“I know there has been a lot of discussion about how we can make a difference by programing one African-American composition per concert,” says Lorenzo Candelaria, the incoming dean of Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music. “I call that ‘checkbox diversity.’ What I’ve found to be far more impactful is to take a piece and really live with it for a while, … [Read more...] about Dvorak and the American Experience of Race — An Antidote to “Checkbox Diversity”
On “Wagnerism” by Alex Ross
In this weekend’s “Wall Street Journal” I review Alex Ross’s important new book “Wagnerism.” I write in part: Great works of art are so powerfully imagined that their intent and expression mold to changing human circumstances. But the operas of Richard Wagner are arguably unique in this regard: No other creative genius in the Western canon so unerringly holds up a … [Read more...] about On “Wagnerism” by Alex Ross
“Porgy” and Race — continued
Conrad L. Osborne, whose incisive critical scalpel cuts through present-day distractions and obfuscations with magnificent precision, has written another must-read blog: “The Racial Moment and Opera.” He begins by revisiting the memorable “Porgy Exchange” in this space – the PostClassical Ensemble zoom chat in which Conrad, George Shirley, and Kevin Deas opined that it … [Read more...] about “Porgy” and Race — continued
The Artist and the State: Mexico and “Engineers of the Soul”
Advocating a more “civilized” United States – and simultaneously fighting a cultural Cold War -- John F. Kennedy implausibly proclaimed that only “free artists” functioning in “free societies” could produce important art. In the same breath, Kennedy denied the legitimacy of political art. Delivering words written by Arthur Schlesinger, he maintained: “If art is to nourish … [Read more...] about The Artist and the State: Mexico and “Engineers of the Soul”
Are Orchestras “Better than Ever”? — What Not to Tell a Young Musician
Two summers ago I had occasion to spend a week with gifted high school musicians at the Brevard Music Festival – an idyllic cultural retreat in the mountains of North Carolina. Jason Posnock, Brevard’s artistic administrator, is not only a superb violinist but a reader and thinker and believer in humanities-infused programing and pedagogy. Thanks to Jason, I was entrusted … [Read more...] about Are Orchestras “Better than Ever”? — What Not to Tell a Young Musician