NEXT: ON SUNDAY 22 OCTOBER 2023 - A TALE OF THREE HOUSES – PARIS, BAYREUTH AND SYDNEY – BY MIKE DAY

 

AT 2.00PM, A TALE OF THREE HOUSES – PARIS, BAYREUTH AND SYDNEY.
BY MIKE DAY

 

2.00pm: Talk on A Tale of Three Houses – Paris, Bayreuth and Sydney – by Mike Day

Venue: the Goethe Institut, Event Hall (upstairs), 90 Ocean Street (cnr Jersey Road), Woollahra

$25 members / $35 non-members / $10 full-time students - including afternoon tea

Members of the public are most welcome!

 

Please click here to book and pay if you plan to attend.

 

The three opera houses



PRECEDED AT 12.30PM BY THE DVD - THE EDGE OF THE POSSIBLE

 

ABOUT THE TALK

This illustrated talk will compare the background, conception, construction and subsequent development of three of the most important performance spaces in the world. There are many fascinating parallels and differences between the buildings. The Paris and Sydney designs were chosen in competition (about 100 years apart). Both took 14 years to complete and cost many times the original estimated cost. Neither architect was present at the opening. Paris was conceived as an imperial status symbol. It’s a wonderful building to visit but has poor audience sight lines and paradoxically now showcases ballet rather than opera. Bayreuth was planned as, and remains, a temple for the worship of (Wagner’s) Art. It has the best sight lines and acoustics in the world. And the most uncomfortable seats. Sydney was to be an egalitarian ‘Peoples’ House’. It is a very successful performing arts centre on the most spectacular site but unfortunately is a very flawed space for large scale opera, as there is limited wing space and the orchestra pit is too small.

 

ABOUT MIKE DAY

Mike Day is Vice President of WSNSW and the editor of the Quarterly. He has been practising as a registered architect for over 50 years and obtained a Masters of Illumination from the University of Sydney in 2004. He taught architectural lighting design and theatre design at UTS Architecture 2003 – 2020. He was a founding designer for Sydney’s Vivid Light Festival in 2009. He has worked as a set designer in several countries, including designing a Don Giovanni with Sir Roger Norrington in London in 1972. He decided to become an architect after his father showed him Utzon’s winning entry for the SOH competition in 1956. Around the same time, he was infected with the Wagner virus when a friend’s mother played him the finale of Die Walküre Act I on an old 78rpm record. He first visited Bayreuth in 1970 and has attended 3 festivals since then. He considers himself very fortunate to have seen some wonderful Wagner performances in the 70’s with Sir Colin Davis, Karl Boehm, Sir Georg Solti and Sir Reginald Goodall.



ABOUT THE DVD

The Edge of the Possible


Danish architect, Jørn Utzon, was awarded the first prize in a competition to design an Opera House for Sydney in 1957. He flew to Australia to begin work on the construction of the greatest building Australia has ever seen and, indeed, one of the finest achievements of modern architecture. Utzon was forced from the project in 1966 and never returned to Australia. What defeated him in the end was politics. His triumph came with the 2007 World Heritage Listing of the building “as a work of human creative genius” and one of the 20th century’s greatest buildings.

This film - The Edge of the Possiblecharts the dramatic course of the creation of a masterpiece and includes a rare interview with Jørn Utzon as he reflects on his role in the compelling story of the conception and construction of the Sydney Opera House.
 

WAGNER SOCIETY EVENTS IN 2023

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Coming Up
 
     
Sun 22 Oct 12:30pm DVD - The Edge of the Possible
2pm: Talk by Mike Day on A Tale of Three Houses – Paris, Bayreuth and Sydney.
 
Details

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Goethe Institut
Sun 12 Nov  
10am–5pm Das Rheingold Seminar
 
  Goethe Institut
Sun 26 Nov  

2pm: Christmas party and recital by bass-baritone Adrian Tamburini

  Robert Mitchell's house, Newtown
 
Earlier this year
 
     
Sun 29 Jan 12pm: DVD - Sing Faster, The Stagehands' Ring
2.00pm: Esteban Insausti [President, WSNSW] at the Goethe Institut in conversation with Suzanne Chaundy [Director] & Andrew Bailey [Designer] - live on video about the creative ideas behind the staging of Melbourne Opera's Ring Cycle in Bendigo in 2023
 

Program

Report

Photos

Goethe Institut *
Sun 26 Feb 12pm: DVD - Global Wagner - From Bayreuth to the World - A film by Axel Brüggemann
2.00pm: Recorded conversation from Melbourne with Maestro Anthony Negus [Conductor & Musical Director] & his wife Carmen Jakobi [chief German language coach for the Ring], moderated by Robert MacFarlane (Mime in the Bendigo Ring), about preparing young musicians for Melbourne Opera's Ring Cycle in Bendigo in 2023
 

Program

Report

Photos

Goethe Institut
Sun 12 Mar DVD - Richard Strauss - At the End of the Rainbow - A Film by Eric Schulz

Talk by Peter Bassett [Wagner author and dramaturg] on A new look at the Ring

Program

Report

Photos

Goethe Institut
April   No event because of the Bendigo Ring    
Sun 21 May  

Annual General Meeting [financial members only]

Wagner's birthday concert: a program of music by Wagner and others from sopranos Ellen McNeil and Olivia Swain accompanied by Katherine Day

Followed by Wagner's champagne birthday celebrations

Program

Report

Photos

Robert Mitchell's home in Newtown
Sun 18 Jun DVD - Frozen Music – The Sydney Opera House, It’s more than just opera  A conversation with Noel Staunton, a freelance creative director and producer specialising in large-scale productions and special events, & veteran of many Ring productions including the 2004 Adelaide Ring

Program

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Photos

Goethe Institut
Wed 12 Jul  
Reception for our Patron Maestro Simone Young AM - An informal social occasion to enjoy wine and canapés and hear Simone tell us what is in store for the next four years with the SSO Ring
 

Report

Photos

St Columba Community Centre *
Sun 30 Jul   Concert by bass-baritone Christopher Curcuruto & soprano Kori Miller, accompanied by Katherine Day, with works by Wagner, Previn, Mozart, Puccini, Wolf, Floyd, Liszt and R Strauss

Program

Report

Photos

St Columba Community Centre
Sun 20 Aug DVD - Magic Fire – The Richard Wagner Story Talk by Tahu Matheson, pianist, conductor & OA's Head of Music, on Wagner's musical development

Program

Report 

Photos

Goethe Institut
Sun 17 Sep

DVD - SOH Opening Concert with Sir Charles Mackerras, Birgit Nilsson, SSO 

Unfortunately a technical glitch meant the DVD could not be shown.

2pm: Talk by Dr Terence Watson about Wagner’s childhood and adolescence

Program

Photos

Slideshow

Goethe Institut

*Venues:

Goethe Institut
Event Hall (upstairs)
90 Ocean Street (cnr Jersey Road)
Woollahra NSW

St Columba Community Centre
53A Ocean Street (cnr Forth Street)
Woollahra NSW