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For the last thirty years English National Opera has featured Jonathan Miller’s 1950’s Mafioso rendering of Rigoletto in its repertoire. The company have now decided it’s time for a new production and have turned to the American director Christopher Alden to realise his vision of Verdi’s masterpiece. Alden sets the entire action in the gaming room of a nineteenth century gentleman’s club. Tom Service is joined by the theatre critic Michael Billington and the music critic Alexandra Coghlan to review ENO’s new production and see if it’s a worthy successor to Miller’s classic production.

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Continuing our series exploring musical connections, father and son – conductor Sir Neville and clarinettist Andrew Marriner - come face to face to talk about their influence on each other and the role music has played in their family life.

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This weekend the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Symphony Orchestra celebrates the 85th birthday of the Scottish-American composer Thea Musgrave. Her expressive music has been inspired by everything from Turner landscapes to Scottish folk songs. She talks to Tom about the importance of her collaborations with great performers and how she’s still learning as a composer, even as she enters the second half of her ninth decade.

More information: ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Symphony Orchestra Total Immersion: Thea Musgrave: 15th February

A problem which has been facing musicians (professional and amateur) for a long time now is the inconsistent policies and practices of airlines when it comes to taking instruments on planes - increased by tightened security controls following the terrorist attacks of 9/11and 7/7. Some players have paid for an extra seat so they can travel with their instrument next to them in the cabin – only to be told at check-in that the instrument must go in the hold. Others have been advised that they can take their instrument in the cabin with them – only if they remove them from their cases and fly with them on their lap or under the seat – completely invalidating their insurance policies. Tom talks to musician Jakob LindbergÌý (the victim of a disastrous flight with his theorbo) and John Smith, General Secretary of The Musician’s Union as the news that the European Parliament has agreed a regulation regarding travelling with instruments for airlines to adhere to. This will now go in front of the European Council for the final vote next month.

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