The Critic Magazine

28 April 2022

With a special section on music, the May issue of The Critic is the magazine of ideas for open-minded readers. Among the writers joining the music coverage, leading harpsichordist, Mahan Esfahani, uncovers why Bach’s Goldberg Variations were rarely heard until Glenn Gould made them famous, Michael Henderson lauds Roxy Music as the group that rescued British rock and pop from the bum notes of 1972, and Norman Lebrecht regrets the uneven repertoire that is the consequence of leading American orchestras giving as much clout to their diversity, equity and inclusion officials as to their musical director. Elsewhere in the issue, Patrick Porter locks horns with the nuclear weapon abolitionists, Patrick Galbraith makes the environmental case for cows, Laura Dodsworth uncovers the reality behind the craze for young women trying to become trans men through “top surgery”, and Alexander Larman salutes Kingsley Amis. Alongside The Critic’s seasoned cultural commentators, reviewers, sportswriters and tastemakers, the May issue is the guide to the arts and issues of today.