The late dramatic soprano Elizabeth Connell who died on February 18th, sings Mild und Leise from Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde. She thrilled audiences around the world with the beauty and power of her voice. Her legacy will endure. RIP.
Sydney’s art-lovers have been captivated by The Lady and the Unicorn – the series of six intricate wool and silk tapestries (c1500) from Flanders which depict the six senses – sight, touch, taste, hearing, smell and desire. Featured prominently in the tapestry which depicts ‘hearing’ is a positive organ. The scene is an intriguing one…
This excellent mini-documentary talks about the pacifist principles which propelled Britten’s War Requiem. at 5’30” you can see Britten conducting Peter Pears in the tenor solo Futility (‘Move him, move him’). And….. you can read our story about the electrifying 20th century master piece that is Britten’s War Requiem.
Alleluia, a recording of motets by Russian soprano Julia Lezhneva, is released on March 8th by Decca, catalogue number 0289 478 5242 1. The motets by Vivaldi (In furore iustissimae irae, RV626 ), Handel (Saeviat Tellus Inter Rigores, HWV240) and Mozart (Exsultate Jubilate, K.165 ), include a world premiere recording of Niccolo Porpora’s In caelo stele clare fulgescant….
Pianist and composer Daniel Rojas brings the music of the South American people to the concert hall in a recital this weekend. Read our interview with him at http://soundslikesydney.com.au/shows/daniel-rojas-plays-the-music-of-the-south-american-people/8185.html
Check out this entertaining video of Riccardo Minasi’s virtuosic violin playing. Riccardo performs Neapolitan baroque gems in Sydney in October with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra at the City Recital Hall. Click here for more.
Ukrainian bass-baritone Andrei Bondarenko in his Cardiff Singer of the World final in 2011. He won the competition’s Song Prize. You can hear him in Sydney this weekend with the Sydney Symphony, singing the role of Yeletsky in a concert version of Tchaikovsky’s ‘Queen of Spades’