CD Review: ‘Pavarotti – The 50 Greatest Tracks’ reflects a life in song
Pavarotti The 50 Greatest Tracks is a new release from Decca commemorating two half century anniversaries. The first is his international debut in 1963 as Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor in Amsterdam, followed later that year by his Covent Garden debut as Rodolfo in La Boheme, replacing the indisposed Giuseppe di Stefano – the serendipitous call to…
Review: ABC Symphony Australia Young Performer of the Year Award, Grand Final 2013
The Grand Final of the 2013 ABC Symphony Australia Young Performer of the Year Award held at the Melbourne Town Hall on October 12th 2013, was a fine exhibition of musical abilities. It was also an emotional event, due in large part to the evening’s proceedings being dedicated to the memory of John Hopkins, AM OBE,…
CD Review: Amy Dickson ‘Dusk & Dawn’
Dusk & Dawn Amy Dickson, Sony Classics 88725479572 Sydney born saxophonist Amy Dickson’s latest CD release Dusk & Dawn won for her the title of Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the 2013 Classical Brit Awards. This was the first Classical Brit Award for an Australian as well for the saxophone. Dusk & Dawn contains 12 familiar tracks arranged for saxophone and…
Review: Canadian Opera and Opera Australia Co-Production of ‘Peter Grimes’ in Toronto
Peter Grimes – Benjamin Britten Four Seasons Theatre, Toronto 8 October 2013. Opera Australia’s 2009 production of Britten’s Peter Grimes by Neil Armfield was a co-production with the West Australian Opera, Houston Grand Opera and the Canadian Opera Company. The Canadians have delayed showing the production until this year and it is now their contribution…
Australian World Orchestras reviewed
Peter McCallum reviews the Australian World Orchestras concert for the Sydney Mornng Herald “……there was something about the event….. that allowed players to reach into the depth of their musicianship and draw out phrases of the keenest shape and freshest expression.” http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/orchestra-soars-to-another-world-20131006-2v27a.html
Review: Harbour City Opera’s ‘Suor Angelica’
Suor Angelica – Giacomo Puccini. Harbour City Opera, September 25th, 2013, Paddington Uniting Church. Sung in Italian with English surtitles. Fledgling opera company Harbour City Opera presented its first complete opera this week choosing to perform Puccini’s Suor Angelica for this inaugural event. The all-female cast and the ability of the narrative and the music…
CD Review: ‘Smile’ The Idea of North
Celebrating 20 years of stylish music making, ARIA Award winning a capella quartet The Idea of North have released Smile, their 10th album on the ABC Classics label. The blend of voice, harmony and crystalline delivery is nothing less than listeners have come to expect from this ensemble. Soprano Sally Cameron, alto Naomi Crellin, tenor Nick Begbie and bass…
CD Review: Leonard Grigoryan’s ‘Solo’
Guitarist Leonard Grigoryan has made an emphatic statement with the release of his first solo CD, not surprisingly called Solo. Part of a brilliant music family, Leonard has appeared with his brother Slava as an extremely successful and highly regarded duo, The Grigoryan Brothers. With this CD, he demonstrates that he is as accomplished a solo artist…
‘Thoroughly enjoyable’ – Britten’s ‘Albert Herring’ from Opera Australia
Albert Herring – Benjamin Britten Opera Australia, 16 August 2013 Amid the flurry of celebrations for this year’s Verdi and Wagner bicentenaries the centenary of the birth of Benjamin Britten has been overshadowed. Opera Australia is commemorating it with a revival of John Cox’s 1976 production of Albert Herring – probably the earliest production to…