The resonance of Fidelio stems from its heroine Leonore (Beethoven’s preferred title for the opera), whose brave and dangerous path to find and rescue her husband Florestan, Beethoven follows into ever more inspiring territories. Her entrance early in the opening...
The Richard Divall Emerging Artists Programme 2019 has been packed with learning and development opportunities and following the intake of new singers in June has included involvement in Melbourne Opera’s acclaimed production of Norma and a rehearsal period for the...
Norma is a charismatic leader with a fatal flaw, she has fallen in love with the enemy, a Roman leader named Pollione. She has broken her vow of chastity and borne children from this relationship. The opera shows her struggle between her public and private life. The...
Following the critical and public success of The Flying Dutchman, Otello and Roberto Devereux, Melbourne Opera is once again turning its attention to acclaimed bel-canto operas. From 17—24 September the company will stage Bellini’s masterpiece Norma, at the Athenaeum...
The Richard Divall Emerging Artists Programme is now entering a second year of operation. We are thrilled to announce we have recently received a commitment of three years support from the Ian Potter Foundation. The programme is tremendously grateful for such...
As the end of our first year of the program quickly approaches we thought it timely to share some of the activities and news from the Richard Divall Emerging Artists Programme. Achievements Congratulations to program members: winner of the Herald Sun Aria competition...
The Richard Divall Emerging Artists Programme is up and running. We are thrilled to introduce our emerging artists (from left to right) Alison McIntosh Deszcz (soprano), Stephen Marsh (baritone), Michael Dimovksi (tenor), Darcy Carroll (bass-baritone), Michael Lampard...
I went to a production of Rossini’s “Otello” at the New York City Opera (now sadly defunct) in 1982. At the time I didn’t even know that Rossini had written an “Otello”. The programme note revealed it was his 19th opera, written when he was 24 years old. It was first...
It's a rare occasion that we get to roll out the red carpet for a royal visit to the Music Makers studio. Not one, but two Queens join us this week: Mary Queen of Scots and Queen Elisabeth I, the central characters in Donizetti's bel canto tragedy Maria Stuarda (Mary...
Tristan and Isolde presents a particular challenge to a director. It is led by emotion and sensuality more than narrative logic. Real and theatrical time is slowed down for us to explore the inner lives of the characters. As I was making my preliminary study of the...
Elizabeth I has a presence in all three of Donizetti’s Tudor operas. ‘Maria Stuarda’ depicts the great conflict of Queen Elizabeth I with her half sister, Mary Stuart, culminating in a confrontation and the subsequent execution of Mary. It imagined a love rivalry...
Der Freischutz (The Marksman), a gothic horror opera long dismissed outside Germany as ludicrous, has ridden changing entertainment fashion to make a rare reappearance in Melbourne. Its supernatural themes are no longer alien in an entertainment world dominated by...
Anna Bolena, is remarkably close to a true historical telling of the demise of the second wife of King Henry VIII. The opera begins as Boleyn’s “star begins to fade” in 1536, following her second miscarriage, a boy. She had already given birth to Princess Elizabeth...
The 10th anniversary of Melbourne Opera is both a cause for celebration and regret for star soprano Antoinette Halloran. Without Melbourne Opera she would not have had the chance to broaden her career options but also laments the hiring of so many overseas opera stars...
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed “Die Entführung aus dem Serail” in 1782. The work was sponsored by the Nationalsingspiel which was set up by the Austrian Emperor Joseph II in order to create a repertoire of works performed in the German language (as opposed to...
Maria Stuarda is based on the verse play by German Romantic playwright Frederich Schiller whose dramas have provided rich source material for many great operas. Schiller’s Romanticism led him toward taking major liberties with history as is evident in this work. In...
If Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais had had his way The Barber of Seville would have been performed as a comic opera as early as 1772. But this was not to be, as it was rejected by the Opéra Comique and had to wait ten years until Paisiello’s setting, and a...
Melbourne Opera mentioned the possibility of a production of Der Freischütz to me two years ago. It was a piece I really knew nothing about, I had heard of Weber and knew of his influence on Wagner and the development of German Romantic Opera and that was about it....
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