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Freedom of expression is a more precious commodity than taste. Conservative critics were very clear about their moral imperative; they confidently vilified artists and terrorized institutions. No one won the culture wars — we lost them.
Here’s my list of two dozen superlative operatic offerings of wildly differing kinds, plus some notable non-operatic offerings.
Christian Tetzlaff’s recital was a breathtaking experience, full of dancelike grace, intelligence, and charm.
In his Celebrity Series debut, pianist Martin Helmchen performed a mostly vivid and colorful evening of Bach.
In this episode of the podcast, Elizabeth Howard talks to poets Diane Alters and Edward Hirsch about the ways we think about grief, publicly and privately.
Two powerful films about fending off violent threats, xenophobic and fascist.
Daniel S. Medwed demonstrates just how astronomical the odds are against anyone who tries to question a guilty verdict, no matter how suspect the conviction.
For balance and virtuosity, the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra plays Rued Langgaard’s “Klippepastoraler” for all it’s worth. That just doesn’t end up being very much.
What is literature if it doesn’t kick you in the ass every now and then and get you to act? Maybe that’s what the Nobel committee thought when it awarded Annie Ernaux this year’s Literature Prize.
Translator Interview: John Taylor on Philippe Jaccottet
“We have entered an age of unequivocal partisan discourse, of linguistic robotization, of tiny symbols standing for complex emotions. In total contrast to this, Philippe Jaccottet’s writing constantly shows nuance, attentiveness, perseverance, circumspection, and a genuine quest for essential truths.”
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