MANNHEIM - One of the world’s most eminent conductors at the head of his own first class orchestra, in a hall with near perfect acoustics, what more can a classical music lover want?
All three conditions were met at the May 12, 2007 concert of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by its music director Lorin Maazel on tour at the Rosengarten Hall in
VALENCIA – Few new opera houses would dare tackle Wagner’s Ring of the Nibelungen their first season. But Valencia’s Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia has already shown a tendency to rush in where others fear to tread — with astoundingly good results. So now it’s taken on the grandest and most complex undertaking of the opera world. The new Ring is a co-production with the Maggio Musicale in Florence, which undoubtedly defrays some of the huge costs. Read the rest of this entry »
For Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s opera “Così fan tutte” the opening scene shows a stark, three-sided paper-walled room decorated with an abstract seascape. Ferrando and Guglielmo, in preppy T-Shirts and tailored suits, play ball with a Don Alfonso barely older than they are. The ball presages more games to come – life is just a game and real emotions are still an undiscovered psychological realm, at least until the second act. The bet that they strike is an expression of their youthful curiosity. No one really expects anyone to get hurt, self-confidence reigns sublime.
MUNICH – Amish quilts cross the fine line separating crafts and art. The quilt makers never thought of themselves as artists. Even if they had wanted to, their religion would probably have forbidden such a thought. The Amish who fled Europe in search of religious freedom settled in the American Midwest and Canada where they were often referred to as “plain people” because they eschewed any form of ornament.
Their farm houses were clean and sparsely furnished. The only splash of color – the fanciful patchwork quilts. Who would ever have thought these utilitarian objects that covered beds and cribs would be the precursors of modern art? Read the rest of this entry »
BUDAPEST — The Ludwig Museum of Contemporary Art in Budapest presents a spectacular collection of modern photography called “Dialogues and Attitudes”.
The dialogues of the title are between the works themselves, between artists as diverse as Andy Warhol and Tacita Dean and ultimately between the photographs and the viewer. It is the first of a series of international exhibitions, each designed for a specific museum and using a native curator. Read the rest of this entry »
