November 2023

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Features

The 1711 hit that catapulted Handel to fame and fortune at just 25.

by Clive Paget

Sigrid Thornton on playing Arkadina in The Seagull and taking risks.

by Cassie Tongue

Australian opera has a legacy of gender inequality. So what’s next?

by Caitlin Vincent

Prepare to set sail on the BRAVO Cruise of Performing Arts

by Guy Noble

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Soundings

Interview

From a commission for Yo-Yo Ma to a performance with the Australian World Orchestra, Eliza and Harry Sdraulig are leading their own musical careers. But occasionally, the siblings’ paths cross.

by Jo Litson

On the Record

Mozart heads up this month with Igor Levit and Víkingur Ólafsson hot on his heels. Vocal delights include Sarah Connolly’s Mahler and miraculous choral music by Stephen Hough.

by Clive Paget

Cutting Edge

Associate Director Nhlanhla Mahlangu and composer Kyle Shepherd discuss William Kentridge’s Olivier Award-winning Waiting for the Sibyl ahead of its Australian premiere.

by Jansson J. Antmann

Theatre

Flagging spoilers, Elise Esther Hearst opens up about A Very Jewish Christmas Carol.

by Jansson J. Antmann

Books

★★★★★ An actor speaks, offering thoughts that are illuminating, humane and intelligent.

by Diana Simmonds

Film

★★★★ Mark Cousins’ study of the groundbreaking director inspires fans to revisit classic movies they think they already know.

by Jason Blake

In the Limelight

A round-up of our recent news reports.

The buzz around live performance.

Radio and streaming concert highlights.

Coda

Guy Noble's Soapbox

Attending Cabaret in London, Guy Noble was taken aback by the dictatorial ushers, who tried to stop him taking photos in the foyer, and on the pavement outside.

Playing Up

Dong Ma is a virtuoso on the erhu, a two-stringed instrument from China. Now based in Melbourne, he performs Julian Yu’s arrangement of JS Bach’s Goldberg Variations  with the Flinders Quartet.

World Premiere

May Lyon explains why a commission from Musica Viva Australia to compose for violinist Noa Wildschut and pianist Elisabeth Brauß inspired images of creaking ice sheets and an active volcano.

5 Questions For

During the pandemic, the Ukrainian-born Australian conductor and his soprano wife Eleanor Lyons dreamed up a company called Live At Yours to perform intimate, salon-style concerts – and it’s taken off.

My Music

A former performer, choreographer and genre-hopping director, the Artistic Director of Perth’s Black Swan State Theatre Company of WA is fascinated by the power of music to revive memories.

Playlists

Staff and Contributors

Print Editor
Jo Litson

Digital Editor
Jason Blake

Designer
Tristan Main

Editor-­at-­Large
Clive Paget

Staff Writer
Maddy Briggs

Contributors
Peter Berner, Kate Champion, Jansson J. Antmann, Dong Ma, Patricia Maunder, Guy Noble, Diana Simmonds, Cassie Tongue, Caitlin Vincent

Publisher

Limelight Arts Media Pty Ltd

Chief Executive Officer
Cara Anderson

Subscriptions & Operations Manager
William Jeffery

Sales Manager
Carla Bird

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