By examining the changing perception of opera over the past century – cultural, political and social – Wilson’s book demonstrates that opera has never gone truly out of fashion. It remains popular in its many guises – from country-house opera at Glyndebourne to cheap or free tickets for under-30s and students, and opera in pubs or other non-standard venues.
Personal space: Lee Miller, Tate Modern, London
This fascinating exhibition, offering a detailed, thoughtfully-assembled overview of Miller’s career, leaves the visitor in no doubt that she was one of the finest, most important artists to have picked up a camera. I was fortunate enough to go in the show’s final weeks, and for those of you unable to get there, I hope…
The Revival of Germaine Tailleferre’s prolific output
by Michael Johnson We have come a long way since female composers suffered denigration for their supposed inability to compose anything of substance. That battle is largely over and the women seem to be winning. Their music is creeping into classical catalogues and concert programmes alongside the men. A musicologist tells me, “There is no…
Horton takes advice from the old Master and gets a standing ovation for his Chopin Scherzos
Tim Horton’s six-concert Chopin Cycle started back in 2024 and sadly the series is nearly at its end. I was thrilled to be able to catch Horton’s penultimate concert at the Wigmore on January 16th this year, where Ravel’s revolutionary waltzes were judiciously sandwiched between several late Chopin nocturnes and four Scherzos. Throughout his Chopin…
Thomas Luke: ‘See Me Now’ – a confident, imaginative debut
‘an impressive debut that leaves one wanting to hear more from this confident and imaginative musician’
Schubert’s Winterreise: Love, Loss, and Hans Zender’s Modern Twist
If anything, Zender’s Winterreise is even bleaker than Schubert’s with its strong Expressionist flavour and rich sonic associations with contemporary repertoire and instrumentation.
Retrospecstive 2025: Adrian Ainsworth’s albums of the year
Putting this list together seems to take me a little longer each January, but I firmly believe that – my ‘winning’ approach to organisation aside – it’s simply because I’m privileged to discover so much more great music every year. Without any further delay, then, here are the (20)25 releases I’m keen to bring to…
Translating images into music: Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition
Pictures at an Exhibition marks its 140th anniversary this year (2026), famous for being one of the most frequently performed, distorted, and some say “butchered” masterpieces of 19th-century Russian music.
Martin Helmchen Completes Schubert’s Sonata D571
The impulse to complete an unfinished work by a composer such as Schubert arises from a blend of artistic curiosity, historical empathy and creative challenge. For many musicians and scholars, an incomplete score feels like a fragment of a larger, untold story – and one that invites further exploration. Incomplete music, such as Schubert’s Unfinished…
‘Opus 109’ – Vikingur Olafsson
Olfasson brings a fresh perspective to well-known repertoire through thoughtful programming, finding intriguing connections and shining a new light on the familiar
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