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Hot off the Press….
Review of Sydney Chamber Opera’s production of Philip Glass’ “In the Penal Colony: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/redemption-through-glass-darkly-20120408-1wj74.html Anf that that other famous Minimalist composer Steve Reich is due in town: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/minimalist-master-20120404-1wbfa.html Where to for classical music recording in Australia?: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/arts/ambition-grows-for-recordings/story-e6frg8n6-1226322288037
Hot off the press….Anne-Sophie Mutter reviews, the opera conference, ‘Red Dog’ the musical and Sondheim.
Reviews of AnneSophie Mutter with the SSO: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/review/gig/sydney-symphony-with-annesophie-mutter-20120401-1w6ed.html http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/arts/intelligence-and-technique-combine-for-a-sublime-performance/story-e6frg8n6-1226315731944 The Opera Conference: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/arts/keeping-opera-on-song/story-fncypcd0-1226314701379 Red Dog has its day – as a musical: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/musicals/a-big-day-for-a-barking-idea-20120321-1vkf5.html Tim Teeman from The Times interviews Stephen Sondheim. Sondheim talks about his childhood and some of the experiences that have made his lyrics so incisive and his music so poignant: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/stephen-sondheim-is-back-on-the-bike-with-a-new-musical/story-fnb64oi6-1226312296318
More soloists announced for Sappho
In November last year, Sounds Like Sydney published an interview with emerging conductor Jennifer Condon, presently working as Souffleuse at the Hamburg State Opera. http://soundslikesydney.com.au/wp-admin/post.php?post=5917&action=edit She has however, a burning ambition which has dictated much of how she has spent her time for past 10 years: she wants to bring to life Sappho, the…
opera update….an new name for the opera theatre
How did this get past us??! The opera theatre of the Sydney Opera House will be named in honour of Dame Joan Sutherland: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/opera/theatre-rename-honours-la-stupenda-as-house-awaits-la-traviata-20120316-1vanu.html An update on La Traviata on Sydney Harbour: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/opera/nervous-wait-for-opera-australia-as-weather-plays-its-part-20120328-1vyla.html
Dancing with the piano – Zubin Kanga performs in London
Pianist Zubin Kanga recently performed a programme of ‘new music’ in London. It involved ideas that brooked traditional concepts of how the instrument is played. Read more at: http://www.icareifyoulisten.com/2012/03/piano-insideout-zubin-kanga-kings-place-london/
Jonathan Lemalu learns a libretto in a new language
Grammy Award winning New Zealand born bass-baritone Jonathan Lemalu (he’s sung Leporello in Mozart’s Don Giovanni for OA in Sydney) has had to meet a new challenge – that of learning a libretto in Chinese. He talks about it in this blog. (The Grammy Award was in 2010 for Best Opera Recording Billy Budd) http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2012/mar/26/learning-to-sing-chinese-songs
Latest reviews
Macheath leaves town as Don Giovanni comes to stay
As one lothario’s time in Sydney comes to an end, another moves in. The Sydney Theatre company’s production of the Brecht/Weill Threepenny Opera closed over the weekend as Opera Australia’s production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni opened. In many ways the two men, Macheath and Don Giovanni are similar. Murderers, rapists and, unscrupulous seducers whose evil is made…
Reviews from the weekend – Don Giovanni and Evgeny Kissin
Opera Australia’s production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni opened in Sydney on Saturday night: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/opera/by-cad-this-don-has-really-got-what-it-takes-20110925-1krlu.html Evgeny Kissin with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra conducted by Vladimir Ashkenzy: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/princely-splendour-of-a-master-of-sound-and-articulation-20110923-1kpa1.html