Music – Reviews Archive

On the eve of a blisteringly hot summer’s day, Musica Viva Australia’s A Winter’s Journey is nothing short of transformative.  Its program, Winterreise, one of the world’s most notoriously challenging song cycles, both for the interpreter to perform and the audience to …

Spring heralds a celebratory time, blossoming with new beginnings and hope. Likewise, Bach Akademie Australia’s performance of JS Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos at The Brandenburg Concertos on Saturday November 15 on the Pier is a joyous tribute that opens up the breath of Bach’s …

It is always a challenge to say something new about our favourite piano classics. No matter how brilliant they may be, musicians who choose to perform pieces from this repertoire run the risk of leaving the audience uninspired. But this couldn’t be …

Trio Isimsiz’s performance at the City Recital Hall was a Romantic delight. Though presenting a concise program of only three pieces, the trio managed to pack a musical punch that traversed the highs and lows of emotional extremes. Formed in 2009 at …

Bach Akademie Australia’s performance at the Sydney Opera House happily transported audiences to elegant Baroque ballrooms against the backdrop of Sydney’s Farm Cove. Performed to a crowd of eager music listeners in the Opera House’s Utzon Room, The Art of Violin was …

The Takács Quartet’s performance at Sydney’s City Recital Hall took the audience on a sonic journey through both famous chamber pieces and uncharted contemporary works. Made up of Edward Dusinberre and Harumi Rhodes (violins), Richard O’Neil (viola) and András Fejar (cello), the …

  Musical chemistry is difficult to explain in words. It is a mysterious communication between two players that is felt only in the music itself. Musica Viva’s Northern Lights at the City Recital Hall certainly emphasised the power of musical chemistry, moving …

  Berlin’s Signum Saxophone Quartet face the same challenge as any cover band. How do you stay true to the original and push the boundaries enough to say something new? The quartet’s performance at City Recital Hall with celebrated Australian soprano singer …

Music is the language of us all The Cat Empire’s latest show at the Sydney Opera House was an electrifying display of the band’s capacity to escape all limits of genre. Performing for the first time alongside the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the …

Image courtesy of Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Photo: Jay Patel. Jean Sibelius is undoubtedly Finland’s most celebrated composer. While typically remembered for his passionate symphonic works and concertos, Finnish conductor Osmo Vänskä’s latest show at the Sydney Opera House reveals a more enigmatic …