Jeremy Eccles was born in the UK, engaged with music at Dulwich College, Jurisprudence at Oxford and politics at the BBC. Then he made a sea-change to Radio Hong Kong - and culture entered his professional world. On to Australia in 1982, where culture took over, broadcasting on the ABC and writing in all national newspapers, mainly about the performing arts. He formed a local chapter of the International Association of Theatre Critics, contributed to The World of Theatre and edited two magazines. Later, Jeremy began reviewing opera for the Australian Financial Review and dance for the Sydney Review. Most of his writing (and the odd film) today is deep into Indigenous art and culture at aboriginalartdirectory.com, but he maintains a continuing engagement with opera - early, contemporary, on the Harbour and plain old Puccini.
Luke Styles' interludes to the Canticles may not set the musical world alight in Awakening Shadow, but they provide the perfect excuse to perform Britten's remarkable works.
Not quite ready for a full-blown opera, but Sydney's Pinchgut maintains its historically informed purity with a delicately expanded version of Charpentier's Messe de Minuit.
The real triumph of Michael Fabiano's role debut as Werther lay in controlling the bold intensity of his voice in favour of a sweet and lower-key level of passion – a match for Massenet's frequent choice of the cello.
Voltaire and Bernstein's wilful political incorrectness make Candide a challenge to behold, but the Sydney Philharmonia meets them in a concert performance in the opera house.
The American Pacifica Quartet was convincingly introduced to Aussie Nigel Westlake's Second Quartet for their Down Under tour; but revealed its essence in the theatre of Shostakovich.
Historically informed rarities from Rameau and Vinci aim to recreate the world of 18th-century opera-going in Paris. But a misaligned production distracts from this specialised experience.
The fascinating politics of this opera are diminished by the presentation of just four scenes. The music and three strong performances almost make up as Sydney gets its first taste of this work.
Mary Finsterer has managed a musical melange that crosses effortlessly and delightfully from the Renaissance to today. If only Tom Wright's book and libretto had been a match, this would have been a work worth taking to the world.
