Five Lines is a collection of writings about music in Aotearoa New Zealand by Elizabeth Kerr. It features short articles, artist profiles and reviews of concerts, operas and albums. You can subscribe - it’s free - at the bottom of any story.
STROMA: Dream Architects
STROMA’s recent Wellington concert, Dream Architects, featured New Zealand composers in a global context alongside the modernist master Xenakis on the 100th anniversary of his birth.
New Zealand Opera’s Macbeth: “blood everywhere”
NZ Opera’s new production of Verdi’s Macbeth explores issues of power and gender and the derangement and paranoia of the 21st century human psyche.
Van Diemen’s Band: a baroque ensemble crosses borders
The Tasmanian Baroque ensemble, Van Diemen’s Band, brought an intriguing boundary-crossing programme called Borderlands to New Zealand for a Chamber Music New Zealand tour.
Psathas’ Leviathan: steel, drums and determination
Humanity’s race to disaster is captured in John Psathas’s high-impact, visceral Leviathan, which will have its NZ premiere with soloist Alexej Gerassimez and Orchestra Wellington this month.
The Tudor Consort and Palestrina: joyous and atmospheric
The Tudor Consort’s performance of Palestrina’s masterpiece, Missa Papae Marcelli, within a liturgical reconstruction offered high quality music-making, thoughtful curation and a joyous spirit.
Bartók - a musical colour-burst
A new album of Bartók’s music for violin and piano by violinist Monique Lapins and pianist Jian Liu has energy, momentum and a forthright passionate approach.
Barley and De Pledge: Dream team
Matthew Barley and Stephen de Pledge are currently touring Aotearoa for Chamber Music New Zealand with a programme of Beethoven, Brahms and other “interesting stuff”.
Reimagining Cinderella: sumptuous, enchanting and high camp
Choreographer Loughlan Prior, composer Claire Cowan and designer Emma Kingsbury have reimagined Cinderella’s rags-to-riches story as a 21st century “happily ever after”.
Podium dynamics
Does gender on the podium matter? Is the issue merely one of equity? Are female conductors measured by a different standard?
Hilary Hahn with the NZSO - taking time
Celebrated American violinist Hilary Hahn talks about her early influences, JS Bach and her upcoming concertos with the NZSO.
Moonstone: music from Aotearoa for viola and piano
Moonstone, a new album from Robert Ashworth (viola) and Sarah Watkins (piano) explores many voices and styles in music of Aotearoa.
Wellington Opera’s La Traviata: moving and poignant
Wellington Opera’s La Traviata brought subtle and complex character development to the stage in a moving production that largely transcended pandemic disruptions.
Lexus Song Quest: celebrating young singers
With the much-anticipated return of the Lexus Song Quest this week after a four year wait, some previous winners recall what the prestigious and career-changing contest meant to them.
Giuseppe Verdi: magical and timeless
Verdi’s “furious and glorious music” will delight many New Zealand audiences and radio listeners with its beauty and contemporary relevance this month. Why is Verdi still so popular?
Gunter Herbig: seductive landscapes for guitar
Guitarist Gunter Herbig’s transition from classical to electric guitar filled him with a renewed sense of musical adventure.
NZ String Quartet: Into the light
The New Zealand String Quartet is on the road again around New Zealand, presenting the imaginative programmes of its First Light tour in sixteen concerts.
The Strangest of Angels: a psychological operatic drama
A new opera, The Strangest of Angels, was created by an innovative collaborative process and explores mental health issues.
Andrew Beer in Whitehead premiere - going with the tide
Dame Gillian Whitehead’s new work, Tai timu, tai pari, is premiered by the Auckland Philharmonia with their concertmaster Andrew Beer as soloist. It’s not a typical concerto.
Sounds of the Moana: winning Gold in New York
Winning Gold for their first major podcast series at the prestigious New York Festival’s Radio Awards was a thrill for the team at SOUNZ, Centre for New Zealand Music.
John Psathas The All-Seeing Sky: the inspiration of friends
Orchestra Wellington’s “Circle of Friends” includes their composer-in-residence John Psathas and his percussionist friends Fabian Ziegler and Luca Staffelbach from Switzerland. Psathas’ new double percussion concerto may be one of his finest compositions.