A night at the pictures
February 16, 2016 by Fraser Beath McEwing
Pictures are what American pianist Garrick Ohlsson had in mind for his recital last night, the first of the International pianists in Recital concerts for 2016 in the Sydney City Recital Hall, writes Fraser Beath McEwing. Read more
The unbeatable trio…a music review by Fraser Beath McEwing
February 11, 2016 by Fraser Beath McEwing
It’s the magic formula: a full program of Beethoven, the guest return of the much-loved Vladimir Ashkenazy and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in full song. It is no surprise that the APT Master Series drew a full house for the first concert of its 2016 season, writes Fraser Beath McEwing. Read more
A special occasion for the king
November 29, 2015 by Fraser Beath McEwing
French organist, Olivier Latry, treated last Friday morning’s Emirates ‘Tea & Symphony’ full capacity audience to a unique concert, writes Fraser Beath McEwing. Read more
Thus spake Edo de Waart
November 26, 2015 by Fraser Beath McEwing
Edo de Waart, who was chief conductor and artistic director of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra between 1992 and 2003, returned to the Opera House to conduct the final concert in the APT Master Series last night. I found it inspiring, writes Fraser Beath McEwing. Read more
Take Six took their breath away
November 19, 2015 by Fraser Beath McEwing
Fraser Beath McEwing reports on a unique piano concert…six Steinways in recital. Read more
Beethoven’s mighty mass
October 15, 2015 by Fraser Beath McEwing
One big bite filling the whole program was the Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s offering for the ATP Master Series concert last night, writes Fraser Beath McEwing. Read more
A bit of Bach and a lot of Liszt…a music review by Fraser Beath Mc Ewing
August 18, 2015 by Fraser Beath McEwing
Russian pianist, Kirill Gerstein climbed a pianistic Mount Everest at Sydney’s Recital Hall last night by tackling Franz Liszt’s Transcendental Etudes, but not before warming up on Bartok and Bach. Read more
Molto Russian, meno Italian…a music review by Fraser Beath McEwing
August 13, 2015 by Fraser Beath McEwing
Rachmaninov and Shostakovich had their big guns blazing while Verdi pinged away with his pea-rifle in an Opera House concert last night that many in the audience rated as the best in the APT Master Series so far this year. Read more
Rattling the bars
July 30, 2015 by Fraser Beath McEwing
A full house, plenty of celebrities and Sir Simon Rattle conducting a uniquely superb orchestra could hardly miss being the standout event of the Sydney (and probably Australian) classical music calendar…writes Fraser Beath McEwing. Read more
The girl in green plus other music
July 16, 2015 by Fraser Beath McEwing
I’m pretty sure that the full house for last night’s Opera House SSO Master Series concert was all about one diminutive Chinese girl pianist….writes Fraser Beath McEwing. Read more
For once, I’m lost for words…a music review by Fraser Beath McEwing
July 14, 2015 by Fraser Beath McEwing
Chinese pianist, Yuja Wang, whipped a sold-out Sydney Recital Hall audience into a standing, bravoing frenzy last night with a program of Chopin and Scriabin. Read more
A howling success – kind of…a music review by Fraser Beath McEwing
July 3, 2015 by Fraser Beath McEwing
Chris Botti, one of the world’s finest jazz trumpeters, surrounded himself on the stage of the Sydney Opera House with the SSO and seven soloists to present a concert that I both loathed and loved. Read more
Two bouncing Czechs and a spot of fiddling…a music review by Fraser Beath McEwing
June 4, 2015 by Fraser Beath McEwing
One of the finest of Dvorak’s symphonies, along with two pieces from Smetana’s popular set of tone poems provided safe and enjoyable bookends to an ear-challenging contemporary violin concerto at the Sydney Opera House Master Series last night. Read more
Bringing them home to make music…writes Fraser Beath McEwing
May 27, 2015 by Fraser Beath McEwing
On Tuesday 23rd of July, at five o’clock in the afternoon, ninety-five of the finest Australian orchestral musicians in the world will file in through the side doors of the Sydney Opera House concert hall stage. Read more
Avan Yu fulfilling his promise…a music review by Fraser Beath McEwing
May 22, 2015 by Fraser Beath McEwing
While winning piano competitions can seem like an end in itself, it is more often the beginning of a career as a professional soloist. Read more
A Byrd in the hand
May 19, 2015 by Fraser Beath McEwing
A Byrd in the hand…and much more, as pianist Peter Serkin ranged over five centuries to source music for his concert in Sydney’s City Recital Hall last night, writes Fraser Beath McEwing. Read more
Music for two wives and a hero…a music review by Fraser Beath McEwing
May 14, 2015 by Fraser Beath McEwing
Wagner wrote a piece for his wife, Cosima. Bartok also wrote a piece for his wife, Ditta. Schoenberg, on the other hand, orchestrated a quartet already written by his hero, Brahms. Read more
A whole night of foreplay
April 14, 2015 by Fraser Beath McEwing
The first of this year’s International Pianists in Recital series held in Sydney’s City Recital Hall last night presented French Canadian pianist Louis Lortie playing no less than 57 preludes spread over three composers, writes Fraser Beath McEwing. Read more
Granite blocks with strange lace in between
March 19, 2015 by Fraser Beath McEwing
Two heavyweights from the popular international composes list plus a rarely heard offering from Australia’s Nigel Butterley made for a hearty musical feast at the second of this year’s Sydney Symphony APT Master Series concerts last night, writes Fraser Beath McEwing. Read more
Mendelssohn’s violin concerto sent them wild
February 12, 2015 by Fraser Beath McEwing
Explosive violinist, Christian Tetzlaff, ran away with the show in the first of this year’s Sydney Symphony APT Master Series concerts last night, writes Fraser Beath McEwing. Read more
A night to please
December 4, 2014 by Fraser Beath McEwing
Take a British beginning and end, put Sibelius in the middle, and everybody goes home feeling good – but only if the musicians can deliver, writes Fraser Beath McEwing. Read more
Bronfman returns and brings Mahler with him
November 28, 2014 by Fraser Beath McEwing
He saw him rehearse the Brahms Piano Concerto No 1 with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra…now Fraser Beath McEwing reviews the concert itself. Read more
Yefim Bronfman, pianistic force, in two acts
November 26, 2014 by Fraser Beath McEwing
J-Wire took its music reviewer Fraser Beath McEwing to watch one of the world’s top pianists Yefim Bronfman rehearse Brahms powerful Piano Concerto No1 with the Sydney Symphony orchestra followed by a private interview with the maestro…read his report. Read more
Favourite bookends and a bone-shaking middle
November 20, 2014 by Fraser Beath McEwing
The grandeur and familiarity of Beethoven and Brahms sat either side of a pyrotechnic exhibition in sound at the SSO APT Master Series in the Sydney Opera House last night, writes Fraser Beath McEwing. Read more
Very much a live performance from Jean-Efflam Bavouzet
November 19, 2014 by Fraser Beath McEwing
The difference between a careful, note-perfect recording and a caution-to-the-winds live performance was graphically demonstrated by French pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet last night, writes Fraser Beath McEwing. Read more
A voluminous night with Poulenc and Mahler…writes Fraser Beath McEwing
October 30, 2014 by Fraser Beath McEwing
Poulenc and Mahler made a satisfying pairing in the SSO Master Series at the Sydney Opera House last night. They both offered passages no louder than a purring cat juxtaposed with kegs of gelignite being ignited. Read more
Hough and plenty of pough from the Sydney Symphony
September 18, 2014 by Fraser Beath McEwing
While you couldn’t call last night’s SSO concert of Dvorak and Bruckner easy listening, there were rewards aplenty if you were prepared to engage with the music, writes Fraser Beath McEwing. Read more
Stephen, I still love you but . . .
September 17, 2014 by Fraser Beath McEwing
The greatest challenge in Stephen Hough’s life must be living up to his own legend, writes Fraser Beath McEwing. Read more
First Class Ax…writes Fraser Beath McEwing
June 12, 2014 by Fraser Beath McEwing
Polish /Canadian pianist, Emanuel Ax is in Australia doing what very few pianists would be game to do: play all five Beethoven piano concertos in the space of nine days. Read more
A prophetable night – SSO Opera House concert 14 May 2014
May 15, 2014 by Fraser Beath McEwing
But hardly profitable, when you consider the colossal forces that had to be assembled to perform Mendelssohn’s oratorio, Elijah, writes Fraser Beath McEwing. Read more
