thu 17/07/2025

stephen walsh

Bio
Stephen is a former Observer music critic and a regular contributor to The Times, Daily Telegraph, Financial Times, Independent and the BBC. He is the author of a major biography of Stravinsky and other books on Stravinsky, Bartók and Schumann. He holds a chair in music at Cardiff University.

Articles By Stephen Walsh

Mazeppa, Grange Park Opera review - a gripping reassessment

Read more...

Peter Grimes, Welsh National Opera review - febrile energy and rage

Read more...

Uproar, Rafferty, Royal Welsh College, Cardiff review - colourful new inventions inspired by Ligeti

Read more...

The Marriage of Figaro, Welsh National Opera review - no concessions and no holds barred

Read more...

Il trittico, Welsh National Opera review - welcome back (but not a good sign)

Read more...

Rigoletto, Welsh National Opera review - back to what they do best

Read more...

Il Trittico, Welsh National Opera review - another triumph for a hard-pressed company

Read more...

The Merry Widow, Glyndebourne review - fun and frolics in the Embassy

Read more...

Così fan tutte, Welsh National Opera review - relevance reduced to irrelevance

Read more...

Uproar, Rafferty, Royal Welsh College, Cardiff review - a rare spring in the new music step

Read more...

BBC National Orchestra of Wales, Martin, Hoddinott Hall, Cardiff review - a host of horns in the wild woods

Read more...

La Traviata, Welsh National Opera review - memorable revival, unforgettable lead

Read more...

Ainadamar, Welsh National Opera review - hits hard without breaking ground

Read more...

The Pilgrim's Progress, Three Choirs Festival review - revelatory performance by young musicians

Read more...

theartsdesk at The Three Choirs Festival - Elgar, Vaughan Williams and Hammond

Read more...

The Bartered Bride, Garsington Opera review - brilliant revival of a comedy of cruelty

Read more...

Pages

latest in today

'We are bowled over!' Thank you for your messages... ...
Album: Slikback - Attrition

In the eternal now of the strobe-lit sweatbox, innovation functions in a different way to the rest of culture. Yes of course, the thrill of the...

Interview: Quinteto Astor Piazzolla on playing in London and...

“I still can’t believe that some pseudo-critics continue to accuse me of having murdered...

Sir Brian Clarke (1953-2025) - a personal tribute

Brian Clarke died on 1 July 2025, after a long illness. He was one of the most original British artists of our time – wide-ranging, ground-...

S/HE IS STILL HER/E - The Official Genesis P-Orridge Documen...

“I like guns. At school we had to fight with guns in the army cadets. I’m actually a first-class sniper. I could shoot people from half a mile...

Album: The Near Jazz Experience - Tritone

As the name suggests, the Near Jazz Experience owe a huge musical debt to jazz, but that’s not the full story by any means. For a start, the...

Billie Eilish, O2 review - power, authenticity and deep conn...

Billie Eilish may be one of the biggest names in new music, but here at the O2 Arena, she’s just Billie – the one who stares deep into your soul,...

Falstaff, Glyndebourne review - knockabout and nostalgia in...

From the animatronic cat on the bar of the Garter Inn to the rowers’ crew who haul their craft across the stage and the military ranks of “Dig for...

Blu-ray: Heart of Stone

Heart of Stone (Das kalte Herz) was the first colour film produced by...

Superman review - America's ultimate immigrant

A three-century-spanning countdown rapidly ticks to a version of now, and a beaten Superman (David Corenswet) ploughing into Arctic snow. His...