The Critics

Strange brew

The joy of letting unexpected, accidental music in

Double trouble in chaotic Comedy

Great times to be had in Canterbury despite occasionally clunky comedy and some scandalously overpriced wine

Awful states

Two political thrillers reveal the intimate cruelties of life under dictatorship

I’m a Classic FM convert

Ignore the snobs, trip the light (music) fantastic and bask in the shameless joy of Classic FM

The Courtauld: a collection unmasked

The gallery has long been famous for its impressionist collection, but the reopening sheds light on other works of art

Into the mystic

Contemporary debates over the “suitability” of many operas leaves us with only English productions

Forgotten films

Streaming services contain a wealth of overlooked foreign-language war stories

To catch a culture thief

A vast global market in stolen and forged art and artefacts has only grown in the context of the pandemic, but technology and international policing may be catching up

Ring of fire

The ENO’s production of The Valkyrie may lack flames, but it is convincing nonetheless

High-voltage Haitink recalled

Bernard Haitink, who died last month, was a conducting master