The other day, I stumbled across a wonderful live recording of Stravinsky’s L’Histoire du Soldat (The Soldier’s Tale), a small theater piece he wrote with the Swiss novelist Charles Ferdinand Ramuz at the end of World War I. I was suddenly flooded with memories of the elaborately . . . . Continue Reading »
When Stephen Sondheim died in late November at ninety-one, the eulogies, tributes, and bouquets from critics and tastemakers were entirely expected. The Broadway composer and lyricist left the Earth having earned multiple Tonys and Grammys, a Pulitzer Prize, an Oscar, a Kennedy Center Honor, and a . . . . Continue Reading »
In this season of charity, perhaps we can reconsider the unjustly maligned reputation of Fritz, the troublemaker child in the Nutcracker ballet. Continue Reading »
The etymology of the word “carol” is linked back to dances of joy and praise. The birth of humanity’s savior seems pretty clearly to warrant both. Continue Reading »
The piano is the instrument of expressive individualism; the harpsichord is the instrument of a vibrant, discursive life of the mind. Continue Reading »
Despite being cast as the epitome of uncool radio rock, Billy Joel is one of pop music’s most masterful craftsmen. Continue Reading »
We mustn't turn music, in its most complex and profound form, into a museum, dedicated only to reenacting the past. Continue Reading »
Might ABBA, perhaps innocently, be paving the way for a new, dark, digital world? Continue Reading »
Becoming a superstar almost ruined Bob Dylan's songwriting. His return to form was typically provocative. Continue Reading »
While the liturgy wars rage, the litigants do little about a glaring problem: People are leaving our communities of worship. Continue Reading »
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