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The Eighth Wonder
''The Eighth Wonder'' is a 1995 opera by Alan John and with a libretto by Dennis Watkins about the building process of the Sydney Opera House. Production history ''The Eighth Wonder'' was premiered by The Australian Opera at the Sydney Opera House on 14 October 1995 in the presence of the composer and librettist. The opera was broadcast on television by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation on the Friday evening following the world premiere performance. It was revived by the same company (by this time known as Opera Australia) again at the Sydney Opera House in 2000. Lyndon Terracini, artistic director of Opera Australia, announced that the work would be performed as part of the 2016 season at the Sydney Opera House, retitled as ''Sydney Opera House: The Opera''. This new adaptation was performed outdoors on the steps of the Opera House, with the audience wearing headphones to hear the singers and orchestra with clarity. In 2020, spurred by composer Stephen Rae's desir ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alan John
Alan John (born 7 May 1958 in Sydney) is an Australian composer. He studied music at the University of Sydney, graduating in 1980. His compositions include original music for various plays, films (such as '' Holding the Man'', ''Three Dollars'' and '' The Bank'') and TV series (including ''Love My Way''), and the musicals ''Jonah Jones'', ''Orlando Rourke'' and ''Snugglepot and Cuddlepie''. Operas His opera '' The Eighth Wonder'' was premiered in 1995 by Opera Australia. It was revived in 2000, during the Sydney Olympics Arts Festival, and again in 2016. In May 2008, his chamber opera ''Through the Looking Glass'', to a libretto by Andrew Upton, was premiered by the Victorian Opera at the Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne, conducted by Richard Gill. In May 2011, his opera ''How to Kill your Husband (and other handy household hints)'', to a libretto by Timothy Daly and based on Kathy Lette's 2007 book of the same name, premiered at the same venue under the same conductor. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Choir
A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which spans from the medieval era to the present, or popular music repertoire. Most choirs are led by a conductor, who leads the performances with arm, hand, and facial gestures. The term ''choir'' is very often applied to groups affiliated with a church (whether or not they actually occupy the quire), whereas a ''chorus'' performs in theatres or concert halls, but this distinction is not rigid. Choirs may sing without instruments, or accompanied by a piano, pipe organ, a small ensemble, or an orchestra. A choir can be a subset of an ensemble; thus one speaks of the "woodwind choir" of an orchestra, or different "choirs" of voices or instruments in a polychoral composition. In typical 18th century to 21st century oratorios and masses, 'choru ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Operas By Alan John
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librettist and incorporates a number of the performing arts, such as acting, scenery, costume, and sometimes dance or ballet. The performance is typically given in an opera house, accompanied by an orchestra or smaller musical ensemble, which since the early 19th century has been led by a conductor. Although musical theatre is closely related to opera, the two are considered to be distinct from one another. Opera is a key part of the Western classical music tradition. Originally understood as an entirely sung piece, in contrast to a play with songs, opera has come to include numerous genres, including some that include spoken dialogue such as ''Singspiel'' and ''Opéra comique''. In traditional number opera, singers employ two styles of singing: ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Neil Armfield
Neil Geoffrey Armfield (born 22 April 1955) is an Australian director of theatre, film and opera. Biography Born in Sydney, Armfield is the third and youngest son of Len, a factory worker at the nearby Arnott's Biscuits factory and Nita Armfield. He was brought up in the suburb of Concord, adjacent to Exile Bay. He was educated at the Homebush Boys High School where, in 1972, he was the Vice-Captain. In that year, Armfield directed the school's production of Milne's "Toad of Toad Hall" which garnered him the award of "Best Director" at the NSW High Schools Drama Festival. When asked in 2019: “Who or what was your biggest influence?” Armfield said; “Lindsay Daines at Homebush State High School, who encouraged my theatrical aspirations.” He then went on to study at the University of Sydney, graduating in 1977, and became Co-Artistic Director of the Nimrod Theatre Company in 1979. He joined South Australia's Lighthouse Theatre before returning to Sydney in 1985, where h ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Richard Gill (conductor)
Richard James Gill (4 November 1941 – 28 October 2018) was an Australian conductor of choral, orchestral and operatic works. He was known as a music educator and for his advocacy for music education of children. Life and career Gill was born and raised in the Sydney suburb of Eastwood where he attended Marist College Eastwood. Prior to becoming a professional conductor, he was a music teacher at Marsden High School, West Ryde, in Sydney. One of his students was Kim Williams who later became a lifelong friend. In 1969, he was the founding conductor of the Strathfield Symphony Orchestra in Sydney. He continued as conductor in 1973–74 and returned in 1979 to conduct the orchestra's 10th anniversary concert. In 1971 he studied at the Orff Institute of the Mozarteum in Salzburg. He was later invited to teach at the summer schools in Salzburg; on one occasion he was one of the pianists in the version of ''Carmina Burana'' for two pianos and percussion, conducted by Carl Orff him ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Geoffrey Chard
Geoffrey William Chard AM (born 9 August 1930 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia) is an Australian opera singer. He was a foundation member of the National Opera of New South Wales."''The Dictionary of Performing Arts in Australia — Opera . Music . Dance — Volume 2''" — Ann Atkinson, Linsay Knight, Margaret McPhee — Allen & Unwin Pty. Ltd., 1996. In 1956, Chard appeared in ''The Marriage of Figaro'', in the inaugural production of the Australian Elizabethan Trust Opera Company. Chard went to England in 1961 and performed with many British opera companies, including the Welsh National Opera, Glyndebourne, the Royal Opera Company at Covent Garden, and at the Aldeburgh Festival and Edinburgh Festival. He was a principal baritone with the English National Opera for 15 years, from 1969 to 1985, performing many major roles, including some roles which were specially written for him. He also appeared as Sergeant Meryll in the 1982 television production of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heather Begg
Dame Isoleen Heather Begg (1 December 1932 – 12 May 2009) was a New Zealand-born operatic mezzo-soprano who spent most of her career in the United Kingdom and Australia. She was renowned in roles such as the title role in Bizet's '' Carmen'', Amneris in Verdi's ''Aida'' and in lighter operas such as ''The Gondoliers''. She appeared alongside Dame Joan Sutherland, Luciano Pavarotti, Beverly Sills, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Plácido Domingo, Montserrat Caballé, Dame Janet Baker, José Carreras, Dame Malvina Major, Sir Donald McIntyre and many other prominent singers. Her recording with Glenys Fowles of the "Flower Duet" from Delibes's ''Lakmé'' has become famous. Biography Born in Nelson, New Zealand in 1932, Begg studied in Auckland with Sister Mary Leo and at the New South Wales State Conservatorium, during which time she won the 1955 Sydney Sun Aria contest. She was engaged as a principal mezzo-soprano with the National Opera of Australia from 1954 to 1956. Her prof ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Emma Matthews
Emma Matthews (née Lysons; born 1970) is an English-born Australian lyric coloratura soprano, noted for operatic roles, but also popular on the concert stage. A Principal Artist with Opera Australia, Matthews has received more Helpmann Awards than any other individual artist, nine Green Room Awards, the Mo Award and the Remy Martin Australian Opera Award. Life and career Born Emma Lysons in Manchester, England, she grew up with three younger sisters in Fiji, where her father worked as a maritime pilot, and Vanuatu before moving to Cairns, Queensland, Port Hedland, Western Australia, and finally Perth.Michael Shmith, "Looking after Lulu", ''The Age'', 9 November 2002, Saturday Extra, p. 3 There she attended Perth Modern School before studying musical theatre at the Western Australian Conservatorium of Music (part of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, WAAPA), but was persuaded by a teacher to switch to opera. She sang with the Gilbert and Sullivan Society of We ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robert Gard (tenor)
Robert Joseph Gard (7 March 1927 – 20 March 2021) was a British-born Australian operatic tenor. He was a leading singer with Opera Australia, and he was particularly associated with the role of Aschenbach in Benjamin Britten's ''Death in Venice''. He premiered the role in Australia, and he sang the role in Tony Palmer's 1981 film of the opera after the originator of the role, Peter Pears, was incapacitated. Career Robert Gard was born in Padstow, Cornwall, England on 7 March 1927. He started studying in London in 1944, but in 1945 he was conscripted to the British Army, and sang in some army concerts. After the war, he won a scholarship to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where he studied with Dino Borgioli, Walter Hyde and Arthur Reckless.Interview with Clive Paget, ABC Classic FM, undated He sang in such operatic roles as Almaviva (''Don Giovanni''), the title role in ''Fra Diavolo'', Ernesto (''Don Pasquale''), and Alfredo (''La traviata''). In 1956 he appeared in th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Donald Shanks (bass-baritone)
Donald Robert Shanks AO OBE (5 July 19408 April 2011) was an Australian bass-baritone singer who sang over 65 principal roles with Opera Australia and other companies in Australia and overseas. Moffatt Oxenbould said that he had "an immensely important place in the history of opera in this country"."Choirboy start for opera's high priest" by Patricia Maunder, '''', 14 May 2011; retrieved 20 February 2017 Career Donald Shanks was born in , Queensl ...[...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
John Pringle (baritone)
John Pringle AM (born 17 October 1938) is a retired Australian operatic baritone. He sang leading and supporting roles with Opera Australia and its predecessors for 41 years (1967–2008), and with some overseas companies. He was strongly associated with roles by Mozart, such as Figaro and Count Almaviva in ''The Marriage of Figaro''; the title role and Leporello in ''Don Giovanni''; Guglielmo and Don Alfonso in ''Così fan tutte''; and Papageno in ''The Magic Flute''. Biography John Pringle started his adult life as a pharmacist for five years, with a degree from the University of Melbourne. At the age of 28 music took over and in 1967 he won the Melbourne Sun Aria award. He had been singing in some amateur shows around Melbourne, and used his friendship with John Cargher to gain some valuable contacts in the opera world. His debut was in the Australian Opera's 1967 production of ''Die Fledermaus'', at the Princess Theatre, Melbourne, alongside singers such as Robert Gard a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
David Hobson (tenor)
David Hobson (born 18 November 1960) is an Australian opera tenor and composer. Career Born in Ballarat, Australia, Hobson sang with church and school choirs and local music groups as a child, but he was still vocally untrained when he performed as lead singer and bass guitarist with rock bands while studying at the University of Melbourne. However, despite the lack of a demonstration tape of ''Macbeth'' (see below) he was invited to join the Victoria State Opera, understudying the role of Frederic in the VSO's Joseph Papp (Broadway) version of ''The Pirates of Penzance'' in 1986. This led to his becoming a member of the company's Young Artists Programme, and making his debut as Rodolfo in a Victorian country tour production of ''La bohème'' in 1987. In 1988 he made his debut with The Australian Opera (now Opera Australia) when he created the role of Lawrence in the world premiere of Brian Howard's opera ''Whitsunday''. He is the composer of ''Macbeth'' (a 1985 music theatre ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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