Review

Classical CD Review: Pianist Leon Fleisher — A Box Set of Greatness

September 5, 2013
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Leon Fleisher was part of an outburst of great North American pianists. Many were ill-fated, but, as this commanding box set proves, Fleisher stayed the course.

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Theater Review: Peterborough Player’s “Talley’s Folly” — Embraceable Jew

September 5, 2013
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The pleasure of Talley’s Folly is in its details, the give-and-take of the dialogue, the smaller and larger revelations they tease out of each other, the characterization of the two human creatures dancing their dance.

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Jazz Review: Crazy about Kaze, Satoko Fujii’s Quartet at the Lily Pad

September 3, 2013
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Satoko Fujii’s quartet could go from 0 to 100 at the drop of a hat, but only once in a while, and nearly always at the perfect time.

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Rock CD Review: Nine Inch Nails’ “Hesitation Marks” — Minimalism That Delivers Too Little

September 3, 2013
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In Hesitation Marks, Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor foregoes trendy flourishes. He might have delivered a set of competently-made, stripped-back industrial tunes. But the end result is monotony.

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Book Review: “Rainer on Film” — Indispensable Movie Criticism

September 2, 2013
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With a good critic like Peter Rainer, the opinion itself is the least interesting part of the review. It’s the contextualizing of the opinion. And the choice of words on paper.

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Classical CD Reviews: Kent Nagano/ Bruckner Symphonies and Christian Gerhaher/ Mahler’s Orchestral Lieder

September 2, 2013
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Christian Gerhaher is, perhaps, the great Mahler baritone of his generation, while Bruckner is, perhaps, a surprising choice for conductor Kent Nagano, whose championship of new music is legendary.

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Jazz Review: The Jussi Reijonen Quartet — Fascinating Eclecticism

September 2, 2013
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Jessie Reijonen’s eclectic and spacious approach to jazz is a deliberate attempt to investigate, not necessarily fuse, his disparate roots.

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Film Review: “Ain’t in It for My Health: A Film About Levon Helm” — Heartfelt Tribute to an American Original

September 1, 2013
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The documentary was originally screened at South by Southwest in 2010 while Levon Helm was still alive, but with his death from cancer in 2012, the film now serves as a heartfelt tribute to a true American original.

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Classical CD Reviews: Harmonia Mundi Serves up First-Rate Performances of Schubert and Elgar

September 1, 2013
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Harmonia Mundi has, of late, released a series of excellent Schubert albums.

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Film Review: “The Canyons” — Yucky But Likeable

August 31, 2013
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Lindsay Lohan is prostituting herself to a dreary vision of a Tinseltown shorn of even flickers of glory. And I like that.

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