Eric Sweeney

Shostakovich’s Second Piano Concerto: the musician’s best friend

It is designed to make players sound better than they are – but a recent performance did the opposite

Composing the Island: Starting with the best works is never wise

The celebration of 100 years of Irish composition hits mid-century, revealing a dark age for orchestral music

Diabelli’s Variations and the Hugh Lane’s mysterious moving piano

The original theme lacked grandeur, but such portmanteaus can be a source of creativity

Opera houses survive, even thrive, despite Boulez’s pessimism

Opera repertoire has broadened since the French composer’s 1967 comments, and ‘The Invader’ continues a fine recent tradition of new opera in Ireland

Curtain call for Cork, a city proud of its operatic leanings

Cork had the first production of 2014, and features in two successful Arts Council funding applications

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