wed 14/05/2025

Features & Interviews

'Classic-era prog’s Olympian pinnacle': Pink Floyd's 'Echoes' returns in their restored Pompeii concert film and as Nick Mason's band's vinyl hit

Graham Fuller

Pink Floyd’s “Echoes”, the ineffable progressive rock epic that occupies side two of 1971’s Meddle, is having a moment. Nick Mason’s Saucerful of Secrets released a sensational one-sided 12-inch vinyl version of the track on Record Store Day, April 12.

First Person: young cellist Zlatomir Fung on operatic fantasies old and new

Zlatomir Fung

My new album, Fantasies, recorded with pianist Richard Fu, is the culmination of my years-long fascination with the wonderful genre of instrumental opera fantasies. I first fell in love with opera fantasies while attending summer music camps as a teenager. Franz Waxman and Pablo De Sarasate’s fantasies on Bizet’s Carmen were staples of the summer festival repertory of my violin-playing peers, and they were my first exposure to this sub-genre.

First Person: rising folk star Amelia Coburn on...

Amelia Coburn

“Sandra” is one of my favourite tracks from my album Between The Moon and the Milkman which was released last year.  While living in Paris a few...

First Person: St John's College choral...

Christopher Gray

When I arrived at St John’s College, Cambridge, in April 2023, it was a daunting prospect to be taking over the reins of a choir with such a...

First Person: singer-songwriter David Gray on how...

David Gray

Occasionally, when I pass my own reflection, out of the corner of my eye I catch a glimpse of the likeness of my father, shining out through the...

Subscribe to theartsdesk.com

Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.

To take a subscription now simply click here.

And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?

Oscars 2025: long day's journey into 'Anora'

Matt Wolf

'Anora' creator Sean Baker wins four trophies in a night full of firsts - and a second trophy for Adrien Brody

First Person: writer Lauren Mooney on bringing bodies together in the new Royal Court play, 'More Life'

Lauren Mooney

Kandinsky Theatre co-creator on a new play tethering technology to existence

David Lynch: In Dreams (1946-2025)

Nick Hasted

The director, who has died aged 78, rewired cinema with nightmare logic, an underground ethos and weird, wondrous innocence

Best of 2024: Books

Theartsdesk

As 2024 comes to an end, we look back at the books that have thrilled and enthralled us

Best of 2024: Film

Theartsdesk

theartsdesk's movie critics pick their favourites from the last 12 months

First Person: cellist Matthew Barley on composing and recording his 'Light Stories'

Matthew Barley

Conceived a year ago, a short but intense musical journey

First Person: singer-songwriter Sam Amidon on working in Dingle with Teaċ Daṁsa on 'Nobodaddy'

Sam Amidon

Michael Keegan-Dolan’s mind-boggling total work of art arrives at Sadlers Wells this week

First Person: Alec Frank-Gemmill on reasons for another recording of the Mozart horn concertos

Alec Frank-Gemmill

On ignoring the composer's 'Basta, basta!' above the part for the original soloist

'His ideal worlds embraced me with their light and love': violinist Irène Duval on the music of Fauré

Irène Duval

On the centenary of the great French composer's death, a fine interpreter pays homage

Documentary highlights from the 2024 London Film Festival

Saskia Baron

A close look at insightful new non-fiction films about single motherhood, visionary photographers, scam artists, legacies of colonialism, and more

First Person: Bob Riley on Manchester Camerata's championship of a Centre of Excellence for Music and Dementia

Bob Riley

Making a difference out of the musical ghetto

First Person: Lindsey Ferrentino on the play that has led Adrien Brody to the London stage

Lindsey Ferrentino

The American dramatist on bringing 'The Fear of 13', and its Oscar-winning lead, to the Donmar

First Person: Tim Etchells on 40 years of making a noise with Forced Entertainment

Tim Etchells

The experimental theatre company marks four decades with its new production 'Signal to Noise'

First Person: conductor Robert Hollingworth on a four-choir rarity by Benevoli

Robert Hollingworth

I Fagiolini join with two other choirs for a spectacular in St Martin-in-the-Fields

10 Questions for Black String’s Youn Jeong Heo

Tim Cumming

K-Music special: The founder of Korea’s finest quartet discusses their intense and otherworldly music

theartsdesk in Bradford - Leeds International Piano Competition 2024 finalists shine in St George's Hall

David Nice

A clear winner, but all pianists worked superbly with a great conductor and orchestra

First Person: soprano Elizabeth Atherton on the decimation of the classical music sector in Wales

Elizabeth Atherton

Singer who began her career on contract with Welsh National Opera clarifies savage cuts by Welsh and English Arts Councils

The law's sick voyeurism - director Cédric Kahn on 'The Goldman Case'

Hugh Barnes

Kahn's drama about the 1976 trial of Pierre Goldman mirrors conflicts in modern France

Here comes the flood: Bob Dylan's 1974 Live Recordings

Tim Cumming

Night after night: Sony's latest gargantuan release from the vaults

First Person: Alexandra Dariescu on highlighting women at the Leeds International Piano Competition

Alexandra Dariescu

A distinguished pianist fights for more balanced international programming

theartsdesk in Switzerland: Lucerne and Gstaad offer curious audiences fresh perspectives on much-loved works

Gavin Dixon

Two summer festivals find ever new ways to make each concert a memorable event

theartsdesk at Jaminaround 2024 - preview of the unique Dorset venue's second edition

Mark Kidel

A music venue that prizes intimacy

theartsdesk Q&A: Nina Ananiashvili, founder of the State Ballet of Georgia

Ismene Brown

Bolshoi superstar who made her name in London returns with a new generation

The Micro Golden Age of Mid Eighties Fantasy Films

Justine Elias

They don't make 'em like 'The NeverEnding Story', 'Labyrinth', and 'Legend' anymore

The future of Arts Journalism

 

You can stop theartsdesk.com closing!

We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d

And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.

newsletter

Get a weekly digest of our critical highlights in your inbox each Thursday!

Simply enter your email address in the box below

View previous newsletters

latest in today

Help to give theartsdesk a future!

It all started on 09/09/09. That memorable date, September 9 2009, marked the debut of theartsdesk.com.

It followed some...

House of Games, Hampstead Theatre review - adapted Mamet scr...

There is so much that is right about Jonathan Kent’s new production of House of Games – the casting, the staging, the...

Karim Said, Leighton House review - adventures from Byrd to...

William Byrd, Arnold Schoenberg and their respective acolytes go cheek by jowl, crash into one another, soothe, infuriate and shine in their very...

Album: MØ - Plæygirl

Danish singer MØ is a paradox. Initially she appeared to be another Scandi electro-pop princess of the bangers. The monster 2015 hit “Lean On”...

Stile Antico, Wigmore Hall review - a glorious birthday cele...

There was a wonderful festal spirit at the Wigmore Hall last night, as the vocal ensemble Stile Antico ran through a Greatest Hits selection in...

PUP, SWG3, Glasgow review - controlled chaos from Canadian p...

According to PUP lead singer Stefan Babcock, the Toronto foursome practiced together a grand total of twice before embarking on their current UK...

Zoe Lyons, Touring - midlife, without the crisis

Zoe Lyons knows her audience; as a few shoutouts confirmed, many of them are long-time fans, and have had lives with similar highs and...

The Last Musician of Auschwitz review - a haunting testament...

“It is so disgraceful, what happened there,” says Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, in a comment that is the understatement of the century. She is referring...

Giulio Cesare, The English Concert, Bicket, Barbican review...

Is Giulio Cesare in Egitto, to give the full title, Handel’s best and shapeliest opera? Glyndebourne’s revival of the legendary David...

Hallé, Elder, Bridgewater Hall, Manchester review - premiere...

Huw Watkins’ Concerto for Orchestra, the fourth new work of his to be commissioned and premiered by the Hallé and Sir Mark Elder, is...