Opera Australia, Australia’s premier opera company, opens its UK screening season tonight. The season is starting with a spectacular production of La bohème, which was met with critical acclaim on its performance in Australia. It is set in Weimar Germany and the influences of Hollywood can be seen in its undeniable glamour, but the impending doom of a world on the brink of disaster also gives it a fragile quality. Here, the glitter of the Spiegeltent provides a decadent veneer over the hand-to-mouth existence of the era. Café Momus becomes a cabaret joint, all mirrored panels and carnival colours, populated by characters inspired by the paintings of Otto Dix and George Grosz. 

It has a strong cast of international repute, including Ji-Min Park, Taryn Fiebig, Takesha  Meshé  Kizart and  José Carbó. It is conducted by Shao-Chia Lü and directed by Gale Edwards. The running time is 130 minutes including a 15 minute interval.

The screenings are taking place at over thirty towns across the UK. For more information and a list of sites set to screen the series please visit here.

(Written on April 24, 2012 )

Opera Australia and CinemaLive have announced on Friday that their dazzling production of La Bohéme is to be screened by Odeon cinemas. The broadcast will be coming to Odeon cinemas across the UK including:

Basingstoke

Belfast

Blackpool

Cardiff

Colchester

Derby

Dunfermline

Edinburgh Lothian Road

Hull

Kingston

Lincoln

London Panton St

London Greenwich

London Swiss Cottage

Maidenhead

Manchester

Milton Ketnes

Newcastle Silverlinks

Sheffield

Southampton

Taunton

Tunbridge Wells

Wimbledon

This Weimar Germany-set production of La Bohéme, a critical hit in Australia, shows the influences of Hollywood in its undeniable glamour, but the impending doom of a world on the brink of disaster also gives it a fragile quality. Here, the glitter of the Spielgeltent provides a decadent veneer over the hand-to-mouth existence of the era. Café Momus becomes a cabaret joint, all mirrored panels and carnival colours, populated by characters inspired by the paintings of Otto Dix and George Grosz.

For more information on the CinemaLive Opera Australia screenings please click here.

To book tickets for La Bohéme in an Odeon cinema near you, please click here.

(Written on April 2, 2012 )

BBC Music Magazine

Composer Turns To Twitter For Lyrics. 

New choral piece to use lyrics submitted by Twitter users.

LA Times

John Williams And Steven Spielberg Mark 40 Years Of Collaboration.

Since a fateful lunch in 1972, the composer and director have collaborated on ‘Jaws’, ‘E.T.’, ‘War Horse’ and more than 20 others. Up next: ‘Lincoln’.

LA Opera Gets Onboard With Pacific Standard Time.

Los Angeles Opera is teaming up with the Getty this month for Pacific Standard Time, the region-wide festival focusing on the development of Southern California’s art scene during the 20th century.

The Daily Mail

Saints Come Marching In.

Broadway musical the Book of Mormon is set to arrive in the UK next year.

New York Times

How About Some More New Stuff?

A call for more new music from the New York Philharmonic.

Bold But Undersung Talents.

Leonard Shure and Henri Temianka’s Beethoven Sonatas.

Alexis Weissenberg, Pianist Of Fire, Dies At 82.

Alexis Weissenberg, a charismatic Bulgarian-born pianist died on Sunday in Lugano, Switzerland. He was 82.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/10/arts/music/alexis-weissenberg-pianist-of-fire-and-ice-dies-at-82.html?ref=classicalmusic

(Written on January 10, 2012 )