Heartlessness, Hedonism, and a Tap-dancing Hurricane as Mahagonny breezes into town | The Critics' Circle Kenneth Kellogg, Rosie Aldridge, Mark Le Brocq, ENO’s Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny © Tristram Kenton 2026 Weill: The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny ENO / André de Ridder The Coliseum...

@aquilanebula Good wasn’t it? Btw, reviewed it for the Circle’s website, plus Mahagonny this week: criticscircle.org.uk/heartlessnes... Others from Claudia & Alexandra up as well

Heartlessness, Hedonism, and a Tap-dancing Hurricane as Mahagonny breezes into town | The Critics' Circle Kenneth Kellogg, Rosie Aldridge, Mark Le Brocq, ENO’s Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny © Tristram Kenton 2026 Weill: The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny ENO / André de Ridder The Coliseum...

My review of ENO’s Mahagonny: criticscircle.org.uk/heartlessnes...

Fine conductor, Gerhardt. I recall a terrific album of music by Charles Griffes on RCA in the ?1980s, featuring The White Peacock and Kubla Khan, and Hanson’s “Romantic” Second Symphony

Merry Christmas, One and All 🎄🥂

Golden Circle Tour: Thingvellir Park and the Notch, straddling tectonic plates, Gullfoss, Geysir/Strokkur, Kervid crater

Also saw the Imagine Peace Lighthouse as we sailed by

Aurora over Reykjavík Harbour; the photos don’t catch the movement, like a curtain in a breeze.

Hallgrimskirkja all lit up for sunset!

Statues of Erling Blondal Bengtsson and the Sun Voyager with a terrific sunset

Afternoon in Reykjavik: from Hallgrimskirkja via the Rainbow Street to Harpa Concert Hall

Inventing Antifa In 2005, the Uzbek government invented a group called “Akromiya” to justify massacring protesters. Now I worry the US government will do the same.

"I've told the story of Akromiya for 20 years. I’m telling it again now, because today is No King’s Day, and I am afraid that 'Antifa' is the American Akromiya: a fabricated entity made by state propagandists to persecute anyone who opposes the government."
sarahkendzior.substack.com/p/inventing-...

When shall the usurers’ city cease?

Another film enoperaed: At least it’s not Jake Heggie!!

Benjamin Britten’s oddball masterpiece | The Observer Albert Herring is a subversive portrait of stuffy postwar England

observer.co.uk/music/classi...

Oum – A Son’s Quest for His Mother review at the Barbican Hall: Engrossing Read our review of Oum – A Son’s Quest for His Mother at London's Barbican Hall. Bushra El-Turk and Wout van Tongeren’s opera is never less than engrossing

"A fascinating experiment" - review of Bushra El-Turk's Oum: A Son's Quest for his Mother @thestage.co.uk www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/oum-...

A ‘Cinderella for 2025’ that remains rooted in eighteenth century mores | The Critics' Circle Love at first song: Deepa Johnny, Aaron Godfrey Mayes, ENO’s Cinderella (La Cenerentola) 2025 © Mark Douet-X4 ENO / Yi-Chen Lin The Coliseum, London, September 27, 2025 Despite its faults, La Cenerent...

English National Opera's new production of Rossini's Cinderella reviewed by Guy Rickards for the Critics' Circle:
criticscircle.org.uk/a-cinderella...

The Rape of Lucretia review — thrilling drama in a harrowing tale Robin Norton-Hale’s intense production for English Touring Opera is a fine ambassador for Benjamin Britten’s ‘problem child’

My review of an intense Rape of Lucretia for English Touring Opera @etopera.bsky.social
www.thetimes.com/culture/clas...

The Rape of Lucretia: intimate and tender Read our review of The Rape of Lucretia: Robin Norton-Hale’s new production for English Touring Opera pulls the audience close

Tenderness and intimacy from @etopera.bsky.social new Rape of Lucretia: www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/the-...

Cuore Orchestra: Beethoven, Grieg, Mendelssohn | The Critics' Circle By Fiona Hook Cuore Orchestra / William Dutton, Oxana Shevchenko, piano Royal Hall, Harrogate, Saturday 27 September 2025 Back in March, conductor William Dutton began to fulfil his apparently crazy d...

The Cuore Chamber Orchestra, based in Yorksire, was founded in May by conductor William Dutton. Fiona Hook reviews their most recent concert for the Critics' Circle:
criticscircle.org.uk/cuore-orches...

Coming up on Friday: Lara Melda and I tell the story of Myra Hess in the National Gallery, in, what else, a lunchtime concert. We will be in the same space she used, Room 36! Admission freeeeee. Please join us!

www.nationalgallery.org.uk/events/myra-...

Sakari Oramo guided the BBCSO through a life-affirming Mahler 9 at the Barbican on Saturday - my ★★★★ review for Bachtrack here:
bachtrack.com/22/296/view/...

Royal Opera's Giustino is just the ticket | The Critics' Circle Half man, half machine, George Frideric Handel broke off in the autumn of 1736 from the composition of Giustino, three weeks in, to write Alcina, then went back to finish Giustino in five days. Within...

The Royal Opera's new production of Handel's Giustino reviewed by Claudia Pritchard:
criticscircle.org.uk/royal-operas...

The Magic Flute review — misogyny, Freemasonry and some fine singing Marie Jacquot makes a splendid Royal Opera House debut conducting a wonderful cast in this delightful Mozart revival

A very fine house debut from Marie Jacquot in this excellent Royal Opera Magic Flute revival
My @thetimes.com review is now online:
www.thetimes.com/culture/clas...

Carmen is back—door slams, machismo and great tunes | The Critics' Circle Niamh O’Sullivan, ENO’s Soldier Chorus, Carmen production photo taken on October 6 2025 at ENO, London Coliseum, © Ellie Kurttz ENO / Clelia Cafiero The Coliseum, London, October 8, 2025 Calixto Bieit...

Bizet's Carmen at ENO reviewed by Guy Rickards: criticscircle.org.uk/carmen-is-ba...

Contemporary composer: Elena Firsova Gavin Dixon explores the powerful music of this poetic modernist

My profile of composer Elena Firsova in the October issue of Gramophone: www.gramophone.co.uk/features/art...

Music Awards 2025, celebrating a year of outstanding achievement | The Critics' Circle More than 80 leading figures from across Britain’s musical landscape came together at the sparkling Critics’ Circle Music Awards, held at the London Coliseum, a ceremony that honoured musicians who ma...

Here's Claudia Pritchard's write up of the Critics' Circle Music Awards 2025:
criticscircle.org.uk/music-awards...

Music Awards 2025, celebrating a year of outstanding achievement | The Critics' Circle More than 80 leading figures from across Britain’s musical landscape came together at the sparkling Critics’ Circle Music Awards, held at the London Coliseum, a ceremony that honoured musicians who ma...

Once again the Critics’ Circle Music Awards ceremony took place on Wednesday evening in ENO’s Sky Bar at the Coliseum - see criticscircle.org.uk/music-awards... #CCMusicAwards

Cover of the recording of the four symphonies by Hans Gál conducted by Kenneth Woods on Avie Records.

Now listening to Gál's Symphony 3 conducted by Kenneth Woods. Lots of beautiful writing for oboe here. Hans Gál born in Lower Austria on this day in 1890.