V1 - AUSE01Z01MA THE AUSTRALIAN, FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 2015 ARTS theaustralian.com.au/arts 15

Opera’s selling up, but it’s not going for a song

Opera Australia is selling its By the grace of Tim and Jeff central Melbourne headquarters and rehearsal studio as the company seeks to realise an asset potentially worth more than $12 million. The company is planning to sell its Melbourne Opera Centre at City Road, Southbank, in line with a neighbouring property that is also for sale. It’s estimated the two properties combined could realise $25m. OA chief executive Craig Hassall says the company is not quitting Melbourne but is hoping to expand to bigger premises in JEFF BUSBY the city. Opera at the Arts Centre “The real impetus is that it’s a very hot time in Southbank at and Wagner’s Ring cycle there. the moment,” he says. The company will remount Neil “There is a lot of interest in Armfield’s production of the developing sites in the area and Ring next year. we were inspired by that market A leaseback option means activity.” OA can continue to use the Hassall says proceeds from Southbank studio for up to three the sale will not go into general years, and Hassall says it will operating revenue but will be look for bigger premises where it reinvested as a capital asset. can have rehearsals with full OA also has a Sydney Opera orchestra. It is possible the Centre in Surry Hills, and while company could share a studio Hassall says there are no plans to with another company such as sell that site, the company may the Australian Ballet or choose to move in future. Melbourne Symphony OA’s 2013-14 annual report Orchestra. shows the company owns land OA leases its Melbourne and buildings worth $19.7m. studio to other companies, and The company hopes to move among recent shows to rehearse to bigger premises in Melbourne, there was Cameron in keeping with its ambition to Mackintosh’s production of Les make the city the home of large- Miserables. Hassall says OA scale opera. makes its studio available to OA presents opera at the some local companies at State Theatre at Arts Centre discounted rates, as a way of Melbourne — a much bigger supporting the small-to-medium Steve Kilbey says of Jeff Buckley, below, ‘he had music stage than that at the Sydney arts sector, and wants to flowing through his veins’. Below left, Tim Buckley Opera House — and in recent continue that arrangement. RENEE NOWYTARGER seasons has staged Don Giovanni MATTHEW WESTWOOD

down and listened to it I would Requiem from a heavyweight The Church’s Steve Kilbey joins a tribute start to understand it.” With the show only weeks on stage, and next to them was MUSIC to two generations of Buckley talent away, the Church singer, whose the Adelaide Symphony band is enjoying a renaissance lo- Verdi’s Requiem Orchestra’s percussionist, cally and overseas, may be a little State Opera of South Steven Peterka, who delivered IAIN SHEDDEN more up to speed with the Buck- Australia. State Opera staggering bass drum strikes in leys’ legacies. Chorus, Adelaide the Dies Irae. Steve Kilbey regrets that he never after his son was born and had lit- Each of the State of Grace per- Symphony Orchestra. Conductor Timothy Sexton got to see Jeff Buckley perform. tle contact thereafter. formers will sing selections from Conductor: Timothy made much of the music’s “I always thought ‘he’ll be Musical director of this inter- each of the Buckley catalogues, Sexton. Adelaide Festival colossal swings of energy from around’,” says the Church’s long- twining story of their careers is re- while the ensemble will come to- Theatre, August 26. hushed sotto voce to triple forte, serving singer and songwriter. “I’ll nowned American guitarist and gether for a few songs as a finale. but one could admire just as see him next time.” songwriter Gary Lucas, who Nor does Kilbey see much of GRAHAM STRAHLE equally his generous, expansive Tragedy prevented that from worked with the younger Buckley himself in either of the song- sense of line. He gave amplitude happening. In May 1997, Buckley, in New York at the start of his ca- writers. “Nothing at all, actually,” A unique twist on Verdi’s to the State Opera Chorus to one of the most revered song- reer and co-wrote two of the songs he says. “With songwriters you Requiem seems to have helped veritably sing their hearts out. writers and performers to emerge on Grace, the title track and the have these two extremes where resolve a 140-year-old debate Their tone throughout was full, from the US in the 1990s, drowned opening song, Mojo Pin. you have not a lot of talent but over this hybrid masterpiece. It’s strong and secure. after going for a river swim in State of Grace features Kilbey loads of intelligence. Say someone opera to the core. So strong are It takes gusty soloists to rise Memphis, just as his band was ar- alongside Canada’s Martha like Lou Reed. He didn’t have a its dramatic contrasts and sheer above what is arguably one of riving in the city to record with Wainwright, American trouba- great voice but with his intelli- volume of sound that his Latin the 19th century’s loudest scores. him. He was 30. dour Willy Mason, Ireland’s Cam- gence, his savvy and his manipu- Mass for the Dead has The confidence and clarity of Buckley’s death brought to a ille O’Sullivan, Denmark’s Casper ‘When Jeff identifiable traits in the Buckleys’ Grace album,” says Lucas, “he put lation of what he had he built up a persistently been likened to the soprano Teresa La Rocca made shocking end a rare talent, de- Clausen and Somali-Canadian emerged with the music that tie them together, other some distance between himself huge body of work. Jeff is the op- same composer’s operas. her shine throughout, while alto scribed by Bob Dylan as “one of singer songwriter Cold Specks. than a strong will to push the and his father. He had some issues posite. He had great talent.” In a clever if rather cheeky Elizabeth Campbell’s artistry and the great talents of the decade”. These performers will be Grace album, he boundaries of convention. and anger because Tim more or Kilbey is performing the song move, the State Opera of South cohesive contribution as an He left behind only one completed backed by Lucas’s band Gods and put some distance The elder Buckley drew on jazz, less abandoned him. Forget Me by Jeff Buckley in the Australia has acknowledged this ensemble singer gave a studio album, 1994’s Grace, a re- Monsters. between himself folk and soul music to create a kind “But he had studied all of Tim’s show, a song that didn’t make it on by borrowing the same sets for particular depth. cording that illustrates majesti- Veteran Lucas has worked with and his father. He of avant-garde hybrid that was albums. I think he was really to Grace but appeared later on the its performances of the Requiem The two male soloists, Diego cally what Kilbey describes as the a wide variety of artists, from very much of its time. proud of his dad.” deluxe edition. He admits that the as it is using in its current Torre and Douglas McNicol, singer’s “pure genius”. Bryan Ferry to Iggy Pop and was had some issues In Jeff Buckley’s Grace and the When interviewed for The Aus- talent of both singers makes this production of Gounod’s Faust. could not have been more “He’d just open his mouth and Captain Beefheart’s guitarist for and anger because posthumous releases of incom- tralian in 1995 during the first of show something of a challenge for And the wonderful irony is different vocally, but like this beautiful music would pour five years. He met Jeff Buckley in Tim more or less plete recordings such as Sketches two Australian tours he told this him. “I think this is going to really that these gorgeous gothic- characters in an opera their out,” Kilbey says. “He had music New York after they performed abandoned him’ for My Sweetheart the Drunk (1998) writer: “I’ve been waiting and push me vocally,” he says. “I’m not inspired outdoor designs (by contrast here proved an asset, flowing through his veins.” together in a tribute to Tim Buck- one can trace blues, punk rock, Led doing the math in my head about sure if I’m technically a good Charles Edwards) accompany a Torre projecting strongly with

Kilbey’s passion for Buckley’s ley at Brooklyn’s St Ann’s Church. GARY LUCAS Zeppelin and the more delicate the inevitable comparisons all my enough singer. I’m more of a per- scene in that opera in which his fine, high spinto tenor and music, what little of it he left be- A friendship developed and Buck- MUSICAL DIRECTOR, palate of Dylan and Leonard life. But I don’t care. It’s just an sonality singer. What I don’t have Mephistopheles dances McNicol providing warmth and hind, is why he is one of the fea- ley ended up playing guitar in STATE OF GRACE Cohen, whose Hallelujah is one of oddity. It doesn’t do any service to in technique I can make up for in grotesquely in front of an authority as bass. tured artists in State of Grace, a Gods and Monsters as well as writ- the standout tracks on Grace. him or to me.” other ways. These guys … they are exploding crucifix. At times the combined vocal tribute to Buckley and his father, ing material with Lucas. “The common thread is a spiri- The joining of the two men’s real singers and you really have to What that says about the forces sounded like a festival of singer-songwriter Tim Buckley, “When I met him I was over- tual one,” Lucas says. “State of music does a service to those ad- be able to do that. I really think this religious sceptic Verdi and the vibrato, which for Verdi only which begins a national tour in whelmed by his talent,” says Grace is very apt. Tim was operat- mirers of both men’s work. Kilbey, is the hardest gig I’ve ever taken meaning of his Requiem adds to the strength of his music. Australia on September 23. Lucas. “I was just surprised to hear ing in a zone beyond commercial however, is not as keen on the on. I just hope I can pull it off.” certainly had one pondering. But But a clean-sounding Adelaide Buckley Sr, who between 1966 first off that Tim had a son. art. He was trying to embody the older man’s material as he is on the strength of this performance Symphony Orchestra balanced and 1974 released nine albums, in- “When I was leaving he ap- joy and the pain.” the music of Jeff. “I never owned State of Grace begins in was that here was a work whose out the sound effectively and cluding the much-lauded Happy proached me. I knew right away it After Jeff Buckley found suc- any of his records,” Kilbey says. Melbourne on September 23 outpouring of emotion was as helped make for an enjoyable Sad (1969) and Greetings From LA was Jeff. He said he was a big fan cess with his debut album he was “People at school had them. I find followed by Brisbane on theatrically forceful as one might performance. (1972), also met a tragic end, when and wanted to work with me. He often reluctant to talk about his re- him very complex, hard to grasp. September 25 and 26, Sydney ever encounter. he died of a drug overdose at 28 in came around to my apartment lationship, negligible though it The songs wander around. I’ve September 27, Melbourne Four trumpeters were Concert repeats tonight at 1975. and we worked on a song.” was, with his father. never really understood the jazzy September 29 and Canberra perched in windows either side 7.30pm. Tickets: $35-$100. He split from the family soon On the surface there are few “When he emerged with the folkie thing. I think maybe if I sat September 30. of the singers, who were seated Bookings: 131 246. Win a t aste of the Hot 50

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