Culture

This morning I met Yo-Yo Ma again and not only does he remain one of the nicest people I have ever met, he articulated some of the most interesting thoughts about culture and multiculturalism in an interview I witnessed. You can hear pieces of the interview this Saturday, August 12, from 8:00 to 12:00 noon…

That’s it. An era ended last Saturday night. Daniel Barenboim’s final farewell concert ended with a 15-minute standing ovation. I saw musicians and audience members tear up during the ongoing applause in which Barenboim personally shook every musician’s hand. It was a hot and humid day on Saturday, a day officially proclaimed “Daniel Barenboim Day…

Yesterday I went to see Roosevelt University’s performance of The Yellow Wallpaper, a 1989 chamber opera by Ronald Perera. Expecting modern atonal music and a vague story I couldn’t have been in a more wrong direction. Brian Hotchkin, a good friend who played the baritone role of John the husband, and a low student (!)…

Just a couple of days ago I cited Millennium Park as an excellent example of the bread and games concept in Chicago. Today, the Washington Post reports that Rep. James P. Moran Jr. suggests the Smithsonian Institution should charge an admission fee, as their buildings are suffering from underfunding. Charging an admission fee would move…

Bread and games. Nothing much has changed over the millennia. Roman emperors kept the plebs happy with bread and games; today governments, whether local or national, keep the citizens happy with pretty much the same. The bread and games have been replaced by less specific entities such as social security and public art and performances.…