Tag Archives: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

SOLT pedagogy

I attended the La Boheme to open Summer Opera Lyric Theatre’s summer season tonight at the Alumnae Theatre. Guillermo Silva-Marin called it a festival in his pre-show introductory talk. As you can see in the graphic, between now and next … Continue reading

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Scary Don Giovanni at the COC

Well it’s about time! I’ve been watching productions of Mozart’s Don Giovanni all my life that end with some sort of ludicrous & unbelievable encounter between the anti-hero and his fake stone guest, who comes to drag him to hell. … Continue reading

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William Shookhoff reflects on a recent operatic controversy

This is a guest blog from William (aka Bill) Shookhoff, the pianist and artistic director of Opera by Request. Thank you Bill! ~~~~~~~ Recently, the distinguished Metropolitan Opera of New York City announced that this holiday season would be marked … Continue reading

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An all-female Magic Flute from OperOttawa

I heard that OperOttawa are presenting Mozart’s The Magic Flute, an opera I’ve heard called misogynistic, in November with a cast that’s 100% female! I had to ask their their artistic director Norman E Brown about it. Barczablog: Do the … Continue reading

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Days of Happiness / Les Jours heureux #tiff23

It’s a pleasure and privilege to watch a film at tiff followed by a talkback, where directors and performers respond to our questions. A woman in front of me asked writer & director Chloé Robichaud the question I would have … Continue reading

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Toronto Summer Music Metamorphosis

Tonight was the opening concert of Toronto Summer Music, a festival running until July 29th in several performance spaces around Toronto. For a festival such as this one with the dual objectives of showcasing performance and training artists in its … Continue reading

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Gimeno and TSO: old music made new

I will quietly keep calling Gustavo Gimeno the Toronto Symphony’s “new” music director in my head, but maybe not for the reason you think. Yes he started in 2021, delayed over a year by the pandemic’s impacts on performing arts. … Continue reading

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Surprising Chevalier

How could I resist seeing Chevalier, the new film about Joseph Bologne? He’s been called the “black Mozart”. He was given the title Chevalier de St Georges by Marie Antoinette, composer of operas, symphonies, a virtuoso violinist and master swordsman. … Continue reading

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Opera York’s Magic Flute

It was worth the drive to Richmond Hill yesterday to see Opera York’s production of The Magic Flute, their first in-person return to the stage since the pandemic. While Friday night’s snow-storm likely reduced attendance, Sunday’s matinee was sold out. … Continue reading

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Guth Ideas to save Figaro

The Canadian Opera Company have revived Claus Guth‘s production of Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro that they presented to us in 2016, this time with a slightly different cast and conductor. The three and a half hours fly by on … Continue reading

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