I pursue parallel careers as a scholar/writer and concert/producer. As Executive Director of the Brooklyn Philharmonic in the 1990s, I was a pioneering creator of humanities-infused public programming ("Dvorak and America," "The Russian Stravinsky," "American Transcendentalists," etc.). As curator of the Pacific Symphony's annual American Composers Festival... Read More…
The Unanswered Question
When a few years ago Doug McLennan invited me to write an ArtsJournal blog, I thought about it and said no. Having been born as long ago as 1948, I remain somewhat a stranger to the internet. And, as … [Read More...]
blog | AJBlog Central | Contact me | Advertise | Follow me:
Recent Comments
Chuck Lavazi on Dvorak and Hiawatha
The first time I heard the Largo of the Dvorak 9th (then called the 5th, which shows what a geezer...Robert Berger on Ives the Sophisticate
Interesting article, but your dismissal of the Sibelius 2nd as "banal" and "cliched" could not be more...Mark Stryker on Ives the Sophisticate
Joe, Insightful post, thanks. Interestingly, in a review I wrote a couple days ago about the four Ives symphonies played at...J. Theakston on The Greatest Film Score You’ve Never Heard
Must disagree with you on one point, Joe. Modern accompaniment for classic films (silent films excluded) is walking a...richard on The Met’s New Parsifal
I saw the performance of March 5, and your description of the brillance of this production rings true. At last,...Geo. on The Met’s New Parsifal
I saw the HD-cast of this production rather than in person, so obviously my perspective is limited that way. ...msirt on The Met’s New Parsifal
Ah ha! I finally "get" François Girard's final interpretive thrust for this rendition : Parsifal's words (paraphrase of the poem):...Sixtus Beckmesser on The Met’s New Parsifal
Thank you for this thoughtful and insightful appraisal. I was fortunate to have seen the HD broadcast on Saturday,...Dan Goldstein on Mixing Art and Music — An Open Letter to the Corcoran Gallery
On my website, which pairs works of art with mostly original compositions, viewers have the option of listening to the...Reiner Torheit on Kurt Weill and Darwinian Adaptation
Naum Luria - who became Arthur Lourie after his emigration to the USA - would be another similar case. While in...