--includes my "Hey Jude" essay from Tell Me Why: A Beatles Commentary. … [Read more...]
Archives for December 2007
Betty Grable Too
Give Peace a Chance
PLOT SUMMARY OF THE WEEK
"To acquire the cleverly named Book of Secrets, Ben plots to kidnap the current president (Bruce Greenwood) and blah, blah, blah purple monkey dishwasher..." --MATT ZOLLER SEITZ on National Treasure: Book of Secrets, NYTimes, 12/21/07 … [Read more...]
Quote of the Month
"As a drummer, I'm a really proficient thirteen-year-old..." --Rufus Sewell, star of Tom Stoppard's ROCK'N'ROLL on Broadway, in the New Yorker. … [Read more...]
“Rudy Should Play More Chopin”
TR: It sounds like you studied with both Serkin and Horsz at the same time? Was that typical, or did you take master classes from one or how did that work? It seems curious to me that MH was such cool as a teacher, through his playing I naturally assumed that he was effusive and passionate, and very … [Read more...]
Greatest Minds of My Generation
For my money, the two heros of I'M NOT THERE are David Cross, in wickedly inspired casting as Allen Ginsberg, and Al Kooper, who oversaw the BLONDE ON BLONDE sessions to make the score a delight to hear on those large theatrical speakers. Otherwise, Haynes's movie is about as avant-garde as a game … [Read more...]
Mieczyslaw Horszowski
I recently corresponded with an old piano teacher about a pianist who's an inside figure, although there are still plenty of his recordings in print. More to come... TR: You list Mieczyslaw Horszowski in your bio, wasn't he at Curtis? I've admired his warm tone for years and years, and wish there … [Read more...]
Various Goldbergs
ASSIGNMENT EDITOR: fifty-two years ago, a Canadian nobody named Glenn Gould made his big splash with a Goldberg Variations, which was not only left-field repertoire but virile, robust Bach playing that turned a lot of ears and launched an eccentric career. It was the kind of record you knew growing … [Read more...]