Review

Classical Music Album Review: Behzod Abduraimov Plays Prokofiev & Shor

May 24, 2025
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There’s much to recommend in Behzod Abduraimov’s rendition of Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 2, which is both highly characterful and a lot of fun to listen to.

Theater Review: “The Light in the Piazza” — In Love with Love, Ironies Be Damned

May 23, 2025
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The lush, lyrical, and demanding score is the main attraction, and the excellent Huntington Theatre Company cast is, for the most part, up to the challenge of singing it.

Book Review: Life in a State of Sparkle — The Writings of David Shapiro

May 23, 2025
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While David Shapiro’s criticism is audacious, his interviews are self-deprecating and offbeat, filled with surprising reveals.

Book Review: Gene Krupa –“Master of the Drums”

May 22, 2025
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Chronicling Gene Krupa’s ups and downs and registering his impact on contemporary music, Master of the Drums is a well-deserved account of one of the key musical artists of the past century.

Film Review: “Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” — Of Clickbait and Global Armageddon

May 22, 2025
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“Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning” is an honest piece of grand entertainment, not as great as “Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One,” but still pretty great.

Classical Album Reviews: “Beyond” and “War Silence”

May 21, 2025
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A new release from the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and Timothy Redmond showcases music from four very different composers, two British and two American. A survey of Italian concertos from pianist Roberto Prosseda, the London Philharmonic Orchestra, and conductor Nir Kabaretti supplies a specter of menace.

Classical Album Review: The BSO — Shostakovich, Complete Concertos

May 20, 2025
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Some unfortunate misfires in a collection that, otherwise, has a lot going for it.

Classical Music Review: Rimsky-Korsakov & Tchaikovsky Orchestral Works and Adès conducts Adès

May 19, 2025
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NDR Radiophilharmonie and Stanislav Kochanovsky may generate new fans for Tchaikovsky’s four orchestral suites; if you only want to dip your toes in Thomas Adès’ extraordinary music, his own take makes for a worthy introduction.

Film Review: “Queens of Drama” – Leave Mimi Alone!

May 18, 2025
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In this film, Alexis Langlois suggests that the diva worship so central to queer cultural production has found new toxicity thanks to social media, where we all feel entitled to a piece of our idols.

Theater Review: “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” — Honoring a Sacred Space for Black Women

May 15, 2025
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The beauty of “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding” at this political moment is that it provides a firsthand rebuttal to the current administration’s draconian policies  — without ever directly acknowledging them.

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