Soviet Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian, at his best, was compelling. Granted, he wasn’t working at this level in every piece. But most of his bigger works are better than not.
Review
Book Review: “Two Nurses, Smoking” — A Skillful Take on the Times
Many of the short stories in Two Nurses, Smoking are genuinely accomplished, and worth investigating.
Theater Review: “Ada and the Engine” — A Free-Spirited Young Female Math Wiz in Victorian England
You don’t have to be a math wiz to enjoy Lauren Gunderson’s engaging historical drama, which has been effectively staged by director Debra Wise.
Classical Album Review: Composer Derek Bermel’s “Intonations” — Turning Acerbity and Complexity on Their Heads
For Derek Bermel fans, Intonations is a must. For new music enthusiasts and the otherwise curious – ditto.
Book Review: “Dinners With Ruth” — Always Nice But Rarely Incisive
Like a Hallmark movie, Dinners with Ruth is an engaging and entertaining story, with episodes of great pathos. It is an upbeat, easy-to-read gift book, which is undoubtedly what its publisher intended.
Film Review: “My Best Friend’s Exorcism” — Wasted Bandwidth
There’s no real engagement with the ’80s, so this attempt at horror/comedy is politically and emotionally inert, profoundly unfunny and pathetically un-scary.
Film Review: Wait for It… “Hold Your Fire”
At a time when the nation is taking stock of the failures of our history of urban policing and looking for some new approaches, the lessons of Hold Your Fire are needed more urgently than ever.
Film Review: “God’s Country” — Who is to Blame?
In our politically correct times, the temptation would be to make a simplistic film in which Sandra, the good Black woman, is beset by bad white people.
Book Review: “Shmutz: A Novel” — Hasidim in Heat
A young Hasidic woman addicted to Internet porn? Oy vey, who knew?
Television Review: Season Three of “Ramy” — Spreading the Drama Around
Ramy’s drama takes a backseat to those of his relatives and friends, and that ends up expanding the reach and power of the series.