Pinchgut Opera presents one of the glories of the French Baroque for the first time in Australia.
Castor
& Pollux is perhaps Rameau’s finest creation. It’s a story based in
mythology about the self-sacrificing love between two brothers. The
music goes straight to the heart. With some of the most beautiful vocal
and orchestral writing of the period, the opera was an instant hit when
it was first presented.
Antony Walker will return from the US to conduct with American tenor Jeffrey Thompson (Castor),
Hadleigh Adams (Pollux), Celeste Lazarenko (Télaïre), Margaret Plummer
(Phébé) and David Greco (Jupiter) along with the welcome return of the Cantillation chorus and the Orchestra of the Antipodes.
Pinchgut presents Castor & Pollux in four performances: 6, 8, 9 & 10 December at City Recital Hall Angel Place, Sydney. Sung in French with English surtitles.
Pinchgut fundraiser – delicious dining and drama for all!
Who says sport and music have nothing in common? There’s nothing like a good competition to spark a bit of public interest!
Around the time that Mozart was busily working on Le Nozze di Figaro, Emperor Joseph II decided he wanted to create a contest of sorts: two composers would write musical parodies – one an Italian opera, the other a German singspiel. The Italian piece, Prima la musica, e poi le parole, was assigned to Joseph’s court composer Salieri. Mozart was tasked with creating the German Der Schauspieldirektor (The Impresario). The result? A delightful short comic opera about the trials and tribulations of an impresario trying to mount a performance of an opera. (Sound familiar?) After the premier, one critic wrote that Mozart's piece 'infinitely surpassed the Italian one [Salieri's] in intrinsic value’. Artistic license and laughter will abound when Pinchgut proudly presents our own take on Mozart’s The Impresario at our annual mid-year fundraiser in support of our production of Rameau’s Castor & Pollux later in the year.
Featuring Jonathan Biggins (of Wharf Revue fame) as the Impresario himself, with Celeste Lazarenko and Anna Fraser (sopranos), Dan Walker (tenor) and Erin Helyard with members of Orchestra of the Antipodes. Sung in English.
Click through to our complete April newsletter for more details.
Our Heroes of Pinchgut make our productions possible. Would you like to support Pinchgut and become a Hero? Of course you would... so contact Anna on 02 9389 8117 or anna@pinchgutopera.com.au
Pinchgut is grateful to a number of organisations for their generous support of our activities.
