On Music
Defend the arts … before it’s too late
It will take more than a new government and a bonfire of policy documents to put things right
£355 for Glasto but opera’s elitist?
Reverse snobbery is the order of the day
Finnish on a high note
Now, how the Helsinki has this happened?
Making art of the Holocaust
As dramatic opera, The Passenger inhabits a grey zone of guard–prisoner relations
A great conductor leaves the stage
No conductor from China or Japan ever commanded world orchestras before Seiji Ozawa, and none has since matched his impact
How to win at Chopin
Giving marks to people playing Chopin is no different from deciding on medals in gymnastics
Soothing sounds in time of war
There are expectations going back to 1948 that musicians turn up to provide relief
Bruckner: Anton … and on
Bruckner and the German soul
Have I seen the future of music?
On a performance in three dimensions for all five senses
Is the party over for festivals?
Why music festivals have lost their purpose
Most Read
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
Why left-wingers should care about borders
A welfare state, and social solidarity, depend on immigration restrictionism
The party of retailers
Labour’s drift from its union roots reveals the party no longer knows what — or who — it is for
The ephemeral Farage
Nigel Farage’s appearance in Parliament was as rare as it was undistinguished
This apology for a political comedy
Amusing as a war crimes trial, and seems to last twice as long
Critical briefing: cuckooing
A hidden scourge has been plaguing British streets for too long
Saint Nicola
Nicola Sturgeon wants sympathy for her husband’s crimes—but after years spent avoiding awkward questions, her latest reinvention may be the hardest sell yet.
On Britain as a capitalist command economy
It is neither neoliberal nor socialist but a secret third thing
From an entitlement state to an investment state
How to achieve a pro-social and pro-market economy
Critical briefing: local elections
Our political editor explains what to look out for in Thursday’s elections
A new town versus an old estate
Development in the heart of rural Oxfordshire will change the ecology of the surrounding area
The futility of right-wing cancel culture
Trying to get left-wing comedians fired for edgy jokes is stupid as well as wrong