Eva Mendes to portray Maria Callas in upcoming biopic
A soap opera and Hollywood starlet will explore the great soprano’s love life. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in
May 23, 2011
Melissa Lesnie
Melissa Lesnie bid a tearful farewell to Limelight in 2013 to move to Paris, where Warner Music kindly sorted her visa. She now works for Radio France and spends her spare time singing in the Latin Quarter jazz bars. Follow her adventures at @francemusique and @throwingmyarmsaroundparis.
Articles by Melissa Lesnie
Stephen Fry defends classical music in debate
The celebrity dandy championed the artform's relevance for today’s youth.
May 20, 2011
Adelaide Symphony Orchestra pay rise battle resolved
Musicians and management reach agreement after 17 months of negotiations. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in
May 19, 2011
Booker Prize judge protests Philip Roth win
Controversy erupts over the Man Booker International announcement at the Sydney Opera House. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in
May 19, 2011
Limelight’s guide to the Virtual Concert Hall
How to stream classical music live and on demand from the world's greatest orchestras and opera companies.
May 17, 2011
Lang Lang awarded honorary doctorate by Prince of Wales
The piano superstar becomes the first Chinese recipient of the honour. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in
May 13, 2011
Nellie Melba something to write home about
Australia Post has issued a stamp marking 150 years since the opera singer’s birth. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in
May 12, 2011
Annie Leibovitz MCA’s picture-perfect triumph
The photographer's Sydney retrospective closes with record attendance.
May 12, 2011
Good fairy smiles on Wicked box office takings
The music theatre phenomenon celebrates 1000 performances in Oz. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in
May 12, 2011
Review: RAVEL: Complete Piano Music (piano: Steven Osborne)
What comes across most vividly in the Scottish pianist’s recordings, particularly in Impressionist repertoire, is a deep and joyous engagement with the sonorities of his instrument. Here he offers up some of the most fluid and vibrant Ravel I’ve ever heard, superior to Louis Lortie’s and to the earlier Hyperion survey by Angela Hewitt. Gaspard de la nuit is the true test of technique for any Ravelian. While Osborne doesn’t quite attain the mirage-like perfection of Martha Argerich’s reading, his Gaspard is impeccably played, bringing darkness and mystery to the fore. Le tombeau de Couperin is faster and livelier than that of Anne Queffélec (whose interpretation he acknowledges as an influence) but loses none of the delicate refinement or lilting dance character. As for the other famous works on the disc: in Pavane for a dead princess, Osborne shows just the right amount of restraint and eschews the tendency – much lamented by Ravel – to play… Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in
May 11, 2011
On the road with Steven Osborne
The Scottish pianist on improvisation, Mozart, and a broken finger. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in
May 11, 2011
Carmina Burana: the rhythms of the Third Reich?
Why choral music’s biggest hit rises above its dark history. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in
May 11, 2011
On the road with Marshall McGuire
The harpist and conductor champions Australian composer Peggy Glanville-Hicks in concert.
May 9, 2011