A mere century ago, Franz Schreker was mentioned in the same breath as Richard Strauss, Korngold and Berg as one of Europe’s most important opera composers. In 1938 the Nazis put paid to all that by condemning his work as “entartete” (meaning degenerate) and after the war his exotic, late Romantic style was hardly flavour of the month. Recent decades have proved kinder however, and this new CD joins a healthy catalogue of recorded works. For anyone used to the highly perfumed sexual psychodrama of Der Ferne Klang, this piece may come as a bit of a surprise. A late work, Der Schmied von Gent is set during the 16th-century Spanish occupation of Flanders and turns out to be a light-hearted folk opera. Our hero, Smee, is accused of overcharging the occupying forces and loses his business. To get it back he sells his soul to the devil and enjoys seven years of good fortune. After an act
 of kindness towards the Holy Family (who are in disguise, naturally), St Joseph grants him three wishes, enabling him to wriggle out of his enforced trip to Hell. Unable to enter Heaven either after his death, he sets up a pub outside……

A look at opera singers old and new, from Callas to Kaufmann, with more than a side glance at Shostakovich and Salieri. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

Medea’s final aria, hidden by Cherubini, sees the light of day after 200 years under charcoal. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

National Indigenous Opera Company comes to Melbourne to nurture young Indigenous singers. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

If Jonas Kaufmann is your idea of the perfect heldentenor,
voice then Klaus Florian Vogt’s preternaturally light instrument might not be your cup of tea. Nevertheless, the other German Wagner tenor du jour has built quite a following and this is his second solo album for Sony. He includes several items also on Kaufmann’s current disc,
so a comparison is apt. Sadly it seems that Vogt holds none of the winning cards. Listen, for example, to Siegmund’s sword monologue: next to Kaufmann’s heroic tone and attention to text, Vogt’s is a pale, thin sound with little interpretive detail. His cries of “Wälse” are weak, and over in half the time of his rival’s. More lyrical items fare little better. Rienzi’s rushed prayer has awkward multiple breaths and little sense of line. The top notes are all there but delivered at low voltage and strained when required to be above forte. His Meistersinger sounds best but the tone is more that of a David than a Walther. Parsifal finds Vogt in better voice and he has some fine moments, but Tristan is a role that simply doesn’t suit him. Vogt is partnered by the excellent Jonathan Nott and his Bamberg Symphony. These are…

Soprano, who famously sang the Queen of the Night on horseback, receives the Order of Australia. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

Sydney Philharmonia Choirs plan to pop the bubbly while Cheryl Barker and Stuart Skelton cut the cake(s).

Graeme Murphy’s handsome production of Puccini’s grandest opera was first recorded back 
in 1991, so why have Opera Australia chosen to revisit it? First of all, it’s an opportunity for a technological upgrade, and in this respect the DVD is a singular success. Picture quality is crystal clear, with clever use of overlays to enhance the visuals. The sound, too, is very good, every detail of Andrea Licata’s highly effective, dramatic reading of the score brought vividly to life. First honours go to American soprano Susan Foster in the title role, commanding the stage with ringing tone, immaculate diction and an insightful dramatic identification with the character. It’s a wild performance, and some might find the vibrato a trifle wayward, but she easily sails over the chorus and her emotional transformation is riveting. The other star of the show is the Australian Opera chorus who, despite Murphy’s production occasionally veering into Kismet territory, sing with unflagging power and commitment. Unfortunately, Rosario La Spina proves a fly in the ointment. His foursquare musical approach and unimaginative use of text lacks finesse and, although the top notes are all there, his hollow tone is dull. Add to this some dubious Italian vowels…

There are two ways of looking at the 18th-century solo motet. One is as a vehicle for expression of religious thought (and a cheap means to fill out your service if you were on a budget). The other is a way of slipping a virtuoso operatic showpiece or two into a sacred service – indeed, if you were Handel, Vivaldi or Porpora, this form of recycling was common 
practice. For her solo Decca
 debut recording, the Russian
 coloratura Julia Lezhneva has
 opted to explore this fruitful
 musical genre with motets 
from four of the most distinctive
 composers of the Baroque and 
Classical periods. Neatly, each motet 
ends with an Alleluia movement, giving the disc its title. Still only 23, Lezhneva is possessed of an exceptionally pure instrument. The danger with a “clean” voice like hers is the risk of
 a certain sameness over the course of an hour’s solo program, but do not despair:
 this young soprano has two tricks up her sleeve. Recognising the operatic dimension within these works, she hurls herself into the opening of Vivaldi’s In Furore with more bite even than Sandrine Piau on the rival Naïve recording (which is saying something!). Her technique is rock……

The maestro leading one of Australian opera's largest and most expensive undertakings calls it quits, citing issues of "personal chemistry".

Welsh Singer parts from her record label amidst claims that she was pushed after unreasonable demands.

Marie Bashir gives Peter Bassett’s Ring Cycle lectures on Decca Eloquence the Royal seal of approval.