Friday, April 26, 2024T.S. Eliot (1888-1965) has the pride of place among Dead White Authors. His posh boarding school, Ivy League and ex-pat background makes him untouchable in English departments and on bloggie lists of "GREATEST WRITERS EVER." Still, there are times when the heart of even an overrated writer's work created at the expense of a mentally-ill first wife is laid bare. Thanks to choreographer Pam Tanowitz and her company, composer Kaija Saariaho, artist Brice Marden, musicians of The Knights and most of all actress Kathleen Chalfant, Eliot's Four Quartets's is not for post-docs alone. It is unfortunate that there were only three performances of this
Tag: Bard College
Music: Exploring the Sights and Sounds of ‘Symphonie Fantastique’
Recently, two opportunities arose to hear Hector Berlioz's "Symphonie Fanstatique" within days of each other. This isn't surprising - it's been a crowd pleaser since its 1830 premiere . With that also comes with a lot of "over"s" as in over-programmed and overwrought. Happily, both Bard College's Orchestra Now (TŌN ) conducted by Music Director/College President Leon Botstein at Lincoln Center's Frederick P Rose Hall and Basil Twist's landmark abstract puppet ballet at HERE encouraged audiences to forget everything they thought they knew about this music to discover it for themselves. Their thoughtful invitations to do so succeeded. Limited program notes made