On Opera
Music to die for
The elegant narrative solution of suicide has had no greater cheerleader than opera
Ethics men
Opera directors are utilising programme books to purvey their moral and ethical wisdom
Joyous adventures in the absurd
A new performance of a Janacek opera takes one to the moon and back
Getting wrecked
Dame Ethel Smyth’s opera dated quickly, but it hardly hurts to have another look at it
The original, best and shortest English opera
John Blow, Venus and Adonis; Henry Purcell, Dido and Aeneas (HGO)
Singing lessons
Spare us the social justice preaching
Godunov for me
Ignoring Russian opera — and, in particular, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov — is a mistake
Too darn hot
Carmen still shocks and seduces
Theodora: an over-fussy feminist failure
With productions this bad, it is no surprise that nobody cares about opera
Musical Lessons
Could the jazz-hands pizzaz of musical theatre be just what opera needs?
Rocking the Reichstag
Women across the world have been protesting against the bizarre new German self-ID laws
Labour is betraying women
From benefits to crime, Keir is letting women down
Ministry of Silly Thoughts
Wes Streeting made the grave error of consulting the British people
Now’s your time, House of Lords
The upper house must prove its worth by opposing the shabby Chagos Islands deal
Must-Miss TV
Your regular Critic round-up of the hottest shows and films.
The problem with Rachel Reeves’s pension pretensions
Bigger funds are not the key to effective investments
Non-euclidean Toryism
The Conservative Party appears somewhat lost
British industry has forgotten how to use its voice
Corporate cowards are not standing up to the government
Why I, as a mother…
Being a mother can change our perspectives and priorities
Blue-collar brilliance
1970s Pittsburgh wasn’t just a steel town: it was the steel town
Thou shalt not pray?
The British state is ruthlessly prosecuting thoughtcrime
