The Bird Has Flown - Peter King says farewell to his favourite BBC Radio 3 'Saturday Breakfast' host, Elizabeth Alker
The Political Symphony - Jeffrey Neil asks some searching questions about classical music and protest
Spotlight. Evocative and Quite Compelling - On the basis of the two works heard here, Geoff Pearce believes that Emily Howard's music will stand the test of time. '... the assembled forces have done a splendid job in delivering a rather startling performance.'
CD Spotlight. Some Delicious Playing - Geoff Pearce listens to Stravinsky. 'The BBC Philharmonic's performance is fine indeed ...'
Ensemble. Changing Moods - Mike Wheeler listens to a talk about, then a performance of, Elgar's Symphony No 1
Ensemble. Sheer Naked Energy - Mike Wheeler is impressed by Mendelssohn and Beethoven from Nicola Benedetti, Tom Service, Nicholas Collon and Aurora Orchestra
Classical music news. John Poole - A memorial concert for British conductor John Poole was live-streamed from London
Ensemble. An Opera Staging Inside-out - Mike Wheeler is impressed by Lynne Marsh's film 'Tragedy', which provides an altered experience of Opera North's production of Verdi's 'La traviata'
Classical music news. Obituary - John Poole (1934-2020)
CD Spotlight. Technical Mastery - Yevgeny Sudbin plays Rachmaninov, heard by Lucas Ball. '... most of the time, what Sudbin does with these fiendishly difficult works is hard to criticise.'
Ensemble. Bracing Energy - Beethoven and Tchaikovsky from Pavel Kolesnikov, Vassily Sinaisky and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra impress Mike Wheeler
CD Spotlight. Supercharged Emotions - Agostino Steffani's 'Niobe, Regina di Tebe', recommended by Gerald Fenech. '... intense renditions full of dramatic power and feeling.'
Ask Alice - On the BBC's Young Musician of the Year, with classical music agony aunt Alice McVeigh
DVD Spotlight. Dedicated Teamwork - Prokofiev's The Fiery Angel, reviewed by Robert Anderson. '... forceful and compelling ...'
CD Spotlight. Conscientious Objector - Unknown music by Benjamin Britten, heard by Gerald Fenech
CD Spotlight. Skill and Daring - Todd Crow plays Brahms and Dvorák, heard by Robert Anderson. 'Todd Crow emerges not only unbowed but triumphant.'
Ask Alice - New rules for the BBC's Young Musician of the Year competition, with Classical Music agony aunt Alice McVeigh
DVD Spotlight. A Mixed Bag - Ballets choreographed by Angelin Preljocaj, reviewed by Howard Smith. 'Apart from the galvanised buckets it's all effectively eye-catching ...'
Profile. All-Involving - Turkish pianist Idil Biret talks to Bill Newman
CD Spotlight. Sovereign Advocacy - Haydn, Hummel, Leopold Mozart and Neruda trumpet concertos, recommended by Howard Smith. '... expect nothing but the best ...'
CD Spotlight. Deeply Satisfying - Elena Kuschnerova plays J S Bach, selected by Howard Smith. '... decisive and fresh as a dewfall.'
CD Spotlight. Quite Breathtaking - David Korevaar plays Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier, admired by Howard Smith. '... lots to admire ...'
Passport to Heaven - Bill Newman listens to the Russian pianist Nelly Akopian-Tamarina
Ensemble. What does this symphony mean? - Shostakovich's 'Leningrad', heard by Giuseppe Pennisi
Liquid Finger-work - Mike Wheeler listens to a piano recital by Cordelia Williams
A Golden Treasury - Havergal Brian on European and American music, read by Patric Standford
Ensemble. Hugely Satisfying - As New Zealand arts funding strikes a sour note, Howard Smith listens to the Vector Wellington Orchestra
CD Spotlight. Marvelously Incisive - Rózsa and Korngold violin concertos, recommended by Howard Smith. '... breathtaking virtuosity from soloist and orchestra alike.'
Ask DGriffs - Desperate platitudes ... a rather surprising concerto at the BBC Proms, and an urgent plea for new correspondence, from deputy classical music agony 'aunt' DGriffs
CD Spotlight. Striking Originality - Piano music by Moscheles, Mendelssohn and Schumann, heard by Robert Anderson. '...Todd Crow deserves unstinted gratitude.'
CD Spotlight. A Worthy Introduction - Song cycles and chamber music by Gareth Walters, heard by Patric Standford. '... deserves a firm place in the CD library.'
Masks - Jennifer Paull continues her investigation of musical and theatrical masks
Masks - Jennifer Paull investigates a layering of musical and theatrical masks, with the omnipresent eerie reminder of the gas mask
Ensemble. Neatly Balanced - A City Lit music gala, enjoyed by Malcolm Miller
Ensemble. Clearly Important - The seventh Klavessiinfestival held in Tallinn, Estonia, attended by Peter Howell
Ensemble. Love's Eternal Empire - Music by Janácek and Suk impresses Bill Newman
Ask Alice - The matinée performance on 24 April 2010 of Folger Theater's 'Hamlet', recommended by classical music agony aunt Alice McVeigh
CD Spotlight. Imaginative and Challenging - Music by Philip Wilby, heard by Patric Standford. 'Nothing stands still for long ...'
DVD Spotlight. Extreme Individuality - A film about Delius, seen by Paul Sarcich. '... a commendable breadth.'
CD Spotlight. A Purposeful Vigour - Symphonies by Albéric Magnard impress Patric Standford. '... a notable symphonic architect.'
Making a Real Fuss - Robert Hugill looks forward to English Touring Opera's HandelFest this autumn
A Useful Survey - Thomas May's 'The John Adams Reader', reviewed by Mike Wheeler
Ensemble. Notable Liveliness - 'Jephtha' at the London Handel Festival, heard by Robert Hugill
DVD Spotlight. Perfectly Cast - The Sleeping Beauty, recommended by Howard Smith. '... utterly enchanting ...'
Fishy Ripples? - Red Herrings Spawn in Rough Blogoon Waters, by Jennifer Paull
CD Spotlight. A Sheer Delight - Orchestral music by Dvorák, reviewed by Patric Standford. '... vigorous and vital ...'
A Real Treasure House - Dialogues with and about John Cage, reviewed by Patric Standford
Ensemble. Boundaries of the Possible - Malcolm Miller admires Simon Bainbridge's new BBC commission, 'Diptych'
DVD Spotlight. Real Water, Real Music - Handel's Water Music: Recreating a Royal Spectacular, reviewed by Malcolm Tattersall. '... as authentic as we'll see and hear without a time machine.'
Ensemble. Opulently Staged - Donizetti's 'Lucia di Lammermoor', reviewed by Maria Nockin
Ensemble. Mozart viewpoints - Bill Newman reports on the 250th anniversary
Record box. Ignited memories - British light music, reviewed by Patric Standford
CD Spotlight. Aesthetic and didactic - Music by Respighi and Mussorgsky, reviewed by George Balcombe. 'Tadaaki Otaka conjures the composer's unique sound ...'
DVD Spotlight. Inexplicable passion - Astor Piazzolla in portrait, appreciated by David Wilkins. '... defying category but never defying mastery.'
Remarkable diversity - Robert Hugill writes about the British Composer Awards
A star is reborn - BBC Legends, passing its one hundredth release, is appreciated by John Bell Young
Editorial musings with Basil Ramsey. Daily ritual - Switching nightmares for daymares
Reminiscent retrospectives - Magic moments, with Jennifer Paull
Reminiscent retrospectives - Trails and Euros, with Jennifer Paull
Editorial musings with Basil Ramsey - Mere ramblings
Ensemble - Naïve and Sentimental Music. Malcolm Miller attends the London première of John Adams' most recent and largest orchestral work
Editorial musings with Basil Ramsey - Prom fever
Virtuoso demands - Robert Anderson listens to music by Poul Ruders, Lutoslawski and Sibelius in London's Royal Albert Hall
Record box - Trawling for treasure - Menuhin and Rostropovich -
Record box - Trawling for treasure. Bill Newman seeks out Golden Age performers now reinstated on CD. Michelangeli, Toscanini and Barbirolli on BBC Legends
Record box - Trawling for treasure - Toscanini -
Record box - Trawling for treasure - Barbirolli -
Record box - Trawling for treasure. Bill Newman seeks out Golden Age performers now reinstated on CD. BBC Legends and Beecham
Record box - Trawling for treasure. Dennis Brain on BBC Legends
Site seeing - Special collections - the top 10 websites of February 2000, with Keith Bramich
CD Spotlight - Defiance and struggle. '... an excellent and polished tribute to an important Italian composer ...' The orchestral music of Ildebrando Pizzetti, with Simon Spencer
A bombshell - Roderic Dunnett talks to Austrian conductor Franz Welser-Möst about Franz Schmidt's Book with Seven Seals