Conductor Richard Farnes and mezzo Alice Coote both made CBEs in the New Year Honours list www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

2025 Unwrapped: a musical year in review canzonetta.substack.com/p/2025-unwra...

Emmanuelle Giuliani, Yannick Millon et Elisabeth Platel élisent la version de référence du Casse-Noisette de Tchaïkovski. Et vous ? laquelle allez-vous choisir ? ➡️ https://l.francemusique.fr/QvV

2025 Unwrapped: a musical year in review canzonetta.substack.com/p/2025-unwra...

RIP Brigitte Bardot

Maurice Ravel died on this day in 1937. This time last year, I was writing a Gramophone feature for his 150th anniversary: www.gramophone.co.uk/features/art...

The real story of Father Christmas — by Waldemar Januszczak: www.thetimes.com/culture/art/...

Still the best Christmas show in town…

It’s not the Messiah! Solomon’s Knot brings biblical drama to Wigmore Hall with Handel’s oratorio Israel in Egypt My final review of 2025 👇 www.thetimes.com/culture/clas...

At @wigmore-hall.org.uk for my final review assignment of 2025 and it’s that festive favourite (checks notes)… Israel in Egypt. Bring on the smiting!

Puccini and Toscanini had a stormy friendship. One Christmas, Puccini sent Toscanini a panettone, forgetting they had fallen out. Remembering later, he sent a telegram “PANETTONE SENT BY MISTAKE. PUCCINI”. He received a telegram back “PANETTONE EATEN BY MISTAKE. TOSCANINI”! 😂

Giacomo Puccini was born on this day in 1858. Not *every* slot in my top ten is taken up by an opera... bachtrack.com/playlist-gia...

What a charismatic recital by Hugh Cutting and Resound Ensemble at @wigmore-hall.org.uk, all wrapped around the theme of Morpheus. 🌙 ✨ 😴

Diving in…

The complete Bayeux Tapestry has finally been released and proves that Bishop Odo had absolutely nothing to do with the illegal Norman invasion of England.

Thinking of propagating the myth that Salieri poisoned Mozart with a laced Mozartkugel... Anyway, Shaffer's Amadeus gets a new serialisation on Sky soon, so I wrote about it: bachtrack.com/feature-amad...

My Nutcracker marathon. The Observer’s dance critic, Sarah Crompton, has long had an aversion to the Tchaikovsky ballet, a convoluted tale of many-headed mice and a doll with an ugly face. Can she overcome her allergy by seeing seven shows in a week? https://bit.ly/48OWbYi

Puppets!!

Golden Hall, golden Strauss: my review of a cracking Vienna Symphony programme last night at the Musikverein with Karina Canellakis bachtrack.com/review-canel...

Ode to Freedom: my review of the Wiener Staatsoper's new production of Fidelio @thetimes.com www.thetimes.com/culture/clas...

Camille Saint-Saëns died OTD in 1921. Excuse enough to reshare this classic photo of him in his PJs and my playlist of favourite works (plus a few rarities): bachtrack.com/playlist-cam...

Selten war das Wort vom "primus inter pares" so sinnfällig wie bei #HerbertBlomstedt und #BambergSymphony: fast unauffällig kommt er inmitten der Orchestermusiker aufs Podium. Vom Klavierschemel aus dirigiert er in ruhiger Gestik, die das Orch. umso intensiver vertont: "Phänomen" eines 98-Jährigen!

ENB’s Nutcracker: quite the sugar rush! bachtrack.com/review-nutcr...

Envy, poison and an unfinished Requiem: as a new serialisation of Peter Shaffer’s Amadeus heads to screens on Sky Atlantic, what is the truth about Mozart and Salieri? bachtrack.com/feature-amad...

This evening’s performance of Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk at La Scala was suspended when Riccardo Chailly was taken ill: www.rsi.ch/info/mondo/M...

This is a photo of all the workers who have spent more than five years restoring the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris

Wordle 1,635 2/6 🤓 ⬜⬜🟩🟩🟩 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

A “study in cancerous obsession”, Richard Strauss’ Salome had its premiere 120 years ago today canzonetta.substack.com/p/essay-stra...

Really enjoyed seeing Rimsky-Korsakov's Christmas Eve at the Bayerische Staatsoper... and the second half is vintage Barrie Kosky! Review 👇 www.opera-now.com/content/revi...

Putting the grim into Grimm: at the Bayerische Staatsoper this weekend, I finally got to see Richard Jones’ Hänsel und Gretel bachtrack.com/review-hanse...

The December issue of Gramophone has landed... including my Recording of the Month review of Lucia di Lammermoor, featuring the outstanding Lisette Oropesa: www.gramophone.co.uk/features/art...

Dmitri Shostakovich walking his cat with his wife in the snow.

It was a treat to sit down and peruse the score of Rachmaninov’s The Bells with Vasily Petrenko for Gramophone ahead of @royalphilorchestra.bsky.social’s new recording: www.gramophone.co.uk/features/art...

Residenz München bling…

Sergei Leiferkus, 79 years old and still going strong!

Munich is basically Christmas City…

Thinking of propagating the myth that Salieri poisoned Mozart with a laced Mozartkugel... Anyway, Shaffer's Amadeus gets a new serialisation on Sky soon, so I wrote about it: bachtrack.com/feature-amad...

Very much liked Cathy Marston’s Against the Tide, an absorbing new ballet that is so obviously about Britten, Pears and pacifism, but without imposing them too heavily on the work.

Joy to the world! A gorgeous selection of festive fare from Christiane Karg and Gerold Huber at @wigmore-hall.org.uk last night. Review 👇 www.thetimes.com/culture/clas...

After the cancellation of her festive programme in 2021, I'm especially looking forward to hearing Christiane Karg at @wigmore-hall.org.uk this evening: www.wigmore-hall.org.uk/whats-on/202...

Soprano Christiane Karg and pianist Gerold Huber present their seasonal recital this evening including a sequence of heartwarming songs by Engelbert Humperdinck, Peter Cornelius and more 🎀 🕰️ 7.30pm 🎶 'Weihnachten – es naht die jubelvolle Zeit' 🎟️ https://www.wigmore-hall.org.uk/whats-on/202512011930

May we never stop trying to write cricket bats.

glad to see Carrasco was inspired by the Berkhatov Norma (photos by Les Arts Valencia)

My review of last night’s wonderful all-Haydn concert with the OAE: www.thetimes.com/culture/clas...

Gaetano Donizetti, born OTD in 1797, composed around 70 operas. Which ten made my playlist? bachtrack.com/playlist-top...

My review of last night’s wonderful all-Haydn concert with the OAE: www.thetimes.com/culture/clas...

Scenes of general rejoicing in Crouch End at the reopening of Waitrose (after a 7-week refurb #firstworldproblems) tempered by discombobulation at not being able to find anything...

Magnificent Elgar from Beth Taylor, Edward Gardner and the @lporchestra.bsky.social www.thetimes.com/culture/clas...