Culture
Opera
Deborah Cheetham’s new opera packs a punch
What if you’d always seen the world as a beautiful, colour-filled place, then discovered that all anyone else can see is darkness?
- by Elizabeth Flux
Latest
Opera Australia ‘bleeding cash at an incredible rate’ due to box office blow
Outgoing chief executive Rory Jeffes also predicted another difficult year and a “significant loss” as the national company struggled to recover “from its biggest financial crisis in the company’s history”.
- by Linda Morris
Apollo and Dafne review: Gods shine on timeless tale
Pinchgut Opera’s revival of The Loves of Apollo and Dafne, one of the first operas written, combines heart and beauty with an absurdist touch.
- by Peter McCallum
Exclusive
Performing arts
Turning a profit thanks to COVID-19, Victorian Opera revives dream of new HQ
Thanks to JobKeeper, and not having to stage operas for a year, Victorian Opera is sitting on an unexpected profit that it hopes to use to find a new home.
- by Nick Miller
Beresford’s Scottish opera is a triumph and oddly joyous
Verdi’s music for his opera based on Shakespeare’s Macbeth is a stream of breakout hits that switch the mood between dread, optimism and sorrow.
- by Elizabeth Flux
Pushy men and their unwanted attention? Coming to a stage near you
Pinchgut Opera is staging a little-known classic Italian opera that has plenty of relevance for modern audiences.
- by Nick Galvin
‘Lucky to have them’: The women who have inspired Bruce Beresford
The film director discusses his upbringing, career and the women who have influenced him.
- by Jane Rocca
All you need is love: Aida’s romantic heart eclipses tech innovations
Apart from a moody panther, the digital animations that dress this opera are remarkable. But the opera’s real success is the love triangle driving the plot.
- by Elizabeth Flux
The power and the passion: Melbourne’s ‘accidental Verdi festival’
Both Opera Australia and Melbourne Opera are about to present work by one of the most celebrated of composers.
- by Barney Zwartz
Light and shade under open skies: exquisite opera at the Bowl
Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers was an ideal work to pick for Victorian Opera’s outdoor show, which featured superb singing.
- by Madeline Roycroft
Big opera is back: Aida set to dazzle as high-tech meets Ancient Egypt
After a hiatus of a year and a half, Opera Australia is back in Melbourne with a huge production of Verdi’s tragic opera showcasing cutting-edge digital wizardry
- by Patricia Maunder