Semyon Bychkov and the Czech Philharmonic do justice to a lot of Tchaikovsky’s orchestral music, while John Eliot Gardiner and the London Symphony play Robert Schumann’s famously-dense orchestrations with clarity. But Michael Stern’s account of The Planets completely lacks mystery.
Review
Film Review: “Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice”
Linda Ronstadt was every young female singer’s aspirational goddess: if you could nail “You’re No Good” or “Blue Bayou” in the car or the shower, you had practiced a lot.
Classical CD Reviews: Julia Wolfe’s “Fire in my mouth,” Donnacha Dennehy’s “The Hunger,” Derek Bermel’s “Migrations”
Julia Wolfe’s Fire in my mouth is one of 2019’s most memorable recordings; Donnacha Dennehy’s The Hunger, a meditation on the Irish potato famine of the mid-19th-century, leaves an indelible impression; Derek Bermel’s Migrations is a grand celebration of one of America’s great living composer at the top of his game.
Rock Concert Review: Fontaines D.C. — From Dublin With Love
Fontaines D.C. are gonna be big, or at least as big as a real rock band can be these days. And they’re making it all look effortless.
Rock Concert Review: Jack White with the Raconteurs — Very Much in the Moment
On the same week that heavy prog-rockers Tool scored the No. 1 album in the country, it was great to see Jack White let down his wavy black hair, smile a bunch, and kick out the jams with his buddies.
Theater Review: “Rose” — A Well-Acted Excursion in Storytelling
Carolyn Michel’s Rose is the sociable stranger on the bus who tempts you to miss your stop so you can hear her out to the end.
Visual Arts Review: “Bookworks” — Volumes of Curiosity
Any traditional notions of what does, or does not, constitute a book are challenged here — you will find yourself searching for a definition that fits.
Book Review: Nell Zink’s “Doxology” — Not Eccentric Enough?
Nell Zink’s latest novel is vast, aspiring to epic stature — it’s a curious take on the times that have befallen us.
Jazz CD Review: Miles Davis’ “Rubberband” — Stretch Your Ears
Heard as a Miles Davis record pure and simple, Rubberband is one of the strongest from the comeback period.
Book Commentary: “Dying of Whiteness” — What Rough Beast Slouches Toward Kansas to be Born?
Class pressures are exerting themselves, class fault-lines are emerging, and ancient demons are being released as a result.
