It is almost unimaginable that a programme billed as “Czech Classics” could exclude any music by Dvorak and then be capped off with Mozart to boot. Be that as it may, the City Chamber Orchestra of Hong Kong (CCOHK) still managed to fulfil its billing on October 24 by featuring works by a handful of … Read more
The wide-eyed 13-year-old boy stares at the viewer from under a Baroque wig in the 1770 painting Portrait of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart at the age of 13 in Verona. At this age, Mozart was already a professional musician. Dressed in red, he sits at a harpsichord. “The portrait was sold at auction a few years … Read more
The story follows the Spanish nobleman Belmonte who, with the help of his servant Pedrillo, journeys to the seraglio (palace) of Bassa Selim, a high-ranking official, in Turkey to rescue his beloved Konstanze and her maid Blonde, who were kidnapped by pirates. Conducted by the German maestro Michael Koehler and directed by Tang Xinxin, the … Read more
A scene from a production of Bizet’s opera Carmen as it was first staged in 1875, based on the original production notes and designs. Photo: courtesy of HKAF 2. Bizet’s Carmen To commemorate the 150th anniversary of French composer Bizet’s death, the Château de Versailles Spectacles, Bru Zane France, Opéra de Rouen Normandie and Palazzetto … Read more
Austria isn’t always top of British tourists’ bucket lists but the landlocked country has plenty to discover. If you don’t want the cost of a rental car and would rather explore on foot, there’s nowhere better than the country’s most walkable city. Gorgeous Salzburg, situated close to the German border, is incredibly beautiful and tourists … Read more
