guyrickards.bsky.social
@guyrickards.bsky.social
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"I've told the story of Akromiya for 20 years. I’m telling it again now, because today is No King’s Day, and I am afraid that 'Antifa' is the American Akromiya: a fabricated entity made by state propagandists to persecute anyone who opposes the government."
sarahkendzior.substack.com/p/inventing-...
Inventing Antifa
In 2005, the Uzbek government invented a group called “Akromiya” to justify massacring protesters. Now I worry the US government will do the same.
sarahkendzior.substack.com
October 18, 2025 at 10:07 PM
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"A fascinating experiment" - review of Bushra El-Turk's Oum: A Son's Quest for his Mother @thestage.co.uk www.thestage.co.uk/reviews/oum-...
Oum – A Son’s Quest for His Mother review at the Barbican Hall: Engrossing
Read our review of Oum – A Son’s Quest for His Mother at London's Barbican Hall. Bushra El-Turk and Wout van Tongeren’s opera is never less than engrossing
www.thestage.co.uk
October 3, 2025 at 12:30 PM
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English National Opera's new production of Rossini's Cinderella reviewed by Guy Rickards for the Critics' Circle:
criticscircle.org.uk/a-cinderella...
A ‘Cinderella for 2025’ that remains rooted in eighteenth century mores | The Critics' Circle
Love at first song: Deepa Johnny, Aaron Godfrey Mayes, ENO’s Cinderella (La Cenerentola) 2025 © Mark Douet-X4 ENO / Yi-Chen Lin The Coliseum, London, September 27, 2025 Despite its faults, La Cenerent...
criticscircle.org.uk
October 5, 2025 at 8:01 AM
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The Cuore Chamber Orchestra, based in Yorksire, was founded in May by conductor William Dutton. Fiona Hook reviews their most recent concert for the Critics' Circle:
criticscircle.org.uk/cuore-orches...
Cuore Orchestra: Beethoven, Grieg, Mendelssohn | The Critics' Circle
By Fiona Hook Cuore Orchestra / William Dutton, Oxana Shevchenko, piano Royal Hall, Harrogate, Saturday 27 September 2025 Back in March, conductor William Dutton began to fulfil his apparently crazy d...
criticscircle.org.uk
October 6, 2025 at 4:38 PM
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Coming up on Friday: Lara Melda and I tell the story of Myra Hess in the National Gallery, in, what else, a lunchtime concert. We will be in the same space she used, Room 36! Admission freeeeee. Please join us!

www.nationalgallery.org.uk/events/myra-...
Myra Hess Festival: Lunchtime Concert 2025 - Jessica Duchen and Lara Melda | Events | National Gallery, London
Jessica Duchen, author of Myra Hess – National Treasure, joins forces with the award-winning pianist Lara Melda to tell the inspiring story of Myra Hess and her wartime National Gallery Concerts in wo...
www.nationalgallery.org.uk
October 6, 2025 at 2:36 PM
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Sakari Oramo guided the BBCSO through a life-affirming Mahler 9 at the Barbican on Saturday - my ★★★★ review for Bachtrack here:
bachtrack.com/22/296/view/...
October 6, 2025 at 5:50 PM
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The Royal Opera's new production of Handel's Giustino reviewed by Claudia Pritchard:
criticscircle.org.uk/royal-operas...
Royal Opera's Giustino is just the ticket | The Critics' Circle
Half man, half machine, George Frideric Handel broke off in the autumn of 1736 from the composition of Giustino, three weeks in, to write Alcina, then went back to finish Giustino in five days. Within...
criticscircle.org.uk
October 11, 2025 at 11:17 AM
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A very fine house debut from Marie Jacquot in this excellent Royal Opera Magic Flute revival
My @thetimes.com review is now online:
www.thetimes.com/culture/clas...
The Magic Flute review — misogyny, Freemasonry and some fine singing
Marie Jacquot makes a splendid Royal Opera House debut conducting a wonderful cast in this delightful Mozart revival
www.thetimes.com
October 12, 2025 at 10:36 PM
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My profile of composer Elena Firsova in the October issue of Gramophone: www.gramophone.co.uk/features/art...
Contemporary composer: Elena Firsova
Gavin Dixon explores the powerful music of this poetic modernist
www.gramophone.co.uk
September 13, 2025 at 10:20 AM
Once again the Critics’ Circle Music Awards ceremony took place on Wednesday evening in ENO’s Sky Bar at the Coliseum - see criticscircle.org.uk/music-awards... #CCMusicAwards
Music Awards 2025, celebrating a year of outstanding achievement | The Critics' Circle
More than 80 leading figures from across Britain’s musical landscape came together at the sparkling Critics’ Circle Music Awards, held at the London Coliseum, a ceremony that honoured musicians who ma...
criticscircle.org.uk
September 29, 2025 at 8:30 PM
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Now listening to Gál's Symphony 3 conducted by Kenneth Woods. Lots of beautiful writing for oboe here. Hans Gál born in Lower Austria on this day in 1890.
August 5, 2025 at 4:51 PM
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Spread the love and acceptance #pridemonth
June 3, 2025 at 12:35 PM
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No performances of “Palestrina” in the Palestrina (and conclave) year? Me in the Sunday Times
May 13, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Album of the Easter weekend - wholly secular and non-seasonal - Impressions of Spain by the Great Necks Guitar Trio on Navona: navonarecords.com/catalog/nv6430/ all arrangements of Spanish pieces (plus a bit of Ravel) which sent me back to listen to the originals … 1/2
Impressions of Spain – Navona Records
On IMPRESSIONS OF SPAIN from Navona Records, the critically acclaimed guitar trio enchants and excites with their performance of Spanish-influenced works from master composers of the late 19th and ear...
navonarecords.com
April 21, 2025 at 3:51 PM
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April 18, 2025 at 2:40 PM
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I am deeply appreciative of the reader support for THE LAST AMERICAN ROAD TRIP in light of, well, this: substack.com/home/post/p-...
April 1, 2025 at 8:24 PM
Having a long overdue re-acquaint with the symphonies of Benjamin Frankel, both the CPO set: youtube.com/playlist?lis... and various archival BBC performances dotted around YouTube!
Benjamin Frankel Complete Symphonies (Stereo) - YouTube
youtube.com
April 2, 2025 at 10:29 AM
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Good morning friends! Sending you all a big hug on this Friday morning. Today I will be trying to remember that even small acts of kindness and love matter—and to do a few.
February 21, 2025 at 1:58 PM
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PSA: for those who get their worldview from FOX/NewsMax/Breitbart/etc.. a coup is happening-if it succeeds you lose freedom. These media are lying to you. EVERY actual news source on the planet is 🆘 So 🛑reveling in whatever you think you’ve won- we will ALL lose- everything- if we don’t 🛑 it! 🤔
February 8, 2025 at 1:41 PM
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Always relevant.
January 28, 2025 at 3:16 PM