On Music
Will anyone follow the Lieder?
Other singers presented Lieder recitals; Fischer-Dieskau personified the art form
Some composers are rightly obscure
There is a place for marginal composers — it’s on the margins
Can Russia hit the high notes again?
Russian music faces an uncertain future
Has Trump killed the arts centre?
Scrap the arts centre and restore primacy to the people making art
This earthy opera is a real sob story
I have seen seven different productions of Jenůfa and I never fail to be overcome
Boulez celebrated but titans ignored
Two painful coincidences underline the imbalance of a presidential command
We must resurrect the symphony
Or the orchestra will die with it
Passing the baton to the offspring
Does maestro talent run in the genes?
A captivating northern star
If Lise Davidsen sneezes, the opera world shuts down
A full musical meal
An unforgettable concert experience
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The Book of JO’B
James O’Brien’s aggressive incuriosity is becoming ever more embattled as his worldview crumbles
I don’t trust the British state
British institutions simply are not functioning in the interests of the people they are meant to serve
The rise and fall of Nicola Sturgeon
The former SNP leader squandered her talents in a classic tale of hubris
Fear and fury in Belfast
Violence spiralled out of control in Northern Ireland in the aftermath of a shocking crime
The screaming spires
Oxford University must clarify where it stands on academic freedom
Kemi always gets it right
Whatever the crisis, the Conservative leader invariably discovers that events have vindicated her.
Soft-Play Britain
Britain’s governing class talks of growth and grandeur but focuses on planters and paint schemes
Progressivism and the police
The Diversity, Equality and Inclusion agenda promised a fairer form of policing, but has delivered a weaker one
Green eggs and flam
A fine way to make herbes omelette
We must end the tyranny of the Treasury
Short-term and parochial thinking has made us weaker and less safe
Carry on, matron
The crisis in nursing can be reversed by a return to Florence Nightingale’s vision of vocation and a rebuilt hierarchy on the wards
The costs of telling the truth too late
The girl guiding decision is causing pain — so why do activists seek to prolong it?
Rewatching the English
English identity has become too surreal and discomfiting to define
Peston’s Inbox
Keir has my complete backing – Wes
The underworld on the high street
Beneath the façade of everyday commerce, organised crime has quietly captured British high streets
North Korea’s rogue state development
How Kim Jong Un is embracing the modern world