Tag Archives: opera

Varieties of virtuosity: an interview with Piano Lunaire founder Adam Sherkin

Posted on February 2, 2025 by barczablog

Last month I was delighted to discover Adam Sherkin at a free noon-hour concert in the Richard Bradshaw Amphitheatre, a brilliant pianist & composer I probably should have heard sooner and founder of Piano Lunaire. I jumped at the chance … Continue reading →

Posted in Interviews, Music and musicology, Opera | Tagged Adam Sherkin, Barbara Hannigan, Boris Lysenko, Brian Current, Canadian Opera Company, Franz Josef Haydn, Franz Liszt, Julien Bilodeau, La Reine-Garçon, Leon Fleisher, opera, paraphrase, piano, Piano Lunaire, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Stewart Goodyear, Thomas Adès, Udo Steingraeber, virtuosity, virtuoso | Leave a comment

New COC Butterfly gets it right

Posted on January 27, 2025 by barczablog

Everything clicked today in the Canadian Opera Company presentation of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly at the Four Seasons Centre. I’ve been enjoying the music of this opera all my life in spite of shortcomings, never having experienced a production that was … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera, Reviews | Tagged Eri Nakamura, Gene Wu, Giacomo Puccini, Hyona Kim, Julius Ahn, Kang Wang, Keri-Lynn WIlson, madama butterfly, Michael Samuel, opera, Puccini, Samuel Chan | Leave a comment

Talking to Lauren Margison about Alceste

Posted on January 3, 2025 by barczablog

Canadian soprano Lauren Margison will sing the title role in Gluck’s Alceste on January 12th with Voicebox Opera in Concert. Lauren is a graduate of the Canadian Opera Company Ensemble studio, the Atelier Lyrique de l’Opéra de Montréal and a … Continue reading →

Posted in Interviews, Opera | Tagged Alceste, Ann Cooper Gay, Christine Goerke, Christoph Willibald Gluck, classical-music, Guillermo Silva-Marin, Lauren Margison, opera, Richard Margison, Valerie Kuinka, Voicebox Opera in Concert | Leave a comment

Ambitious COC Faust

Posted on October 14, 2024 by barczablog

The Canadian Opera Company have a new production of Charles Gounod’s 1859 opera Faust, telling the tale of the old man who sells his soul to the devil for youth and romance. Gounod’s opera is but one of the many … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera, Reviews | Tagged Alex Hetherington, Amy Lane, Canadian Opera Company, Charles Gounod, Emma Ryott, Faust, Guanqun Yu, Johannes Debus, Jules Barbier, Korin Thomas-Smith, Kyle Ketelsen, Long Long, Megan Latham, Michel Carré, opera, Szymon Mechlinski, theatre | Leave a comment

Sankofa: The Soldier’s Tale Retold, and Andrew Burashko’s farewell to Art of Time

Posted on October 9, 2024 by barczablog

For the last 25 years, Art of Time Ensemble has been on the cutting edge of the performing arts in Canada, fusing music with theatre, dance, film and literature in unique and unprecedented ways. The list of illustrious artists who … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Interviews, Music and musicology, Opera | Tagged Andrew Burashko, Art of Time, Art of Time Ensemble, Diego Matamoros, Joel Ivany, John Gzowski, Kevin Lamotte, Leon Fleisher, librettist, Marek Jablonski, opera, Peggy Baker, Sankofa, Sankofa: The Soldier's Tale Retold, Tawiah M'Carthy, Titilope Sonuga | Leave a comment

A Tale for Two Cities: the Battle of Alberta

Posted on December 19, 2023 by barczablog

It’s not the first time I’m jealous of Alberta. The Leafs never win The Cup, while Calgary and Edmonton have each had their moments. Joel Ivany has relocated out west, Miriam Khalil singing and teaching alongside him as they raise … Continue reading →

Posted in Opera | Tagged Against the Grain Theatre, Alberta, Birmingham Opera, Calgary Opera, Calgary Stampede, Das Rheingold, Edmonton Opera, Graham Vick, Joel Ivany, Jonathan Dove, Miriam Khalil, opera, Richard Wagner | Leave a comment

Simon Banks’ Opera: The Autobiography of the Western World

Posted on November 30, 2022 by barczablog

For me Christmas came early, when I got my hands on Simon Banks’ new book Opera: The Autobiography of the Western World. I mention that because this is the ideal gift for anyone you know who loves opera or who … Continue reading →

Posted in Books & Literature, Dance, theatre & musicals, Opera, Politics, Reviews | Tagged history, opera, Opera: The Autobiography of the Western World, Simon Banks, theatre history | 1 Comment

Questions for Dean Burry: Shanawdithit

Posted on April 20, 2019 by barczablog

I hope you’ll forgive me if I pause to take a breath before I attempt to tell you who Dean Burry is, a man who wears so many hats one doesn’t always know how to address him. Professor? Composer? Librettist? … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Interviews, Music and musicology, Opera, Personal ruminations & essays, University life | Tagged Aria Evans, Beothuk, Dean Burry, Marion Newman, Michelle Olson, musical theatre, Newfoundland, opera, Opera on the Avalon, reconciliation, Shanawdithit, Tapestry Opera, Yvette Nolan | Leave a comment

Sabbatical

Posted on August 8, 2018 by barczablog

I’m taking a break from teaching for 2018-2019, while I focus on other projects. In past years I’ve taught introductory film music and opera courses at the School of Continuing Studies. The blog will continue but for this year I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in Personal ruminations & essays | Tagged film music, opera, sabbatical, School of Continuing Studies, teaching | 2 Comments

10 Questions for Amanda Smith

Posted on May 1, 2014 by barczablog

Amanda Smith is Artistic Director & Resident Stage Director of FAWN Opera, a new company I’ve recently seen for the first time. In the middle of April they presented l’Homme et le Ciel a new opera in progress (review). Her … Continue reading →

Posted in Interviews, Music and musicology, Opera | Tagged Amanda Smith, Fawn Opera, opera | 2 Comments