Did you know that Thomas Müntzer, leader of the German Peasants’ War in 1525, used a rainbow flag to rally his followers? It’s an aptly exuberant image for the radical charisma of Müntzer, and for the

‘I accepted the commission partly for the money, and partly because I have long wanted to try my hand at this sort of music,’ wrote Tchaikovsky to Rimsky-Korsakov. For the sum of 800 roubles (around £

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Global markets and the new illiberalism

For a leader who has always been essentially cautious, Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine seemed an uncharacteristically wild gamble. But Putin hasn’t really changed at all, says Mark Galeotti: he has simply become more himself

(conductor) USSR RTV Symphony Orchestra Melodiya RCID24689058 Numerous recordings by the good and the great ensure that the bar is set extremely high here, and among the many persuasive readings are t