Michael Tanner
Journalist and Critic, BBC Music Magazine
Michael Tanner is a critic for BBC Music Magazine and the opera critic of The Spectator. He is now a fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, having lectured in the Philosophy faculty at the University of Cambridge for 36 years. In 2010, he released The Faber Pocket Guide to Wagner.
Recent articles by Michael Tanner
Best of Beethoven: his 20 greatest masterpieces, ranked
Michael Tanner selects and explores Beethoven's top 20 must-hear masterpieces, choosing from the very best of the great composer's extensive output
Maria Callas: genius, glory, and the loneliness of a legend
Her voice may have divided audiences, but the Greek soprano Maria Callas never failed to compel with powerfully vivid performances. Michael Tanner explores the life and career of arguably the greatest opera singer ever
Verdi Requiem - The best recordings...
It's hard not to relish Verdi's uniquely terrifying and theatrical take on the Requiem Mass. Here are our thoughts on the finest recordings available
Beethoven: The Creatures of Prometheus
Cappella Aquileia/Marcus Bosch (CPO)
Schubert: Symphonies Nos 5 & 6 (Hague/De Vriend)
Residentie Orkest The Hague/Jan Willem de Vriend (Challenge Classics)
Beethoven: Christus am Ölberge
Collegium Vocale Gent; Orchestre des Champs-Élysées/Philippe Herreweghe (Phi)
Bruckner: Symphony No. 9 (1894 version) (Budapest FO/Fischer)
Budapest Festival Orchestra/Iván Fischer (Channel Classics)
Bruckner - Symphony No. 4 (LSO/Rattle)
London Symphony Orchestra/Simon Rattle (LSO Live)
Schubert: Symphonies Nos 8 & 9 (Gewandhaus/Blomstedt)
Gewandhausorchester/Herbert Blomstedt (DG)
Who is Plácido Domingo?
Domingo is that rarest of vocal phenomena, a tenor who uses his voice in the service of re-creating great art, and not as a thrilling end in itself.
Mozart en famille
Kuijken Trio (Challenge Classics)
Schubert: The Magic Harp – Suite
Junge Philharmonie Wien/Michael Lessky (Gramola)
Don Carlos: the best recordings of Giuseppe Verdi's greatest opera
Under the all-seeing eye of the Spanish Inquisition, Michael Tanner names the best recordings of Verdi’s intensely powerful tale of politics and love in 16th-century Spain
Beethoven: Hammerklavier Sonata; 15 Variations etc
Pierre-Laurent Aimard (piano) (Pentatone)
Bruckner: Symphony No. 3 (Vienna Phil/Thielemann)
Vienna Philharmonic/Christian Thielemann (Sony Classical)
Beethoven • Verdi • Wagner (Lise Davidsen)
Lise Davidsen (soprano); London Philharmonic Orchestra/Mark Elder (Decca)
Beethoven – The Last Three Sonatas
Sunwook Kim (piano) (Accentus)
Bruckner: Symphony No. 2, etc (Gewandhausorchester/Nelsons)
Gewandhausorchester Leipzig/Andris Nelsons (DG)
Beethoven: Bagatelles (Feltsman)
Vladimir Feltsman (piano) (Nimbus)
Bruckner: Latin Motets
Latvian Radio Choir/Sigvards Klava (Ondine)
Bruckner: Mass No. 2 in E minor; Motets
Choir of King's College, Cambridge/Stephen Cleobury, et al (King's College)
Bruckner: Symphony No. 8 (Vienna Phil/Thielemann)
Vienna Philharmonic/Christian Thielemann (Sony Classical)
JS Bach: Goldberg Variations (Kolesnikov)
Pavel Kolesnikov (piano) (Hyperion)
Encounter (Igor Levit)
Igor Levit (piano) (Sony Classical)