Latest news
Nicola Benedetti ‘The Silver Violin’ giveaway
There are three copies of Nicola Benedetti’s new CD release The Silver Violin from Universal Records to be won, just in time for Christmas – spoil yourself, or someone else! Read our review and interview with Nicola Benedetti How to enter: email [email protected] by 5 pm on Friday 7th December 2012 with subject heading please enter ‘Silver Violin’. Winners…
‘Gershwin and Me’ – Simon Tedeschi CDs to be won
There are three copies of Simon Tedeschi’s new CD releases Gershwin and Me from Universal Records to be won just in time for Christmas – spoil yourself, or someone else! Read our review and interview with Simon Tedeschi: Gershwin and Me How to enter: email [email protected] by 5 pm on Friday 7th December 2012 with subject heading please enter…
Behind the scenes with Louise Callinan – ‘Mercedes’ at the Opera National de Paris
Louise Callinan as Mercedes in ‘Carmen’ at the Opera National de Paris. Image by David Bacher. As this post goes live, mezzo -soprano Louise Callinan would have just come off stage after opening night at the Paris Opera, where she is singing the role of Mercedes in Bizet’s Carmen. Paris based photographer David Bacher’s images from the final…
Lunch with Vengerov
Maxim Vengerov was appointed Menuhin Professor of violin at the Royal Academy of Music in London, earlier this year. He has concerts coming up in Moscow, London, Baku, Lausanne and Munich – all in the next 2 weeks. Click here to read his interview with Andrew Clark of the Financial Times.
conducting matters
This feature from npr asks whether good orchestras really need conductors. If you were at the Sydney Symphony’s opening night of Tchaikovsky’s ‘Pique Dame’ on Saturday, the answer would be quite obvious. A scientist at the University of Maryland has tried to define the relationship between musicians and their conductor: Click here to read
Stuart Skelton interview
Listen again to Margaret Throsby talking to Stuart Skelton in an interview first broadcast on ABC Classic FM Thursday November 29th. Click here
Latest reviews
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
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…