Guardian Music — Holland Park, LondonPelléas et Mélisande isn't ideal for Opera Holland Park. Though much of it takes place out of doors, it doesn't lend itself easily to an open-air theatre. Debussy's soundworld is so hermetically self-contained that the extraneou... more info

L.A. Times - Entertainment — The Weinstein Company's "Blue Valentine" debuted Tuesday night to a five-minute standing ovation at the Debussy Theatre. more info

Guardian Music — Barbican, LondonJames MacMillan's recent music has been at its best when at its least didactic. His Violin Concerto, written for Vadim Repin, who gave its premiere with the London Symphony Orchestra and Valery Gergiev, avoids sermonising in favour of... more info

Totally Fuzzy — roy rocket said... Hiya Fuzzies! A very groovy set recorded in 2004 for the BBC by: The Jacques Loussier Trio Excellent sound quality @320. Mainly Bach interpretations, but a bit of Debussy and Satie as well. A very pleasant way to spend an hour. Rea... more info

Guardian Music — (ECM)It might be 40 years old now, but Germany's ECM label still keeps turning up the kind of mavericks the mainstream industry mostly shrugs perplexedly at. Solo singer/keyboardist Berkson is an absorbing one-off – touching on Jewish liturgical mu... more info

Guardian Music — Wigmore Hall, LondonTwo concerts built around Karol Szymanowski's instrumental music and songs, juxtaposing them with works by his contemporaries Bartók and Janácek, promised much. The lineup of soloists was impressive: the programmes had been plan... more info

Guardian Music — Brazilian pianist and pioneer of bossa nova Johnny Alf, who has died aged 80, was a Brazilian pianist, singer and composer, considered to be one of the fathers of the bossa nova movement that swept the globe in the 1960s. Over a 60-year career on sta... more info

Guardian Music — Cult video-maker Chris Cunningham unveils his ambitious live show to Sean O'HaganChris Cunningham is almost 40 but he looks uncannily like a teenager. He is tall and stick-thin, with the unhealthy pallor of a bedroom recluse. In the squat-like sittin... more info

Guardian Music — Karol Szymanowski's early orientalism made his name – but his return to the music of his native Poland was an equal epiphany for himKarol Szymanowski may be emerging from the shadows, but we still know precious little about him. Born in Ukrain... more info

Guardian Music — His experiments anticipated electronic music and inspired artists from Morton Feldman to Chris Cunningham – but technology had to catch up first. As the Southbank Centre begins a tribute to Edgard Varèse, Gillian Moore explains why he was 5... more info