This has been a great year for classical music and I've found it really hard to select only 5 releases. Many of my favourite recordings didn't make the cut, not because they are of...

Roma is a semi-autobiographical film where we witness a series of scenes inspired by the director's upbringing in 70s Mexico. Presented in nostalgic black-and-white photography, the life of a middle-class (or upper-middle-class if you...

Title: A Star is BornDirector: Bradley CooperRelease: 2018This is exemplary Hollywood. A true love story without any clichés despite its numerous remakes (this is the 4th so far!) It follows the kind of plot...

Τitle: Bohemian RhapsodyDirector: Bryan SingerReleased: 2018When you hear that a biopic of the rock music band Queen and Freddie Mercury is going to be released the expectations are high. As it turns out, this...

Title: The Naked WomanAuthor: Armonía Somers Published: 2018, Feminist Press (translated by Kit Maude)Armonia Somer’s novel was a bit of a shock when it was first published in 1950. Why does Rebeca Linke leave home...

Philip Glass, Symphony 11Bruckner Orchester LinzDennis Russell Davies (conductor)Orange Mountain MusicPhilip Glass, the non-minimalist composerIn my review for the Ólafsson album of the Philip Glass Etudes, I noted how, in only a short period...

Music Reviews:Philip Glass, Piano Works (selection) Víkingur Ólafsson (pianist) Deutsche GrammophonBach, Solo Piano Works (selection) Víkingur Ólafsson (pianist) Deutsche Grammophon  Philip Glass I have listened to a lot of different recordings of the Glass Etudes. These are among my favourite contemporary minimalist piano...

Book Review:Title: The Taiga Syndrome Author: Cristina Rivera Garza Published: Dorothy, a publishing project (October 2018)The fairy tale imagery is apparent from the very beginning. But this is no fairy tale stuff. On the contrary, a book...

Review: Mahler, Symphony 6 "Tragic" MusicAeterna Teodor Currentzis (conductor) Sony ClassicalThis is not just another Mahler 6th. And this is no easy thing to say considering that the competition is fierce: Bernstein on Sony and DG, Barbirolli, Karajan, Solti,...

Rachmaninov, Piano Concertos 2 & 4 Daniil Trifonov (piano) The Philadelphia Orchestra Yannick Nézet-Séguin (conductor) Deutsche Grammophon, October 2018 When a piece of music is among your favourite works of all time, you run the risk of obsessively collecting most...