A tradie has been breaking into operatic song on a worksite in Sydney.

Musically mind-blowing – a highly talented, intelligent collaborative period music ensemble.

The sepulchral German bass, a go-to for Kleiber and Karajan, has passed away aged 78.

Kosky’s baroque extravaganza could power SA’s electricity grid for a month.

Latvian mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča’s voice has only been growing in power and weight since she first came onto the scene in 2001, unaccountably missing out on the top prize at the Cardiff Singer of the World competition. Now, several albums later and with many role successes at the Met and Royal Opera under her belt, she returns with a new recording and a new sound. Well, perhaps not entirely new. Garancˇa has been heading towards this heavier repertoire for a while, trading her signature bel canto for Verdi, verismo and the swoonier French 19th-century repertoire. Scenes from Samson et Dalila and Werther are inevitable, but arias for Eboli, Santuzza and Didon (let alone Marina’s Skuchno Marine… from Boris Godunov) feel more exploratory, more like first steps in a new journey. No Amneris or Azucena yet, but Garanča’s programme note makes clear that it’s only a matter of time. The theme underpinning this wide-ranging collection of scenes and arias is an interesting one: strong women at moments of crisis. It’s not a concept that reduces very tidily to a tagline, but musically it amounts to an album of beautifully managed contradictions. Garanča finds the girlish frailty in Santuzza as well as…

The tolerant opera buff will be rewarded with this latest volume in Desiree Records’ Great Voices of Australia series.

A turquoise background offsets seven pin-up girls juxtaposed into the letters P-O-P C-O-R-N. The playful album matches The 7 Sopranos’ spirit in this compilation of songs from stage and screen. A luscious bloom of strings and brass introduces the disc, quickly heralding us into an overture before the words “I got rhythm” ring out in all-female voices. They aren’t always perfectly in tune, and the balance of the ensemble could be better approached, however, when listening to such classics as these, perhaps the addition of some ‘human’ qualities helps you to believe in the dream of romance. Dubin and Warren’s Keep Young and Beautiful is crisp and maybe a little deliberately pompous. In Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend, soloist Clarissa Spata comes to the fore in a rich and glamorous rendition. It’s a fairly simple ride, but the 16 tracks are well spaced with swooning, slower tunes interspersed with upbeat toe-tappers. Other highlights include I Enjoy Being a Girl by Rodgers and Hammerstein and Howard’s Fly Me to the Moon, modestly featuring soloist Deborah Rogers. The 7 Sopranos pays homage to this golden era with grace and authenticity. As they state in their sleeve notes: “We believe in making…

Phoebe Briggs on the pleasures and challenges of conducting Respighi’s rarely heard marionette opera for Victorian Opera. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

British satire, German Romanticism, and high Italian drama make up this year’s offering from the company.

Lyric tenor Kang Wang joins 19 finalists in the popular international opera competition.

Limelight wants you to tell us who you think deserves to be crowned king or queen of the operatic stage.

Students can purchase $50 tickets to attend the final dress rehearsal of Barrie Kosky’s sold out opera production. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in