AUTHOR: John Weretka

Kashchey The Immortal

 23rd March, 2018

Those familiar with Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade or Flight of the bumblebee might be surprised to know that the composer was a vigorous and even accomplished composer of opera: in fact, Flight of the bumblebee actually comes from one of them, The tale of Tsar Saltan. Opera composition occupied him from the 1860s until almost the year…Read More

Biber: Missa Salisburgensis (at the Organs Of The Ballarat Goldfields Festival)

 7th January, 2018

The Organs of the Ballarat Goldfields Festival is another of the festivals that Classic Melbourne is pleased to highlight in January, relieving as it does the dearth of good concerts nightly, as Melbourne often enjoys throughout the year.  As a highlight of our coverage of the festival, and to introduce it, regular reviewer John Weretka spoke to Gary Ekkel about Heinrich Biber’s titanic Missa…Read More

Interview: Lorina Gore

 20th June, 2017

In May reviewer John Weretka reported that Opera Australia had broken new territory in King Roger, mounting the first opera in Polish the company had ever performed. Here he speaks with leading lady Lorina Gore about this landmark production. JW Opera Australia has been drawing attention to the fact that King Roger is the first time…Read More