Thoughtful second part to Armfield's Ring transports us to soprano heaven.

★★★★☆ The showgirls return as Ring revival kicks off in style. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

Opera Australia’s Valkyrie talks about the highs, the lows, the hojotohos and how Anna Wintour inspires her interpretation. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

The German Heldentenor in Opera Australia’s Ring talks stamina, directorial decisions and the joys of being dead. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

Chris Bowen shares his view of the Report, wonders why he feels he's staring into the past, and puts some proposals on the table.

An anonymous donor has sponsored a number of tickets to the Melbourne Ring Cycle to encourage new audiences. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

Opera Australia's Artistic Director explains why art and music in our modern society are more important than ever.

A must see, site-specific one-off that lifts the spirits and justifies an art form.

The report into Australia’s opera companies recommends increased funding and a cap on international singers. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

OA’s chief will leave to take up appointment at London’s Royal Albert Hall in 2017. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

The Rabbits has become a real success story in contemporary Australian opera. Featuring a gorgeous score by singer-songwriter Kate Miller-Heidke and Iain Grandage, with a libretto by Lally Katz, the work has won four Helpmann awards and was nominated for best world premiere at this year’s International Opera Awards. Based on John Marsden and Shaun Tan’s illustrated tale of the British invasion of Australia, it’s unquestionably powerful, and stylistically the score draws on all manner of genres. The music of the natives (a band of marsupials) is influenced by pop and musical theatre, while music for the bird (Miller-Heidke’s character) incorporates electronic effects to conjure the aerial world it inhabits. The more explicitly operatic elements are reserved for the leporine European invaders, with waltzes and wonky recitatives underscoring the singing of these slapstick caricatures. A band of five packs a real punch, some doubling or tripling on other instruments. Some of the most engaging music on the disc features Miller-Heidke’s extraordinarily agile and expressive singing. Also worthy of mention is Jessica Hitchcock’s honest performance as Flinch, a young marsupial, as well as Kanen Breen’s prim portrayal of a sadistic scientist rabbit, employing his raucous countertenor to hilarious effect. Continue reading…

Alan John’s The Eighth Wonder will return in a large-scale, outdoor production – with headphones attached. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in