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If you’re a Gil Evans devotee, or even a casual appreciator, have I got good news for you: Ryan Truesdell’s Centennial, more than 70 minutes of Evans that we never thought we’d hear, 10 tunes realized so beautifully and brilliantly that they should win a Grammy for Truesdell and a second, posthumous Grammy for Evans.
Read MoreIn his novel, Sayed Kashua paints such a vivid picture of modern Jerusalem that I found myself longing to see that city again; he also portrays a whole spectrum of Arab life in Israel — from the poor families visited by the social workers to the ambitious Arab mothers and their sometimes feckless sons — with empathy and humor.
Read MoreWhat continually impresses about A Far Cry is their discipline, ability to keep complicated rubato under complete control, well-modulated dynamics, beauty of sound, and really interesting programming.
Read MoreDirector Robert Lepage’s spectacular projections, aided by a savvy use of sound effects and lighting, move the dramatic focus of Cirque du Soleil’s Totem with ease, opening up the imaginative boundaries of the stage.
Read MoreOne feels when reading this anthology of Latin American poetry that editor Ilan Stavans tucks each poet he features into a folder, but that this categorization, while limiting, also encourages an English-speaking readership to appreciate the eye-opening diversity of Latin American poetry.
Read MoreBetween the foibles and hopes of middle-age and the vast perfection of nature, the documentary Low and Clear finds its compelling rhythms and its poetry.
Read MoreAudrey Ryan does not mince words when it comes to what she thinks of “hipster posers,” her generation of the “apathetic age,” armchair critics, and stalker fans. Ryan performs Saturday, June 16th at the Clarendon Hall Presbyterian Church in Somerville, MA at 7:30 p.m.
Read MoreThe vocal ensemble Blue Heron closed its season with “a marvelously expansive concept of the divine” in a program of 16th-century Spanish music based on or inspired by the Song of Songs.
Read MoreHere is what I learned from watching the film Peace, Love, and Misunderstanding: Boomers are being sold down the river.
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Arts Commentary: Critical Rule #1 — Don’t Write Like a Publicist
Early on I was given these words of wisdom by my friend, the late theater critic Arthur Friedman: “Criticism should not read as if it had been written by a publicist.
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