Latest news
ENO’s plan to dress down for opera receives a dressing down
Following the ENO’s announcement of a plan to encourage a relaxed dress code for opera goers, Andrew Mellor argues that it’s ‘much ado about nothing’. After all, going to the races seems to demand the observation of a costly and mysterious dress code that doesn’t deter attendance. http://www.gramophone.co.uk/blog/the-gramophone-blog/stop-telling-us-what-to-wear-for-opera
Sydney’s opera theatre re-named
The name of Dame Joan Sutherland has been immortalised with the Opera Theatre of Sydney’s Opera House re-named in her honour. Concert halls have been named after benefactors (Carnegie), Royalty (The Royal Albert Hall and the Queen Elizabeth Hall) and musicians (the Bruckner Hall in Linz and the Bartok Hall in Budapest. It is a rare honour, and…
Hip-hoppin to chopin
It’s not the first time that Chopin’s music has been appropriated for dance. In 1909, Glazunov orchestrated the music of Chopin with choreography by Fokine and created the short non-narrative ballet Les Sylphides. In 2012, pianist Lang-Lang has collaborated with Dubstepper Marquese “Nonstop” Scott to create a performance that combines Chopin’s Etude Op 25 No 12,…
Paul Mealor’s ‘De Profundis’ cries from the deep
Paul Mealor. On the day I was scheduled to speak to Welsh composer Paul Mealor, based in Aberdeen, Scotland, there was a storm so wild, that telecommunications were disrupted and the call had to be re-scheduled. The elements seemed to conspire to evoke Mealor’s inspirations and memories whilst defying his aspirations to “write music that…
The price of the priceless – a signed photograph of Mahler has emerged.
A signed photo of Gustav Mahler, previously owned by Arnold Schoenberg is the subject of a tussle between the Schoenberg family and its present owner who’s willing to part with it for a fee. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/11/lost-gustav-mahler-photo_n_1957333.html?utm_hp_ref=music-news
Latest reviews
Korngold the starting point for ‘The Silver Violin’: CD review
The Silver Violin (Decca) is the title of the 7th recording for the 25-year-old violinist Nicola Benedetti. It’s a well matched collection of original violin music written for the silver screen, performed by the 2012 Classic Brit Awards ‘Female Artist of the Year’. The CD is a fine demonstration of the breadth of Benedetti’s versatility and the…
Salome reviewed
The character Salome has about as many layers as veils with which she is draped. Gale Edwards directs a thoughtful and refreshing take on the eponymously titled opera by Richard Strauss, which opened in Sydney last week. The narrative is beautifully integrated with Julie Lynch’s costumes, Brian Thomson’s set designs and Kelley Abbey’s choreography. The production is supremely well presented…