Now he is thought of as an old Dutch master, but Louis Andriessen a former apostle of Marxist modernism would doubtless shy away from such titles.
November 17, 2016
Lior, Elena Kats-Chernin and The Idea of North have collaborated on a CD for hospitalised kids and their families.
November 11, 2016
Excellence. If you want to hear some, listen to the first track of Gondwana Chorale’s debut album Soar. The opener, Dan Walker’s Concierto del Sur, offers us a breath of life as this exquisitely produced recording brings together more than 50 of the brightest young singers in modern Australia. The dynamic texture of Orlovich’s Butterflies Dance continues the journey of divine music and sound, while another highlight is Abbott’s Fool – a percussive and masterfully articulated song from Words of Wisdom, a collection of works drawing on newspaper quotes. Also of note is the strength in upper voices found in Lament to Saint Cecilia by Stanhope. Gondwana’s voices are worthy of a five-star review. But something about this album doesn’t sit right. The bold cover photography shows our blue sky and red land; inside, notes boast “new Australian works that capture the mystery and grandeur of our land” sung by children of dairy farmers and flying doctors. The inclusion here of sacred works from Guerrero, Monteverdi and Rachmaninov does not represent contemporary Australia, nor does it push to establish a national sound from a young generation of singers. And with their talent, they have the power to unite people in…
November 10, 2016
Jeremy Dibble, indefatigable scholar of all things English, Romantic and musical, has exhumed a sizeable body of madrigals written in the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Some of the composer’s names will be familiar: Elgar, Stanford and Parry. Some choristers will be familiar with Stainer, whose oratorio, The Crucifixion makes an annual appearance on Good Friday at St. Paul’s, Melbourne. The names of Leslie, Goodhart and Pearsall will more often than not draw a blank. Pearsall is best known for his arrangement of In Dulci Jubilo in Willcocks’ Carols for Choirs 1. Encouraged by societies who ran competitions with generous prizes, these composers and many others turned their hand to the form of the madrigal, attempting on the one hand to evoke something “antique” and on the other to push the form’s harmonic and textural envelope in new directions. Victorian prudery is evident in the lack of any salacious Elizabethan texts. Hard by a Crystal Fountain and Come Again, Sweet Love are definitely out. Stanford and Pearsall, each in their own way, are the best of this bunch. Stanford unashamedly displays his ‘modernist’ credentials in daring but deftly handled harmonies in God and the Universe and On Time. Pearsall in ‘antiquarian’ mode…
November 10, 2016
A composer of Catholic liturgical music in a Lutheran society, Jan Dismas Zelenka (1679-1745) was fighting an uphill battle for popularity even during his own lifetime. After his death, his music all but disappeared from the repertoire, and still remains firmly on the fringes of concert programming. One ensemble, however, is doing more than any to change this. For over 20 years, Czech conductor Václav Luks and his superb Collegium 1704 choir and orchestra have been turning out eloquent recordings that celebrate the intricate counterpoint and bold harmonic gestures of the composer JS Bach so admired. Their latest is particularly interesting: a world premiere recording of the Missa Divi Zaveri, a major 1729 work thus far silenced by the poor condition (including lost parts) of its surviving manuscript. Now Luks himself has produced a complete edition, and the results are thrilling. The Mass features the largest forces Zelenka ever composed for, including four trumpets, timpani, doubled flutes and oboes as well as strings, chorus and SATB soloists. The result is truly festal in scale, possibly an informal audition for the job of kapellmeister at Dresden that would eventually go to Hasse. With no Credo, the centre of musical gravity shifts…
November 10, 2016
Julie Kerr has founded Music Love, an online platform to showcase women across all branches of the Australian music industry.
November 9, 2016
★★★★½ Renaissance masters make sublime and welcome return to Oz. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in
November 6, 2016
The socially savvy mezzo supports many causes, but after the Paris attacks she’s decided to go on the record.
November 3, 2016
Opera Australia's Artistic Director explains why art and music in our modern society are more important than ever.
November 2, 2016
As Melbourne goes Ring crazy, Limelight celebrates with its annual opera special. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in
November 2, 2016
Audiovisual,
Chamber,
Classical Music,
Dance,
Film,
Instrumental,
Stage,
Theatre,
Visual Art,
Vocal & Choral,
World
Shostakovich in the theatre and concert hall, an eight-hour theatrical marathon and a Vietnamese circus are highlights. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in
November 2, 2016
She didn’t buy the dramatic repertoire for many years, but these days many consider the Wagnerian soprano of our time. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in
November 2, 2016