Classical Music
Passing on the batons
The future of conducting is looking bright — everywhere except in Russia and America
Piazzolla Cien Anos (Century Records)
Astor Piazzolla is so intimately identified with Buenos Aires that his wider relevance is often missed
Solem Quartet: The Four Quarters (Orchid)
The Solem Quartet are my frontrunners for the best new talent in 2021
Paderewski & Stojowski: Violin Sonatas (CPO)
I would happily subscribe to an emergent series of forgotten Polish treasures if the quality remained this high
Nikolai Kapustin: 4th piano concerto (Capriccio)
Listening to Kapustin in 2021 is an act of nostalgia, a gesture of defiance to the dictates of fashion
Erno von Dohnanyi: My auntie (Capriccio)
Dohnanyi is as multicultural as they come — he must be due a comeback
Alice Sara Ott: Echoes of Life (DG)
Alice Sara Ott gives Frederic Chopin’s preludes a “dazzling” contemporary twist
Savour the silence
The first duty of a conductor is to imagine a world without noise
Randall Goosby: Roots (Decca)
Goosby has all the technique anyone could need — but he still has a lot to learn about taste and selection
Heitor Villa-Lobos: Violin sonatas (Naxos)
Ten minutes of Villa-Lobos and you’re ready for carnival
Giving noticing a bad name
Observing factual differences is not the same as leaping to conclusions
The court of hot air
We do not need human rights law to protect human rights or to maintain the rule of law
The art of Caspar David Friedrich
In our brave new world of modern art, there’s a growing appetite for celebrating the mystery of the natural world
Exhibiting military history
Four new exhibitions offer vivid insights into different experiences of war
Laugh to hide the tears
Rishi Sunak was desperate to appear on top form before the Liaison Committee
Netherworld
The Dutch golden age could be anything but for the painters
Free speech freeze-up
Reactions in Britain to the attempted suppression of NatCon suggest a bleak future for freedom of speech and thought
Why the goal glut?
Football — never boring, even when Italy is defending a 1–0 lead — has only grown more exciting
A right to protest?
The right to dissent is often at odds with the will of the mob
Intangible benefits for intangible heritage?
It remains to be seen whether the UK’s Ratification of UNESCO’s Convention on Intangible Cultural Heritage will be valuable
Pseudoscience exacerbates the burden of disease
Victims of ME deserve better than dopey Dragons and ear seeds
