''Musical Opinion'', often abbreviated to ''MO'', is a

European classical music Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" also ...

journal A journal, from the Old French ''journal'' (meaning "daily"), may refer to: *Bullet journal, a method of personal organization *Diary, a record of what happened over the course of a day or other period *Daybook, also known as a general journal, a ...

edited and produced in the UK. It is currently among the oldest such journals to be still publishing in the UK, having been continuously in publication since 1877. In its first year ''Musical Opinion'' critically reviewed Brahms' new Second Symphony, and in 1879 his Violin Concerto. The October 1936 issue carried an interview with Rachmaninov and championed the young William Walton as Britain's most exciting young composer. In 1927, when the editor and proprietor was Arthur W. Fitzsimmons (d. 1948), the composer

Havergal Brian Havergal Brian (born William Brian; 29 January 187628 November 1972) was an English composer. He is best known for having composed 32 symphonies (an unusually high total for a 20th-century composer), most of them late in his life. His best-know ...

became assistant editor of ''Musical Opinion''. He held the post until 1940. This period could be said to have been its heyday: it was then a leading journal in its field, with each issue comprising over 100 large-format pages and a wide range of subject-matter (including much contemporary music) being covered by some of the most prominent British writers on music of the time. Regular contributors included

Gerald Abraham Gerald Ernest Heal Abraham, (9 March 1904 – 18 March 1988) was an English-Jewish musicologist, editor and music critic. He was particularly respected as an authority on Russian music. Early career and author Abraham was born at Newport, Isl ...

Eric Blom Eric Walter Blom (20 August 188811 April 1959) was a Swiss-born British-naturalised music lexicographer, music critic and writer. He is best known as the editor of the 5th edition of ''Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians'' (1954). Biogr ...

, Dmitri Calvocoressi, Eaglefield Hull,

Alfred Kalmus Alfred August Ulrich Kalmus (16 May 1889 – 24 September 1972) was an influential Austrian-born British music publisher. Life and work Kalmus was born in Vienna and studied law there, obtaining his Doctor of Letters from Vienna University in 191 ...

Basil Maine Basil Maine (4 March 1894 - 13 October 1972) was an English writer and critic on music. Maine was born in Sheringham, Norfolk and educated at the City of Norwich School. At Cambridge he studied with Edward Dent, Cyril Rootham and Charles Wood.H. ...

and

Percy Scholes Percy Alfred Scholes PhD OBE (24 July 1877 – 31 July 1958) (pronounced ''skolz'') was an English musician, journalist and prolific writer, whose best-known achievement was his compilation of the first edition of ''The Oxford Companion to Music'' ...

.''Havergal Brian on Music. Volume One: British Music'' edited by Malcolm MacDonald (London: Toccata Press, 1986, ), p. 17. In 1921 ''Musical Opinion'' launched a sister magazine, ''

The Organ Organ may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a part of an organism Musical instruments * Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone ** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument ** Hammond ...

''. Between 1984 and 2009, ''Musical Opinion'' was edited by

Denby Richards Denby is a village in the England, English county of Derbyshire that is notable as the birthplace of John Flamsteed, England's first Astronomer Royal, and the location of the Denby Pottery Company. The population at the 2001 Census was 1,827, in ...

. As of April 2009 its editor is

Robert Matthew-Walker Robert Matthew-Walker (born 23 July 1939) is an English composer, writer, editor marketer and broadcaster, mainly involved in classical music. Robert Matthew-Walker was born in Lewisham, London, and studied at Goldsmiths College, the University ...

(who is editor of ''the Organ'' in addition). From the time of its first issue (September 1877), ''Musical Opinion'' appeared monthly; but in the 1990s increasing production and postal costs threatened the magazine's survival. In 1994 ''Musical Opinion'' became a quarterly publication—with regular subscribers being kept up to date with information and reviews in the intervening months by means of 'Supplements' posted to them. In 2000 these supplements were reduced from two per quarter to one. In 2003, however, ''Musical Opinion'' abandoned the idea of posted 'Supplements' and once more became a straightforward 'newsstand' publication appearing quarterly.

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External links

*{{official, http://www.musicalopinion.com/ Music magazines published in the United Kingdom Quarterly magazines published in the United Kingdom Classical music magazines Magazines established in 1877 1877 establishments in the United Kingdom