theartsdesk.com, first with arts reviews, news and interviews
theartsdesk |
We are bowled over! We knew that theartsdesk.com had plenty of supporters out there – we’ve always had a loyal readership of arts lovers and professionals alike – but the…
Boyd Tonkin |
Almost everything about Piotr Anderszewski‘s Wigmore Hall recital pleased, intrigued and even thrilled – except, perhaps, the order of the works. The Polish-born pianist opened…
stephen.walsh |
The BBC NOW called this concert Echoes of France, which was both an understatement and a partial misnomer. Cardiff’s St David’s Hall being currently out of action, the orchestra…
Jon Turney |
Two centuries ago, New York City was a tangled collection of streets on the narrowing southern end of Manhattan island. Expansion pointed only one way, and in 1807 a three-person…
graham.rickson |
An English Violin Geneviève Laurenceau (violin), Orchestre de Picardie/David Niemann, with Jean-Frédéric Neuburg (piano) (NoMadMusic)
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peter.quinn |
Released once again in advance of International Women's Day, The Sisterhood 2 is a worthy successor to Sarah Jane Morris and Tony Rémy's celebrated 2024 album. It presents 11 more…
James Saynor
Cinema has a deep distrust of the devout. Even though many movie types are tied up in all sorts of personal spiritual pursuits, organised religion often gets a rough ride in…
Rachel Halliburton
Famously Handel and Bach never met, despite being born in the same year in the same country. So it was fun to see the programme for the English Concert’s delightful, vivacious…
James Saynor
We’ve heard of dad rock, but how about dad techno? This Spanish movie, directed by the French-born Oliver Laxe, immerses us in one of Europe’s more curious subcultures – ravers…
Tim Cumming
Catrin Finch has been at the top her field for a long time now. The Welsh harpist was appointed to the ancient office of Royal Harpist by Prince Charles in 2000, was nominated for…
Thomas H. Green
Things do not look promising at 8.55 PM. Half the 1500-capacity Engine Shed is curtained off. The venue is still far from full. The crowd is mostly between their 30s and their 50s…
Sarah Kent
Rose Wylie’s paintings are a blast of fresh air. Direct, anarchic, exuberant and determinedly daft, they make a mockery of the self-importance that so often infects the art world.…
Ibi Keita
Gorillaz return with The Mountain, a release that feels like a defining chapter in the band’s long evolution. After years of restless experimentation and high profile…
aleks.sierz
Backstories of famous writers are fascinating: where did they come from? What were their inspirations? What obstacles did they overcome? Alexi Kaye Campbell’s new historical…
Boyd Tonkin
Last week I saw Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia, a play which behind its pyrotechnic wit affirms that sorrow and calamity can strike chaotically at the heart of any human idyll. At first…
Kieron Tyler
“I don’t remember yesterday, but I remember when I was eight years old.” The opening lyrics of “Sure & Steady,” Gained / Lost’s second track, underline a core concern of UK…
Veronica Lee
Simon Amstell says this show is a departure from his previous ones, which were full of angsty introspection. And true, in I Love It Here he appears less wired, but fans fear not;…
Thomas H. Green
VINYL OF THE MONTHWest Virginia Snake Handler Revival They Shall Take Up the Serpents (Sublime Frequencies)
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Californian…
David Nice
Janáček's Vixen Sharpears has been making streamlined runs between eight Irish cities and towns, no doubt winning new admirers for this singular take on man, nature and the cycle…
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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.
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tv
The writing and directing in this drama series is another quiet piece of genius
Shaun Evans and Romola Garai need couples therapy
film
A vivid and bustling study of 18th century religious purists
The military dictatorship unleashed a carnival of killing and corruption, but Kleber Mendonça Filho's sprawling genre-buster shows there was hope, too
new music
A love letter to the women who changed music forever
Interior musical meditations on life and art pulls on the harp strings
Despite a limited audience, an evening of whole-hearted sing-alongs
classical
A master pianist dives deep into the farewell moods of Brahms and Beethoven
Big sounds needing more space but no better playing
Neglected 20th century symphonies, a rediscovered violin concerto and colourful contemporary music
opera
First-rate singing, playing and conducting, and the portable production has some impact
Biopic opera of the great Japanese artist Hokusai slightly misses its mark
The production sags, but boasts a tireless protagonist in heroic tenor Simon O'Neill
theatre
Alexi Kaye Campbell’s new play tells the story of George Eliot’s early struggle for independence
No sex please, we're British (and Irish)
Popular novel-turned-musical pushes the bounds of credibility to breaking point and beyond
dance
Much-appreciated words of commendation from readers and the cultural community
The kindly Skoog made history as a brutal Interrogator in a classic modern ballet
The craic's 90 in Michael Keegan-Dolan's extraordinary wild ride of an evening
comedy
Much-appreciated words of commendation from readers and the cultural community
Shaggy-dog story about a Hollywood party
Comic delves into observational material
books
Much-appreciated words of commendation from readers and the cultural community
A Harvard professor presents a sprawling urban history
Cooper turns a fine ear to music for an exploration of creative life
visual arts
Much-appreciated words of commendation from readers and the cultural community
It pays to delay; how to be a great painter at 91
A painter’s journey in the wrong direction
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