Conservative Parliament
The West is weak
The Russian-American prisoner exchange sends a catastrophic message of Western frailty
Wagner: the long and short of it
Creativity consists in destruction, in turning the composer inside-out, in making fun of him.
Midlands marvels and mysteries
A fitting if flawed tribute to one of England’s more undersung counties
The immobile prince
Political chaos masks the stagnation of French economic life
Rite of autumn
Labour is celebrating the harvest and definitely not sacrificing pensioners in the hopes that the gods grant us plenty in the coming fiscal year
Composed and electrifying
Klaus Tennstedt: The Radio Broadcasts (Doremi, 4CDs)
Bridget Phillipson: culture warrior
The Labour party seems determined to end the culture war — by winning it
The art of violence
High jinks in the Groucho Club are small beer when compared to the misdeeds of their artist ancestors
The predictability of subverting expectations
What to expect when you’re expecting your expectations to be subverted