The escape of the sound of heaven – how Mozart freed Allegri’s ‘Miserere mei’
Gregorio Allegri’s ‘Miserere mei, Deus’ is one of the most devastatingly beautiful pieces of choral works ever composed. It is perhaps the best known example of late-Renaissance music, but, if the strictures of the Papacy had been followed, it would have…
Clash of the corporate titans
For a short but significant period of time on 10 August 2011, Apple Inc. was the world’s largest corporation by market capitalisation. Wresting the top spot from Exxon Mobil is no mean feat for a company that flirted with bankruptcy only…
An unfortunate tête-a-tête
Maréchal Pétain’s journey from war hero to traitor was so complete that it surprised those who had not kept abreast of developments. The result was a rather surprising encounter between Charles de Gaulle and General Pershing. General John J. Pershing was…
Prime Ministers Out of Office – the top job en vacances
> As buildings burned, shops looted and streets ceded to the control of rampaging youth, the country’s leaders were on holiday. With escalating civil disorder and public demands for action, an unfortunately essential quadrumvirate of the Prime Minister, Chancellor of the…