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When someone recommended to Steven Hassan he write a volume called The Cult of Trump, “it just seemed like the most important book I could write, frankly.”
Simon Rattle’s Bruckner is, on the whole, lean and lively; if you’re looking for a new Mahler Four, Vladimir Jurowski’s is the one to check out; Thierry Fischer leads performances of each symphony that take Saint-Saëns’ writing seriously.
Two recent biographies take very different approaches as they revel in the wild lives and examine the distinctive songs of two of rock music’s most enigmatic figures: Lou Reed and Warren Zevon.
These are two practiced masters at free improvisation. I am confident that many listeners will find them as intriguing and accomplished as I do.
In the right hands, Shostakovich’s Twelfth can come off as nothing less than an intriguing, lively symphonic essay.
Jazz Albums Review: The ‘Season’ of Newvelle Muri — Adventurous, Sure-Footed, and Strikingly Lyrical
The sound on these discs couldn’t be more clear or precise; the music is low-key, thoughtful, and resolutely melodious.
“You can read Frederick Douglass forever and still just encounter new things, new ideas, new passages, new phrases. He’s that kind of writer. It’s like reading Emerson or even Shakespeare.”
Gounod was no mere purveyor of gentle sentiments. This 1881 opera, superbly performed, shows plenty of drama and grit.
An exhilarating and entertaining evening with Puddles, a most personable and unique clown.
Music Commentary: The Black Crowes — Redux?
When have the Robinsons ever done what was expected on them? And when have they ever really cared?
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