Klaus Döring's Classical Music/Klaus Döring's Klassische Musik

136,215 views The Merry Widow ballet is an exquisite adaptation of Franz Lehar's romantic operetta. The score was adapted by John Lanchbery and Alan Abott, who retained the style of Lehar's orchestration. The ballet was created for The Australian Ballet by Sir Robert Helpmann, with choreography by Ronald Hynd and sumptuous stage decor by Desmond Heeley. In this performance, leading dancers are Steven Heathcote and Lisa Pavane.

by  Janet Horvath    When you attend an orchestra concert you witness wonderful music-making from a singular group of musicians who seemingly play “as one.” If it’s an orchestra of stature some of the players will remain in their positions an entire lifetime—sometimes decades—and they learn to play together in a distinctive style and with uncanny telepathy. The members relate to one another as if they are a family, sharing not only the music, not only touring and traveling together but also important life events. But how does a musician get an orchestra position? Selection is usually based on a rigorous and often daunting audition process. Initially, once the musician wins an audition and signs a contract, he or she undertakes a probationary period of two years. During the trial period, the musician is evaluated for their playing in the larger context of the group as well as whether their temperament and personality are a good fit. As you can imagine, the competition is f...