Focus

Balfe's 'Sleeping Queen' Returns to Dublin Balfe's 'Sleeping Queen' Returns to Dublin Una Hunt Michael William Balfe's 1864 work 'The Sleeping Queen' was his only operetta and written for surprisingly small forces. Una Hunt tells the story of the work ahead of its performance at the NCH – the first staging in Dublin in modern times.
The Theatre of the Sonic Object The Theatre of the Sonic Object Anna Murray The Music Current festival continues to present intriguing, uncompromising sound works, as Anna Murray found at a performance by Yarn | Wire.
No Hint of Bad Taste No Hint of Bad Taste Stephen Walsh Claude Debussy stands apart as a modernist – extremely popular and yet he tore up the rulebook of harmony and form, rebelling against the tyranny of the barline and heavy orchestration. Boulez described it as ‘instantaneous self-renewal’. How did he get there? His starting point was an obsession with pleasure, writes Stephen Walsh.
Undeniable Craft Undeniable Craft Brendan Finan Brendan Finan finds self-assurance and careful design in this new collection of Bill Whelan's orchestral works, released on the RTÉ Lyric FM label.
Is Music the Glue That Will Get Us Through? Is Music the Glue That Will Get Us Through? Toner Quinn When we have instant access to every piece of music that we love, anywhere and anytime, something profound has happened, writes Toner Quinn.
Pointing Towards the Future Pointing Towards the Future Anna Murray Belfast harper Úna Monaghan's new album is a surprising – sometimes startling – mix of traditional music material and electronics, writes Anna Murray.
From Broken Dream to Musical Healing From Broken Dream to Musical Healing Adrian Scahill Adrian Scahill reviews 'Aisling Ghéar', a stark and unflinching new documentary on the concertina player Noel Hill.
Opera for Our Time Opera for Our Time Adrian Smith Adrian Smith reads Adès’s 'Powder Her Face' as a story of female empowerment and upper-class complacency in the very promising first production from Irish National Opera.
What Does Brexit Mean for Music? What Does Brexit Mean for Music? Christopher Fox For those who make music, Brexit must surely mean resistance, writes composer Christopher Fox.
Hear the Water Hear the Water Julie Seagrave Naomi Berrill's new album is an ode to sea, using cello and vocals to conjure up its sounds. Julie Seagrave – in her second review as part of the Journal of Music/Galway City Council Music Writer Mentoring Scheme – hears undercurrents, unexpected pulls and more.

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