Five Lines is a collection of writings about music in Aotearoa New Zealand by Elizabeth Kerr. It features short articles, artist profiles and reviews of concerts, operas and albums. You can subscribe - it’s free - at the bottom of any story.
A deep dive into Beethoven’s String Quartets
In spite of the challenges of 2020, the New Zealand String Quartet has been able to celebrate Beethoven’s 250th birthday with a major series of concerts.
Dancing through adversity
A sextet tours for Chamber Music NZ with a programme of light-hearted 1920’s music that invites reflection on troubled times.
On the podium in a pandemic
Conductor Gemma New came to New Zealand to conduct the NZSO in six concerts. In these uncertain times, plans change suddenly.
Music ‘up close’ in a new Wellington venue
Amalia Hall and Stephen de Pledge performed in a new Wellington venue on their recent tour of twelve cities. Did the venue bring us the intimate ambience we seek in chamber music?
Outstanding young talent takes the stage
After 55 years, CMNZ’s Chief Executive Catherine Gibson was determined this Contest would happen in 2020 in spite of the pandemic. The winning ensemble was a string quartet - but all finalists were polished performers.
Sweet indulgence
A new CD of Romantic song transcriptions, Morgen shares the pleasures of beautiful and emotional music. Performed by Andrew Joyce, cello and Rae de Lisle, piano.
Beethoven, again!
Is it possible to have too much Beethoven in concert programmes in this musical giant’s 250th birthday year?
Bassoon discoveries
Bassoonist Ben Hoadley is also a prize-winning composer whose professional life has been re-balanced during the 2020 global pandemic.
RATTLE ECHO: re-discovering the past
Steve Garden is launching Rattle Echo, revisiting and re-imagining sounds recorded in the past.
Fragments: music from New Zealand for classical guitar
Recordings of New Zealand music for classical guitar played by Matthew Marshall have been extracted from RNZ’s archives and given new life by this Rattle Echo release, Fragments.
Mozart live – nourishing the invisible
Orchestra Wellington was quick off the mark with one of the first live concerts in New Zealand after lockdown.
A psychiatrist, a composer and a string quartet
Composer Louise Webster was by herself for the recent world premiere of her string quartet, This memory of earth.
Riffing like Beethoven
Poet Anne Kennedy wrote Thirty-three Transformations on a Theme of Philip, “riffing like Beethoven” on one of her brother’s poems. Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations were her inspiration.
The virtual concert hall
With audiences and musicians in lockdown during the COVID-19 crisis, musicians resorted to the virtual concert hall to bring their music into our homes.
The generosity of Peter Sellars
Iconoclastic director Peter Sellars brought his legendary artistic generosity to New Zealand earlier this year with productions at the New Zealand Festival and the Auckland Arts Festival.
Happy birthday, Ludwig!
Celebrating the birthday of a towering music figure during a global pandemic - and why I revere Beethoven.
Eve de Castro-Robinson sounds a warning
A profile of composer Eve de Castro-Robinson and the premiere of her latest work, Clarion, a trumpet concerto.
Save RNZ Concert
The future of Radio NZ Concert looked more than uncertain in early February 2020. And the fate of New Zealand’s only classical music network remains unresolved.
Johannes Brahms: Clarinet Sonatas and Trio
What does historically informed performance mean for late Brahms? A review of the recent release of Brahms’ Clarinet Sonatas and Trio, by Marie Ross (clarinet), Petra Somlai (piano) and Claire-Lise Démettre (cello) (Centaur).
The song of the whale
Why do whales sing? A review of Panthalassa by Al Fraser, Sam Leamy and Neil Johnstone, released by Rattle Records in 2019.