The lasting memory
An intriguing feature on how music is remembered when other aspects of memory are impaired.
An intriguing feature on how music is remembered when other aspects of memory are impaired.
It’s mid June in Sydney, and the cast and creative team of Pinchgut Opera have gathered to commence rehearsals for the winter production of Bajazet, RV 307, (1735), an opera in three acts by Antonio Vivaldi – or is it? Bajazet is strongly enough connected with Vivaldi to be allocated an RV (Ryom-Verzeichnis) number –…
“It has always been known that the greatest pianoforte players were also the greatest composers; but how did they play? Not like the pianists of today, who prance up and down the keyboard with passages which they have practised – putsch, putsch, putsch – what does that mean? Nothing! When a true pianoforte virtuoso played it was…
One of Sydney’s favourite tenors, Stuart Skelton, won’t be taking his foot off the pedal, judging from the release of his engagements for 2014-15. His appearances which straddle the opera theatre and the concert hall, include a debut performance at La Scala in Beethoven’s Missa Solemnis, his role debut in Otello with English National Opera under Sir Edward Gardner,…
Popular broadcaster Graham Abbott’s fifteenth episode of his fascinating podcast series ‘Classics Unlocked’, is available now on YouTube, Apple Music and all other podcast platforms. Every episode is also hosted on the Classics Direct website. In this episode of ‘Classics Unlocked’, Graham explores the piano music of Béla Bartók whose music was strongly influenced by…
Australian clarinettist Andreas Ottensamer presents his debut album ‘Portraits – The Clarinet Album’ on Mercury Classics/Deutsche Grammophon. Released August 2 in Australia, Portraits – The Clarinet Album features concertos by Copland, Spohr and Cimarosa, along with arrangements of shorter pieces by Gershwin, Debussy and Amy Beach, a 19th century American composer. Andreas Ottensamer is accompanied…
“….the biggest losers of this stale safety bias will be Australia’s opera makers of tomorrow. When a culture of predictability and drab conservatism finally atrophies the expectations of the opera-going public, artists attempting to escape from that trope will likely be met with hostility.” Maxim Boon in The Guardian takes a refreshingly honest view of…