9th January 2018
by harryfiddler
2 Comments
I’ve been searching for the image which Danielle de Niese’s pose at the beginning of Act III reminded me of, but I can’t find it. The one above will have to do. It’s meant to be Mata Hari but Hanna … Continue reading
20th July 2017
by harryfiddler
1 Comment
The troops were gathered, the weapons tuned. The general stood, ready for action, in front of the battalions. The flag went up then BOOM. Battle commenced. Mahler’s third Symphony is an epic battle between life and death, hope and despair, … Continue reading
22nd April 2017
by harryfiddler
0 comments
National identity is a funny thing. When you’re in it, you can’t necessarily see it. Which is perhaps why it takes someone from the outside to make the most insightful observations. For example, Australia’s own Paul Kildea is one of … Continue reading
24th January 2017
by harryfiddler
3 Comments
So, Kennedy’s back in town. Back for more larking about and kicking footballs and making bad jokes. Back for more talking like a fishwife and playing like a dream. Brix Smith, Ex-Fall guitarist and ex-wife of Nigel Kennedy describes him … Continue reading
9th December 2016
by harryfiddler
0 comments
I’m feeling a little tired and emotional. It’s the end of a long year and the morning after a night of trying to keep my eldest’s Year 10 Formal revelries legal. So apologies for another Flashback Friday, but this one … Continue reading
10th November 2016
by harryfiddler
0 comments
The night before Tony Abbott was elected prime minister I went to the Sydney Opera House to hear Lior and the Sydney Symphony. And the night of the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States, I find … Continue reading
4th November 2016
by harryfiddler
1 Comment
In the grand tradition of writers writing about writing and painters painting pictures of painters painting, Opera Australia presents an opera about opera. They have the perfect setting, after all: a huge stepped stage with a stunning backdrop, lit by … Continue reading
7th August 2016
by harryfiddler
0 comments
Big night for the Sydney Symphony on Friday. I’d forgotten how massive the orchestra is for The Rite of Spring. Quintuple wind. Two tubas. Eight horns, with Wagner tubas in their back pockets… And that’s before we get to the … Continue reading
21st July 2016
by harryfiddler
0 comments
It’s years since I’ve been to the Sydney Piano Competition. I’d forgotten how much fun it is. Competitive classical music is like that first lick of salted caramel ice-cream — all the goodness, with an extra tang. Not something you … Continue reading
27th May 2014
by harryfiddler
2 Comments
After the blow by blow account of my 11 yo’s journey through time, space and the land of nod, what did Harriet Cunningham, music critic, make of the experience? There’s much to love about this quixotic project. Firstly, the immaculate … Continue reading