Achilles in Love

Straight off the bat, Go Farther In Lightness is a victory album. It’s a victory of love and loss; a triumph for hope and life. It’s an album with many peaks and just as many moments that make you ponder and appreciate your existence. It’s a compass for those lacking direction. It’s the ‘I may not know what I’m doing, but I’m going to have a real crack at it anyway’ moment we’ve all had. But most importantly, Go Farther In Lightness is an album that re-instills faith in the process called life. Coming two years after their acclaimed debut The Positions, Sydney locals Gang Of Youths have put together 16 tracks that will rival, if not better, any release this year for the impact it will have on its listeners. It’s a hefty listen, both in content and length. Coming in at 75 minutes, it’s a long, but hardly arduous listen. In an age where attention spans are dwindling and you can’t go longer than 10 minutes without looking at your phone, Go Farther In Lightness is an album that needs to be listened to in full. You’ll be doing yourself and the band a massive favour by doing so.

DNO presents a new production of Händel's last Italian opera, Deidamia, staged by the American David Alden. No known literary source has been linked directly to this opera, which is set at the time of the Trojan War. After an oracle has predicted the death of Achilles at Troy, Achilles disguises himself as a woman and takes refuge at the court of Lycomedes, whose daughter Deidamia falls in love with the young Greek. Amorous developments and tricks of disguise expose the truth and Achilles is forced to take his place at the side of his countrymen in the battle against the Trojans. Comedy and tragedy are bedfellows in this opera, and the title role in particular covers the entire expressive spectrum, from flirtatious love song to heartfelt lament.