Arts and culture
Archibald portraits
‘A portrait is a painting with something wrong about the mouth’ is a quotation attributed to John Singer Sargent, painter…
Disney’s Aladdin
To my parents in the 1930s, the name Disney meant Mickey Mouse. Now the name is associated not only with…
Mozart’s operas
A couple of weeks ago Opera Australia celebrated its 60th Anniversary with a gala concert at the Opera House. Surprisingly…
Amber Scott and Adam Bull in Swan Lake
Amid predictable demands for increased funding for the arts, The Australian Ballet is setting off on its 25th ( yes,…
Jonathan Church
To mis-quote Lady Bracknell: losing an artistic director after just 9 months ‘smacks of carelessness’. That is exactly what has…
Piers Lane
David Speers was irritated when Bronwyn Bishop spoke about the Sydney International Piano Competition when he wanted her to dish…
Conductor Antony Walker
He was the most successful and influential composer of the classical period; Josef Haydn (1732-1809) wrote 108 symphonies, 68 string…
Barry Humphries
A failed political experiment that began nearly 100 years ago, the Weimar Republic (1918-1933), still holds considerable fascination for many…
Eoin Andersen
Zurich’s loss was Melbourne’s gain in 2015 when Eoin Andersen became Concertmaster of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Having begun violin…
Culture buff
It was a big week for art auctions; Sotheby’s grossed $14.2 million over May10 & 11, their best result since…
Roberto Alagna as Pinkerton at the Met 2016
Born in France of Sicilian parents, Roberto Alagna has been one of the opera world’s outstanding tenors for nearly 25…
Wednesday Lily and Otto by Myriam Kin-Yee
To be celebrating the 200th anniversary this year of the Royal Botanic Gardens is quite astounding. Just 28 years after…
Artist’s impression of proposed new museum at Parramatta
There is an interesting article in the latest issue of Apollo, the international art magazine, a stablemate of The Spectator…
Helen Garner
True crime is the genre of literature based on actual crimes and the real life perpetrators. Initially popularised in the…
Sachin Joab in STC’s Disgraced
Our grandmothers told that we shouldn’t discuss politics or religion in polite society. Apparently that was not a lesson learned…
Culture buff
Contemporary dance may not be to everyone’s taste but too many tired, grey performances of Swan Lake will encourage converts.…
Culture buff
A glamorous program for the special Brisbane Baroque will transport music lovers straight to a baroque heaven. From April 8…
Culture buff
‘The Queen is dead!’ are not words any of us is anxious to hear; they will be followed by the…
Culture buff
We were in Canberra to attend the dinner celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Howard Government election; a good opportunity…
Culture Buff
Asked recently whether I thought Opera on the Harbour was really opera, I replied emphatically that it is. No one…
Culture buff
If you haven’t yet seen Verdi’s Luisa Millar at the Sydney Opera House you’re already too late; no worry, there…
Culture buff
He was named the first Australian of the Year in 1960; Sir Macfarlane Burnet OM AK KBE had been awarded…
Culture buff
Conde Nast was the publisher of Vogue Australia in 1965. That was the year I started with Vogue but, much…
Culture buff
We played them in the band at primary school but it was several decades before we appreciated the potential of…
Riotously unfunny
Enthusiastically touted as the first Australian sitcom in fifteen years, Channel 9’s highly promoted Here Come the Habibs has a…
