‘First Stones’ reviewed
Check out this review of nine new works presented by Halcyon:
Check out this review of nine new works presented by Halcyon:
It is well worth getting to the Joan Sutherland Theatre a little ahead of the performance of Verdi’s Luisa Miller to contemplate the diorama that presages the production. In stark tones of black and white, the scene is one of formulaic domestic bliss. Could that be a bust of Verdi smiling benignly down on the…
It’s everything you want opera to be. From its first trembling chromatics, the soloists dazzled, the chorus and orchestra were in fine form, Verdi’s music was impossible to resist and the tale oozed passion and tragedy. Add sumptuous and meticulously detailed costumes, sets and dramatic lighting and there you have the complete package. Opera Australia’s…
Bittersweet Obsessions: Monteverdi and Bach Australian Brandenburg Orchestra City Recital Hall 25 October 2017 The Australian Brandenburg Orchestra’s Bittersweet Obsessions: Monteverdi and Bach is an engaging pastiche of early and baroque music, performed in a dramatised setting by thirteen members of the orchestra, led by concertmaster Shaun Lee-Chen. Joined by four vocal soloists – New…
Parsifal in Concert Opera Australia Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House 9 August 2017 Written by Deen Hamaker Parsifal is a work that is revered for its Wagnerian splendour and epic scale, but its magnitude makes it a rarity in many opera houses. Adding to this is the difficulty of staging this intensely spiritual piece in…
Carmen – Georges Bizet Opera Australia Joan Sutherland Opera Theatre, Sydney Opera House, June 16, 2016 The neon colours of Vivid met their match last week when a rival kaleidoscope of colour erupted within the Joan Sutherland Opera Theatre for the opening night of Opera Australia’s new production of Bizet’s Carmen. It was a…
Nine new composers. Nine new works. Contemporary music ensemble Halcyon performs these diverse and inspiring compositions that have been created through their First Stones project, an innovative and exciting opportunity for young Australian composers. From numerous applicants, Halcyon selected nine promising composers from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane and issued them the challenge of writing a song for voice and…