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A fair question
Darcy James Argue, quite unwittingly, has tied together my two previous posts in an interesting and morally serious way: He asks why Dudamel is getting heat from some for not forcefully opposing Chávez, while Gergiev (whose work I just happened to praise unreservedly) gets a free pass on his close ties to, and explicit political support for, the odious Vladimir
Amid noise, clarity
I can’t let Alex Ross’s refreshing anti-Chávez comments in the The New Yorker of Dec. 3 go without praise here. Writing about Gustavo Dudamel’s recent New York appearance with the Simón Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela, Ross reflects on the celebratory atmosphere during the encores: The players don jackets with the Venezuelan national colors and swivel around, marching-band style. Delirium
The conquering Kirov
At long last, the concert I’d been waiting for since I heard the Philadelphia Orchestra play The Rite of Spring in September. Valery Gergiev (pictured left) conducted the Kirov Orchestra last night at the Kimmel Center in Philly, in a special one-off Stravinsky program. First they played the complete Firebird, then the Rite. I’d been looking forward to the Rite
Goodbye, Tom
Word is spreading that Tom Terrell, one of the most versatile of music journalists and an all-around great guy, has died of cancer, much much too young. I didn’t know Tom well, but ever since our first brief introduction earlier this decade, he would hug me every time we crossed paths. Last September 11 there was a benefit in Tribeca
The real Giuliani
I saw this footage when it first aired years ago on NY-1, and I felt that it spoke volumes about Rudy Giuliani’s character. Now that he’s campaigning, if questions are raised about, say, his dealings with Bernard Kerik, it won’t be so easy for him to bully his way out. I shudder to think of this man with runaway executive
An addendum
Since I compared Philly unfavorably with Paris in my last post, it’s only fair that I draw attention to this hopeful development, covered last night on PBS’s Newshour: a civilian anti-crime initiative originating from within the black community. And beautiful Paris has its own troubles, as the anti-police riots in Villiers-le-Bel make clear. The community is well within its rights
An American in Paris
I don’t speak the language, but my favorite word in French is gendre, for son-in-law, which is what I am — and what brought me and my wife to Paris for a blissful week (her dad, Texas born and bred, has lived on a quaint cul-de-sac in the 4th arrondissement for the last 15 years or so). Pictured here is
On Tiger Okoshi
My review of Tiger Okoshi’s absolutely gorgeous Saturday show at the Kimmel Center, in today’s Inquirer. There’s much more I could say about Okoshi and his band, but I’m putting this blog in park for about a week’s time. Back soon.