Concert Review 2: Britten’s ‘War Requiem’/Sydney Symphony/Ashkenazy

……and this from Murray Black in The Australian.

……and this from Murray Black in The Australian.
Opera Australia: Der Ring des Nibelungen: Siegfried Arts Centre Melbourne/22 November 2013 ***** Brünnhilde’s final outpouring to Siegfried at the end of the second day of Wagner’s music drama begins: ‘O kindischer Held! O herrlischer Knabe! Du hehrster Taten töriger Hort!’ The terms ‘childish’, ‘boy’ and ‘foolish’ are among several along these lines that may…
When I spoke to Benjamin Grosvenor in 2012 during a brief visit to Sydney to launch his album Rhapsody in Blue, the young British pianist commented that although his repertoire embraced composers from JS Bach through Chopin and Scriabin, to Saint-Saëns, Ravel and Gershwin, the Romantics have been his first love. His favourite composer at the time…
As we acknowledge Remembrance Day today, this month we pay special attention to the birth centenary of Benjamin Britten which falls on November 22nd. All year there have been performances of his music around the world. This weekend especially, the two anniversaries were remembered with performances of his War Requiem in many cities. Read Peter McCallum’s review in the…
Pastoral Melodies Australian Romantic and Classical Orchestra/ Sydney Chamber Choir City Recital Hall 25 March, 2018 The Australian Romantic and Classical Orchestra lived up to its name in Pastoral Melodies performed in collaboration with the Sydney Chamber Choir. Three works from the Romantic canon and one from the Classical era, were performed with panache, under…
Testament, Acacia Quartet 19 May,2019 The Independent Theatre, North Sydney Written by Ria Andriani Acacia Quartet’s programme Testament, was a rich offering, from the ice-breaker Mozart, to Alice Chance, reflective Mansurian and luscious Debussy. Mozart’s String Quartet in C major, K465, nicknamed ‘Dissonance’ offered a good introduction to the group’s character and musicality. Though considered dissonant…
The style is possibly as difficult to define as the English meaning of their name – “Arrebato”, variously translated as “fury”, “something that rises rapidly” or “a wave of emotion”. It’s fair to say that any and all of these describe the music of this ensemble. Arrebato release their second CD “Absolucion” in June 2011….