“Classical pianist Sara Davis Buechner played with some of the most prestigious orchestras in the United States, winning praise from presidents and capturing awards that pointed to a promising career as one of the best in the world. But back then, she was a man named David.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Top Posts From AJBlogs 06.10.14
All-in-All, A Good Plan at the Frick
AJBlog: Real Clear Arts | Published 2014-06-10
Moscow Shadows And Igor Butman
AJBlog: RiffTides | Published 2014-06-10
Opera: black tie and picnic, circus or seminar?
AJBlog: Plain English | Published 2014-06-10
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Big Three Automakers Pledge $26M To Save Detroit Institute’s Art Collection
“With $26 million in donations from [General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler], the Detroit Institute of Arts said Monday it has now raised 70% of the $100 million it has promised toward the grand bargain.”
How We Got The Best Collection Of Letters On The Web
Shaun Usher was a freelance copywriter when a set of assignments for a client, a stationery retailer, gave him the idea to start Letters of Note.
Louvre’s Poussin is A Poussin After All
“A painting downgraded to the work of a follower a century ago is reattributed to the 17th-century master – just in time for an anniversary exhibition next year.”
Lisbon Battles With Itself Over Its Fabled Tile Sidewalks
“Lisboners have a love-hate relationship with their distinctive sidewalks – painstakingly crafted from five-inch cubes of limestone since the 19th century – that flank most of the city’s streets.” But that limestone gets very slippery when wet, and “officials have stirred passions with a plan to make one of the world’s oldest cities a safer place to walk.”
Angel Corella To Retire, Shut Down His Ballet Company And Leave Spain
The star dancer returned home to spain to launch the Corella Ballet Castilla León in 2008 and renamed the company the Barcelona Ballet when he moved it to the Catalan capital in 2012. But years of trying to keep the troupe running through Spain’s economic crisis has worn him down. (in Spanish)
National Ballet Of Cuba Dancers Defect In Puerto Rico
At least six and possibly eight performers left the company following a performance in San Juan this weekend – and they’re already booked to dance at a benefit in Miami this coming weekend.
The Guys Who Turn Terrible Ideas Into Good Movies
“Discerning parents still speak glowingly about the pair’s debut feature, the 2009 film Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. And the predecessor of 22 Jump Street, 21 Jump Street, based on the ’80s TV show, roundly surprised critics for having a heart while being clever. This year, [there was] adulatory chatter around The Lego Movie, which the pair wrote and directed – and made into one of the biggest movie moneymakers of the year.”
Wallace Shawn Is A Walking Bundle Of Conflicts
He’s a playwright who’s known as a movie actor, a pop culture figure who knows little about pop culture and describes himself as “a very pretentious person”, a son of privilege who’s “aware pretty much all of the hours that I’m awake that we’re living in a very, very unjust world.”