Armenian up-and-comer saves the day for Opera Australia, after Georgian soprano shamed for homophobic rant. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

American pianist completes Beethoven marathon in style with a little help from his friends. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

Controversial Georgian soprano is dropped from Otello after ‘homophobic’ statements. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

Let me say at the very outset that musically Belisario is one of Donizetti’s very finest works. Dating from 1836, it came hot on the heels of Maria Stuarda and Lucia di Lammermoor and it finds the composer at the height of his lyrical powers. It had a bumpy ride to opening night (see the excellent booklet) but despite cast problems and a libretto that had been turned down by a previous management Donizetti enjoyed something of a triumph. The young librettist, Salvadore Cammerano, was to become one of the century’s greatest, but here he fails to make everything add up to a satisfying dramatic whole. Belisario’s embittered wife, who in the first act looks set to be the prima donna, fails to put in an appearance in Act Two, while the tenor who turns out to be her long-lost child is an old saw long past its sell-by. The composer too made the odd slip – the perky second tune of the overture for example is at odds with the tragic nature of Belisario’s fall from grace, blinding and eventual demise. BUT, that aside, there are some superb scenes to be relished, especially in a performance as compelling as the one delivered here by the…

Georgian soprano 'replaced' in Belgium as her story comes under scrutiny at home.

Soprano claims Facebook letter was “changed considerably” by spouse with “tough attitude” towards gays. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

Georgian soprano causes outrage for describing LGBT people as “faecal matter”. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

Opera house orchestra releases report asserting General Manager’s “lavish spending on unpopular productions”. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

American actor to portray operatic legend in film of Terrence McNally’s Master Class. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

Peter Gelb backs down on global showing of John Adams’ The Death of Klinghoffer. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

Handel’s Tamerlano, written for the Royal Academy in 1724, is something of a secret pleasure for fans of 18th-century Italian opera. Lacking the magical stage machinery of the likes of Rinaldo, and with a low quotient of showcase arias to tickle the sensation seeker’s ear, it nevertheless has a claim to greatness. Why? It has one of the composer’s most grimly determined plots and a set of characters upon which Handel lavishes his utmost psychological insight.  In 1402, the Mongol herdsman Timur defeated his enemy, the Turkish sultan Bayezid, who history relates he had carted around in a cage for months afterwards. In the opera, the wicked (i.e. Eastern) tyrant Tamerlano has designs on Bajazet’s daughter, Asteria, and sends his ally, the Greek (hence noble) Andronico to convey his desires to the maiden and her vengeful father. Unbeknownst to Tamerlano, Andronico is himself in love with Asteria and from these complications a tense, potentially bloody political opera ensues.  Handel wrote the work at speed, as was his wont, but revised it at his leisure on more than one occasion in order to create as tight a musical drama as he was capable of. It culminates in a thrilling scene of…

Fascinating tale of first contact makes for a rich tapestry of Indigenous dance. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in