Tenor: History of a Voice by John Potter

Two 19th-century novels reveal contrasting attitudes to music and its place in Jewish culture

Beauty by Roger Scruton

Death in Venice poses many questions, among them: moustache or no moustache?

A British production of a Japanese work, Shun-kin is a near-perfect triumph

A new documentary made in Afghanistan has won two awards at the the Sundance Film Festival. Afghan Star could help the cause of feminism there and encourage a desperately-needed sense of national community

When celebrities get involved in politics, they should look to Elvis rather than Annie Lennox

A common cold or the flu can spell disaster for a professional singer

Music grapples with time and transcends philosophy

The tenor Ian Bostridge and the historian Tim Blanning discuss popular and classical music with Standpoint editor Daniel Johnson