Author: Matthew Westphal

The Strange Life Of El Greco

Domenikos Theotokopoulos was a master icon painter by age 22, an ambitious art student in Italy by 26, a fortune-seeking Greek émigré by age 29. By the time he was 40, he had fought with the King Of Spain, had an illegitimate son, and moved into a Toledo palace. (Is it surprising that he died massively in debt?)

What Will Amazon Look Like When It Grows Up (And Finally Turns A Profit)?

“Amazon operates like ‘a charitable organization being run by elements of the investment community for the benefit of consumers.’ … Flummox is the perfect word to describe what Amazon does to its competitors, its owners, and even its grateful consumers. Amazon can make us uncomfortable both because it refuses to play by the rules that other companies must follow, and because it seems too eager to be all things to all people.”

Recovered Memories, The Most Dangerous Idea In Mental Health

“The belief that hidden memories can be ‘recovered’ in therapy should have been exorcised years ago, when a rash of false memories dominated the airwaves, tore families apart, and put people on the stand for crimes they didn’t commit. But the mental health establishment does not always learn from its mistakes – and families are still paying the price.”

Beverly Blossom, 88, Dancer And Choreographer

“In her 20s and 30s, she moved among the beatniks and bohemians of Greenwich Village and studied under influential choreographer Alwin Nikolais and toured the world with his dance company. Later, she influenced many area dancers whom she taught at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. A frequent recipient of grants and fellowships, including a Fulbright, Ms. Blossom choreographed and performed more than 100 works.”

What Do Conductors Do, Really?

“In a more mundane way, we might think of conductors as the musical equivalent of sports team managers. You can’t quantify precisely what it is that they do – but you know it when you see it. … So what it is, exactly, that they do? Whether visibly or invisibly, consciously or unconsciously, here are some of the myriad things they get up to on that podium …”

What Tuesday’s Midterm Elections Mean For The Nonprofit Arts

“Once again we may have to respond by organizing a vocal and vociferous campaign to minimally keep the Endowments alive and their funding at the current level. The chances of our succeeding in that effort are, if history is any example, fairly decent. Of course, the effort will take time and energy we could better put to other endeavors, but we may have no choice.”

Pianist Demands Removal Of Review Under EU’s “Right To Be Forgotten” Ruling

“On Oct. 30, [Dejan Lazic] sent The Washington Post a request to remove a 2010 review by Post classical music critic Anne Midgette that – he claims – has marred the first page of his Google results for years. It’s the first request The Post has received under the E.U. ruling. It’s also a truly fascinating, troubling demonstration of how the ruling could work.”