Indholdsfortegnelse for July 2014 i Limelight

THE CONSOLATIONS OF SCHUBERT Lying ill in bed and picturing – as many men do when they have a mild case of flu – my imminent demise, I wondered what music could adequately reflect my woe. I immediately thought of Schubert. As the composer wrote to a friend in 1823: “Think of a man whose health can never be restored, and who from sheer despair makes matters worse instead of better. Think, I say, of a man whose brightest hopes have come to nothing, to whom love and friendship are but torture, and whose enthusiasm for the beautiful is fast vanishing; and ask yourself if such a man is not truly unhappy.” Yes, add a bit of sinusitis, and that’s pretty much how I felt… But all jokes aside, what…

LETTER OF THE MONTH… GERGIEV – PRO AND CONTRA An article in June Limelight mentioned Valery Gergiev’s close ties to President Putin, which had incensed gay rights campaigners, and that Gergiev and Denis Matsuev, his piano soloist on the Australian tour by the London Symphony Orchestra, had supported Putin’s policy on the Ukraine and Crimea. Politics and music have often been a controversial mixture. Furtwängler, Ansermet, Böhm and Gieseking were some who were criticised for continuing to perform in Germany, while Karajan had the added stigma of Nazi Party membership. The uneasy relationship between Richard Strauss and the Nazis shows how musicians can be used by a regime. Goebbels had appointed Strauss as head of the State Music Bureau in 1933 but wrote in his diary, “unfortunately we still need…

RACH UNDER THE HAMMER The original handwritten manuscript of Sergei Rachmaninov’s Second Symphony has sold at auction in the UK for nearly $2.2 million. The Second received its premiere in St Petersburg in 1908 after which the 320-page score apparently went missing. The manuscript reveals a plethora of differences from Rachmaninov’s later versions of the work, with various corrections, annotations and even several bars of new music. CLASSICAL LEGAL HIGHS The Colorado Symphony has performed a series of “cannabis-friendly” fundraisers sponsored by representatives of the state’s legalised pot industry. The concerts were run on a BYOC (bring your own cannabis) basis, with marijuana not on sale at the venue. “The industry opens the door to a younger demographic,” said CEO Jerome H Kern. “Marijuana-related companies can acquire the legitimacy of…

Samuel Dundas Opera Australia’s braggadocio Belcore lets us sample his musical elixir of love La Bohème Pavarotti, Freni, Berlin PO/Karajan DECCA 4210492 The benchmark Bohème. A cast without parallel plus Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic – I imagine it’s exactly what Puccini had in mind when he first put pen to page. Pavarotti’s Che gelida manina is a reason to get out of bed in the morning! She Harry Connick Jnr COLUMBIA I could happily just list Connick Jnr albums, but She is the album that stands out for me the most. Probably one of the first albums I ever owned and some of the first music I ever truly paid attention to. Some of the defining sounds of my teenage years. The Vagabond Bryn Terfel, Malcolm Martineau DG 4459462…

SIR GEORGE CHRISTIE 1934 – 2014 Former chairman of Glyndebourne’s opera house and festival, Sir George Christie, has died aged 80. The son of Glyndebourne Opera founder Sir John Christie and his wife, the soprano Audrey Mildmay, he took charge of the family business in 1957 at the age of 23. He held the position until 1999 when his own son, Gus Christie, succeeded him. Highlights from his tenure as chairman include the launch of the company’s touring arm and, in 1983, the introduction of its education program. In 1984 Christie was knighted for his services to music, and in 1987 he announced plans to build a new opera house to replace the original that his father had haphazardly added onto the family home. These plans were realised in 1994,…

An opera column on Mario Lanza? Some regard the popular recording artist and movie star of the 1950s as even less legit than André Rieu. Yet the young Alfredo Cocozza trained in opera. His mother Maria Lanza (whom he renamed himself after) was a soprano, albeit with a career that went nowhere. Lanza worked with Koussevitsky at Tanglewood, where he sang Rodolfo in La Bohéme. Some older music lovers dubbed him Caruso’s successor. Both Domingo and Pavarotti were influenced by Lanza: especially the latter, who decided to take up singing after hearing Lanza’s golden voice. Born in Brooklyn to Italian parents in 1921, Lanza began vocal training at the age of 16, and throughout his career worked as hard as any opera star on maintaining his technique. He was due…

Who can resist the allure of the harp? Many composers have fallen under its spell and I’m one. Writing for it is a challenging but rewarding experience. This July, the Seven Harp Ensemble (SHE) and didjeridu virtuoso William Barton will premiere my new Harp Mantras to open the World Harp Congress. Harpists are always ready with advice. It’s in their interests to educate composers. They come up to you after rehearsals and point out how a chord might be made more sonorous or a phrase more playable. I appreciate this. Perhaps the best lesson I’ve had came from Marshall McGuire, who transcribed for harp the solo part of my guitar concerto Arafura Dances. After that I felt confident enough to compose a solo work for him: The Harp and the…

When Herbert von Karajan died on July 16, 1989, the classical record industry died a little too. Gone was a musician who had the power that could ensure that classical music stayed on the radar, who guaranteed that classical record sales could rival those of pop and rock music, and, above all, gone was someone who fascinated the musical public with the aura he’d built up over a lifetime. He had become one of the great brands of the second half of the 20th century and his absence was felt very quickly. Karajan, who was born and died in Salzburg, the city of Mozart, continues to divide opinion – and those divisions are as much personal as musical. For the naysayers, it is Karajan the egotist, Karajan the power-crazed, even…

Turning 450 this year, William Shakespeare (AKA The Bard of Avon) can lay claim to being the most celebrated writer in the English language. His works still enthuse actors and theatre directors, and major celebrations are planned, or have already happened, all around the world. But what about his contribution to music? Whoever he was, Shakespeare was a tuneful fellow. All of his plays were written to incorporate songs and dances (although hardly a note survives from the time). Hardly surprising, then, that over the centuries his works have inspired the great composers to produce some of their finest works for opera house, ballet, film and concert hall. His plays have flourished in musical form in Italy, in Germany, behind the Iron Curtain – even as far as Japan. Some…

So much for the big fish, how about the smaller Shakespearean fry? There are plenty of them, some more notable than others. Measure for Measure inspired Wagner’s second opera, Das Liebesverbot, whose overture is the best thing about it. Words from The Merchant of Venice are the basis for Vaughan Williams sublime Serenade to Music for 16 soloists. Berlioz final opera Béatrice et Benedict is a drastically pruned version of Much Ado about Nothing while The Taming of the Shrew inspired Cole Porter’s Kiss Me Kate. Henry VIII lies behind an underrated opera by Saint-Saëns and some lovely theatre music by Sullivan. Olivier’s Richard III sports Walton’s third great Shakespearean film score. Perhaps the great overlooked 20th-century opera is Samuel Barber’s flop Antony and Cleopatra. Walton’s Troilus and Cressida, however,…

“It’s great having this calibre of magazine in Australia. Jam-packed with interesting articles, its reviews and fun facts have saved me many a time when stuck in a corner at parties with music scholars. The great photography and layout also help me when I’m feeling too lazy to read. As I tour for much of the year, Limelight keeps me up to date with the latest releases and news, and its always exciting to catch up on the activities of my peers. It is my dream to see Limelight as a fixture in waiting rooms around the country. Here’s looking forward to next month’s issue!”…

Was working with a bel canto luminary like Richard Bonynge daunting? Perhaps a little, but mostly I was looking forward to it! I was thrilled he wanted to be involved and offered his services and experience, including coaching, pro bono. We’d worked together only once before he was approached, but I was obviously delighted to have him on board for his wealth of experience, advice on ornaments and suchlike. Having worked with my coach in New York, and from experimenting myself, I had quite a collection of possible variations! I was pleased to have the Maestro’s levelheaded approach as to which were best. I learnt a lot! Of the arias you have recorded here, which roles have you performed on stage to date? I’ve played a…

The Silver Album Various composers Anne-Sophie Mutter v, Lambert Orkis p DG 4792949 (2CD) Anne-Sophie Mutter has gone through the seven ages of violinists, from child prodigy anointed by Karajan, to enfant terrible with willful interpretations, to glamour queen in elegant gowns, through the contemporary music champion, neglected master, mature artist, and now at the end of it all, musical institution. Here she is, in that latter role celebrating her 25th anniversary as a recitalist in partnership with redoubtable associate artist Lambert Orkis. What a journey it’s been for them, ground-breaking, controversial, infuriating, and all of it documented with suitable individuality bordering on eccentricity in this new 2CD set. With Mutter always foregrounded (what a humble man Orkis must be), it consists of various reissues including Op. 30 No 2…

Holst Orchestral Works Volume 3 Susan Gritton s, BBC Symphony Orchestra & Chorus/ Sir Andrew Davis CHANDOS CHSA5127 (SACD) How good it is to have such excellent accounts of two major works for voice and orchestra by Holst. The first, dating from 1904 (and revised eight years later) is The Mystic Trumpeter, a setting of Walt Whitman featuring a soprano solo, and the second is the First Choral Symphony, a four-movement work with texts by Keats for soprano, chorus and orchestra. This recording might have come to light some years ago were it not for the untimely death of Richard Hickox in 2008, who passed away just as the project was beginning. Andrew Davis has more than ably assumed Hickox’s mantle and with Susan Gritton (who had begun work with…

ABC Classic FM has announced it will be launching ABC Classic 2, a talk-free sister station that will broadcast music 24/7. The service aims to introduce classical music in a playlist format available online and on mobile streaming devices. Showcasing ABC Classics’ extensive catalogue of concert recordings, the service will be supported by background information on composers and musicians, with the Classic 2 online blog aiming to entertain and inform listeners by shedding light on featured works and lesser-known musical facts in a concise and shareable format. ABC Classic FM’s Online Editor, Angela Stengel, and a team of Classic 2 writers will manage the blog while the Classic 2 team in consultation with ABC Classic FM’s Manager, Richard Buckham, will program the playlist. Buckham has said that the ABC are…

MONDAY - FRIDAY 6am Classic Breakfast with Emma Ayres 9am Mornings with Christopher Lawrence 12pm Midday with Margaret Throsby 1pm Afternoons Monday to Wednesday with Damien Beaumont, Thursday to Friday with Mairi Nicolson 4pm Classic Drive with Julia Lester 7pm Evenings Mon - Tues Simon Healy Wed - Fri Julie Howard. Includes the evening concert which generally begins at 8pm. However some live broadcasts may be earlier or later. 10.30pm Friday only Jazz Up Late With Gerry Koster ABC Classic FM Digital Radio and streaming online New Music Up Late with Julian Day 12.30am All Night Classics SATURDAY 6am Weekend Breakfast with Colin Fox 9am Saturday Morning with Marian Arnold 12pm Music Makers with Mairi Nicolson 1pm Saturday Afternoon Concert with Mairi Nicolson 4pm The Opera Show with Mairi Nicolson…

FINE MUSIC FM In July 2012, 2MBS-FM was re-branded as Fine Music – broadcasting the same music under the new call sign. The station broadcasts a mix of classical, jazz and contemporary music to the greater Sydney region. To listen, tune in to 102.5FM or stream online at www.finemusicfm.com 3MBS 3MBS is a fine music community radio station in Melbourne. 3MBS passionately supports fine music, especially Melbourne musicians and composers, and is the only locally-based classical music radio station in Victoria. To listen, tune in to 103.5FM or stream online at www.3mbs.org.au 4MBS One of Australia’s premier classical radio stations, 4MBS has received many awards for the promotion of young and emerging artists in Australia. Based in Brisbane, tune in to 103.7FM to listen or stream online at www.4mbs.com.au 5MBS…

Following an acclaimed production of Henry IV Part I, Royal Shakespeare Company Artistic Director Gregory Doran continues his exploration of Shakespeare’s history plays, with Henry IV Part II concluding the epic, comic and thrilling vision of a nation in turmoil. Henry IV Part II screens July 12 at Palace Cinemas Jack McCracken discovers his extended family are thieves and adulterers in A Small Family Business, the award-winning play returning to the British National Theatre for the first time since its celebrated premiere in 1987. Nigel Lindsay and Amanda Hadingue star in this riotous exposure of entrepreneurial greed by Alan Ayckbourn. A Small Family Business screens July 12-13 at Palace Cinemas Puccini’s tragic masterpiece Manon Lescaut makes a welcome return to Covent Garden after an absence of over 20 years. Jonathan…

JAMES JOLLY KARAJAN PAGE 30 James Jolly is a senior UK-based classical music journalist. For 15 years, from 1989, he edited Gramophone magazine and remains their editor-in-chief. Jolly also presents podcasts and radio broadcasts and has been producer of the BBC’s Saturday Review. ANDREW ARONOWICZ JANDAMARRA PAGE 40 Andrew Aronowicz is mostly a composer, but sometimes feels the need to write words. He has had performances with the Tasmanian and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras, and was a 2013 Australian Youth Orchestra Fellow, which is how he met the lovely people (his words) at Limelight magazine. SCOTT DAVIE PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION PAGE 52 Sydney-based pianist Scott Davie is an expert in Russian music, especially Sergei Rachmaninov and has recorded Rachmaninov’s First Piano Sonata for ABC Classics. Davie combines his concert career…

I was working behind the bar in the Green Room at London’s Barbican Centre in the mid-’90s. Among the more interesting events staged at the centre was a screening of Philip Glass’s Qatsi Trilogy – accompanied by the composer’s own ensemble. The bar policy was notoriously strict (read: stingy) when it came to the serving of alcohol. Only 200mls of wine per serve and no more. Our rather regimental manager would come round in the evening and check the bottles against the till. After the last of the Qatsi shows, Philip Glass appeared with his band to celebrate. I served him a large glass of red wine, which – according to our house rules –was filled up not even half way. Philip politely pointed this out. I couldn’t resisting saying,…

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s resident conductor Fawzi Haimor has auditioned ten dogs for a rare performance of Leopold Mozart’s Hunting Horn Symphony – an unusual work, by the father of Wolfgang Amadeus which calls for four hunting horns, off-stage rifle fire and a chorus of barking canines. “Each dog has to have its own unique sound,” said Haimor as the wannabe musical mutts lined up. In a tough grilling process, Haimor gave musical cues to the handlers, who in turn gave the signals for their dogs to bark. Marked on obedience, focus and vocal timbre, five out of the ten competitors made it through – only one failed to bark at all which rather ruled it out.…

Composers are often known for their eccentricities. The 14th Lord Berners, however – composer of works including Fantasie Espagnole and The Triumph of Neptune – may claim the longest list of peculiarities. Born Gerald Tyrwhitt in 1878, Berners developed a unique set of personal quirks rather early in life. As a boy, after hearing the way to teach a dog to swim was by throwing it into water, he decided to teach his mother’s dog to fly by launching it from an upper-story window. The dog was miraculously unharmed, however the act earned Berners a beating. In the following years, after devising many elaborate booby traps for his unsuspecting family, Berners was sent away to boarding school in Cheam. It was here that he first began to explore his homosexuality…

The great film composer Bernard Herrmann had written a score for a 1937 Mercury Theatre version of Macbeth, directed by and starring a wilful Orson Welles who, alas, had his own ideas about the music. Arriving late for rehearsals, and accompanied by an elderly gentleman in a kilt with a bagpipe, Welles proceeded to cut much of the score as the script was already far too long. When Herrmann reasonably protested, the tyrannical Welles yelled, “No music! No music at all!” saying to the bagpiper, “Every time I raise this hand, you come in and play!” To the trumpeters and drummers he added: “Every time I lift this hand, you play a fanfare!” According to Herrmann, “Every time Orson raised either hand, which he did frequently in the role of…

REIMANN Lear Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Karl Helm, Julia Varady, Bavarian State Opera/Gerd Albrecht DG 4634802 WALTON Henry V Christopher Plummer, Academy of St Martin in the Fields/Neville Marriner CHANDOS CHAN8892 THOMAS Hamlet Thomas Hampson, June Anderson, Samuel Ramey, LPO/Antonio de Almeida EMI 7290872 VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Sir John In Love Donald Maxwell, Sarah Connolly, Northern Sinfonia/ Richard Hickox CHANDOS CHAN9928 VERDI Macbeth Piero Cappuccilli, Shirley Verrett, Plácido Domingo, Teatro alla Scala/ Claudio Abbado DG 4497322 VERDI Otello Mario del Monaco, Aldo Protti, Renata Tebaldi, Vienna Philharmonic/ Herbert von Karajan DECCA 4759984 MARTIN Der Sturm Robert Holl, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic & Choir/Thierry Fischer HYPERION CDA67821/3 PURCELL The Fairy Queen English Baroque Soloists, Monteverdi Choir/Sir John Eliot Gardiner DG ARCHIV 4776733 THE SONGS Orpheus with his Lute Catherine Bott, The Parley of Instruments/Holman HYPERION…

1885 The third of four children, he is born on Feb 9 in Vienna, where his father has an export business and his mother sells Catholic devotional items. They live on the Carinthia family estate in summer. He gets his love of music from his grandfather, a court jeweler. 1900 He shows talent for the piano and composing songs but his father’s death affects the family: his mother has to sell the shop and he has to repeat two years at school. In 1903 he has an illegitimate daughter with a maid, Maria Scheuchl. 1906 Although obliged to start unpaid training for the civil service in 1904, he has lessons with Schoenberg. In 1906, he starts full-time composing, producing the Piano Sonata, String Quartet and Seven Early Songs. 1910 He…

Mahler Symphony No 9 New Philharmonia Orchestra/ Otto Klemperer EMI 3800082 Otto Klemperer’s recording of Mahler’s Ninth Symphony appeared in 1967, at the zenith of the then 82-year-old conductor’s “Indian Summer”. By this stage in his career, Klemperer vied with Sir Adrian Boult, of all people, as EMI’s best-selling classical artist. My own experience of Mahler symphonies had begun when I was still at school, with Willem van Otterloo (ironically a conductor I later considered cool, ‘neat’ and largely uninspiring) in a performance of his First Symphony with the Sydney Symphony. My purchase of the Paul Kletzki Israel Philharmonic Music for Pleasure LP of Mahler’s Ninth coincided with my arrival at Sydney University. I felt very grown-up. Curiously, I leapfrogged the more ‘approachable’ Fourth and Fifth Symphonies in my obsession…

Harvest Over 100 works explore the production, consumption and symbolism of food, in conjunction with the Australian Cinémathèque. GOMA, Brisbane, June 28-September 21 Bushido An examination of the Japanese samurai, featuring armour, helmets, swords, large screen paintings, woodblock prints and photographs. NGV, Melbourne, July 4-November 4 Annette Messager: Motion / Emotion A retrospective exhibition encompassing drawings, sculpture and installations. MCA, Sydney, July 24-October 26…

MUSIC Cadence: Travels with music – a memoir Emma Ayres Harper Collins PB, 284pp, $29.99 ISBN 9780733331893 The Classic FM presenter blows off some musical cobwebs There’s a stereotype about memoirs: that they’re the dry, long-winded reminiscences of stuffy, old people. And this book by a gay, viola playing radio presenter in her mid-thirties, who rode a bike from England to Hong Kong completely shatters it. Emma Ayres’ Cadence is fresh, funny and insightful, and cutely compelling in its combination of childhood memories, musical musings and a thrilling cross-continental cycling odyssey. You’re captured from the get-go, as Emma describes her 31-year-old self, musing on the possibility of cycling across Europe and Asia. Ayres fully understands the gravity of our life choices, no matter how great or small they seem. For…

Lang Lang has announced the first release in a brand new line of perfumes for the discerning musician. “Very excited to announce the launch of my first fragrance!!” he tweeted, enthusiastically. “Will sell in Europe in the fall and China next year. :)” The world famous Chinese pianist, who also owns a private club in Guangzhou, will add the new perfumes to his growing list of business deals and endorsements, which include lucrative relationships with Volkswagen, Allianz, Telefonica, Bombardier and China Merchants Bank. Speaking to The Wall Street Journal last year, Lang Lang descibed how a French distribution company called Firmenich, who also manage high-end labels such as Armani and Dior, had been looking for an Asian to front a line of perfumes. “We decided to release it in Europe…

1. You began piano lessons as young as four years old. When did you first decide to become a professional pianist? For me there was never a turning point. Since music was always my ‘language’, and on stage the place I felt the freest, it was always clear for me that this is what I wanted to do. I have to admit also that I have been lucky enough to never be at a point where I had to ask myself: “can I really continue doing this?” I started playing the piano because I was looking for a replacement for the verbal language, which I could barely use at the age of four. When, at the age of five, I played in front of a bigger audience, I experienced for…

American mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato gave this year’s commencement speech at New York’s Juilliard School. Focusing on the true sense of what it is to be creative, she emphasised the necessity for art in every aspect of life. “The importance of art is the process, the journey. Artists will never experience the expected distinct outcome but rather will experience a journey far more important… Everyone in the world needs art and that is why artists’ jobs are so essential.” The eloquent and heartfelt speech received a standing ovation from the 2014 graduating class.…

Driving to the Sydney Opera House the other day, I became aware of the number of signs and directions along the way. Speed signs, Go Back You Are Going the Wrong Way signs, merge carefully signs, reduce speed signs. As I merged and indicated and sped as directed I had a sense that two aspects of my life had also merged – driving in Australia is like playing a page of classical music, with the government composer telling us what to do and when to do it. Rallentando here, softer there, play with passion here, don’t overtake the bassoons on the left there. All composers give performance information in their scores, but some go way overboard in their directions. Mahler was probably the worst, his symphonies littered with lengthy Germanic…

You were born in Málaga in Andalusia – the home of flamenco. Was it inevitable that you would become a guitarist? You know, that’s a very difficult question but I think the answer is “yes” because in my mind I always was. So whether it was inevitable or not, it was what I felt ‘right’ for from the start. Your father was your only teacher. Was that a difficult apprenticeship? I consider myself the luckiest person in the world to have had such an incredible father. He was an amazing teacher and such an incredible example. I think myself really a fortunate man. My first concert was with my father when I was about seven years old. I remember I played Bach’s Gavotte and Sevilla by Albéniz, and I think…

Despite the number of songs and dances in Shakespeare’s plays, we don’t know much about the music used at the time. One man is the exception, though, and that man is Robert Johnson, composer and lutenist. The son of John Johnson, lutenist to Elizabeth I, in 1596 Robert was apprenticed in the household of George Carey, 2nd Baron Hunsdon, later the Lord Chamberlain. Carey was the patron of the Lord Chamberlain’s Men, a theatre company to which William Shakespeare belonged. Later Robert became part of James I’s entourage providing private music for court masques. His compositions for the King’s Men theatrical company, of which Shakespeare was also a member, can be dated to roughly 1610-1617, a time when the company was using the Blackfriars Theatre in winter and The Globe…

The Alban Berg Collection (Wozzeck, Lulu etc) Various ensembles DG 4746572 (8CD) A collection of fine performances, including Anne-Sophie Mutter’s interpretation of the Violin Concerto. Orchestral Works Gothenburg SO/Mario Venzago CHANDOS CHSA5074 (2CD) A first-rate collection of Berg’s complete works for orchestra, including an impressive Three Pieces. Wozzeck Franz Grundheber, Waltraud Meier, Staatskapelle Berlin/ Daniel Barenboim EUROARTS 2066758 (DVD) A near-classic recording of Berg’s gritty masterpiece, laden with terrific drama and atmosphere. Lulu Teresa Stratas, Paris Opera/ Pierre Boulez DG 4636172 Still arguably the best complete recording of this difficult work, with Teresa Stratas in the title role.…

Jewels Of The Bel Canto Arias by Donizetti, Verdi, Bellini and Rossini Elena Xanthoudakis s, Royal Northern Sinfonia/ Richard Bonynge SIGNUM SIGCD374 As a Greek-Australian soprano it’s only natural that Elena Xanthoudakis should have as her twin idols Maria Callas and Joan Sutherland. And when the opportunity came along to record arias from the bel canto repertoire with that master of the craft Richard Bonynge, she must have thought all her Christmases had come at once. After a few days of run-throughs and discussions at the maestro’s Swiss home, the resulting 10 tracks recorded in England with the Royal Northern Sinfonia share that palpable sense of freshness and excitement that a major new talent often brings to familiar material. Xanthoudakis was born in Victoria and as a youngster she trained…

Beethoven Piano Trios Op. 70 No 2, Op. 97 (Archduke) Alexander Melnikov fp, Isabelle Faust v, Jean-Guihen Queyras vc HARMONIA MUNDI HMC902125 In the same month as this disc was recorded Harmonia Mundi were adding the finishing touches to an eagerly awaited complete recording of the Beethoven Piano Trios by Trio Wanderer – a magnificent achievement that went straight to the top of the list of complete sets. Apart from explaining the delay issuing the disc under review, I wonder whether the conflict of repertoire influenced the decision to record in period style with an original fortepiano or if it was a purely artistic decision, either way I’m not sure the choice was 100% right. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not averse to period instrument performance in this…

Handel Tamerlano Xavier Sabata ct, John Mark Ainsley t, Max Emanuel Cencic ct, Karina Gauvin s, Il Pomo d’Oro/ Riccardo Minassi NAÏVE V5373 Handel’s Tamerlano, written for the Royal Academy in 1724, is something of a secret pleasure for fans of 18th-century Italian opera. Lacking the magical stage machinery of the likes of Rinaldo, and with a low quotient of showcase arias to tickle the sensation seeker’s ear, it nevertheless has a claim to greatness. Why? It has one of the composer’s most grimly determined plots and a set of characters upon which Handel lavishes his utmost psychological insight. In 1402, the Mongol herdsman Timur defeated his enemy, the Turkish sultan Bayezid, who history relates he had carted around in a cage for months afterwards. In the opera, the wicked…

MacMillan’s Romeo & Juliet Superstars Tama Rojo and Carlos Acosta star in Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s classic choreography with the Queensland Ballet. QPAC, Brisbane, June 27-July 5 Keir Choreographic Award Four finalists perform in the biennial choreographic award dedicated to new work and innovation in contemporary dance. Carriageworks, Sydney, July 16-19 Classical Triple Bill A triple bill of ballet favourites including Paquita, Rimbombo and Swan Lake (Act III) from The Dancers Company. Theatre Royal, Hobart, July 18-19…

1984 by George Orwell Returning from a sold-out national tour in 2012, Michael Futcher’s adaptation brings Orwell’s final novel screaming into the present. QPAC, Brisbane, July 15-August 2 Richard III Mark Kilmurry directs a gripping new production of Richard the Third – the Shakespeare play that puts House of Cards to shame. Ensemble Theatre, Sydney, June 24-July 19 Henry V A thrilling new telling of Shakespeare’s classic historical play exploring themes of violence, courage, manhood and the horrors of war. Arts Centre, Melbourne, July 1-12…

HUGH JACKMAN AT WAAPA THEATRE Hollywood star Hugh Jackman has launched the Jackman Furness Foundation for the Performing Arts at a special event at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. Graduating from WAAPA 20 years ago, Jackman and his wife, actress Deborra-Lee Furness, said they established the foundation to “give back” to the institutions that educate and train Australia’s young talent. COQ ARTIST DODGES FINE VISUAL ART The South African performance artist who was arrested on September 10 last year after dancing in front of the Eiffel Tower with a cockerel tied to his penis has dodged a $1500 fine by arguing his “indecent exposure” was in the interests of artistic expression. Steven Cohen’s work entitled ‘Coq/Cock’ involved him donning feathers, platform shoes and long red gloves, and walking…

NON-FICTION Hard Choices Hillary Clinton Simon & Schuster, HB, 656pp, $35 ISBN 9781476751443 Hillary Clinton’s comprehensive look at international diplomacy in the 21st century, covering economic inequality, climate change and the challenges she faced during her four years as America’s 67th Secretary of State. FICTION Cop Town Karin Slaughter Dell Publishing, HB, 384pp, $27 ISBN 9780553390407 An epic police story laced with homicide set in Atlanta amidst the social upheaval of the 1970s. With a serial killer on the loose targeting cops, young officer Kate Murphy is tasked with bringing a madman to justice. NON-FICTION The Boys in the Boat Daniel James Brown Viking Adult, HB, 416pp, $28.95 ISBN 978067002581 A Depression-era account of the University of Washington’s eight-oar rowing crew and their quest for gold at Hitler’s 1936 Berlin…

Charismatic curator Hetti Perkins takes viewers on a deeply personal journey of ideas and the imagination, offering new insights and personal observations into the diversity and dynamism of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander life and culture. Each episode in the series considers the way in which contemporary Indigenous artists interpret and make sense of their history through their art practice. For many artists, acknowledging the difficult stories that stem from colonisation is at the heart of their life and work. Through examining the roles and responsibilities artists have in setting the record straight, and the relationship between the maintenance of tradition and innovation, Perkins weaves her own family story as the daughter of leading activist Charles Perkins. Highlights of the series include a vivid exploration of artist Daniel Boyd’s…

ABC TV JENNIFER BYRNE PRESENTS: THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS Tuesdays from July 15, TBA Originally conceived by a fourth century monk, the seven deadly sins have inspired writers and thinkers from the middle ages to the modern day. Across seven weeks, host Jennifer Byrne will be joined by a variety of esteemed guests to discuss how the seven sins have been represented in literature and culture across the ages and the their importance to many of history’s greatest literary works. FINE MUSIC 102.5 2013 SYDNEY SYMPHONY FELLOWSHIP July 5, 8pm In this concert recorded last July at Sydney’s Independent Theatre, the 2013 SSO Fellows perform Beethoven’s joyful early Serenade alongside his Razumovsky String Quartet No. 9 in C Major. Also on the program, the wind Fellows perform two of the…

ABC CLASSIC FM WEST AUSTRALIAN SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA July 4, 8pm Earlier this year the West Australian Symphony paid tribute to the music of some of the great American composers, collecting the works of Copland, Barber, Bernstein and Gershwin into a single program, with Benjamin Northey as guest conductor. Hear this recording as Karen Gomyo features in Barber’s Violin Concerto, bringing the requisite talent and energy to master the melodic context of the Allegro, the delicacy of the Andante, and the virtuosity of the Presto. ABC CLASSIC FM AUSTRALIAN YOUTH ORCHESTRA July 19, 8pm Australia’s violin prodigy Ray Chen joins the Australian Youth Orchestra under the baton of Simone Young to perform an exciting program of works, including Sibelius’ Violin Concerto, Stravinsky’s Symphony in Three Movements, and Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique. Winner of…

Jonathan Kent’s sleek, suspenseful production captures the duality of comedy and tragedy in Mozart’s Don Giovanni. In the title role at this year’s Glyndebourne Festival is Canadian baritone Elliot Madore, returning to the festival after his 2012 debut in L’ heure espagnole. British tenor Ben Johnson sings Don Ottavio opposite Canadian soprano Layla Claire, with Italian soprano Serena Farnocchia returning as Donna Elvira. Don Giovanni streams live online at 4.30pm (UK time), July 6. To watch, visit www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/glyndebourne Marin Alsop conducts the Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo in a performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9, featuring choral ensemble Coro da Osesp with soprano Lauren Snouffer, tenor John Mark Ainsley and baritone Paulo Szot. The concert streams live July 7, 6.30pm (Brazil time). To watch, visit www.medici.tv The 2014…

PRONUNCIATION Kiev /KEE-ef/, not /kee-EV/ Primary stress on the first syllable, not the second. When I issued a reminder about how to pronounce the name of this important city (having noticed that various broadcasters were repeatedly mispronouncing it), a staffer emailed me: “If the correspondents pronounce Kiev ‘kee-EV’, do you recommend readers pronounce it that way, or the correct way?” My reply may cause raised eyebrows: “The correspondents should get it right (and it’s a standard pronunciation, as listed in the Macquarie Dictionary and the Webster’s Geographical Dictionary). As for whether readers should pronounce it incorrectly just to sound the same as a correspondent, I can’t imagine why they’d do that. An incorrect pronunciation should never be adopted just for the sake of uniformity. If there’s a policy out there…

Defining what music means to me is almost impossible. The easiest answer would be to say that I neither can, nor indeed wish to, imagine my life in its absence. I would fail the Desert Island Disc test miserably, as I’d need a suitcase big enough to sink the average atoll to accompany me. It has simply always been one of the most important things in my world. My earliest childhood experiences of music were nothing if not eclectic, ranging from the predictable (Tubby the Tuba, Peter and the Wolf ) through the mildly precocious (Mozart’s Jupiter, Beethoven’s Emperor) to the somewhat left-of-field (Spike Jones’ Carmen) all of which formed the first building blocks of my record collection. To this day, I find it impossible to hear Carmen without mentally…