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Two reasons to celebrate today – Britten and the patron saint of music
Detail of mosaic in the crypt of the Chiesa di Santa Cecilia, Rome “Blessed Cecilia, appear in visions To all musicians, appear and inspire: Translated Daughter, come down and startle Composing mortals with immortal fire”. W.H. Auden, from the “Hymn to St Cecilia” by Benjamin Britten There is something special about the way…
Outback Opera
Check out this very entertaining feature from smh.tv – Opera Australia’s production of La Boheme goes on a regional tour: http://www.smh.com.au/tv/show/outback-opera/outback-opera-20111118-1nmzi.html?rand=1321745380422
Ryde-Hunters Hill Symphony Orchestra calls for musicians
Orchestral musicians! The Ryde- Hunters Hill Symphony Orchestra launches its inaugural season in 2012 and is looking for enthusiastic and talented musicians to join its ranks under Music Director and conductor George Ellis. If you have orchestral performance experience and would enjoy playing classic orchestral repertoire with like-minded people then contact them for an audition at: http://www.rhhso.org.au/auditions/ Auditions…
The lasting memory
An intriguing feature on how music is remembered when other aspects of memory are impaired. http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/musicians-memories-wiped-except-for-notes-of-harmony-20111114-1nfid.html
Notes on memory
Performing is a curious business. It regularly throws up conundrums and contradictions and one of those is the phenomenon of memory. Dancers develop their muscle memory from hours of rehearsal and cues from the accompaniment; memorising lines is implicit in being an actor. Solo instrumentalists almost always perform from memory. All opera singers work from memory, yet…
The day opera sent a message to the government
So Silvio Berlusconi has finally stepped down. Recently, Alex Ross wrote about the indifference of the Berlusconi government to supporting the arts in Italy. (1) Ross also makes reference to the unprecedented action by Riccardo Muti, conducting Nabucco halted the performance and spoke to the audience about the situation. The response from both the chorus and the…
Latest reviews
baroque duets break ground
“Baroque Duets” a new CD release, has a lot to say for itself. First and foremost, it is a superb compilation of Baroque vocal music, eminently listenable but away from the beaten track; it is also a historically informed and technically well executed performance by singers and instrumentalists on period instruments; it even contains a…
serious singing from teddy tahu rhodes
“The poem has not been completed until set to music” – Goethe. If Art Song needs to be re-invented to survive and evolve, the new CD “Serious Songs” from bass-baritone Teddy Tahu Rhodes (ABC Classics 476-4383) points in the right direction. The CD takes its title from Brahms’ Four Serious Songs,originally composed for bass and piano,…