Spring has sprung

Maurice Ravel has been an enduring part of my world, both as a performer and teacher. As a little girl I played the Mouvement de menuet from his Sonatine at a piano competition, which the renowned pia

With returning swifts screaming across the rooftop and golden buttercup pollen gilding his Wellingtons as he strides across the cow meadow, John Lewis-Stempel marvels at the many pleasures of May

The other day in Henry Bohn’s, our second-hand record shop, I came across a set of the six symphonies of Erkki Melartin. Who? A symphonist ten years younger than Sibelius; ‘one of Finland’s most signi

Symphony No. 5; Swanwhite Suite etc Christian Tetzlaff (violin); Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra/Nicholas Collon Ondine ODE 1468-2 77:16 mins One of the features of Finland’s impressive music educati

Opera: The Queen of Spades/L’elisir d’amore Garsington ...

Relaxing our grip on our gardens and creating a closer harmony with wildlife is bringing a new beauty to our outdoor spaces – gentler, looser and naturally delightful