Readings.com.au: Reviews

Happy New Year DVD, Thielemann

2013-05-15T00:00:00Z

Reviewed by Kate Rockstrom

These kind of performances are really quite special, not just because of their date of performances (i.e. New Year's Eve and everything that comes with that) but also because of their choice of repertoire. During the height of Opera popularity in the 1800s, more operas were written than you could possibly imagine. Although not necessarily considered the height of sophistication, some of them were lots of fun! These performances allows the light of day (or well, evening) shine upon these scores once again. This is the kind of music to make your heart soar and give you a bit of hope at the end of a long day (or year).

Stars of Opera Australia DVD

2013-05-15T00:00:00Z

Reviewed by Kate Rockstrom

What do you do when you've been on a DVD making spree? Somewhat like Opera Australia has been doing in recent years... Why make a 'best of' of course! This is great way to experience opera in bite sized chunks easily digestible after a long day at work or on the weekend inbetween doing all those things that need to be done on weekends. Beautifully presented, it starts with selections from the amazingly staged production of La Traviata which was on the Sydney Harbour – yes actually in the harbour. It feels like you're right there and then we move onwards and upwards into the realm of the gorgeous Lakme, through to the timeless La Boheme and more. What a gift to give to someone you really love or as a treat for yourself.

Spheres, Daniel Hope

2013-05-15T00:00:00Z

Reviewed by Kate Rockstrom

I have to confess I got very excited when I saw the selection of composers on this new album of Daniel Hope's. I mean, how do you create a line of musical ideas from Einaudi, Faure, Prokofiev, Jenkins and beyond? With the greatest of ease it seems. If you're familiar with any of these composers, you know generally what their style of composition is, but what is particularly sumptuous about these arrangements is Hope's mouth watering sound weaving magic in and out of each work. There is a very good reason he is insanely famous as a musician. I am completely hooked on this album and will have it on repeat as I travel to and from work each day.

Bach, Flute Sonatas, Hewitt & Oliva

2013-05-15T00:00:00Z

Reviewed by Kate Rockstrom

I really wasn't sure what to write in this review. How to adequately explain the hypnotising qualities of this album? Angela Hewitt and Andrea Oliva breathe new life into these sonatas of lyrical beauty. It's at times like these that I remember Bach, both JS & CPE, were geniuses. It won't matter if you're a fan of Bach or not, this is just one of those particularly special albums that deserves to be listened to repeatedly. A few years ago one of my favourite albums of the year was the Bach Suites performed by Ashkenazy. If you've got that, then you'll love this one. However if you don't have either, I cannot say how much you are missing out.

Grainger, Works for Large Chorus & Orchestra

2013-05-15T00:00:00Z

Reviewed by Kate Rockstrom

I am glad that Percy Grainger music has been coming back into vogue recently. His music is always a really inventive blend of contemporary 20th century musical ideas with those rooted in the Bach and Beethoven tradition. This album, with many premiere recordings of these works is a perfect example of this. Starting with a sacred text setting we move into a setting of Kiplings and onwards through a fascinating look at this forgotten corner of Grainger's compositions. His use of evocative poetry and the colouring of the words by his orchestration is truly something to behold.

Ford, Learning to Howl

2013-05-15T00:00:00Z

Reviewed by Kate Rockstrom

'When I was a child...' so the title work of Australian composer, Andrew Ford's new album starts. With the purity and grace of Jane Sheldon's voice capturing your ear and holding it through each line of poetry this is an amazing new work that I hope I will hear repeated in the years to come. However that was the not the end of the bounty of new music, also included is the ethereal Snatches of Old Lauds for bass clarinet and drone (not quite what you might think), and Elegy in a Country Graveyard – of which I can only say, this is a very special work that deserves a good quiet listen. If you're away from Australia or you know someone who is away and needs a good dose of Australian birds, voices and stories, then this is the perfect gift.

Modern Vampires Of The City by Vampire Weekend

2013-05-14T00:00:00Z

Reviewed by

Vampire Weekend are known for their infectious, staccato rock and this album takes some risks. It’s liberally sprinkled with production effects and is musically diverse from start to finish. But all it pays off, saturating you with energetic guitar and keyboards. Joyous track ‘Diane Young’ makes for a choppy play on the words ‘dying young’, while ‘Ya Hey’s’ squeaking backing vocals provide the anthem to your next break-up, and ‘Steps’ even a dips toe in the world of alternative classical music.

Fiona Hardy sells books, puts together Dead Write for the Readings Monthly and blogs haphazardly about movies and books (and sometimes music).

Wildlife by Zucchini-Clan

2013-05-13T00:00:00Z

Reviewed by

What happens if you put three like-minded musicians with a zany knack of dressing together?

Why, you get the Zucchini-Clan - a wonderful musical troupe with a message to share with both young and old audiences.

Fresh from the Adelaide Fringe Festival the Clan recently played at three of our shops to resounding success - there were kids bopping along to their tunes with their parents trying hard to not join in. Think The Wiggles but with more make-up and a strong message of sustainability and protection of the environment.

These three musicians have been working hard for more than a year now to establish their almost pantomime-like show full of catchy tunes. Some of their songs have been written with the help from kids in rural areas, but the message is clear in the city: they are here to stay.

I'm thinking long car trips will never be the same again.

Chris Gordon is the Events Coordinator for Readings and is a committee member of The Stella Prize.

Stravinsky: Rite of Spring, Rattle

2013-05-08T00:00:00Z

Reviewed by Phil Richards

When Igor Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring (Le Sacre du printemps) premiered in Paris in 1913, a near riot ensured. Eventually it would be recognised as one of the most influential musical works of the twentieth century. Simon Rattle, who has long championed the music of Stravinsky, delivers a stunning performance with the Berliner Philharmoniker that is utterly mesmerising. This is Rattle and Stravinsky at their best.

The Reef DVD, ACO

2013-05-08T00:00:00Z

Reviewed by Kate Rockstrom

This is one of those unusual pairings of sound and vision to create a new artistic idea. If you are a fan of films like the seminal Baraka, then you will be transfixed by this film. Richard Tognetti teams up with directors, photographers, musicians and locals to create this exploration of how music and nature intersect. Originally preforming this music, from original compositions to Bach, Beethoven and Pete Seeger, in a woolshed at the ends of Western Australia, Tognetti has now dragged all these people back to perform in the Sydney Opera House. Loving edited and performed, this presentation is not just a fascinating look at contemporary music in Australia, but art, nature and how it's all interwoven in the most beautiful ways possible.

Mediterraneo, L'Arpeggiata & Pluhar

2013-05-08T00:00:00Z

Reviewed by Kate Rockstrom

I am a big fan of L'Arpeggiata and Christine Pluhar's previous albums and when I heard their latest album, Mediterraneo I was not disappointed! Their effortlessly virtuosity and sense of enjoyment breathes a new sense of life into this album of mainly Greek and Turkish traditional tunes. There's a lot to set your toe tapping in this recording and the voices themselves are engaging to draw you into this world of ancient gods, beautiful skies and enchanting music. If you're a fan of Jordi Savall or just good music, this is an album that will rarely leave your CD player.

Amy’s Three Best Things by Philippa Pearce & Helen Craig

2013-05-07T00:00:00Z

Reviewed by

During Amy’s first sleepover at Gran’s house, she bravely battles night-time anxiety using her imagination and some comforting belongings from home.

Ten years after it was first published, Amy’s Three Best Things gets a gorgeous makeover from illustrator Helen Craig of Angelina Ballerina fame. The original story by Philippa Pearce (Tom’s Midnight Garden) unfolds at a gentle pace with plenty of wonder, making for a great read-aloud for ages 4 and up.

Craig also complements the old-fashioned setting with classic pencil and watercolour artwork. I loved this celebration of independence and the creative mind of a child.

Emily Gale is a Children’s & YA Specialist at Readings Carlton.

On a Beam of Light by Jennifer Berne & Vladimir Radunksy

2013-05-07T00:00:00Z

Reviewed by

I love picture books that teach children about extraordinary human beings throughout history. Sometimes, however, they can be rather pedestrian biographies. Not so for this fascinating book on Albert Einstein.

It begins with his birth and unusual behaviour during childhood (he barely spoke and would often just look wonderingly at the world). We then learn about Einstein’s love of numbers, his contributions to our understanding of atoms, and his theories about time and space.

The story and its unusual illustrations paint Einstein as a person who asked many questions, refused to conform, and, by being completely himself, contributed more than any other to our knowledge and understanding of the universe.

Recommended for inquiring minds ages 5 and up.

Angela Crocombe is from Readings St Kilda.

Julius and the Watchmaker by Tim Hehir

2013-05-07T00:00:00Z

Reviewed by

This is a fast-paced time-slip story about a boy, Julius Higgins, caught between a revered member of the Guild of Watchmakers and the cunning but dastardly Jack Springheel. In another time, Spingheel lived with the Shelleys and borrowed from Mary Shelley’s ideas to create his own half-human clockmen. Or did Mary Shelley take his idea? Who knows?

The ideas here are complex and fascinating: time-slips and imagination can create other potential worlds and there are rare timepieces that produce a vortex between them. The alternate parallels into which Julius is hurled are rich and scary and strange. Some readers will relish the historical depth, while others will just gulp down the plot, but either way it’s a compelling read.

I can’t wait to hand-sell this to young readers: boys especially, though lots of girls will enjoy it too. It has everything going for it and the author lives locally. I agree with the publisher’s claim: a classic in the making for ages 12 and up.

Kathy Kozlowski is a Children’s Book Specialist who has worked in kid’s books for over 40 years. Positively retro! She is now pleased to have grandchildren whose literary tastes to indulge.

The Reluctant Assassin by Eoin Colfer

2013-05-07T00:00:00Z

Reviewed by

Artemis Fowl fans – prepare to immerse yourselves in a whole new Eoin Colfer series.

The Reluctant Assassin is the first book in the new W.A.R.P. series and introduces us to two capable new heroes: a Native American girl named Chevron Savano, who is the FBI’s youngest agent, on assignment in current-day London, and a boy named Riley, who lives in London in 1898 and is the unwilling apprentice to an evil assassin named Garrick. Some scientific and operational mishaps bring Chevron, Riley and Garrick together in both modern-day and Victorian-era London, which Colfer brings to life with vivid descriptions of the poverty, grime and stench of the time.

In the present, Garrick is able to acquire knowledge from the FBI that he then incorporates into his arsenal of tools, making him a truly terrifying and formidable opponent for Chevron and Riley.

The Reluctant Assassin contains action, time travel, a cast of interesting characters and lays the foundation for subsequent books in the series. For girls and boys ages 11 and up.

Kate Campbell is a bookseller at Readings Hawthorn.

The Lion Who Stole My Arm by Nicola Davies

2013-05-07T00:00:00Z

Reviewed by

Part of a new series by English author Nicola Davies, The Lion Who Stole My Arm is a unique book within a crowded market. Rather than featuring western kids in exotic countries helping the animals, the heroes here are all locals.

In The Lion Who Stole My Arm, young Pedru gets his arm bitten off by a lion near his village in Mozambique. In revenge, he vows to kill the lion, as is traditional in his culture. Yet instead he learns from local conservationists about how humans and animals can work in better harmony and provide an income for his village.

These stories have great educational potential for schools and kids interested in conservation. For ages 8 and up.

Angela Crocombe is from Readings St Kilda.

The White Mountains by John Christopher

2013-05-07T00:00:00Z

Reviewed by

As a kid I found reading a struggle, but I can honestly say that a trilogy turned that around for me. In 1983, as an eleven-year-old, I read the first book in the Tripods trilogy – The White Mountains by John Christopher. It was written in 1967 but remains as fresh as any dystopian novel for young adults today.

In the future, three-legged machines known simply as ‘the Tripods’ have ruled Earth for so long that no one knows of a time before they arrived. At 14, children are ‘Capped’ in a ceremony that the Tripods disguise as a rite of passage into adulthood, but the Cap is really a mind control device that keeps the adults subdued.

Thirteen-year-old Will hears of a place – the White Mountains – where the altitude is too high for the Tripods to endure. So begins the journey as Will, his cousin Henry and another boy nicknamed ‘Beanpole’ make their escape and the Tripods give chase.

The sequels, The City of Gold and Lead and The Pool of Fire, are satisfying action-adventure instalments in their own right, rounding out this world fantastically. Highly recommended for kids aged 11 to 100.

Jason Austin is a buyer and bookseller at Readings Carlton. An avid painter, Scrabble player and reader, he enjoys long walks with nothing but the company of an iPod full of podcasts.

Oscar Goes to the Moon by Helen Tanner

2013-05-07T00:00:00Z

Reviewed by

I have been lucky enough to see Oscar Goes to the Moon develop from its early days to the finished book, and because Helen Tanner has self-published, she has had full control in maintaining its gentle integrity and innocent simplicity.

Oscar is delightful. He is a rabbit who wants to go places and eventually settles on a trip to the moon. So, after a bit of planning and a few preparations, his quest comes to fruition. A really sweet story, suitable for sharing with young children between the ages of 2 and 5, and also the perfect present for babies and children called Oscar.

Alexa Dretzke is a Children's & YA Book Specialist at Readings Hawthorne.

My Happy Life by Rose Lagercrantz & Eva Eriksson

2013-05-07T00:00:00Z

Reviewed by

My Happy Life is a gorgeous little book and the perfect next step for children ready to move on from the first readers at school.

Originally published in Swedish before being translated into English, this irresistible chapter book explores Dani’s first year of school, with all its challenges and experiences. Children will easily identify with the anxiety of the unknown, the joy of a first real friendship (and its inevitable conundrums) and the delight in sharing. Even loss and sadness in Dani’s world are worked through in a positive way.

Young readers will revel in the lovely line illustrations on every page, and Dani will without a doubt charm children and adults alike. Highly recommended for ages 5 and up.

Athina Clarke is a Children's & YA Book Specialist at Readings Malvern.

Wildlife by Paul Thurlby

2013-05-07T00:00:00Z

Reviewed by

Did you know green algae can grow in a polar bear’s fur if they stay too hot for too long? I didn’t!

Paul Thurlby offers some tantalising animal truths: some well known, others more obscure. Each page introduces an animal, a pithy idiom and a fun fact. The pictures are ingeniously simple and striking, and kids will have lots of fun with them.

You’ve just got to love picture books! They offer so many different ways of looking at the world and so many stories and imaginings with a breathtaking array of styles and creativity.

Explore the unique world of Paul Thurlby’s Wildlife with young ones from ages 3 and up.

Alexa Dretzke is a Children's & YA Book Specialist at Readings Hawthorne.