BBC Music Magazine - 27 Nov 2025
A choral Christmas
THE WINTER MAGIC OF SWAN LAKE
100 reviews by the world’s finest critics
The Christmas music we’d happily do without…
VIVALDI IN VENICE
A song for all faiths
Morten Lauridsen
Famous musical parents
Beware the tomatoes! Opera’s meanest audiences
John Rutter reveals his favourite Christmas carols
Welcome
Ashutosh Khandekar
Harriet Constable
Amanda Holloway
Cover: St John’s College, Cambridge
Music and mercy
It’s all in the genes
In good faith
Building a Library
Jingle hell!
Composer of the Month
Hiss and make-up
Westward Ho!
The Full Score
The jolly and the lively
Musical Destinations
Christmas Radio 3 highlights
Music that Changed Me
Letters
Crossword and Quiz
Richard Morrison
Radio & TV
Christmas reviews
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Recording of the Month
Christmas Roundup
Christmas Audio
From the Archive
Instrumental
Orchestral
Chamber
Concerto
Choral
Opera
Books
Vocal
Convincing Cruz
Jolly frolics in the company of Peer Gynt
Eating in peace
Have your say…
Let’s get physical?
WIN! £50 VOUCHER FOR PRESTO MUSIC
Quality streaming
Lightweight tango
Under, not over
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Eric Lu takes coveted Chopin prize
Take away the pain with a scale or two…
Russians defy Swan Lake ban
Yes man gets o cial stamp of approval
Bach’s recycled choral music brings festive cheer to Leipzig
Also in December 1734…
Concert Heaven Concert Hell
Music to my ears
Myhero
Extremely good ideas
FAREWELL TO…
THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN
Richard Morrison
In dulci jubilo
In dulci jubilo
Pulling out all the stops
Life beyond the stalls
Jingle hell!
Jingle hell!
Go fourth in piece
Love discovering something new? Convivium Records introduces four standout winter releases from exceptional British artists.
The jolly and the lively
In good faith
In good faith
Leading lights
Westward Ho!
Westward Ho!
Alexander the Great
Music&mercy
Music&mercy
Abundance of riches
Hiss and Make-up
Hiss and Make-up
Very Bard behaviour
Set sail for an unforgettable eclipse adventure
It’s all in the genes
Wolfgang & Leopold
Banff Canada
Banff Springs Hotel
Morten Lauridsen
Lauridsen’s style
LAURIDSEN Life×
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
The composer
A perfectly poised balletic balance
Three other great recordings
Continue the journey…
A vivid and intimate portrait of Mahler
Welcome
Performer’s notes Anna Lucia Richter
Christmas round-up
Sparkling choral gems
Capturing light and time in sound
Berlioz
Dvořák
Gunning
Journeyism
Iberia
Rachmaninov • Elgar
Vogler
Nielsen
Adès
Stöhr
The French in Spain
Walton’s exquisite colours brought vibrantly to life John Wilson’s Sinfonia of London is virtuosic and eloquent in vital orchestral works, writes
Mozart
Ravel
Mozart
Mendelssohn; Bruch* Vaughan Williams**
American Dream
Grace Williams
Vivaldi
Music to glorify the power of love finds an attractive 18th-century coupling in fine voice
Joe Cutler
Iso ; Rameau
Donizetti
Weill
Frano Parać
Piazzolla
The pain of unrequited love, vividly depicted
is entranced by a collection of ardent madrigals by largely unknown Neapolitan composers
Gál
Lawes
Revolutions
Vaughan Williams
Oliver Tarney
A masterpiece of comic flair from Véronique Gens Amusing songs by O enbach sparkle in these irresistible performances, writes
Les Divas d’offenbach
Antheil
Astrophil & Stella
The music is ideally suited to Véronique Gens’s sumptuous voice
Elegy
The Garland
Chansons & Frottole
Baroque masterpieces rearranged Martin Fröst reimagines Bach through the single reed, writes
Beethoven
Michael Finnissy
In holiday clothing, out of the great darkness
Gaspard Le Roux
Autumn Aubade
Mompou
Nánd
Sing! Songs Without Words
Tiffany Poon
Price
The Well-‘tampered’ Clavier
Two for Rachmaninov
Insightful performances to honour the departed
is highly impressed by detailed and nuanced interpretations from the Dudok Quartet
Eleanor Alberga
Ernest Kanitz
Bruce Wolosoff
Harford Lloyd
Christopher Stark
There I long to be
ARIRANG
String Creatures
Organisms
Our critics cast their eyes over the latest selection of books on all things music
Poignant pastoralism An evocative portrait of Moeran’s orchestral eloquence and affinity with Irish folk music
Moeran
Unboxed
From booming soundbars to natty new headphones and the perfect care kit for vinyl fans, has inspiration for the music lover in your life Audio gift guide
In store for 2026…
Carols from King’s
IT’S QUIZMAS!
NEXT MONTH
PLUS!
700th birthday celebration
Nicholas Mccarthy
The British pianist, who made his Proms debut this year, talks to about forging a career as a one-handed performer
Rakhi Singh Violinist and Composer
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