Archives for September 2010

The singularity of George Gershwin is an inexhaustible topic. One thing that sets Gershwin apart is what I'd call his "cultural fluidity." He is Russian, he is Jewish, he is American. He composes for Tin Pan Alley, Broadway, Hollywood, Carnegie Hall. He is an American in Paris. In Vienna, he is the rare American composer for whom Alban Berg greatly matters. This fluidity of … [Read more...] about The Singularity of Gershwin

The current issue of the Times Literary Supplement (UK) includes my review of this summer's Santa Fe Opera season, featuring a terrific Tales of Hoffmann and further evidence of artistic health. It reads: John Crosby founded the Santa Fe Opera in 1956. He situated his open-air opera house seven miles north of Santa Fe, New Mexico, in a vast polychrome landscape fringed by the … [Read more...] about Santa Fe Opera Update