David Nice
@davidnice.bsky.social
Writer, lecturer, broadcaster, happily bestriding London and Dublin. Classical music/Opera Editor of The Arts Desk, author of seven books including Prokofiev: From Russia to the West (Yale). Running two Zoom courses, one on opera, the other on concert rep.
Marlis Petersen's multifaceted 337-year-old matches Simon Rattle's incandescent @londonsymphony.bsky.social @barbican.bsky.social in Janáček's fascinating score. theartsdesk.com/opera/makrop...
January 14, 2026 at 10:17 AM
Marlis Petersen's multifaceted 337-year-old matches Simon Rattle's incandescent @londonsymphony.bsky.social @barbican.bsky.social in Janáček's fascinating score. theartsdesk.com/opera/makrop...
Happy memory of an engaging evening in the warmth of the Fidelio Cafe on Friday evening. Katie Bray is a superb communicator and ran the gamut in Weill's German, French and American songs. theartsdesk.com/classical-mu...
January 13, 2026 at 11:43 AM
Happy memory of an engaging evening in the warmth of the Fidelio Cafe on Friday evening. Katie Bray is a superb communicator and ran the gamut in Weill's German, French and American songs. theartsdesk.com/classical-mu...
Weathering the tough winter: bought this September-April flowering hellebore in Howbert & May and it's still going strong on the Dublin roof terrace. We can be the same!
January 9, 2026 at 2:09 PM
Weathering the tough winter: bought this September-April flowering hellebore in Howbert & May and it's still going strong on the Dublin roof terrace. We can be the same!
So looking forward to hearing this wonderful singer go full Weill tonight. Everything she writes here I agree with totally. A composer for our times. We'll be spending five Mondays on 'The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny' for my Opera in Depth Zoom course. theartsdesk.com/classical-mu...
January 9, 2026 at 11:59 AM
So looking forward to hearing this wonderful singer go full Weill tonight. Everything she writes here I agree with totally. A composer for our times. We'll be spending five Mondays on 'The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny' for my Opera in Depth Zoom course. theartsdesk.com/classical-mu...
3/ The Triton, Victorian-era (?) copy of the one rather more cramped in Piazza Barberini, Rome, spouts water that catches sunlight and shadows.
January 8, 2026 at 9:43 AM
3/ The Triton, Victorian-era (?) copy of the one rather more cramped in Piazza Barberini, Rome, spouts water that catches sunlight and shadows.
Frozen mermaid fountain at glorious Powerscourt Gardens outside Dublin two days ago.
January 7, 2026 at 10:25 AM
Frozen mermaid fountain at glorious Powerscourt Gardens outside Dublin two days ago.
Encouraged to see more than just the dire political situation in the feed, including some Twelfth Night inspirations. Here's a detail from giant C18 presepe, taking up an entire room in the giant palace at Caserta (rooms so absorbing that we missed the last call for the glorious garden at 2.30pm).
January 6, 2026 at 6:44 PM
Encouraged to see more than just the dire political situation in the feed, including some Twelfth Night inspirations. Here's a detail from giant C18 presepe, taking up an entire room in the giant palace at Caserta (rooms so absorbing that we missed the last call for the glorious garden at 2.30pm).
Bring on the Panserbjørne!
January 4, 2026 at 10:36 AM
Bring on the Panserbjørne!
3/ Back after a warming lunch in Glasthule and the latest encounter with a Dublin celebrity pal (no namedropping, just arch hinting), waiting in comfort and warmth for the waning gibbous moon to rise - and here it is.
January 3, 2026 at 10:23 PM
3/ Back after a warming lunch in Glasthule and the latest encounter with a Dublin celebrity pal (no namedropping, just arch hinting), waiting in comfort and warmth for the waning gibbous moon to rise - and here it is.
Approaching the colosseum/amphitheatre in Capua (actually 'Old Capua', Santa Maria Capua Vetere), second largest in the Roman world. Taken from/near the site of the previous one where Spartacus fought. He led his rebellion from here. An amazing site to see after another week in Rome, December.
January 3, 2026 at 8:08 PM
Approaching the colosseum/amphitheatre in Capua (actually 'Old Capua', Santa Maria Capua Vetere), second largest in the Roman world. Taken from/near the site of the previous one where Spartacus fought. He led his rebellion from here. An amazing site to see after another week in Rome, December.
2/ Beautiful, frosty start with sunrise wasn't encouraging for the swim I'd committed to. Then there was the wind...but we did it.
January 3, 2026 at 6:10 PM
2/ Beautiful, frosty start with sunrise wasn't encouraging for the swim I'd committed to. Then there was the wind...but we did it.
Can't say the New Year has begun without a swim in Dublin Bay. This was punishing but exhilarating - I've swum in sunny freezing weather before, but not with a blasting north wind and sea temperature of c. 8.5-9. So many other crazy folk doing it too - couldn't understand the ones bobbing about.
January 3, 2026 at 4:57 PM
Can't say the New Year has begun without a swim in Dublin Bay. This was punishing but exhilarating - I've swum in sunny freezing weather before, but not with a blasting north wind and sea temperature of c. 8.5-9. So many other crazy folk doing it too - couldn't understand the ones bobbing about.
There you go again. I didn't know. I didn't know he had said he was a committed Zionist in 2019, and I didn't think he'd ditch ALL the promises he made to get elected as Labour leader, which I regularly post as a sign of how truly awful he is.
January 3, 2026 at 9:21 AM
There you go again. I didn't know. I didn't know he had said he was a committed Zionist in 2019, and I didn't think he'd ditch ALL the promises he made to get elected as Labour leader, which I regularly post as a sign of how truly awful he is.
So glad Jenny Gilbert chose 'How To Be a Dancer In Seventy-two Thousand Easy Lessons' in her Best of Dance choice. Should have interviewed Michael Keegan-Dolan in Teaċ Daṁsa's Dingle base after being stunned by 'Nobodaddy'. No go, but saw this stunning hybrid. theartsdesk.com/dance/best-2...
January 2, 2026 at 7:13 PM
So glad Jenny Gilbert chose 'How To Be a Dancer In Seventy-two Thousand Easy Lessons' in her Best of Dance choice. Should have interviewed Michael Keegan-Dolan in Teaċ Daṁsa's Dingle base after being stunned by 'Nobodaddy'. No go, but saw this stunning hybrid. theartsdesk.com/dance/best-2...
A real corker, deliciously programmed and delighting a packed audience of all ages. Tried to find when it's being broadcast on RTÉ Lyric FM, but they don't make it easy... theartsdesk.com/classical-mu...
January 2, 2026 at 11:28 AM
A real corker, deliciously programmed and delighting a packed audience of all ages. Tried to find when it's being broadcast on RTÉ Lyric FM, but they don't make it easy... theartsdesk.com/classical-mu...
2/ Another shot of the Fontebranda, with the source bubbling away.
January 2, 2026 at 10:46 AM
2/ Another shot of the Fontebranda, with the source bubbling away.
Shunned a party last night because of an imminent bereavement, and watched Hitchcock's 'To Catch a Thief' for the first time. What a delight, swiping wittily at the rich on the French Riviera while celebrating both (such colour!) Ageing Cary Grant, in good shape, spars with gorgeous Grace Kelly.
January 1, 2026 at 9:27 AM
Shunned a party last night because of an imminent bereavement, and watched Hitchcock's 'To Catch a Thief' for the first time. What a delight, swiping wittily at the rich on the French Riviera while celebrating both (such colour!) Ageing Cary Grant, in good shape, spars with gorgeous Grace Kelly.
We were never more than an hour's train journey from the sea on the first half of our Italian travels, but didn't see it this time. Here's Dublin's bay of Naples, looking across from Sorrento Park in Dalkey to the Sugarloaf 'Mountain' (Vesuvius) this afternoon as the grey pall began to lift.
December 30, 2025 at 7:04 PM
We were never more than an hour's train journey from the sea on the first half of our Italian travels, but didn't see it this time. Here's Dublin's bay of Naples, looking across from Sorrento Park in Dalkey to the Sugarloaf 'Mountain' (Vesuvius) this afternoon as the grey pall began to lift.
Spoiled for choice, so packed with details: my classical music colleagues and I choose the best of 2025 on @theartsdesk.bsky.social theartsdesk.com/classical-mu...
December 30, 2025 at 10:19 AM
Spoiled for choice, so packed with details: my classical music colleagues and I choose the best of 2025 on @theartsdesk.bsky.social theartsdesk.com/classical-mu...
Last of the light from the plane before a sea of cloud the other side of the Alps.
December 28, 2025 at 8:59 PM
Last of the light from the plane before a sea of cloud the other side of the Alps.
Dublin is grey and cold - a shock to the system after the brilliant light in Torino, our last stop on the big Italian wanderings of 2025. Fell in love with this city on a spectacular scale all over again, wished we had two more days. Our B&B was a gem, in a building on Piazza Savoia. This at 9am.
December 28, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Dublin is grey and cold - a shock to the system after the brilliant light in Torino, our last stop on the big Italian wanderings of 2025. Fell in love with this city on a spectacular scale all over again, wished we had two more days. Our B&B was a gem, in a building on Piazza Savoia. This at 9am.
State where: it's Dún Chaoin pier, Dingle Peninsula. In solidarity with Palestine, this projection was made on it. Photo by Matt Griffin.
December 27, 2025 at 5:34 PM
State where: it's Dún Chaoin pier, Dingle Peninsula. In solidarity with Palestine, this projection was made on it. Photo by Matt Griffin.
I never tire of it - the unity came with a special freshness this year coming from some wonderful but severely war-damaged cities in the south. Here's a view of the Torre di Mangia from one window of our friend's wonderful top floor flat (also B&B, strongly recommended if you're returning).
December 27, 2025 at 12:47 PM
I never tire of it - the unity came with a special freshness this year coming from some wonderful but severely war-damaged cities in the south. Here's a view of the Torre di Mangia from one window of our friend's wonderful top floor flat (also B&B, strongly recommended if you're returning).
Contemporary opera came top in 2025, with Turnage's 'Festen' at the Royal Opera excelling on every front, but standout individuals abounded, above all @narduswilliams.bsky.social, Hugh Cutting, Lydia Grindatto and Michael Mayes. Top choices on @theartsdesk.bsky.social theartsdesk.com/opera/best-2...
December 27, 2025 at 11:53 AM
Contemporary opera came top in 2025, with Turnage's 'Festen' at the Royal Opera excelling on every front, but standout individuals abounded, above all @narduswilliams.bsky.social, Hugh Cutting, Lydia Grindatto and Michael Mayes. Top choices on @theartsdesk.bsky.social theartsdesk.com/opera/best-2...