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Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
Refiner’s Fire: The Academy of Ancient Music and the Historical Performance Revolution by Richard Bratby (Elliott and Thompson)
Born in the heat of the period performance revolution, UK ensemble the Academy of Ancient Music is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Bratby charts the history not just of an orchestra, but of a movement that led to a permanent upheaval in the art and business of making classical music.
Music of Exile: The Untold Story of the Composers who Fled Hitler by Michael Haas (Yale University Press)
Torn between cultures and traditions, the composers who escaped the Nazis rarely found life easy in their new countries. Haas explores the conflicts that arose from a loss of homeland and identity, showing how their music sought healing in a unique synthesis of cultures.
Speaking Musically: Great Artists in Conversation at the Royal Academy of Music edited by Raymond Holden (Royal Academy of Music)
Conductors, singers and instrumentalists form the majority of the 40 interviews in this compendium. All are absorbing on how to build a career, and the best — Charles Mackerras on Janáček, Humphrey Burton on Menuhin, Tony Palmer on Britten, Gwyneth Jones on singing Wagner — offer memorable personal insights.
Books of the Year 2023
All this week, FT writers and critics share their favourites. Some highlights are:
Monday: Business by Andrew Hill
Tuesday: Environment by Pilita Clark
Wednesday: Economics by Martin Wolf
Thursday: Fiction by Laura Battle and Andrew Dickson
Friday: Politics by Gideon Rachman
Saturday: Critics’ choice
Tell us what you think
What are your favourites from this list — and what books have we missed? Tell us in the comments below
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