Music
Two big bands, two different sides of the tradition.
The real culture war in 1980s America was waged by young people who were trying to create their own culture and jealously rejected corporate culture along the way.
Violinist Hilary Hahn’s blend of musical curiosity, expressive savvy, and technical excellence doesn’t often appear in one person.
A couple of adventurous pianists decided, as their latest solo releases confirm, to use forced isolation as a spur to inspiration.
It’s rare to find a band that so naturally assimilates its individual voices to strike a collective palette.
The Sri Lankan rapper’s outspoken support for refugees — the focus of her 2016 album — remains relevant as the United States and the rest of the world continue to grapple with immigration reform.
Few bands have shown themselves to be as infectious about their art — and for so long.
These two performances showcase a group of instrumentalists whose collective musicianship is electrifying: full of just the right combination of wonder, play, and discovery this much-loved repertoire needs in order to sound fresh and truly come to life.
Radiating a shaman-like mysteriousness, Maria Schneider prowled the performance space, calling forth dark twists and turns from the collective while summoning anguished expressions from the soloist.
Arts Commentary: In Memoriam, James Levine (1943-2021)
Do any of his accomplishments – including James Levine’s raising the level of an orchestra’s playing to new heights – really excuse sexual predation?I’d argue in the negative.
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