Baroque Banter

Pre-opera podcast hosted by Genevieve Lang with very special guests, Pinchgut Opera Artistic Director Erin Helyard and Director Mitchell Butel.

The Loves of Apollo & Dafne by Cavalli Directed by Mitchell Butel and featuring Alexandra Oomens, Max Riebl and Stacy Alleaume (fresh from her stand out performances with Opera Australia in La Traviata.)

Pinchgut’s first opera performance in 18 months features an all-Australian cast, at the peak of their young careers, bringing Cavalli’s exceptionally beautiful work to life in all its ravishing glory. Come and experience this heart warming meditation on love, and be moved by an ancient tale made fresh when told by these wonderfully colourful characters who prove; love is never a walk in the park!

Genevieve Lang sits down with Pinchgut Opera's Artistic Director Erin Helyard to provide some great insights and information about Pinchgut Opera's performance of Monteverdi's Vespers.

Perfect listening to prepare for your concert of this Baroque masterpiece.

In this episode, Erin Helyard discusses the music scene — those moments in opera where music itself is the topic, and the characters allude to singing or playing or they actually sing a song! Because everything else is sung, how do these “songs” function? Erin explains that there are three kinds of music scene: the song-within-the-opera, the gratuitous music scene, and “meta-opera” (where opera is itself referenced). Erin delves into examples of the music scene from operas of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and uncovers how librettists, composers, and performers responded to this most interesting of challenges.

In the newest episode of our podcast series, Baroque Banter - The Love Duet, Erin Helyard discusses the love duet in baroque opera and the intense emotions it helps to convey - from blissful love to total despair. Erin delves deep into the subject matter and explains the function and evolution of one of opera’s most evocative and transcendent conventions.

Tune in to enjoy Erin’s explanation of the love duet and revel in the musical excerpts showcasing two voices intertwining magnificently with one another.

The next episode of our podcast series, Baroque Banter - In Conversation with Miriam Allan is out now.

In this episode Erin Helyard is joined by one of his true contemporaries, soprano and self-proclaimed lover of chaconnes, Miriam Allan. Miriam has performed in multiple Pinchgut productions, beginning with our very first in 2002, Handel's Semele.

United in their shared origins and deep love for baroque music, Erin and Miriam's chat includes Miriam's favourite musical form, the chaconne, returning to the stage during a pandemic, and performing in front of a live audience.

Tune in now and find out where the intro music for Baroque Banter is from, why we chose it, and more...

The newest episode of our podcast series, Baroque Banter, is available for you to listen to now. In episode 5, The Lament, Artistic Director Erin Helyard focuses on this very influential and important component of operatic history.

Tune in now to find out the fascinating history and importance of laments not only in opera, but also in literary history and enjoy some stunning operatic excerpts.

In this episode no.4 of Baroque Banter historical bassoon specialist, Simon Rickard joins Pinchgut Opera Artistic Director Erin Helyard to discuss historical performance practice and baroque musical instruments.

Tune in now and find out what the musette culture is and what it has in common with today's hipster movement.

The third episode of Baroque Banter, The Sleeping Scene discusses the depictions of sleep in music. Erin is joined by guest Laura Vaughan to talk about these somnolent, languid and calming musical scenes.

Pinchgut Opera Artistic Director Erin Helyard in conversation with director Chas Rader-Shieber.

Episode 1

"The Incantation Scene"

with guest Celeste Lazarenko

This episode will focus on a very famous scene from one of Erin Helyard's very favourite operas. It is the incantation scene sung by Medea from Cavalli’s Giasone, with a wonderful libretto by Cicognini. It was very famous and became a model for composers and librettists for over a century. Erin will explain some of the features of the incantation scene and he’ll also be speaking to Celeste Lazarenko, who sang Medea for Pinchgut Opera back in 2013.