love notes from sally-anne russell

In an early evening performance in the heart of the city, Aria award winning mezzo-soprano Sally-Anne Russell and pianist Tony Legge will present a recital of songs and arias which tell all about love.

Singing in Czech, Spanish, Italian and English, the programme includes Haydn’s Arianna a Naxos in which Arianna sinks from happiness to despair as she realises the love of her life will never return; Turina’s Poema en Forma de Canciones the protagonist declares his love for Divine Venus.

Also on the programme are Benjamin Britten’s Cabaret Songs, a setting of W H Auden’s poems themed around Berlin nightlife in the 1930s. These four songs ‘Calypso’, ‘Johnny’, ‘Tell me the truth about love’ and ‘Funeral Blues’ were written for plays presented by a Bohemian left wing experimental theatre company The Group Theatre. Influences from The American songbook, jazz and Blues are evident in this music which Britten had to produce, to keep pace with the group’s repertoire. The plays for which some of these songs were written are no longer popular, but the music lives on. Britten wrote in his diary that they ‘are going to be hits, I feel!’

Sally-Anne Russell is well loved by Sydney audiences from her regular appearances in opera, in recital and on disc.  Her appearances take her around the world as well as around the nation and she last performed in Sydney with the Sydney Chamber Choir in their Easter 2012 presentation of JS Bach’s St John Passion . She has been twice nominated for an ARIA  award, winning the Listeners’ Choice in 2005 for Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater.

Pianist Tony Legge is Associate Music Director at Opera Australia, and served as Director of Opera at the Royal Academy in London and for 14 years, was Head of Music at the English National Opera.

Referring to her concert, Sally-Anne says: “I am delighted to be working with Tony to present this recital of love songs. I am also very much looking forward to returning to perform with the Choir of St James’ in November” – a reference to her appearance with the choir and orchestra of James’ King Street in their September presentation of JS Bach’s Mass in B minor.

Tickets: $48. Concessions available.

Bookings at  www.cityrecitalhall.com , call (02) 8256 2222 or at the door on the day of the concert.