Rheingold I can't quite believe I didn't blog about Melbourne Opera's first instalment of its much anticipated and exciting Ring Cycle when it was performed last year. Anxiety about covid lockdowns? A sore arm? Either way, a mystery! We saw Rheingold, performed at the Regent on 7 February. We had seats up near the front in what is a terrific … [Read more...] about 2021 – Two Melbourne Operas and a Musical
Music
Die Walküre
We've watched a second Met production of Die Walküre, during this, our second lockdown. I feel that I've seen this 1989 Otto Schenk / Günther Schneider-Siemssen production before and that it was amongst my very first introductions to Wagner and the Ring Cycle. How and when I have no idea; presumably television. I certainly didn't see it at the … [Read more...] about Die Walküre
The Ring of Truth
This blog has got much bigger than I intended. I've effectively summarized this this book having just finished reading it for a second time. It was published in 2015 and I can't remember how I became aware of it. I took notes this time around as I wanted to remember it better and wanted to record my highlighted bits. There turned out to be more … [Read more...] about The Ring of Truth
Wagner And The Erotic Impulse
I've been reading more on Wagner. Wagner And The Erotic Impulse by Laurence Dreyfus, was recommended, via Twitter, by Alex Ross, the music critic for the New Yorker in May during the Covid-19 lockdown that was occurring in both New York and Melbourne. He posted a list of his ten favourite books on music; the first of which was Doctor Faustus by … [Read more...] about Wagner And The Erotic Impulse
More Opera At Home – Philip Glass, Dame Joan, Mozart
Since watching the Wagner operas I talk about here, I've been catching up on some more; though this time on my iPad which proved up to the task. Akhnaten This was a 2019 Met production of the 1984 work by Philip Glass. I think it was actually a London production that I'd read about on Twitter. In any event, here is a great review of it in … [Read more...] about More Opera At Home – Philip Glass, Dame Joan, Mozart
Opera At Home – Wagner
Der Ring des Nibelung The Metropolitan Opera commenced free streaming of some of their productions in March as New York closed down due to Covid-19. I found out about this via a post on Twitter by @Operachaser. Another reason I love twitter - handy to be linked on social media to like-minded people. And so it was that we spent the better … [Read more...] about Opera At Home – Wagner