Recent links of note:

The Art of Conducting
Terry Teachout, Commentary Magazine

Terry Teachout’s most recent article in Commentary Magazine, a review of John Mauceri’s recently published Maestros and Their Music: The Art and Alchemy of Conducting, starts by recalling a question posed to him by a first-time concert-goer friend: What does the conductor do up there on the stand? Those with experience performing in an orchestra or otherwise large group might have an intuitive sense for what exactly is going on in the conductor’s head. Though the intricacies and subtle distinctions that go into conducting a major orchestral score are immensely complex, Teachout’s enlightening review will clarify the matter to musicians and laymen alike.
 

An Intense Exploration of Character
Richard Cork, The Wall Street Journal

The “Masterpiece” column in The Wall Street Journal’s “Life & Arts” page allows writers to pen an extended deliberation on a single (and presumably great) work of art or literature. This week in the space, the British art historian and critic Richard Cork writes about Chaim Soutine, the Russian-French Expressionist who was a significant influence on later New York School painters, and his 1925 painting The Bellboy. The write-up coincides with an exhibition survey of Soutine’s Portraits at the Courtauld Gallery in London.
 

From our pages:

A taste for Hansel and Gretel
James Panero

A Message from the Editors

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