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Review - Insula Orchestra play Bruch’s Concerto for Clarinet and Viola and Beethoven 5 - Thoroughly Good
Génisson and da Silva bring warmth to Bruch’s compact Concerto for Clarinet and Viola, before Equilbey’s Insula Orchestra deliver a spirited Beethoven 5, in this season opener at La Seine Musicale in Paris.
Review - BBC Proms 2025: Last Night of the Proms - Thoroughly Good Classical Music
The Proms season always begins with suspicion, settles into habit, and ends in reluctant affection. The Last Night distils that shift — anachronism and ritual, embarrassment and necessity — nostalgia both hollow and irresistible.
Radio 3 Unwind launches on DAB radio - Thoroughly Good Classical Music
Radio 3 Unwind arrives on DAB today — mood music with a BBC badge. Once derided, now unavoidable. A bold pitch for new listeners or a Reithian nightmare? Either way, it’s a sign the classical broadcast landscape is shifting faster than some critics would like to admit.
Review - Monteverdi Choir with Jonathan Sells ’Sing to the Lord a New Song’ in Greenwich - Thoroughly Good Classical Music
Purcell’s chromatic daring, Bach’s furious counterpoint, Handel’s white-knuckle theatrics. Performed by the Monteverdi Choir now confidently asserting themselves in ferocious precision and a myriad of colours and textures, these works aren’t polite museum pieces but pleasing necessary jolts to the nervous system.
Review - Vache Baroque 'Le Carnaval de Venise' - Thoroughly Good Classical Music
In an age of endless distraction, Vache Baroque offered something rare: opera that demanded stillness, concentration, and a willingness to risk surprise. And just like any exciting journey, there were even pre-flight checks for the audience.
Review - Edinburgh International Festival: London Symphony Orchestra play Korngold’s Violin Concerto and Vaughan Williams’ Sea Symphony - Thoroughly Good Classical Music
Vilde Frang’s Korngold shone with unbroken lyricism and cinematic colour; Vaughan Williams’ vast Sea Symphony impresses in scale and execution, even if its emotional heart remains elusive.
Opinion - The bigger picture on BBC orchestras (and why more tv isn’t the answer) - Thoroughly Good Classical Music
The BBC has been forced to do more with less for years. Orchestras are a tiny fraction of its output, and classical music isn’t what the broad audience is demanding. The Proms remain protected because they deliver reach — and reach is what justifies the Licence Fee.
Review - Edinburgh International Festival: London Symphony Orchestra play Beethoven 5 and Shostakovich 10 - Thoroughly Good Classical Music
Where Beethoven’s Fifth brought moments of elegance and balance, some fortissimos felt too big and lacked clarity. Shostakovich’s Tenth was the evening’s triumph — precision, drama, and vividly drawn storytelling, including searing brass and velvety-padded strings.
Review - BBC Proms 2025: BBC Symphony Orchestra, Beatrice Rana and Rachmaninov's Paganini Variations - Thoroughly Good Classical Music
John Williams' iconic score opens a barnstorming programme for the National Youth Orchestra showcasing not only young musical talent, but celebrating some of the grandest orchestral scores.
Review - BBC Proms 2025: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra play Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 - Thoroughly Good Classical Music
A compelling performance of Dvořák’s Ninth Symphony by Domingo Hindoyan and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra highlights the composer’s folk-infused style and symphonic mastery.
Review - Bob Chilcott’s Mass for Peace and Reconciliation & Richard Blackford’s ‘The Black Lake’ at Three Choirs Festival 2025 - Thoroughly Good Classical Music
Richard Blackford’s The Black Lake left a profound mark with evocative choral writing, while Bob Chilcott’s Mass for Peace and Reconciliation delivered polish and poignancy. Olivier Latry’s organ recital closed with a roof-raising improvisation.
Review - BBC Proms 2025: Traitors Prom - Thoroughly Good Classical Music
Brand tie-ins at the Proms can be clumsy, but The Traitors Prom proved how a crossover event can work. Packed with modest musical nods, inclusive audience engagement, and Claudia Winkleman’s dry delivery, this tightly scripted live event still managed to land on radio and, unexpectedly, win over a sceptic.