Concert Review: St John Passion/JS Bach/ The Choir Of St James’ King Street/ The Australian Haydn Ensemble
St John Passion – J S Bach The Choir of St James’ with The Australian Haydn Ensemble St James’ Church, King Street, Sydney 28 March 2015 J S Bach’s St John Passion is not performed as often as his better-known St Matthew Passion, The St James’ performance in the church’s sympathetic acoustic was conducted by Warren Trevelyan-Jones who…
CD Review:Smörgåsbord! Music from Sweden/The Marais Project
Smörgåsbord! – a “Swedish hors d’œuvres served with an assortment of delicacies – a medley, a miscellany, a rich variety or selection.” True to this description, The Marais Project’s fifth and newest CD, Smörgåsbord! is a collection of delicious morsels and mains from traditional and folk idioms, early music and contemporary offerings. Smörgåsbord! pays homage…
Concert Review: In An Italian Garden/Les Arts Florissant/Le Jardin des Voix
In an Italian Garden Les Arts Florissant and Le Jardin des Voix, Concert Hall, Sydney Opera House, March 12, 2015. After an absence of more than a decade, the two dozen or so instrumentalists of Les Arts Florissants and the six vocalists of their vocal academy, Le Jardin des Voix returned to perform in Sydney,…
Concert Review: Raising Sparks/Australia Ensemble@UNSW
Raising Sparks The Australia Ensemble John Clancy Auditorium, University of New South Wales, March 14, 2015 Raising Sparks was the first subscription concert by the Australia Ensemble for 2015. This was a delightful presentation of 20th century chamber music was performed by core members, Dimity Hall and Dene Olding (violins), Irina Morozova (viola), Julian Smiles…
Concert Review: The Queen Of Heaven/The Sixteen
It’s a curious fact that the most revered exponents of early Italian choral music today, are not the Italians but the English. In January 2011, Gramophone Magazine published a list of what it claimed were the top 20 choirs in the world. Nominated in fourth place was Harry Christophers’ ensemble The Sixteen, who performed their…
Concert Review: House Of Dreams/Tafelmusik/Musica Viva
House of Dreams, Tafelmusik Presented by Musica Viva City Recital Hall Sunday 1 March Canadian Baroque Orchestra Tafelmusik last toured Australia in 2012, taking their Galileo project around the country. In 2015 they’re back with their latest multimedia experience, House of Dreams, a concert beautifully styled as a journey to five vital cities of…
Concert Review: Broken Consorts/ Ensemble Offspring/Ironwood Chamber Ensemble
Broken Consorts Ensemble Offspring and Ironwood Chamber Ensemble Utzon Room, Sydney Opera House 28 February 2015 Two ensembles from contrasting backgrounds – Ironwood Chamber ensemble, specialising in historical performance – and Ensemble Offspring – specialising in modern music – collaborated to perform an exquisite recital of works for broken consorts. The intriguing title refers…
Concert Review – Handel: Heaven and Harmony/ Australian Brandenburg Orchestra and Choir
Handel: Heaven and Harmony Australian Brandenburg Orchestra and Choir City Recital Hall, Angel Place 25 February 2015 The programmes of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra continually aim to present unfamiliar music or new approaches to well-trodden paths and they also regularly introduce new faces. For their Heaven and Harmony concert all the music was by Handel,…
Review: Gounod’s Faust/ Opera Australia
‘A feeble French travesty of a German literary monument.’ Such was Wagner’s view, in 1867, of Charles-François Gounod’s opera Faust which premiered in Paris in 1859. No matter that Faust was one of the most successful operas of its time, being performed at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, every season from 1863 to 1911 and…