Latest news
Vale Gustav Leonhardt
Gustav Leonhardt, Dutch harpsichordist, organist and a world authority on early music, has died after ill health caused him to retire from public performance just last month. http://www.gramophone.co.uk/classical-music-news/harpsichordist-and-conductor-gustav-leonhardt-has-died
Gramophone ranks The Sixteen at No 4 in the world.
Here’s the link to Eric Whitacre’s list of his top 20 international choirs and why they deserve to be there. (Gramophone, December 2010). Soon to perform in Sydney, Harry Christophers and his ensemble The Sixteen, are ranked at No 4. Whitacre says: “Under the expert command of founder Harry Christophers, The Sixteen have combined musical excellence with bold,…
Bach in the Dark 2012
Cellist Rachel Scott is presenting her series ‘Bach in the Dark’ again in 2012. In these unusual concerts she invites her audience to the crypt of St James’ Church in King Street Sydney for programmes of music that are founded in the compositions of the great JS Bach, but which she then takes to another…
Science evaulates the art of of the violinmaker – with surprising results!
The Sydney Morning Herald reports on experiment conducted by a researcher at the University of Paris which casts doubt on the superior qualities of violins made by the Italian masters. At the proceedings of the US National Academy of Sciences, Professor Claudia Fritz and her colleagues reported on their double blinded trial in which 21 violinists attending…
Thomas Quasthoff leaves the stage
“Quasthoff has a mellifluous bass baritone (more and more drifting down toward the bass end of the spectrum) with deeply felt musical instincts and a radiant artistic intelligence”. The New York Times 2008. German bass-baritone Thomas Quasthoff has announced his retirement from the stage after a performing career of several decades. He says: “After almost 40…
ACO scores half a century of tours with latest successes in Europe
The Australian Chamber Orchestra has wrapped up a hugely successful and comprehensive tour of Europe with a private recital for Prince Charles and 150 invited guests at St James’ Palace. During the tour, the ACO performed in Birmingham, London, at Vienna’s Musikverein, and Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw, in Antwerp, Wilhelmshaven, Luxembourg and Basel. This brings up their half century…
Latest reviews
Macheath leaves town as Don Giovanni comes to stay
As one lothario’s time in Sydney comes to an end, another moves in. The Sydney Theatre company’s production of the Brecht/Weill Threepenny Opera closed over the weekend as Opera Australia’s production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni opened. In many ways the two men, Macheath and Don Giovanni are similar. Murderers, rapists and, unscrupulous seducers whose evil is made…
Reviews from the weekend – Don Giovanni and Evgeny Kissin
Opera Australia’s production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni opened in Sydney on Saturday night: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/opera/by-cad-this-don-has-really-got-what-it-takes-20110925-1krlu.html Evgeny Kissin with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Ashkenzy: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/princely-splendour-of-a-master-of-sound-and-articulation-20110923-1kpa1.html