Review: Through the Centuries – Songs of Madeleine Dring (Kitty Whately, Julius Drake)
A musical overview of the many voices of a neglected British polymath.
March 23, 2026
Alexandra Coghlan
Alexandra Coghlan is the classical music critic for the New Statesman, and also writes for The Independent, The Times, Opera, Prospect, Gramophone and The Monthly. She was formerly performing arts editor at Time Out Sydney and editor of Sinfini.
Articles by Alexandra Coghlan
Review: M’a dit Amour (Julie Roset, Susan Manoff)
A solo recital debut well worth the wait from an exciting French soprano.
January 15, 2026
Review: Antonia Bembo: L’Ercole Amante (Il Gusto Barocco, Jörg Halubek)
Bembo’s opera is an intriguing operatic footnote to musical history.
September 16, 2025
Review: Alma Mahler, Lovers & Friends (Raoul Steffani, Julius Drake)
A heady plunge into the fin-de-siècle salon from the talented Dutch baritone.
July 4, 2025
Review: La Serenissima (Sophie Junker, {oh!} Orkiestra, Martyna Pastuszka)
A Belgian soprano and a Polish ensemble serve up a true Venetian delicacy.
May 5, 2025
Review: Massenet: Hérodiade (Orchestra and Chorus of Deutsche Oper Berlin, Enrique Mazzola)
A vibrant new account of Massenet's Biblical epic.
December 23, 2024
Review: Falcon (Aleksandra Kurzak, Morphing Chamber Orchestra, Bassem Akiki)
New repertoire and a new voice from the star Polish soprano.
October 31, 2024
Review: Tůma: Motets, Dixit Dominus, Sinfonia (Andreas Scholl, Czech Ensemble Baroque, Roman Válek)
Andreas Scholl sprinkles his magic on the music of a little-known Czech composer.
January 17, 2024
Review: Sirens’ Song (The Sixteen, Harry Christophers)
The Sixteen blows the dust off the Victorian partsong tradition.
November 6, 2023
Review: Henrik Ødegaard (Vox Clamantis, Jan-Eik Tulve)
A composer's subtle, generous homage to the music of the past.
August 9, 2023
Review: French Bel Canto Arias (Lisette Oropesa, Philharmonie, Corrado Rovaris)
An American in Paris as Oropesa shines in French bel canto.
October 27, 2022
Review: Lieder: Berg, Schumann, Wolf, Shostakovich, Brahms (Matthias Goerne, Daniil Trifonov)
No less than all of human existence is mined in this weighty song-recital.
June 29, 2022
Review: Rivales (Sandrine Piau, Veronique Gens, Le Concert de la Loge, Julien Chauvin)
Four sopranos, two rivals, one intriguing new recording.
June 15, 2022