For their new albums, soprano Joyce El-Khoury and tenor Michael Spyres are walking in famous footsteps. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

American soprano Brenda Rae stuns in her Australian debut.

Proserpine is neither Classical nor a classic. She isn’t the queen of Hades but a 16th-century Italian courtesan who falls in love with the wrong man, tries to kill his fiancée, and stabs herself when he rejects her. Parisian audiences didn’t take her to their hearts. She appeared before them for a mere ten performances in 1887, briefly surfaced 12 years later, and then sank without trace until the Palazzetto Bru Zane, dedicated to the rediscovery of French Romantic opera, brought her back. Bru Zane’s standards are, as usual, impeccable. Ulf Schirmer’s conducting is lucid and elegant, and the recording stars the soprano Véronique Gens in the title role. I recently heard her sing Halévy’s Reine de Chypre in Paris, and was struck, as I am here, by her warm voice and insight into character. Proserpine itself isn’t easy to warm to on first or even second listening, but it’s interesting to hear a French composer grappling with Wagner. The melody lies in the orchestra – the vocal line is largely heightened recit, bar some exquisite ensembles in Act II. Contemporary audiences found the “advanced” composition difficult to grasp, but the orchestration, to a modern ear, sounds more like Gounod…

Groundhog Day is yet more proof (if any were needed) of Tim Minchin's gift as a composer-lyricist.

Classical music and opera in Australia both saw significant growth in revenue, report shows. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

The ever-fabulous mezzo gives us a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at Black Rider for Victorian Opera and Malthouse.

Can a crack creative team turn Muriel’s Wedding into the great Aussie musical? Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

Australian tenor Alexander Lewis compels opposite Rod Gilfry's commanding Walt Whitman in Matthew Aucoin's deft new opera.

Remarkable Australian premiere of a unique Japanese virtual opera.

We caught up with the star soprano backstage in Paris and discovered why she doesn’t want to do “stupid intellectual stuff”. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

A delightful combination of music, opera, food and wine in an exquisite setting.

Ahead of her Australian debut, the American soprano explains how she’s been getting to know Jean-Philippe. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in