Posts

Opera CD Review: William Alwyn’s Powerful Take on Strindberg’s “Miss Julie” — A Neglected Masterpiece

December 25, 2020
Posted in , , ,

The second recording of William Alwyn’s searing opera confirms the work’s vitality and importance. It is one of the best and most accessible operas to have been written in the past few decades.

Arts Feature: The Best Underrated TV Shows to Keep You Sane During Lockdown #2

December 24, 2020
Posted in , ,

The current lockdown gives me an opportunity to recognize TV shows whose brilliance has been overlooked.

Book Review: “This Isn’t Happening: Radiohead’s “Kid A”” — An Enduring Soundtrack for our Malaise

December 24, 2020
Posted in , , , ,

Steven Hyden’s ,/em>This Isn’t Happening, a book-length appreciation of Radiohead and Kid A is one of the best books I read all year.

Short Fuse Podcast #35: An Interview with Dancer and Critic Merli V. Guerra

December 24, 2020
Posted in ,

Host Deanna Costa interviews Arts Fuse contributor Merli V. Guerra, a multifaceted dancer as well as a writer..

Theater Review: The Christmas Revels 2020 — A Delightfully Virtual Revelation

December 23, 2020
Posted in , ,

A 50th anniversary is a wonderful milestone, and I congratulate the Revels for looking back and huzzahing the occasion as they have.

Jazz Album Reviews: Ellis Marsalis and Monty Alexander — Lovers of Vinyl Rejoice

December 23, 2020
Posted in , , ,

This set proves Monty Alexander a more varied pianist than one might have thought. The Ellis Marsalis album is a final gift from one of America’s treasures.

Arts Feature: Best Classical Recordings of 2020

December 22, 2020
Posted in , ,

The pandemic may have largely shut down live musical performances for 2020, but the recording industry remained alive and very active these past twelve months.

Book Review: “This Is Bop” — A Biography of Jon Hendricks, Master of Vocalese

December 22, 2020
Posted in , , , ,

This biography provides a solid look at Jon Hendricks’s life and career; a well-rounded picture that is neither a hagiography nor a hatchet job.

Classical CD Reviews: Listening During COVID, Part 3 –From Boston with Love (Performances of Haydn, Dello Joio, and Virgil Thomson).

December 22, 2020
Posted in , , ,

Two new recordings and one much-welcome re-release contain first-rate performances of Haydn’s 1798 “Lord Nelson” Mass, Dello Joio’s opera about Joan of Arc, and Virgil Thomson’s astonishing musical portraits of Alice B. Toklas, Picasso, and others.

Arts Feature: Best Movies (With Some Disappointments) of 2020

December 21, 2020
Posted in , ,

Our demanding critics choose the best films (along with some disappointments) of the year.

Recent Posts

Popular Posts

Categories

Archives