A ‘Masked Ball’ – universal truths about power and survival sung with panache

A ‘Masked Ball’ – universal truths about power and survival sung with panache

Love it or loathe it, Opera Australia’s world premiere of a new production of Verdi’s opera Un ballo in maschera (A Masked Ball) has already polarised its pre-production and opening night audiences. The presentation is well resourced and diverse in its aesthetics. Presented in association with the Sydney Festival, it has been created by Catalan…

Elina Granca ‘Romantique’ CD review – simply glorious

Elina Granca ‘Romantique’ CD review – simply glorious

Listening to Elīna Garanča’s latest CD is a supremely gratifying experience. Released by Deutsche Grammophon (DG 479 0071), Romantique is a collection of 9 opera arias performed by the Latvian lyric mezzo – soprano with the Filharmonica del Tetro Comunale di Bologna conducted by Yves Abel. The arias on this CD (her 5th solo album), are owned by heroines of…

CD review: ‘Sappho’ the opera by Peggy Glanville-Hicks

CD review: ‘Sappho’ the opera by Peggy Glanville-Hicks

The eagerly anticipated world premiere recording of Peggy Glanville-Hick’s opera Sappho, with libretto by Lawrence Durrell, is at last on the shelves, timed to perfection with the centenary of the composer’s birth on December 29th 2012 (d 25th June 1990). The 2 CD set released by Toccata Classics is a recording of the complete opera…