In 1973 the Sydney Opera House opened and in 2012 we're re-creating our opening gala concert. Simone Young conducts a Wagner extravaganza.
On 29 September 1973, we gave our first official performance in our new home: the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House. Charles Mackerras returned home to conduct and Swedish soprano Birgit Nilsson was the soloist.
The gala program was all-Wagner with a ceremonial touch in the form of "Dich, teure Halle" from Tannhäuser. That, said Mackerras later, was most appropriate: teure Halle means, among other things, "expensive hall"!
Now we're recreating that concert in its entirety. This time Simone Young is the Australian conductor returning home and renowned Wagnerian soprano Christine Brewer is our guest.
WAGNER
Die Meistersinger: Prelude
Tannhäuser: Dich, teure Halle
Tristan und Isolde: Prelude and Liebestod
Götterdämmerung: Siegfried's Rhine Journey
Götterdämmerung: Siegfried's Funeral March
Götterdämmerung: Brünnhilde's Immolation
Simone Young conductor
Christine Brewer soprano
AUDIO PLAYER LISTING
Track 1 - WAGNER Die Meistersinger: Prelude
Track 2 - WAGNER Tannhäuser: 'Dich, teure Halle'*
Track 3 - WAGNER Götterdämmerung: Siegfried's Funeral March
Track 4 - WAGNER Tristan und Isolde: Prelude
The Sydney Symphony Orchestra with *Birgit Nilsson (soprano) conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras in the 1973 opening of the Sydney Opera House.
ABC CLASSICS 476 6440
Audio and video kindly supplied by ABC Classics