What is the secret of the enduring appeal of the music of JS Bach?! Even of you don’t like his music, the complexity of his writing, his output and his role as an innovator are unparalleled.
Pianist James Rhodes claims that Bach takes us into a “fourth dimension of existence.”
Read more from BBC Culture.
Dame Nelli Melba was born on May 19th 1861. Today marks the sesquicentenaryof her birth in Melbourne. Australia Post has released a stamp to commemorate the occasion. Good enough reason to actuall post a letter, rather than send an email! On the stamp is fellow Victorian Rupert Bunny’s salon portrait of the great soprano. Did…
“…Whilst metadata and audio quality have been the burning issues for classical journalists and listeners, it’s the economics of streaming that has been alarming certain independent specialist classical record companies. In fact, as far as they are concerned, streaming poses unique and far greater problems for the classical industry than it does for the pop…
Wagner specialist conductor Christian Thielemann’s reading of the complete Ring Cycle at the Wiener Staatsoper in 2011 was recognised as one of the greatest Wagnerian events of recent times. On August 2nd, Deutsche Grammophon releases a recording of this performance as a boxed set of 14 CDs of the four Ring operas and 2 DVDs featuring four…
The Sydney Festival is hiring an elite German orchestra to perform at the 2014 Sydney Festival, because believe it or not, it is more cost effective than employing an Australian ensemble. Substantial government subsidies are the reason behind this curious situation. Click here to read the feature in The Age.
Corinna Da Fonseca-Wollheim of the New York Times, writes about this form of ‘high-culture hooliganism’.
Toi-toi to Australian mezzo-soprano Helen Sherman, one of four soloists who along with her pianist has qualified for the finals of the prestigious 2013 Wigmore Hall/Kohn Foundation International Song Competition. The grand finale and prize-giving will be held on September 3rd. Founded in the traditions of Lied, the biennial competition is open to elite singers and pianists aged 33…