Gimeno. After two rather obscure pieces before intermission, we proceeded to three of the most well-known pieces … Continue reading →

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Four Last Songs: aging, creativity and the meaning of life

Posted on May 18, 2015 by barczablog

The cover picture shows Giuseppe Verdi sitting with a reflective expression on his face while he plays the piano. The book’s title is Four Last Songs: Aging and Creativity in Verdi, Strauss, Messiaen and Britten, the latest collaboration between Linda … Continue reading →

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10 Questions for Krisztina Szabó

Posted on April 13, 2015 by barczablog

My stereotype of Krisztina Szabó is inaccurate of course. My questions may have made her laugh, even though she’s too polite to send me packing. In cobbling together a few questions –concerning a pair of 20th century compositions—I was far … Continue reading →

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