wed 09/07/2025

Buzz

Only the Best Ticket Competition - The Winners

Our winners are Marc, Imogen, Steven, Christopher, Tom, Antony, Sam, Zoe, Darren, Maxine, Cathryn, David, Nick, Sarra, Mark, Monique, Azi, Helen, Nick and Ben. Please check your emails and mobile SMS. We're also on Twitter and Facebook.These are the...

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Boxing Day Bloat: theartsdesk recommends

Yesterday was yesterday. Today there's the rest of the week. What are the options? You could go to the shops and exchange all your presents, or you could pursue something more in the cultural line. To which end, theartsdesk is delighted to propose...

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Napoleon's revenge: a Russian orchestra in Paris

Waiting for the audience in the Salle Pleyel's Art Deco foyer

Ninety-five per cent of Napoleon's army was wiped out on the freezing retreat from Moscow in 1812. The statistics weren't nearly as impressive nor, thankfully, so mortal for the Russian National Orchestra's concert in Paris's Salle Pleyel last...

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Cage's 4'33" charts: the BBC refuse to play it

Matt Cardle, the X Factor winner, is Number One for Christmas, while John Cage's 4'33" managed to get in the charts at 21, outselling Usher, Tinie Tempah and others for the Christmas charts. Captain SKA didn't get anywhere, however. So will the BBC...

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Anna Karenina still leads Mariinsky Ballet's tour

The Mariinsky's 'Firebird': On a Fokine triple bill with Sheherazade and Chopiniana

True to form the Mariinsky Ballet has already made programme changes for its Covent Garden visit next summer, not a fortnight after announcing its tour on 3 December. But we're used to it and it's all to the good. Substituting Don Quixote for the...

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X Factor extra: Stephen Fry on Wagner

It has been around a few weeks but to mark the final weekend of X Factor with an estimated 20 million tuning in, it seemed apposite - so here's national treasure, polymath and humourist Stephen Fry on the delights of Wagner (below):

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A whip-cracking Christmas at Tate Britain

Giorgio Sadotti 'celebrates the power of nothing' with his unadorned Norwegian Spruce

It’s the time of year when Tate Britain unveils its much-anticipated, artist-designed Christmas tree. Over the years, we’ve had Fiona Banner decorating hers with unpainted Airfix models of fighter planes, while Sarah Lucas hung hers with stuffed...

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Captain SKA's anti-cuts song or John Cage - Xmas Number One?

Of the runners and riders for an alternative Christmas hit, Captain SKA's jolly tune with samples of Osborne, Cameron, Thatcher and Clegg is the latest one to be gathering momentum. The other campaign, already rolling on nicely and more likely to...

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Travel films from the dawn of movie time

Some rare restored film of pre-First World War Europe, shot by intrepid travelling cameramen from 1905 to 1926, is being shown tomorrow in an intriguing event at Europe House, the new home of the EU in London. Travelogues were a very popular early...

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A Turner Prize first for sound artist

Susan Philipsz is the first sound artist to win the Turner Prize

Dexter Dalwood appeared to be an early favourite, while many wished Angela de la Cruz, who had suffered a debilitating stroke five years ago, a deserved comeback triumph (though the artist who makes evocative “sculpture/paintings” of crumpled...

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Competition: Sarah Willis horn CDs to give away

Sarah Willis goes solo with her CD 'Trio!': You can win a copy

We’ve got some CDs to give away, a recording of French horn music by Sarah Willis, the First Lady of the French Horn, who is also second horn in the Berlin Philharmonic. Our interview with Sarah in early September has proved to be one of the most...

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Manic Street Preachers: theartsdesk Video Exclusive

James Dean Bradfield: Working out the cha cha cha for this Sunday's performance on 'Strictly Come Dancing'

It's been a while since the pop/punk and post/pre-Richey comparisons have been made. Ironic considering how seemlessly the Manics slip between modes these days. Today theartsdesk brings you an exclusive preview of the live, power-popping video of "...

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