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Interest Convergence at the Met: Terence Blanchard’s Champion “Live in HD,” April 29, 2023
As is my habit I avoided reading any reviews of Terence Blanchard’s Champion prior to attending the “Live in HD” broadcast of the opera this past Saturday. As a rule I like to go in with fresh eyes and ears, … Continue reading → Read more
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Unanswered Questions at Joyce DiDonato’s Eden
Saturday evening was the twenty-third stop on the world tour of Joyce DiDonato’s conceptual concert experience called Eden, presented at Zellerbach Hall by CalPerformances (one of the project’s co-commissioners). Begun prior to the disruptions of early 2020, the show has … Continue reading → Read more
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Balanchine Mythbusters: “But first, a school” Edition
Dear Dr. Steichen: “I got into an argument with a friend about Balanchine’s famous quote, ‘But first, a school.’ From the materials in your book it seems to me that the school was an idea of Lincoln Kirstein and Edward … Continue reading → Read more
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Serenade: A Balanchine Fever Dream
Toni Bentley has a new book out, called Serenade: A Balanchine Story, a title that matches its contents well. Although the book is autobiographical, the author’s personal experiences are intentionally sublimated to the “real” story: George Balanchine’s ascendance as the … Continue reading → Read more
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Tiny Pretty Things: The Melodrama that Ballet Deserves
(No spoilers except for one that doesn’t really count but I flag it anyway!) I waited until after finishing the final episode of Tiny Pretty Things to read reviews online, and was not entirely surprised by the reactions. There was … Continue reading → Read more
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Ugly Crying at Hamilton, and Uglier Crying over U.Va. and *Thomas Jefferson’s Education*
As a graduate of the University of Virginia who relished the beloved traditions of my alma mater, I’m grateful that one of its own professors, Alan Taylor, has chosen to take as an object of inquiry the founding and founder … Continue reading → Read more