A stunning Meistersinger from Melbourne Opera

Warwick Fyfe (Hans Sachs) and Lee Abrahmsen (Eva)

Christopher Hillier (Sixtus Beckmesser)

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg

James Egglestone (Walther) and Robert Macfarlane (David)

By Sandra Bowdler, 18 February 2025

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“Warwick Fyfe, previously Wotan and a long standing stalwart on the Australian operatic scene”

Reviewed at Royal Exhibition Building, Melbourne on 16 February 2025

Wagner, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg

Melbourne Opera

Anthony Negus, Conductor

Suzanne Chaundy, Director

Andrew Bailey, Set Designer

Karine Larché, Costume Designer

Philip Lethlean, Lighting Designer

Melbourne Opera Orchestra

Melbourne Opera Chorus

Warwick Fyfe, Hans Sachs

James Egglestone, Walther von Stolzing

Steven Gallop, Veit Pogner

Lee Abrahmsen, Eva

Christopher Hillier, Sixtus Beckmesser

Robert Macfarlane, David

Deborah Humble, Magdalena

Alex Pokryshevsky, Hans Schwarz

Christopher Busietta, Ulrich Eisslinger

Asher Reichman, Augustin Moser

Peter Tregear, Hans Foltz

Michael Lampard, Fritz Kothner

Bradley Daley, Balthasar Zorn

Darcy Carroll, Konrad Nachtigall

Henry Choo, Kunz Vogelgesang

Michael Honeyman, Hermann Ortel

Henry Shaw, Nightwatchman

Götterdämmerung triumphantly crowns the all-Australian Bendigo Ring

Sandra Bowdler, 2nd April

Melbourne Opera maintains the high standard of its all-Australian endeavour to the very end in a triumphant Götterdämmerung.

*****

Under the dragon's eye: Melbourne Opera's Ring continues in Bendigo

Sandra Bowdler, 31st March

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.

*****

Stunning Walküre in Melbourne Opera's Ring cycle in Bendigo

Sandra Bowdler, 26th March

Melbourne Opera's Walküre outdoes expectations, with really splendid singing and all-round performances, led by Lee Abrahmsen's Sieglinde.

*****

Das Rheingold in Gold Rush Bendigo

Sandra Bowdler, 24th March

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.

****1

A marvellous Walküre from Melbourne Opera

Brian Angus, 9th February

Melbourne Opera have done a magnificent job with this Die Walküre production. Everything about it has succeeded. And maybe in Zara Barrett they have discovered a new Brünnhilde.

*****

Melbourne Opera mines Australian talent in new Rheingold

Sandra Bowdler, 8th February

Melbourne Opera has produced a critically and popularly successful Das Rheingold, which bodes well for the planned development of a full Ring cycle over the next four years.

****1

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Sandra Bowdler

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.