Classical Music
How I discovered classical music
Daniel Johnson describes the joy of indulging in music as a teenage boy
Alexander Zemlinsky: The Mermaid (Pentatone)
Norman Lebrecht breaks a rule in his review of The Mermaid
An essential record
Norman Lebrecht reviews Shostakovich: Violin concertos 1&2, performed by Alina Ibragimova and the State Symphony Orchestra of Russia
The sadder side of summer
Tragedy struck Gustav Mahler, the archetypal summer composer, in 1907
A path open to us all
Daniel Johnson reviews Wagner’s Parsifal, by Roger Scruton
Welcome to the unfrozen North
How Canada reinvented its musical prowess
Tapping into history
As soon as you enter Idagio.com you can kiss your working day goodbye
Scruton’s Danubian overtures
Sir Roger Scruton: A classical composer and inspiration to Hungarian students
High notes go wrong
Flying is a macho thing for musicians. It shows they are in demand and living the good life
Schlock of the new
Those in charge are in thrall to vain provocateur directors
Noisy decline
Blaring incongruous sound is as much a sign of urban decay as piles of litter
South Africa needs better policies, not just better vibes
Political change must lead to economic change as well
Accidental Orientalism
Britain has been reduced to selling a cheap simulacrum of its history
Lebrecht’s Album of the Year
Not just a great record but an essential one
The right-on, left-wing oppressors
A flaw in the design of academic studies makes the Left appear less authoritarian than the Right
Is this what winning looks like?
Reform UK supporters are growing weary of infighting and weak rhetoric
Green in name only
The Green Party doesn’t understand the realities of rural life
Labour’s timebomb
This one-term Labour government will bequeath a wretched economic mess
A broken Reed
Who did Steve Reed MP annoy to be sent to face the outrage of the farmers?
The reality of assisted dying, an open letter
A plea to MPs to vote against this dangerous law
The big picture
A story of modern Britain, a moral tale, of venality, hubris and fraud
