We’ve saw two great concerts in Melbourne in April 2019. First this one by PInchgut Opera. 
Pinchgut is located in Sydney and I’d heard very good things about them for a while. They do operas in their home town, most recently The Coronation of Poppea which had great reviews and which I would have liked to see and in June this year they’re doing The Return of Ulysses; maybe we’ll go!
They’ve only been been down to Melbourne with one other concert in December last year but we missed it. So I was pleased to get to this one. An Australian premiere of a little known Telemann work, Thunder Ode and Bach’s Easter Oratorio. Both were terrific, although I preferred the Bach. All of the performers were great and the Recital Centre is a superb venue. A great night out. Here’s a review.
Pinchgut likes performing little known works, a la the Thunder Ode. They’ve been winning international accolades for doing so. The conductor and artistic director, Erin Helyard, was going from this concert to London to pick up an award for a Rediscovered Work. Here’s an article describing what that’s all about.
A couple of weeks later we were back at the Recital Centre to hear Bach’s St Matthew Passion. 
It was wonderful. All of the singers were terrific with Andrew Goodwin as the Evangelist having the greater part being really stunning. But everyone was good. I loved seeing Jud Arthur as Jesus. Last seen as Fafner in the Melbourne Ring Cycle where he was also fantastic. He also sang Hunding but it was his Fafner that brought the house down. He’s a very big fellow, sang beautifully in what was a relatively small role but he looked as though he was enjoying himself hugely.
Jacqueline Dark was also involved. I loved her in Black Rider at the Malthouse in 2017. Our neighbour and friend, Ian Dunne is in the Melbourne Bach Choir which is how we have discovered these concerts which are always wonderful.
Here’s a very short review. from the Sydney Morning Herald and a slightly longer one here.
I was hoping to find pictures of the performers but it was not to be. It was very long but very rewarding. And an appropriate way to spend Good Friday. I felt as though I’d been to Mass!
Leave a Reply