Elvis/Il Sogno , Sydney , Australia , Jan. '06

Pretty self-explanatory
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johnfoyle
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Elvis/Il Sogno , Sydney , Australia , Jan. '06

Post by johnfoyle »

http://www.elviscostello.info/whatsnew.php


NEW: date unknown: Sydney, Opera House, Festival of Sydney - with Sydney Symphony Orchestra - thanks to Tim Hallam


http://www.qantas.com.au/content/dyn/ho ... al?lk=prqh


Sydney Festival

7 to 26 January 2006
Elvis Costello and the Sydney Symphony, at Sydney Opera House, Sydney. Costello performs compositions he has arranged for orchestra together with songs arranged by Burt Bacharach, Bill Frisell, Steve Nieve and Vince Mendoza for this very special event.


The full program will be announced on 4 November. http://www.sydneyfestival.org.au
johnfoyle
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Post by johnfoyle »

http://www.elviscostello.info/whatsnew.php

Gigography: New
NEW: 2006-01-25: Sydney, Opera House - with Sydney Symphony Orchestra
NEW: 2006-01-24: Sydney, Opera House - with Sydney Symphony Orchestra
NEW: 2006-01-22: Sydney, State Theatre - with Steve Nieve
NEW: 2006-01-20: Sydney - with Brodsky Quartet
johnfoyle
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Post by johnfoyle »

http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/section ... &sm=1&ss=1

Elvis Costello & Sydney Symphony

24 - 25 January

Presenter: Sydney Festival in association with Sydney Opera House
Venue: Concert Hall


Elvis Costello, one of the most innovative and influential musicians of the past 30 years, is joined by pianist Steve Nieve and the Sydney Symphony for two very special nights.

In 2004 Costello composed his jazz symphonic work Il Sogno for the Italian Dance Company, Aterballetto, for their adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

In addition to performances of a new suite version of Il Sogno, Costello performs compositions that he has arranged for orchestra, together with songs arranged by Burt Bacharach, Bill Frisell, Steve Nieve and Vince Mendoza.
sweetest punch
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Post by sweetest punch »

http://seven.com.au/news/entertainment/118208



Elvis Costello to top Sydney Festival
Date: 03/11/05




British singer Elvis Costello will headline next year's Sydney Festival as part of a new focus on popular artists with youth appeal.

The 2006 festival, celebrating its 30th anniversary in January, will be the first under the directorship of Dubliner Fergus Linehan.

The musical element will feature a three-concert series by Costello, who will be joined by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Opera House for the series' climax.

The musical tradition of hurricane-ravaged New Orleans will be celebrated with an evening of jazz in The Domain by some of the Big Easy's finest musicians.

Other musical highlights include Mercury Music Prize winner Antony and the Johnsons, Saul Williams, Stereo MCs, Panjea and Four Tet.

Dance lovers can look forward to the work of the George Piper Dances and the legendary Sylvie Guillem, while fans of theatre will have a range of international productions to choose from.

Mr Linehan said the festival would have a particular youth focus and continued to evolve.

"We've been playing around with a lot of new ideas," Mr Linehan said.

"Our vision over the course of the next three years is to position the Sydney Festival as a powerful, accessible event that has an essential functional role to play in the 21st century city.

"We unashamedly lean towards work that appeals to a younger audience, we unashamedly have leant towards work which had broad popular appeal, and we unashamedly leant towards work which shares our sense of humanity."

The 2006 program contains a number of new youth-oriented events, including the About an Hour series of short music, dance and theatre productions which has cheaper ticket prices.

The festival runs from January 7-26.
Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
E*C*RIDER
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Post by E*C*RIDER »

johnfoyle wrote:http://www.elviscostello.info/whatsnew.php


NEW: 2006-01-25: Sydney, Opera House - with Sydney Symphony Orchestra
NEW: 2006-01-24: Sydney, Opera House - with Sydney Symphony Orchestra
NEW: 2006-01-22: Sydney, State Theatre - with Steve Nieve
NEW: 2006-01-20: Sydney - with Brodsky Quartet
G'day funseekers, it's nearly lunchtime & the number of available tickets for EC's January stand at the Sydney Festival is falling fast...

There's only crumbs left for the Sydney Symphony concerts at The Opera House... nothing but grim pickings for The Brodsky Quartet bash at Angel Place Recital Hall BUT, there's still plenty of room in the gallery for EC & Steve Nieve at last year's stamping ground, The State Theatre.

So, come on downunder ... but hurry now.
"...i feel almost possessed,
so long as i don't lose this glorious distress..."
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Tim(e)
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Post by Tim(e) »

Got my two tickets for the Opera House show with the SSO and Steve Neive... smack dab in the middle of the first row in the A-reserve section (starts from row U in the stalls)... Wed 25th January.
johnfoyle
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Post by johnfoyle »

http://www.cityrecitalhall.com/frame.asp

20 January 2006

Presenter : Sydney Festival 2006

Event : Elvis Costello and Brodsky Quartet

Program : Scores of letters are sent to Verona Post Office addressed to Juliet Capulet, and for years they were answered mysteriously by a local professor. The delicate and personal nature of this correspondence inspired Costello and the members of the Brodsky Quartet to write a poignant set of songs that take many forms, including a lover’s letter, a suicide note and a letter from a soldier serving in the first Gulf War. As well as elements of The Juliet Letters, they will also perform a number of their outstanding collaborations.
Soprano - TBC

Sydney Festival salutes one of the most innovative and influential musicians of the past 30 years in a three-part celebration of the insatiable curiosity of Elvis Costello.
The series begins by re-uniting Costello and long-time collaborators the Brodsky Quartet for their first ever Australian performance together. Then, at the State Theatre, Steve Nieve and Costello create an intimate evening of keyboards and guitar. The series culminates in two magnificent concerts with Elvis, Steve and the Sydney Symphony.
With his first release in 1977, Elvis Costello’s bristling cynicism and anger linked him with the punk explosion. Since then his career has been defined by his passion and the staggering depth and breadth of his output. From 11 albums with The Attractions to collaborations with artists including Paul McCartney, Burt Bacharach, Anne Sofie von Otter, Bill Frisell, and his own wife Diana Krall, Costello has consistently defied classification.
Costello has received several prestigious honours, including two Ivor Novello Awards for songwriting, a Dutch Edison Award with the Brodsky Quartet, a BAFTA and a Grammy. In 2004 he was nominated for an Oscar for Best Song.

Date(s) : Friday 20 January 8pm.

Tickets : A reserve: $94/84
B reserve: $84/74
C reserve: $64/54.
There are also disocunts when you buy 3, 4 or 5 Sydney Festival events in the one transaction. This is NOT available online and can only be booked by calling the box office on 8256 2222 or by visting the box office in person.
Concessions available to Pensioners, Seniors, full time students, children, and unemployed. Eligibility for concession may be required to collect tickets.
sweetest punch
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Post by sweetest punch »

johnfoyle wrote:http://www.cityrecitalhall.com/frame.asp

20 January 2006

Presenter : Sydney Festival 2006

Event : Elvis Costello and Brodsky Quartet

Program : Scores of letters are sent to Verona Post Office addressed to Juliet Capulet, and for years they were answered mysteriously by a local professor. The delicate and personal nature of this correspondence inspired Costello and the members of the Brodsky Quartet to write a poignant set of songs that take many forms, including a lover’s letter, a suicide note and a letter from a soldier serving in the first Gulf War. As well as elements of The Juliet Letters, they will also perform a number of their outstanding collaborations.

Soprano - TBC
Soprano - TBC???

Is there going to be a soprano? Are they going to play songs of The Secret Songs or Three Distracted Women??
Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
E*C*RIDER
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Post by E*C*RIDER »

sweetest punch wrote:
johnfoyle wrote:http://www.cityrecitalhall.com/frame.asp

20 January 2006

Event : Elvis Costello and Brodsky Quartet

Soprano - TBC
Soprano - TBC???

Is there going to be a soprano? Are they going to play songs of The Secret Songs or Three Distracted Women??
Hmmm, maybe.

Brodsky Quartet are scheduled to perform at City Recital Hall on January 24, playing string quartets of Peter Sculthorpe & Leos Janacek. Then they are to be joined by Australian soprano Jane Edwards for arrangements of songs by Sally Beamish, Percy Grainger and Andrew Ford. Perhaps Jane Edwards will be involved on the 20th. Elsewhere, media notes released yesterday for the Friday EC & Brodsky Qt. performance state:

"... the first half of this unique concert will be ... from The Juliet Letters. After interval, Steve Nieve will join the team for a very different program which will include, among others, songs from Costello's most recent enterprise - an opera for the Hans Christian Anderson bicentennial celebrations."
"...i feel almost possessed,
so long as i don't lose this glorious distress..."
sweetest punch
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Post by sweetest punch »

http://www.sydneyfestival.org.au/page.asp?p=74

Bass player Greg Cohen is to join Elvis Costello and Steve Nieve for the series Couldn't Call it Unexpected: The Songs of Elvis Costello.
Renowned bass player Greg Cohen will join Elvis Costello on stage for all four of his specially commissioned Sydney Festival concerts.

Cohen is known for his work with Costello, Tom Waits and Ornette Coleman.

Tickets to the first two concerts - Elvis Costello and Steve Nieve and Elvis Costello and the Brodsky Quartet - have sold out. Tickets to Elvis Costello and the Sydney Symphony are still available, but selling fast.
Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
johnfoyle
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Post by johnfoyle »

The Brodsky's site has this note -

http://www.brodskyquartet.co.uk/news/index.htm

UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT
From December 1st, the Brodsky Quartet will be managed by Hazard Chase.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Hazard Chase site includes these vital details -

http://www.hazardchase.co.uk/client/brodsky.shtml

Andrew Haveron & Ian Belton, violin
Paul Cassidy, viola - Jacqueline Thomas, cello

Andrew Haveron plays a violin made by Samuel Zygmuntowicz in 2001; Ian Belton's violin is by Gio. Paolo Maggini c.1615 and Jacqueline Thomas plays a cello made by Thomas Perry in 1785. Paul Cassidy's viola is by Francesco Guissani of Milano, 1843, courtesy of the Britten Trust.


Samuel Zygmuntowicz

http://www.artistled.com/html/zygmuntowicz_bio.htm

' Zygmuntowicz violins, violas and 'cellos are designed for the player who needs a powerful, individual voice, and have been the choice of many soloists, concertmasters, and prominent quartet players..'


Gio. Paolo Maggini

http://www.si.edu/resource/faq/nmah/violmagg.htm

' Maggini is known to have made at least sixty violins, nine violas, two violoncellos, one double bass, and a few viols.'

Thomas Perry....no 'net stuff

Francesco Guissani....no 'net stuff





Which , of course , will compliment Elvis' instruments which , in 1991 , included -

http://www.elviscostello.info/articles/ ... 0301a.html
( extract)
Jazzmaster; mid-'60s Gretsch Country Club;
'60s Rickenbacker and Telecaster electric guitars; Gibson
Country; '30s Martin and Santa Cruz acoustics
E*C*RIDER
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Post by E*C*RIDER »

johnfoyle wrote:

2006-01-25: Sydney, Opera House - with Sydney Symphony Orchestra
This Wednesday night performance, EC's final Sydney Festival concert, will be LIVE-TO-AiR on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Classic fM network.
"...i feel almost possessed,
so long as i don't lose this glorious distress..."
johnfoyle
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Post by johnfoyle »

http://www.abc.net.au/classic/daily/sto ... 534736.htm

Music Details for Wednesday 25 January 2006

8.00pm IN PERFORMANCE
Sydney Festival
With Damien Beaumont
LIVE Direct Broadcast Direct broadcast from the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall

Elvis Costello with the Sydney Symphony

In this concert Costello performs a new suite version of his jazz symphonic work Il Sogno as well as his orchestral arrangements of songs by Burt Bacharach, Bill Frisell, Steve Nieve and Vince Mendoza.
Sound engineer: Yossi Gabbay
Producer: Malcolm Batty
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Post by E*C*RIDER »

Elvis has been in Sydney this week busily rehearsing with an array of artists ahead of this weekend's kick-off to the Sydney Festival's Elvis Marathon. This morning EC was involved in a lengthy radio interview (with Virginia Trioli on ABC702) where he revealed a few tricks to be turned over the next week.

Friday night at Angel Place recital hall he and BRODSKY QUARTET will perform much of their 'known repetoire' and then be joined by STEVE NIEVE, GREG COHEN and the wonderful soprano ANTOINETTE HALLORAN (for other work including at least 4 extracts from "The Secret Songs").

Sunday at The State Theatre EC & Steve (and GC) will play stuff from way back right through to recent material from the New Orleans sessions with Allen T.

Next Tuesday & Wednesday in the Opera House Concert Hall the Sydney Symphony will be conducted by ALAN BROADBENT who is, among many things, Diana Krall's regular musical director. He will take a 52 member orchestra for the "Il Sogno" suite and then join EC & Steve for orchestral arrangements of Costello songs.

Elvis said he expects to play 60 or so different songs over the 3 concert settings. Couldn't call it unexpected, i suppose!
"...i feel almost possessed,
so long as i don't lose this glorious distress..."
johnfoyle
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Post by johnfoyle »

Maybe the interview will be eventually archived here -


http://www.abc.net.au/sydney/virginiatrioli/
sweetest punch
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Post by sweetest punch »

http://www.smh.com.au/news/music/we-pla ... 12462.html


We play both kinds - country and classical


FOR those still stuck in narrow-gauge thinking that says there's rock'n'roll here, jazz there and classical music in the other corner and those twains are never meeting, Elvis Costello must be confounding.

The English-born, Irish-background, American-resident songwriter is better known as a rock, pop and country singer/songwriter who emerged from the aftermath of punk in the late '70s.

He was last in Australia in 2004 with his "beat group" the Imposters, playing loud and fast.

But the 51-year-old is the star turn of the Sydney Festival with three separate shows of startlingly diverse nature that range from a jazz orchestral score to classical song cycle to romantic pop ballads.

"It would be a dull old world if there was only one kind of song, only one kind of music, only one kind of approach," Costello said. "There is no absolute about music; there's just a lot of different ways, endless permutations and motivations to burst into song in any form. It is endless, which is much more a cause for optimism than pessimism."

The optimistic Costello's season begins tonight when he is joined by the string ensemble the Brodsky Quartet and the Australian soprano Antoinette Halloran to perform songs from the Costello/Brodsky collaboration The Juliet Letters, and selections from Costello's opera based on the life of Hans Christian Andersen.

Tomorrow, he returns to rehearsals with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in preparation for two nights featuring his first full orchestral score, Il Sogno, songs written alone and with Burt Bacharach and more.

Has he abandoned the musical forms that made his name and filled his teenage dreams in London and Liverpool?

"You can never write off even the simplest form of music, otherwise there would be no reason to play another blues

or write another country song," he said.

Confirmation of that may be in the fact that between the Brodsky and SSO shows, Costello and his long-time pianist Steve Nieve will perform songs old and new from the bulging catalogue.

"There isn't as much rock'n'roll as on my last trip to Australia but everyone who's seen Steve Nieve and I will know there's a surprising amount of rock'n'roll in that show," Costello explained, adding with a chuckle: "And there's even the occasional rock'n' roll song in the Brodsky Quartet show, which is a bigger surprise."
Since you put me down, it seems i've been very gloomy. You may laugh but pretty girls look right through me.
johnfoyle
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Post by johnfoyle »

The above link also has this photo-

Image

A little less conversation … … Elvis Costello rehearses with the Brodsky Quartet at the Recital Hall yesterday. The collaboration, The Juliet Letters , will feature many styles of music.
Photo: Edwina Pickles
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Emotional Toothpaste
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Post by Emotional Toothpaste »

Man, he needs to ditch the scarf already. Pretentious meter on that photo, with the strings in the background, the serious pose . . . is pegged solidly to the right.
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Post by bambooneedle »

It's EC theatrically acting out the sentiment of Button My Lip before returning to the mike and singing the last verse.
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Post by E*C*RIDER »

Emotional Toothpaste wrote:Man, he needs to ditch the scarf already. , , . . . .
It's been rather damp and chilly in Sydney this week. I'd be happy for EC to be seen in a sheepskin beanie & pink phuckin' mittens... if it means his tonsils are in proper shape for tonight's shenanigans!.
"...i feel almost possessed,
so long as i don't lose this glorious distress..."
scielle
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Post by scielle »

God bless Factiva.

----------------------------

Costello's silent snub to city - SYDNEY FESTIVAL 2006
STEPHEN DOWNIE
20 January 2006
Daily Telegraph

ELVIS Costello has joined a growing list of summer snubbers -- Sydney Festival acts who only want to be seen and not heard.

Since he arrived earlier this week, Costello, the best-known act on this year's festival bill, has rejected constant requests for interviews from the press.

Costello is here with wife and singer Diana Krall, whom he met on a previous visit to Australia.

Yesterday, the elusive singer submitted to having his photo taken while

rehearsing with the Brodsky Quartet at the City Recital Hall.

Wearing sunglasses and a multi-coloured scarf, Costello (real name Declan McManus) sounded in fine voice.

Perhaps he'd warmed it up during his impromptu performance with Russell Crowe at Newtown's Vanguard on Wednesday night.

After a single song yesterday he gave a simple "that's it" and the photographers filed out.

None of which seems to have harmed his ticket sales, with just a few spare seats left to Costello's four separate performances with the Brodsky Quartet, Steve Nieve and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, starting tonight.


--------------------

Costello shows off his musical versatility
Matthew Westwood
20 January 2006
The Australian

ELVIS Costello is a musical polyglot: he speaks the language of rock, country, jazz and, increasingly, classical music.

At a Sydney concert hall yesterday, he was on stage rehearsing with the Brodsky string quartet.

And next week, he will appear with the Sydney Symphony, which will perform music from his ballet score Il Sogno.

Costello, in Sydney with his wife, jazz singer Diana Krall, is one of the highlights of this year's Sydney Festival.

"I pretty much get to do everything except play with a rock 'n' roll band," Costello told ABC radio yesterday.

Costello is also giving a concert with Steve Nieve -- the keyboard player from The Attractions -- performing intimate arrangements of songs from his back catalogue.

The three concerts display Costello's versatility as a musician, beyond his famous hit songs Oliver's Army and Watching the Detectives.

But some people are dismissive of his explorations into territory other than rock.

"I didn't get into this business to be loved by everybody," Costello said. "I am doing what I do and I have enough confidence that there are enough people who share my curiosity."

In his concert with the Brodsky Quartet, Costello will sing songs from his 1993 album, The Juliet Letters.

Shakespeare was the inspiration behind his orchestral score, Il Sogno, which is based on A Midsummer Night's Dream.

When he agreed to write the piece in early 2000, he had only just started to get his head around writing musical notation.

More recently, he has collaborated with Krall on her album The Girl in the Other Room. He was particularly sensitive to the task, he said, because their relationship was still new.

"I had to listen to what was being said and not use too much craft and start to distort these very personal stories," he said.

In yet another guise, Costello has written pieces for an unfinished opera about the conflicted Danish storyteller, Hans Christian Andersen.

"The idea of an ugly, misfit man in love with an unattainable woman is something I can identify with," he said.
scielle
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Post by scielle »

Costello shows a career pinnacle
SIMON FERGUSON
24 January 2006
Daily Telegraph

AS a full-time viola player with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Jennifer Curl has a few strings to her bow. But her career will reach a crescendo at tonight's performance with her all-time hero, Elvis Costello.

"I am so excited, this is probably the highlight of my working life," she said yesterday.

Curl, 43, has been a diehard Costello fan since his breakthrough 1977 album My Aim Is True hit the charts when she was in her teens.

She has followed his work through its many twists and turns. "He is quite amazing," Curl gushed. "The best thing about him is his versatility.

"He has gone from doing brilliant pop songs like Watching The Detectives to now composing operatic scores with an orchestra, which is a really difficult thing to do.

"What he's doing now is probably the pinnacle of what being a musician is about."

Costello and the SSO will perform parts of Il Sogno, a jazz symphony he wrote for an Italian dance version of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, as well as other songs he has adapted for orchestral performance.

Tonight and tomorrow night's shows have sold out, except for a few single seats and some $25 tickets sold just before the performances.
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