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Anthony Callea with the MSO – Review

by Jon Jackson 13th September, 2017
by Jon Jackson 13th September, 2017

This is the first time I have seen Anthony Callea perform live. And what a great way to see him. Anthony Callea at the top of his game, singing with a world class symphony orchestra; performing two hours of some of the world’s greatest number one hits. It was an enthusiastic sell-out crowd, filling Hamer Hall to the brim. The concert, “Aria Number 1 Hits in Symphony”, was to launch the album Callea has just made with the MSO for Sony music. The program was made up of the singer’s favourite number one ARIA hits, plus some other favourites which don’t appear on the album.

Anthony Callea has a commanding stage presence and a natural ability to inhabit each song and make it come alive. He undercuts the serious nature of some of the material with lighter moments and off-the-cuff patter between songs. Without these touches, things could have become quite emotionally dark at times. His choice of songs and the way he interpreted them belies his light-hearted chats. There were moments such as “Bleeding Love” which were incredibly moving, and I found myself transported to the very heart of the piece. It takes a true artist to create such chemistry using nothing but heart and voice.

It’s been 13 years since Anthony Callea first came to public attention as runner- up on Australian Idol. In that time he has developed into a consummate performer and interpreter of the iconic anthems in popular music. His break out hit, “The Prayer” went four times platinum and he’s gone on to win multiple awards and plaudits. Callea used this song to close the first half of the program and it was a spine-tingling rendition. The rapt audience gave him the first of the evening’s standing ovations, and it was only interval.

In this genre, especially with the symphony orchestra backing, and passages sung in Italian, I occasionally believed I was hearing a Neapolitan tenor. Callea has phenomenal technique and can switch from operatic bravura to bright-toned pop with ease. In fact it’s a delight to see and hear a fine singer show off what he can do. He’s very well prepared and comfortable with the material and sings it as if he is a part of the orchestra. It was a thrill to hear him create that torrential sound which seems to pour out of him, with notes held for as long as sixteen bars or more. With h is voice soaring over the orchestra, he clearly enjoyed showing his incredible breath support, in the several power ballads which require this talent in spades. This style of song is of course his speciality and he’s playing to his strengths.

Callea was greatly supported by his arranger and long-time collaborator John Foreman, who conducted the MSO with assurance and flair. Their banter at the podium showed great affection and mutual respect. Foreman, now a household name is a familiar face to music lovers due to his musical direction work on television and his conducting for popular music theatre.

Things change briefly during the second half, when the orchestra rests while Callea and his core musicians show some serious ability in reinterpreting the songs of Whitney Houston. He sings a medley with just piano, played by Garth Ploog and the superb backing vocals of Suzie Ahearn, Annette Roche and Rocky Loprevitte. Throughout the performance, the vocal harmonies they provided were so close and warm that you couldn’t distinguish any separation in the voices. In fact, they became an extension of Callea’s own voice. It’s clear that they have sung together many times over a long period. Only with vocal stylists the calibre of Suzie Ahearn, is such refinement possible.

If I had to find fault with this presentation, it would be that towards the end, I was becoming emotionally exhausted. That many showstoppers in a row are a lot to take. The hits just kept coming and they were given the full power of the orchestra, augmented by Callea’s own guitarist, bass player, pianist and drummer. “I Swear”, “Everything I Do, I Do It For You”, “Rain”, “It Must Have Been Love”, “Right Here Waiting” and “Save the Best for Last”. Standouts for me would have to be George Michael’s “Jesus to a Child” and Sinead O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares to You”. Both ambitious choices, but Callea made them his own.

Callea jokes that this was a vanity project for him, but in reality it was a great opportunity for his many fans to see him in another light. To see him in the context of symphonic sound and hear his music interpreted in the universal language of orchestral music. He was more than equal to the task. For all his light-hearted self-deprecation, regarding his being just a “wog boy” with budget rhinestone heels and sparkly microphone, I believe by mounting this project, he proved to himself and his public that he had actually arrived.

Jon Jackson reviewed Anthony Callea’s concert with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, “Aria Number 1 Hits in Symphony” at Hamer Hall Melbourne, on September 8, 2017.

 

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  • August 2022

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2 events, 1

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Songmakers Australia: Schwanengesang

August 1 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Songmakers Australia: Schwanengesang

Program Franz Schubert Schwanengesang D 957 Songmakers Australia Schubert’s last song cycle was published after his untimely death at the age of…

Free
6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Seraphim Trio – Gallic Charm

August 1 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Seraphim Trio – Gallic Charm

A performance of cherished works and Gallic beauty. About the artists Seraphim Trio is as much a lifelong friendship as a…

$40 – $50

0 events, 2

1 event, 3

11:30 am - 12:40 pm

Mostly Mozart – Musical Mavericks

August 3 @ 11:30 am - 12:40 pm

Mostly Mozart – Musical Mavericks

Riveting passion balanced with delicate lyricism. About the artists Scottish born James Crabb is widely regarded as one of the world’s…

$42 – $49

0 events, 4

0 events, 5

1 event, 6

7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Ray Chen

August 6 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Ray Chen

World-renowned violinist Ray Chen makes his long-awaited return to Australia with some of the most demanding, impressive, and emotionally riveting works…

$65.55 – $159

2 events, 7

2:30 pm - 3:30 pm

Flinders Quartet Concert 2

August 7 @ 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm

Flinders Quartet Concert 2

Join Flinders Quartet for the sumptuous romanticism and grandeur of Brahms, and the ingenuity and wit of Haydn. Thibaud Pavlovic-Hobba -…

$29 – $38
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Corpus Medicorum Concert #3

August 7 @ 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Corpus Medicorum Concert #3

Corpus Medicorum Rebirth 2022 Concert Series. Artists Charlotte Miles cellist Keith Crellin OAM conductor Program Edward Elgar Cello Concerto, Op.85 Antonín Dvořák Symphony No.7…

$10 – $60

1 event, 8

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Stewart Kelly – Schubert’s Swansong

August 8 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Stewart Kelly – Schubert’s Swansong

A journey to the corners of human experience with Schubert’s Schwanengesang. About the artists Stewart Kelly is one of Australia’s most sought-after…

$40 – $50

0 events, 9

0 events, 10

1 event, 11

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Melbourne Guitar Quartet – Flow My Tears

August 11 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Melbourne Guitar Quartet – Flow My Tears

Innovative arrangements, technical flair and superb playing. About the artists Melbourne Guitar Quartet have carved out a reputation for curating utterly…

$40 – $50

1 event, 12

7:30 pm - 10:30 pm Recurring

Stravinsky’s Ballets

August 12 @ 7:30 pm - 10:30 pm Recurring

Stravinsky’s Ballets

Wicked magicians, unrequited love, and human sacrifice for a bountiful spring – these ballets have it all! The MSO travels through…

$64 – $119

1 event, 13

7:30 pm - 10:30 pm Recurring

Stravinsky’s Ballets

August 13 @ 7:30 pm - 10:30 pm Recurring

Stravinsky’s Ballets

Wicked magicians, unrequited love, and human sacrifice for a bountiful spring – these ballets have it all! The MSO travels through…

$64 – $119

4 events, 14

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

The Lieder Society of Victoria: Erwartung – Markus Matheis & Dean Sky-Lucas

August 14 @ 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

The Lieder Society of Victoria: Erwartung – Markus Matheis & Dean Sky-Lucas

"Erwartung" Markus Matheis & Dean Sky-Lucas In this recital ERWARTUNG (expectation) Markus Matheis and Dean Sky-Lucas present a concert which chronicles…

$20 – $25
3:00 pm - 4:15 pm Recurring

Rutter’s Requiem and the 16th RMP Aria Final

August 14 @ 3:00 pm - 4:15 pm Recurring

Rutter’s Requiem and the 16th RMP Aria Final

Now firmly established as one of Australia’s most prestigious singing events, the RMP Aria is Australia’s pre-eminent competition for oratorio soloists.…

$25 – $56
5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

The University of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

August 14 @ 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

The University of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

The University of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s third concert of the year takes us through works by Benjamin Britten, Don Bank, and…

Free
7:00 pm - 10:00 pm Recurring

Rutter’s Requiem and the 16th RMP Aria Final

August 14 @ 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm Recurring

Rutter’s Requiem and the 16th RMP Aria Final

Now firmly established as one of Australia’s most prestigious singing events, the RMP Aria is Australia’s pre-eminent competition for oratorio soloists.…

$25 – $56

0 events, 15

0 events, 16

0 events, 17

2 events, 18

6:30 pm - 7:20 pm

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra: Harold in Italy

August 18 @ 6:30 pm - 7:20 pm

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra: Harold in Italy

The prose of Lord Byron provides the artistic inspiration behind this large-scale symphonic poem by Berlioz. MSO Principal Viola Christopher Moore…

$55 – $95
7:30 pm - 10:00 pm

Guitarra – Paco Peña and The Grigoryan Brothers

August 18 @ 7:30 pm - 10:00 pm

Guitarra – Paco Peña and The Grigoryan Brothers

A perfect merger of two musical worlds in one performance. About the concert Paco Peña, described by Guitar Player magazine as the ‘world’s…

$79 – $110

1 event, 19

7:30 pm - 9:35 pm

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra: Poetry in Music – Berlioz and Tchaikovsky

August 19 @ 7:30 pm - 9:35 pm

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra: Poetry in Music – Berlioz and Tchaikovsky

The prose of Lord Byron provides the artistic inspiration behind two large-scale symphonic poems by Berlioz and Tchaikovsky. MSO Principal Viola…

$69 – $119

2 events, 20

2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Sheku Kanneh-Mason & the Kanneh-Mason Family

August 20 @ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Sheku Kanneh-Mason & the Kanneh-Mason Family

Sheku Kanneh-Mason shot to global fame after his mesmerising performance at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018.…

$59 – $119
2:30 pm - 4:00 pm

Real and Right and True – Lotte Betts-Dean and Calvin Bowman

August 20 @ 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm

Real and Right and True – Lotte Betts-Dean and Calvin Bowman

"Real and Right and True" - a celebration of the art song tradition of Australia and the United Kingdom. Lotte Betts-Dean,…

$10 – $35

2 events, 21

11:00 am - 11:45 am

Percy Grainger Youth Orchestra – Romantic Adventure

August 21 @ 11:00 am - 11:45 am

Percy Grainger Youth Orchestra – Romantic Adventure

Be swept up the whirlwind of love in Romantic Adventure. Coruscating works make up this scintillatingly curated program, with each piece…

5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

MYO – The Dancing Orchestra

August 21 @ 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

MYO – The Dancing Orchestra

Melbourne Youth Orchestra welcomes popular, Vienna based Australian conductor Warwick Stengaards to the podium for The Dancing Orchestra. Vivacious music by Khachaturian,…

$15 – $30

1 event, 22

7:30 pm

Great Performers 2022: Yeol Eum Son

August 22 @ 7:30 pm

Great Performers 2022: Yeol Eum Son

Yeol Eum Son’s graceful and timeless interpretations have moved audiences all over the world. Highly regarded as a brilliant virtuoso, she…

$49 – $119

1 event, 23

5:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Selby & Friends Twilight Series – In the Shadow of War

August 23 @ 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Selby & Friends Twilight Series – In the Shadow of War

The surprising connection between these works is that of wartime conflict and how it impacted each composer. Program Matthew Hindson -…

$55 – $57

0 events, 24

1 event, 25

7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

ELISION – The Aesthetics of Disappearance

August 25 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

ELISION – The Aesthetics of Disappearance

ELISION is an experimental classical music ensemble focused upon pushing sonic and instrumental boundaries in search of visceral expressive experiences. The Aesthetics…

$30 – $37

0 events, 26

0 events, 27

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0 events, 29

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0 events, 31

0 events, 1

0 events, 2

0 events, 3

1 event, 4

3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Wanderlust

September 4 @ 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Wanderlust

The Friends of the Auburn Tower Inc presents Wanderlust, featuring Elyane Laussade, piano, and Luke Severn, bass baritone, in a musical…

$20 – $35
August 1
August 1 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Songmakers Australia: Schwanengesang

August 1 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Seraphim Trio – Gallic Charm

  • There are no events on this day.
August 3
August 3 @ 11:30 am - 12:40 pm

Mostly Mozart – Musical Mavericks

  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
August 6
August 6 @ 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Ray Chen

August 7
August 7 @ 2:30 pm - 3:30 pm

Flinders Quartet Concert 2

August 7 @ 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Corpus Medicorum Concert #3

August 8
August 8 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Stewart Kelly – Schubert’s Swansong

  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
August 11
August 11 @ 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm

Melbourne Guitar Quartet – Flow My Tears

August 12
August 12 @ 7:30 pm - 10:30 pm Recurring

Stravinsky’s Ballets

August 13
August 13 @ 7:30 pm - 10:30 pm Recurring

Stravinsky’s Ballets

August 14
August 14 @ 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm

The Lieder Society of Victoria: Erwartung – Markus Matheis & Dean Sky-Lucas

August 14 @ 3:00 pm - 4:15 pm Recurring

Rutter’s Requiem and the 16th RMP Aria Final

August 14 @ 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm

The University of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

August 14 @ 7:00 pm - 10:00 pm Recurring

Rutter’s Requiem and the 16th RMP Aria Final

  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
August 18
August 18 @ 6:30 pm - 7:20 pm

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra: Harold in Italy

August 18 @ 7:30 pm - 10:00 pm

Guitarra – Paco Peña and The Grigoryan Brothers

August 19
August 19 @ 7:30 pm - 9:35 pm

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra: Poetry in Music – Berlioz and Tchaikovsky

August 20
August 20 @ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Sheku Kanneh-Mason & the Kanneh-Mason Family

August 20 @ 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm

Real and Right and True – Lotte Betts-Dean and Calvin Bowman

August 21
August 21 @ 11:00 am - 11:45 am

Percy Grainger Youth Orchestra – Romantic Adventure

August 21 @ 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

MYO – The Dancing Orchestra

August 22
August 22 @ 7:30 pm

Great Performers 2022: Yeol Eum Son

August 23
August 23 @ 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Selby & Friends Twilight Series – In the Shadow of War

August 25
August 25 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

ELISION – The Aesthetics of Disappearance

September 4
September 4 @ 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Wanderlust

August 20
August 20 @ 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Sheku Kanneh-Mason & the Kanneh-Mason Family

August 20 @ 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm

Real and Right and True – Lotte Betts-Dean and Calvin Bowman

August 21
August 21 @ 11:00 am - 11:45 am

Percy Grainger Youth Orchestra – Romantic Adventure

August 21 @ 5:30 pm - 7:30 pm

MYO – The Dancing Orchestra

August 22
August 22 @ 7:30 pm

Great Performers 2022: Yeol Eum Son

August 23
August 23 @ 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Selby & Friends Twilight Series – In the Shadow of War

  • There are no events on this day.
August 25
August 25 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

ELISION – The Aesthetics of Disappearance

  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
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  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
  • There are no events on this day.
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  • There are no events on this day.
September 4
September 4 @ 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Wanderlust

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