PEOPLE

Carl Schachter, Influential Music Theorist, 93

His groundbreaking work as a music theorist primarily advanced Schenkerian theory by integrating rhythmic, metric, and harmonic dimensions into linear voice-leading analysis, while emphasizing how these elements interact to form structural coherence in tonal music. - The Violin Channel

Dito Von Reigersberg, Aka Martha Graham Cracker, Philadelphia Arts World’s Favorite Drag Queen, Is Dead At 53

As Martha, he hosted a highly popular monthly cabaret and collaborated with, among others, the Philadelphia Orchestra and Opera Philadelphia. He also had a notable career, under his own persona, as an actor and theatermaker, most notably as a cofounder of Pig Iron Theatre Company. - The Philadelphia Inquirer (MSN)

Speight Jenkins, Director Who Transformed Seattle Opera, Has Died At 89

Over his 31 years as general manager, he made the company into one of the most respected in the country and, said some observers, the Wagner capital of the U.S. It’s easy to forget that he began his career as a New York music critic and hosted Met Opera telecasts. - MyNorthwest.com

Adelaide Wisdom Benjamin, Philanthropist Who Saved New Orleans’ Symphony Orchestra, Dies At 93

Adelaide Wisdom Benjamin, a queen of Carnival who became a lawyer and philanthropist whose gifts of money, determination and leadership helped save New Orleans’ symphony orchestra, died Saturday in her sleep at her New Orleans home. - NOLA.com

A Top Celebrity-Profile Writer Tries To Profile Someone Who Doesn’t Actually Exist: AI Actress Tilly Norwood

Taffy Brodesser-Akner: “Did I mention that in addition to being just a computer, she’s also kind of a bitch?” - The New York Times Magazine

Tony Leung Was Ready To Quit Acting Out Of Boredom, And Then Wong Kar-Wai Came Along

“From the first day I met him, when I was going through a period of frustration, I knew we would make special films, that he would elevate me to another level. He pressed my acting button again.” - El País English

Claude Bessy, Who Ruled The Paris Ballet School, Has Died At 93

Bessy was "a graceful French ballet star whose firm hand at the helm of the Paris Opera Ballet School for three decades made it one of the world’s top dance institutions, though her rigorous methods eventually drew stinging criticism.” - The New York Times

A Photographer Who Portrayed Women As Bold And Self-Possessed, Even In 1960s Hong Kong

Sheung was "deeply invested in crafting an image of female autonomy and audacity at a time when women’s lives were constrained by traditional expectations.” - The New York Times

Marcia Lucas, Who Truly Created Star Wars Through Editing, Has Died At 80

Lucas not only co-edited the first movie and Return of the Jedi but also made various Spielberg, Scorsese, and many other movies far, far better through her mad skills. - The Hollywood Reporter

OMG, Audio Of Harpo Marx Actually Speaking!

Harpo (né Arthur) developed his silent persona due to his own stage fright; in later years he said he didn’t want to “tear down a character it took me decades to build.”  On rare occasions, though, he did speak in public, though not when microphones were around — except for this one time. - The Guardian

Margot Wellington, Campaigner Who Helped Save Grand Central Station From Wrecking Ball, Has Died At 91

“During her seven-year tenure (as executive director of the Municipal Art Society), she led pioneering campaigns to form historic landmark districts, renovate blighted blocks and rescue threatened edifices like Radio City Music Hall. … Saving Grand Central was her crowning achievement.” - The New York Times

Sonny Rollins As Revolutionary Force

Some musicians evolve, others effect personal revolutions. Rollins is in the latter category, and his work bears the shuddering force of his drastic, self-imposed transitions. To hear Rollins in the late fifties is to hear the lion roar. - The New Yorker

Remembering Sonny Rollins

He was the last of the Mohicans1 — an essential piece of jazz’s midcentury-modern picture, the only surviving subject in Art Kane’s iconic yearbook photograph A Great Day in Harlem. But longevity is just one factor at play. - The Gig (Nate Chinen)

Jazz Pianist John Eaton, Evangelist For Great American Songbook, Has Died At 91

“Across a more-than-six-decade playing career, he recorded albums for the Chiaroscuro label, took requests from Nancy Reagan at the White House, delighted audiences at Wolf Trap and maintained a long-running association with the Smithsonian Institution, delivering song-filled lectures on American music that were broadcast around the country.” - The Washington Post (Yahoo!)

Barn At Oscar Hammerstein II’s Pennsylvania Farmstead Collapses In Storm

Highland Farm, just outside Doylestown in Bucks County, was where Hammerstein wrote the words for many of the musicals he created with Richard Rodgers. It is now the site of the Oscar Hammerstein Museum and Theatre Education Center, which plans to rebuild the barn as an exhibition space and education center. - PhillyVoice

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