Russian-born conductor Vasily Petrenko leads WASO to deliver the drama and violence of Shostakovich’s Symphony No.11, writes Sandra Bowdler.
Author Archives: Sandra Bowdler
Reviews
Handel’s masterwork – 280 years and not out
14 April 2022
Handel’s Messiah was first performed in Easter Week, 1742 and Sandra Bowdler has found a revival of that event that was near perfection.
Reviews
Musical fireworks
8 November 2021
Remarkable performances by soprano Sara Macliver and conductor Dane Lam light up this concert by the WA Symphony Orchestra, reports Sandra Bowdler.
Reviews
Massive Mozart
13 September 2021
Mozart’s Mass in C minor is one of his more sublime masterpieces, but its impact was somewhat mitigated by unbalanced forces, says Sandra Bowdler
Reviews
A musical reunion in less than ideal conditions
6 September 2021
HIP Company marks its first anniversary with an ambitious program that Sandra Bowdler says is hampered somewhat by technology and the choice of venue.
Reviews
Romantic thrills and spills
23 August 2021
Freeze Frame Opera’s “Angels & Devils” presents unlikely opera repertoire in an unusual venue and Sandra Bowdler says it offers a night of good fun and great singing.
Reviews
Stravinsky reinvented
12 August 2021
Students rework an orchestral classic side by side with professionals, in what Sandra Bowdler says is a bold experiment with a structural flaw.
Reviews
The implausible made possible
14 June 2021
A duet for cats, death by avalanche, dying while singing – the cast from Freeze Frame Opera’s “The Impossibles” deliver implausible operatic moments with gusto, says Sandra Bowdler.
Reviews
Collaboration brings out the best
17 May 2021
Stuffy traditions are pushed aside in a performance of Mendelssohn’s Elijah which Sandra Bowdler says is brought to life with imagination and solid musical values.
Reviews
A window to sunny Seville
19 April 2021
Fancy a COVID-safe trip to Spain? West Australian Opera’s production of The Barber of Seville does not fail to delight, says Sandra Bowdler, despite some uneven spots.
