Seductive and dangerous, the sea is a symbol for freedom and oblivion in Elgar’s Sea Pictures. Elgar’s music perfectly evokes the sea’s swells, storms and beauties in five masterly songs. Elgar’s 1892 Serenade was a gift to his wife on their third wedding anniversary, and it remained one of his favourite works. A brilliant showcase for the Sydney Symphony strings, the Serenade ‘proclaimed Elgar’s genius at a time when no one wanted to listen’.
A contemporary critic described the last pages of Elgar’s Second Symphony as ‘a winding and broken river that at last gathers all its waters together and rolls into the sea’. Indeed, the symphony is a journey in search of peace, happiness and resolution: Elgar headed the score with a quotation by Shelley: ‘Rarely, rarely comest thou, The Spirit of Delight.’ The spirit – ‘love and art’ – resides at the end of a dark and twisted path. Elgar leads us through a disturbing landscape, haunted by ghostly themes, before bursting into tranquil sunlight, in some of the most confessional music he ever composed.
Vladimir Ashkenazy conductor
Lilli Paasikivi mezzo-soprano
Choices...
Our Performance Packages allow you to create the perfect Sydney evening…
RED CARPET
A PERSONAL MEET AND GREET, A GUIDED TOUR,
DINNER, PERFORMANCE, AND AN INTERVAL DRINK.
- Your evening commences with a Guided Tour of the House at 4.45pm.
- Indulge in a pre-theatre dinner at either Guillaume at Bennelong, or a pre- or post- theatre dinner at Aria. Enjoy a three-course meal, with two glasses of premium Australian wine or beer. Enjoy a world-class performance of your choice. Relax with an interval drink (including a
choice of spirits and cocktails) at one of our theatre bars.
Restaurants
Guillaume at Bennelong
Guillaume at Bennelong showcases the best of Australian food and wine in one of Sydney’s most spectacular dining spaces. Guillaume’s superbly crafted dishes and the
establishment’s commitment to providing world class service, combines to offer a truly exceptional dining experience.
The restaurant has received numerous awards since opening in November 2001,including:
Three Chef Hats (18/20) in the 2006 Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide
Winner of Restaurant of the Year; Fine Dining Restaurant in the 2005 VISA
International Restaurant & Catering NSW Metropolitan Awards for Excellence
Two Chef Hats (17/20) in the 2004; 2005 Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide
Restaurant of the Year in the 2004 Australian Gourmet Pages
Best New Restaurant in the 2003 Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide
World's Top New 50 Restaurants in the 2002 Conde Nast Traveller
Restaurant of the Year in the 2002; 2003 Australian Gourmet Traveller
ARIA
Located on the doorstep of Sydney Opera House, ARIA combines the finest of food and wine, knowledgeable and friendly service with spectacular views of the Bridge,
Circular Quay and of course the Opera House, making ARIA one of Sydney’s ultimate dining restaurants.
The ARIA bar boasts an impressive private cellar providing the opportunity to sample
some of Australia's rarest and the world's finest wines, with an elegant space for a
relaxing drink before dining.
SEA & STAGE
A PERSONAL MEET AND GREET, A DINNER CUISE ON
SYDNEY HARBOUR, PERFORMANCE, AN INTERVAL DRINK, AND A
VOUCHER FOR A GUIDED TOUR.
- Enjoy a 1 1/2 hour dinner cruise from 5pm as you take in the beauty of Sydney Harbour aboard the prestigious MV Sydney 2000. Dinner includes canapés and a two-course meal with a selection of fine Australian wines. Wander along the foreshore to Sydney Opera House.
- Enjoy a world-class performance of your choice. Relax with an interval drink (including a choice of spirits and cocktails) at one of our theatre bars. Use your gift voucher for a Guided Tour at a time that suits you.
SHOWCASE
A PERSONAL MEET AND GREET, A PERFORMANCE,
AN INTERVAL DRINK, AND A VOUCHER FOR A GUIDED TOUR.
- Enjoy a world-class performance of your choice. Relax with an interval drink (including a choice of spirits and cocktails) at one of our theatre bars. Use your gift voucher for a Guided Tour at a time that suits you.
Supplier