Melba Newsletters and eNews
A small selection from of news sent to supporters and customers. They contain interesting information on many Melba releases and events.
Newsletters:
September 2011: Newsletter Information on a slew of new Melba Recordings releases from soloists Cheryl Barker, Nance Grant, Timothy Young, Guillaume Tourniaire, Steve Davislim, Michael Dauth, Roger Benedict, Ray Chen, Paul Dean and Stephen Emmerson plus news from the Gala function held in June held in celebration of Nellie Melba’s 150th Birthday plus glowing reviews for Ray Chen’s premier release from Gramophone (UK) and BBC Music Magazine (UK)
December 2008: Acclaim from international critics for Saint-Saëns opera Hélène plus news from Hélène launches from London, Melbourne and New York plus an article from Music and Vision (UK) complimenting Melba’s groundbreaking standards with a fucus on the release of Hélène and Nuit Persane.
April 2008: Celebrating the world premiere release of Saint-Saëns’ Hélène and his song cycle Nuit Persane plus Stuart Skelton’s Prix Lauritz Melchior award win. Also included, along with notification of new releases, is a report from the Melbourne Schubert recital program of Steve Davislim and Anthony Romaniuk.
April 2007: News of Melba launches from abroad; from Paris with Australian Ambassador Penelope Wensley and New York with Jeanne Pratt, Rupert Murdoch and James Wolfensohn KBE OA where Asher Fisch and David Tong performed piano duets. Also included is the announcement of extensive new releases, including a recital by Calvin Bowman at the mighty Melbourne Town Hall organ and a recital disc from the twin cellists, Pei-Jee Ng and Pei-Sian Ng. There is feature piece on soprano Elizabeth Whitehouse and her new release of rare French and Italian opera arias recording with Richard Bonynge.
eNews
21 March 2017: An introduction to Leslie Howard and Matteo Ometto’s Belle Époque, the complete music for two pianists by Reynaldo Hahn, also offering a snapshot of career moments shared between Leslie and Maria Vandamme. Terry Lane offers a short essay where he considers the technical development of recordings, using the DGG Karajan 1963 recording of the complete Beethoven symphonies as the lens.
24 April 2015: Featuring links to reviews of Benjamin Martin’s virtuosic piano recital In the Wake of the Great War, and to performance video of Melba artists Barry Tuckwell and Lin Jiang along with Horn great Radek Baborák and the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra. Also included, Melba Recordings’ Founder Maria Vandamme opens up about her background and the inspiration for Melba Recordings in this Neos Kosmos article.
17 April 2015: Featuring links to Voices in the Wilderness, music of Hans Gál and Ernst Krenek for Viola and Piano featuring Roger Benedict and Timothy Young. View a video of Dame Elisabeth Murdoch talking about the significance of Melba Recordings releases and read a background of conductor Guillaume Tourniaire and his recordings with rehearsal video where he talks about Saint-Saëns opera Hélène
10 April 2015: Australian National Treasure Dr Barry Jones offers his thoughts on the position of the arts in our retail-oriented society, the role of government support for classical music, his support for Melba Recordings and the importance of Australia’s cultural reputation. Other articles include principles of Senator George Brandis’s Arts policy, and comments on Benjamin Martin’s In the Wake of the Great War.
14 November 2014: Read Michael Quinn’s interview with Stephen Emmerson detailing his new release of Mahler’s Second Symphony in the arrangement for two pianos, eight hands and an extended interview with Maria Vandamme from the prestigious International Record Review on Melba Recordings and her background studying piano.
27 October 2014: See video of pianist Benjamin Martin play his arrangement of Charlie Chaplin’s “Smile” for Richard Bonynge. Also there is information and reviews for Mahler’s Second Symphony and Voices in the Wilderness
14 October 2014: See an interview video of Maestro Richard Bonynge to celebrate the seven releases of his Richard Bonynge Edition on Melba Recordings. Maestro Bonynge shares his passion for achieving excellence in the recording studio and his love of rare repertoire. Also included is information on all of his Melba Recordings releases.
21 June 2014: Vale Denise Shepherd . A touching tribute to the larger-than-life French coach, singer, mistress of art song and Dior model who was so much more, Denise Shepherd. Denise elevated the artistry and understanding of everyone that she worked, sharing her experience of life, music, art and language in the milieu of the France of Albert Camus, Francis Poulenc and Paul Bernac before and after the second world.
December 2012: Announcing the release of Asher Fisch’s Liszt/Wagner piano recital: Wagner stripped to its essence. Melba Foundation chair, Barry Tuckwell AC OBE FRCM FRSM, offers examples of recordings expanding the horizon of performers and updates on the activities of conductor Guillaume Tourniaire.
1 July 2010: Melba’s announcement of their new Patron in Chief, Her Excellency, Ms Quentin Bryce AC and a celebration of Melba’s links to Queensland musicians and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. Listen to a candid conversation between Australia’s “Dean of the Podium”, Richard Bonynge, and Michael Shmith. Read Henry Fogel, of the Chicago Symphony’s, interview with Maria Vandamme reprinted from Fanfare magazine (USA) and an assessment of Melba Recordings’ first decade by Michael Quinn
May 2009: A celebration of the completed State Opera of South Australia’s cycle of Wagner’s Ring operas, featuring reviews, awards, and biographies of leading tenors Timothy Mussard and Stuart Skelton.
April 2009: Information on a slew of the latest Melba Recordings releases from Ben Jacks, Paul Dean, Steve Davislim, Deborah Riedel, and SSO musicians Nick Byrne, Matthew Wilkie, Roger Benedict and more. Also included is a short piece on the visit of newly anointed SSO conductor and renowned pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy
