Kenneth Clark’s Response to Crisis
During World War II, in London’s bleak days, Kenneth Clark acted, as the review of his biography by James Stourton in today’s New York Times reminds us. … read more
AJBlog: Real Clear Arts Published 2016-11-16
Creativity and joy — “I could create the career I wanted”
Sarah Robinson, co-chair of the L.A. branch of Classical Revolution, remembers seeing her first CR event: “It was like I had spent 10 years banging my head against a door that would never open [honing her flute technique, auditioning for orchestra jobs], only to look around and realize that there were no walls. I could just walk outside and create the career that I wanted.” … read more
AJBlog: Sandow Published 2016-11-16
Faddis and Beiderbecke
Thanks to Seattle bassist Bren Plummer for calling our attention to a short video of trumpeter Jon Faddis getting acquainted with Bix Beiderbecke’s horn. … read more
AJBlog: RiffTides Published 2016-11-16
Author: Matthew Westphal
Lincoln Center Goes To Barnard College For Next President
Debora L. Spar, who studied ballet from girlhood through college, has had a very successful tenure as president of Barnard, where the students evidently adore her. She takes the Lincoln Center helm at what the Times‘s Michael Cooper calls “a delicate moment.”
Stanislaw Skrowaczewski, Minnesota Orchestra Conductor Laureate, Suffers Stroke
The 93-year-old, who was the orchestra’s music director for 19 years and remains beloved there, had surgery following the stroke on Sunday.
Hey Bay-Bay, What’s With The Cray-Zay Way So Many Pop Singers Sing The ‘Ee’ Sound?
Dan Nosowitz talked to linguists and voices coaches and eventually found a likely theory: It started out as a particular little trick of pop vocal technique and morphed into a way “to co-opt the signifiers of intensity.” (That’s not academic gobbledygook: when you get to that point in the article, it will make sense.)
How The Interstate Highway System Transformed The St. Louis Accent
Time was that St. Louisans said “good marning” and ate “carn on the cob.” Then along came I-55 and the Northern Cities Vowel Shift.
What’s The Point Of Regret? This Is.
Professor of ethics Gordin Marino looks (briefly, so don’t worry) at the positions of Camus, Dostoevsky, Kierkegaard, Spinoza, Nietzsche, Thoreau, Jesus, and a retired Vietnam vet in a Florida swimming pool to come up with the answer.
Aztec Philosophy – Oh Yes, There’s Such A Thing, And We Can Learn From It
“Before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors, the Aztecs had a philosophically rich culture, with people they called ‘philosophers’, and their specious counterparts the ‘sophists’. We have volumes and volumes of Aztec thought recorded by Christian clergymen in codices” – and it can bear comparison with the Greeks and Romans. Sebastian Purcell gives a basic introduction.
Yannick: What I Love About Jimmy
The incoming music director of the Metropolitan Opera, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, writes a tribute (with anecdotes) to his predecessor, James Levine.
Is Mel Gibson Redeeming Himself In Hollywood?
“It may be hard to believe at the moment, but there was a time in the US when spouting racist and misogynistic hate speech would damage your career, rather than propelling you to its highest office. Just ask Mel Gibson.”
Five Reasons Jackie Chan Deserves The Honorary Oscar He Just Received
Well, besides the 200+ movies over 56 years and the countless broken bones. “For anyone who has doubts about Mr. Chan’s skill onscreen, here are five clips that, together, illustrate some of his most impressive work.”