Sandra Bowdler was born and educated in Sydney, and has pursued a career as an archaeologist since graduating from the University of Sydney in 1970. She is now Emeritus Professor of Archaeology and a Senior Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Western Australia in the School of Social Sciences and the School of Music. Since attending a production of Handel’s opera Alcina at the Sydney Opera House in 1982, she has become a devotee of the works of GF Handel, and Baroque music generally. In 1996 she began writing opera reviews for online outlets, graduating to more professional sources by 2000. In 2007, she inaugurated Festival Baroque Australia in Perth, Western Australia, Australia’s first Baroque music festival. Under that banner, she curated two festivals and several concerts in Perth.
Haydn holds his own between Stravinsky and Shostakovich, thanks to an impassioned performance by Li-Wei Qin with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra.
Soprano Verónica Cangemi shines in a variety of moods as Handel heroines, with the added attraction of Celine Pasche's virtuoso recorder playing, accompanied by Andrea Marcon.
At the Göttingen Handel Festival, Handel's English oratorio features a choice array of soloists in a more than satisfactory outing under artistic director George Petrou.
A wonderful night of late 17th-century music by the somewhat obscure German composer Dietrich Buxtehude is brought to radiant life by Erin Helyard and the Pinchgut Opera company.
Melbourne Opera's Siegfried continues the dramatic excitement and first class singing of it predessors in the Bendigo Ring cycle, including a great performance of the title role by Bradley Daley.
A strong opener to Melbourne Opera's all-Australian complete Ring, the first to be performed outside a state capital, in the regional Victorian city of Bendigo.
A single performance of Rossini's Cinderella story in Launceston, Tasmania was an unmitigated delight, with a sparkling cast of international performers.
A thrilling performance of one of Handel's most dramatic oratorios was rapturously received at the Göttingen International Handel Festival, rising from the Covid ashes this year
George Petrou and the FestspielOrchester Göttingen receive a rapturous reception in the opening concert of the resurrected International Handel Festival at Göttingen.
Vivaldi's opera Farnace presents a basically insoluble problem: how to produce a more or less complete version. While this is not solved by the Ferrara production, it is strong musically and enjoyable.
Whether one considers Messiah to be really appropriate for Christmas, it always a welcome gift for the Handel aficionado, and this performance from Rotterdam, while suffering some unfortunate cuts, is an otherwise solid musical offering.
An intriguing programming of old and new works, covering the time period 1893 to 1976, which themselves contain elements of old and new, beautifully performed.
