Last week was a theatrical rollercoaster. Sandwiched between two roles on stage, an over indulgent American mother and a medieval German nun, I observed and absorbed a diverse range of shows too; from a west end style musical to a family opera, an adapted European classic to a Canadian comedy, and a experimental development project too. And like any such ride, it brought some highs, as well as quite a few lows. I love the theatre, for many reasons. To quote one of my heroes, Cate Blanchett, it’s "life affirming, exhilarating". For those of us who know that feeling, who have experienced theatre's magic, whether watching it or being part of it, we know that there is nothing quite like it. We move on quickly from the lows, knowing that the highs will come. But sadly not everyone sees it that way and unfortunately, there are times when I can understand why. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was wonderful fun for children (mine, aged six, seven and eight, loved it) but it was an expensive and rather disappointing afternoon as an adult. I’d read up on the tour and so wasn’t expecting the marvels of a Matilda or a Mary Poppins…

Finnish composer and Senegalese singer share ABBA manager’s award. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

The June issue focuses on the glorious musical tradition that is British music. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

Contemporary string quartet receives grant to create seven new works, all by Australian composers.

New British study proves the benefits of the Arts in treating patients with debilitating mental disease. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

I do like a classic. Whether it be a nice suit, a Citroën DS or a fantastic Valpollicella, I have always had a kind of magnetic attraction to those things which just exude style, quality, beautiful craftsmanship, eloquence and distinction. They elevate what could be mundane into the sublime. Italian Baroque icon Arcangelo Corelli (1653–1713) always fitted into this category for me. About 5 years after I moved to the Netherlands, I finally had the opportunity to do something about my passion for his music. I thought Corelli was a nice topic for my first blog column for Limelight as 2013 is a big Corelli anniversary year and because the NDA’s Corelli project, I’m delighted to be able to report, was recently chosen as a top five highlight of the 30 year history of the Holland Festival of Early Music Utrecht. The project also featured many Australians, including Baroque violinist Rachael Beesley in the solo role. Corelli was a legendary generator of musical style. In the 18th century, he was the very personification of the Italianicity which the rest of Europe lusted after. He was the Dizzy Gillespie, the Angus Young, the Grace Kelly, the Faye Dunaway, the Catherine Deneuve…

Victoria’s symphony orchestra posts a financial deficit of nearly $800,000 for 2012. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

The Production Company’s home-grown hit steals the limelight from OA’s South Pacific. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

Sydney Theatre Company’s year-round cheap ticket scheme could revolutionise access for thousands. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

Artist wins a second Archibald Prize for her “sincere, deep, generous and creative” portrait of actor Hugo Weaving. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

The Met’s legendary Carmen passes away at her Manhattan home at the ripe old age of 99. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

Record companies love anniversaries, so
 with Wagner, Verdi and Britten all reaching significant ones in 2013, we can expect a plethora of celebratory releases. Rolando Villazón actually has two Verdi tributes out: one a compilation from his former label, Virgin Classics, which predates the tenor’s well- publicised vocal crisis and subsequent 
surgery; and this new, meatier
 collection, recorded – with able
 support from the Orchestra del
 Teatro Regio di Torino and its
 principal conductor Gianandrea 
Noseda – as an early birthday
 present to Italy’s operatic master. There’s no avoiding the difference
 in Villazón’s voice: his molten gold
 timbre has hardened and the sound as a
 whole (particularly up top) is narrower and tighter, no longer the effortless wonder it
 once was. What hasn’t changed is Villazón’s inimitable enthusiasm. He wears his heart quite audibly on his sleeve, and reinforces 
it with instinctive, pliable phrasing and a knack for five-minute vocal portraiture. His program here is substantial and varied, with plenty of lesser-known repertoire alongside several of the usual suspects, and even
 a few non-operatic selections, including 
three Romanze orchestrated by Berio. Villazón attacks each piece with gusto, and if the results aren’t always flawless, his commitment is undeniable. The Duke’s……