While in Brisbane in December we visited this exhibition in the Gallery of Modern Art. It's on until 28 April 2024. If you're in the vicinity I recommend you call in. We were there on the fifth of December 2023, before attending Siegfried in the evening. QPAC, the Queensland Performing Arts Centre is a terrific complex, making visiting these places … [Read more...] about Fairy Tales
THE ILIAD
This arrived on my doorstep on the second of November last year and I started reading it shortly after. Having enjoyed Wilson's translation of The Odyssey in 2018, which I wrote about here, I had high expectations. My personal experience enhanced by the many positive reviews of this translation. I could quote from many and have attached them here … [Read more...] about THE ILIAD
Best Books of 2023
Rilke: The Last Inward Man, Lesley Chamberlain Shirley Hazzard, Brigitte Olubsas Super Infinity, Katharine Rundle Philip Larkin: A Writer’s Life, Andrew Motion The Unexpected Professor: An Oxford Life In Books, John Carey The Speckled People, Hugo Hamilton RUNNERS UP The Dictionary of Lost Words, Pip Williams Only, … [Read more...] about Best Books of 2023
Final Books 2023
This is a very quick blog about the books I've been reading since my last book blog which was written 29th October 2023. Slim pickings indeed. In part because I have commenced reading Emily Wilson's translation of The Iliad which I am loving and really savouring, so not rushing. I read some of these before I started that, then a couple afterwards … [Read more...] about Final Books 2023
Three Rings: Brisbane
I always had my doubts about the Brisbane Ring Cycle; being prejudiced as I am against Opera Australia (they're so anti Victorian). My doubts exacerbated by how they were advertising this production - all high tech and whizz bang, thousands of screens, computers and so forth. If any opera company was going to overdo presentation hijinks it would … [Read more...] about Three Rings: Brisbane
Three Rings: Bendigo
After the disappointment of Berlin, see my views here, we travelled to Bendigo to see Melbourne Opera's version in March 2023. I was in the middle of chemotherapy, so have not felt up to writing about it until now - the day before the year ends! It started with Das Rheingold on the 24th March 2023. I have only this very poor photo of me about to … [Read more...] about Three Rings: Bendigo