Category Archives: Music

Gustav Leonhardt

The great harpsichordist has died. I bought an album–perhaps the last LP I ever purchased–of Leonhardt playing Froberger when I was a student in the 1980s. It revealed a world of color and expression I had never heard before in … Continue reading

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Farewell Opera Boston

           The impact of the economic crises seems to hit the arts in painful slow motion. The most recent sign of serious distress is the announcement that Opera Boston will shut down, largely because of “lackluster fundraising in a tough … Continue reading

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Newt Gingrich: Opera Lover

    As Newt Gingrich rises in the polls, it’s worth putting one little item on the table of public discourse: He loves opera. In Washington, lots of people love opera, but it’s rare for politicians with national ambitions to love … Continue reading

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Yo-Yo Ma, Kennedy Center Honoree

With my colleague Anne Midgette on leave, it fell to me to interview and profile cellist Yo-Yo Ma, who is one of this year’s winners of the Kennedy Center Honors. The Honors are held tonight and then broadcast nationally on … Continue reading

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John Cage: Maoist Tool?

No, that’s a little harsh. But some of the most fascinating pages of Kenneth Silverman’s new biography of Cage, the pioneer of chance and indeterminacy in music, are devoted to his politics, including a passing and naive admiration for Mao. … Continue reading

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Opera and “Der Blaue Engel”

Joseph von Sternberg’s “Der Blaue Engel” is generally acknowledged the first great German sound film, and no surprise then that it is remembered primarily as a vehicle for Marlene Dietrich, who sings up a storm of desire and despair. But … Continue reading

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Dresden Staatskapelle at the Kennedy Center

There was nothing flashy and a lot to admire in last night’s Kennedy Center performance by the Dresden Staatskapelle, presented by the Washington Performing Arts Society. The brass sounded almost muted throughout most of the evening, and when they finally … Continue reading

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Salome at the Washington National Opera

A few quick thoughts on the Washington National Opera’s production of Salome, which I saw Friday evening. Deborah Voigt works very hard in the title role, and you sense the work every step of the way. In the first two … Continue reading

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Joan Sutherland, dead at 83

The epithets were all deserved. Voice of the Century? Yes, absolutely. La Stupenda? I can’t imagine applying the words to anyone else. Orthodoxy compelled one to place Joan Sutherland a close second to Maria Callas when assessing the greatest sopranos … Continue reading

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Arts and Letters Daily

Nothing makes a lad happier than a link from the esteemed ALDaily.com. The editors there linked to my Mahler piece. I thank them.

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