West Australian Ballet’s Don Quixote

May 11, 2010
by Rodney Olsen
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Don QuixoteI went out on a date on Friday night. I took our thirteen year old daughter Emily to the opening night of Don Quixote by West Australian Ballet at His Majesty’s Theatre in Perth.

I’ve been to a number of ballets over the years and while I must admit that I still don’t completely ‘get it’ I’m always impressed by the skills of everyone involved, from the dancers to the set designers and costume makers. This particular production is visually stunning and with the synopsis in hand I was able to follow the story a lot better than I have at previous ballets.

Having live music provided by the West Australian Symphony Orchestra added to the richness of the performance.

An explosive mix of Spanish sunshine and Russian classical technique, Don Quixote comes to West Australian Ballet for the first time, in a stunning new production. Don Quixote is one of the most popular and exuberant ballets of all time – bursting with riotous ensembles and brilliant pas de deux. A romantic comedy based on episodes from Cervante’s classic novel, the ballet was created by the greatest of all ballet master’s Marius Petipa.

Following a very succesful opening night performance, we enjoyed a few drinks and some delicious food at the opening night reception. It was the perfect way to wrap up a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

I sometimes wish that I was one of those people who can appreciate all the finer aspects of such a performance but on the other hand, if someone like me can enjoy a night out at the ballet, I’m sure that just about anyone can.

I had a wonderful evening with my beautiful daughter and I’m looking forward to the next opportunity to take in a little more culture.



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Rediscovering a love of music

February 8, 2010
by Rodney Olsen
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Ashley ArbuckleHow long has it been since you picked up a musical instrument? Do your playing days seem long ago?

One man is hoping to make a difference for musicians in Perth as he helps them rediscover the joy of playing music.

Ashley Arbuckle is a past concertmaster of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and former co-leader of the London Symphony Orchestra.

He has developed a very high reputation as a teacher of the violin and is currently artistic director of the WA Philharmonic Orchestra.

Ashley has now developed plans to lead a new string orchestra with a difference. Encore Strings is an orchestra for those who’ve packed their instruments away thinking life has become too busy to enjoy playing music together with other music lovers.

I want people to rekindle their passion for music by bringing their violins, violas, cellos and basses out from under the bed and dusting them off.

Ashley joined me in the studio during my radio programme on 98.5 Sonshine FM today to tell listeners a little more about his vision for Encore Strings. We also talked about the variety of musical styles that have been enhanced with orchestral backing. Ashley tells a great story of an encounter with Frank Zappa when the London Symphony Orchestra was recording with him.

You can hear our chat by clicking the play button at the bottom of this post.

Ashley understands well the pain of life without being able to play music. Some years ago it was thought that his musical career could be over due to injury. Thankfully, he made a full recovery after successful brain surgery by the renowned Sydney neurosurgeon Dr Charlie Teo.

[audio:http://mpegmedia.sonshinefm.ws/feeds/MOR020810_1115.mp3]

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Human Nature with WASO

March 3, 2009
by Rodney Olsen
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Human_Nature.jpgLife is starting to settle down to normal after a long weekend in Western Australia.

We headed out to the magnificent Kings Park and Botanic Gardens on Saturday evening to see Human Nature with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra.

There were a couple of rain showers before the guys made it to the stage so there was a little concern that the weather would set in and the concert would have to be cancelled. Thankfully nothing more came of it so we were able to stay dry for the rest of the night.

WASO is great no matter what they’re playing and having Human Nature singing their hits with the backing of such a superb orchestra made for a magical evening. All in all it was a fabulous family night out.

As I was sitting on our blanket I realised that I just can’t sing like those guys, I don’t look that good in a suit, and I certainly could never manage the moves that they do. I guess that’s why they sell truckloads of albums and I don’t.



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