Mark Valencia 🇪🇺 🇺🇦

It pains me to say this about a Tory, but the response in Parliament by Alex Burghart to the release of the Mandelson papers was exemplary.

Vibes or fumes? England's McCullum era may have run out of road Flawed but valiant T20 World Cup campaign offers scant proof that Brendon McCullum can recreate magic

A brilliant analysis

Andrew Miller - England's Brendon McCullum era may have run out of road | ESPNcricinfo share.google/ART9h6LD1Wgk...

Wordle 1,724 2/6

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Big win. Lottery ticket beckons.

I saw it

At the risk of sounding like a contrarian, I do wish people would lay off Timothée Chalamet.

The overreaction amongst opera folk to one careless remark has been punishing. He's done his time now. Move on.

Yes, I confessed as much in a subsequent post.

This was special. My review for @bachtrack.com

Traitorous or Treacherous?

I'm always keen to learn, so which word better describes the despicable Farage? The distinction is subtle but both words seem appropriate.

#LordHawHaw

This was special. My review for @bachtrack.com

Wordle 1,721 X/6

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Enjoy Wordle. Knock yourself out.

Damn. Now I'm beating myself up for not including Der Sturm, which I adore. Needs to replace The Immortal Hour, although that forgotten gem needs its champions.

It's all right: I included a 21st-C opera in a 20th-C list so I'm no better. Swap Last Days for Bluebeard's Castle!

Tsk - only one per composer. Otherwise my own list would have been very different indeed!

Jenůfa
Pelléas et Mélisande
Ariadne auf Naxos
Billy Budd
Wozzeck
The Fiery Angel
Il tabarro
Last Days
The Lighthouse
The Immortal Hour

It's an impossible job, Mark, but fun.

Tristan und Isolde
Don Carlo(s)
Les Troyens
Queen of Spades
Khovanshchina
Hansel und Gretel
Werther
La bohème
Der Freischütz
Carmen
That'll do. Damn you, Debussy, for not writing Pelléas et Mélisande 3 years earlier.

We spotted you in the dim and distant, dear Christian.

Ah it would have been lovely to see you Jonathan. Yes, it was indeed the other Mark. He was there to undertake quality control over my wayward thoughts. 🤪

a man with a fancy flapjack on his shirt stands next to a woman ALT: a man with a fancy flapjack on his shirt stands next to a woman

Last night I dreamt that the new #Ghosts film should be called 'Ghosts - For Good' and now conscious me can't improve on that.

In that case they should change their delivery provider.

a man in a suit and tie is standing in front of a group of people holding a microphone and saying no photos please . ALT: a man in a suit and tie is standing in front of a group of people holding a microphone and saying no photos please .

Tonight I'll be at the @southbankcentre.bsky.social to hear the LPO and their newly-installed Chief Conductor Designate Paavo Järvi in action.

- Tchaik PC2 with Kantarow
- Sibelius 2

Reviewing for @bachtrack.com

No, it's Das Rheingold.

I'll see you at two of them!

Any of them first nights, Ruth?

News: Paavo Järvi appointed as new Chief Conductor & Artistic Advisor of the @LPOrchestra

My review for @bachtrack.com of Thursday's Barbican concert

Pronunciation guide please. John! Two sounds, two meanings. Either is plausible.

US-Israeli strike on girls' school kills at least 85 students, Iran's judiciary says At least 85 students have been killed in US-Israeli strikes that hit an Iranian girls' school in Hormozgan province, Iran's judiciary said on Saturday. Washington has not commented on the reported str...

We killed 85 schoolgirls. We are not the good guys.

As this is still rolling, I will say one thing about Yuja Wang; I don't know a practising musician who wouldn't feel honoured to even get a reply from her.