Today’s crisis in humanities education takes many forms, and many are the proposed remedies. One such is a brave new two-volume, 1,700-page textbook, The Golden Thread: A History of the Western Tradition. Its authors, Allen Guelzo and James Hankins, are historians who insist on the continued importance of knowing “the civilization of the West,” specifically … [Read more...] about A Maverick Pedagogical Proposition
“The Menace of Mechanical Music” – and of Digitization and Screens
Following up on my chat with Aaron Cohen for “Arts Fuse,” I offer some further thoughts about the retrieval of cultural memory versus the instant gratification of screens: About a dozen years ago I was interviewed by a BBC reporter while visiting the Carnegie Hall archives. We were joined by Gino Francesconi, who as Carnegie’s founding archivist had indefatigably amassed a … [Read more...] about “The Menace of Mechanical Music” – and of Digitization and Screens
Anton Seidl and the Lost Promise of American Classical Music
This weekend's online "ArtsFuse" carries an interview with me by Aaron Cohen (reproduced below). I will be speaking about my recent novel "The Disciple" for the Wagner Society of New York on October 15 -- information here. I will be speaking about Wagner, Seidl, and Chicago for the Wagner Society of America on October 27 -- information here. The Disciple: A Wagnerian … [Read more...] about Anton Seidl and the Lost Promise of American Classical Music
Dudamel’s Mahler and the Classical Music Challenge
Having attended all eight programs Gustavo Dudamel conducted last season as the New York Philharmonic’s Music Director Designate (in order to turn them into a piece for The New York Review of Books pondering the perilous state of American orchestras), I had some idea what to expect from his Mahler Fifth these past two weeks. And the … [Read more...] about Dudamel’s Mahler and the Classical Music Challenge
“The Odyssey” and Hi-Tech Regression in Hollywood
[The following piece is reprinted from Boston's ArtsFuse online magazine.] Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has provoked a range of opinion. Among the most cited reviews is a condemnation by Emily Wilson, whose 2017 translation of Homer’s epic has enjoyed a surge in sales. From Wilson’s perspective, the film crudely fails to honor its source; she juxtaposes it … [Read more...] about “The Odyssey” and Hi-Tech Regression in Hollywood