Bill Marx writes his last WBUR column, first blog column

Bill Marx

Here is Bill Marx's final column for WBUR Arts. In the interest of keeping this link live, I'm linking to the version on Bill's new blog, not the one on WBUR.org.

AileyCamp Boston View #1

AileyCamp Boston Guidance Counselor Brendan Adams watches Jazz Dance class this past Tuesday at Boston Renaissance Charter School in Boston. Leading the class is Robert Clemons, jazz dance instructor for the camp, which is administered by the Celebrity Series.

Can you say stocking stuffer?

As usual boingboing.net is making me smile. Today, they have me thinking about cutlery made from potato starch, and all the people likely to receive biodegradable spud tools from me this holiday season...

...and a YouTube post of Chico Marx indulging in some of his famous piano theatrics from A Night in Casablanca (there are a number of Marx Brothers excerpts available on YouTube, including Harpo's renowned harping). There is probably an apt German word for things like this video, wacky and charming all at once...

Welcome Zeitschichten!

Say hello to Zeitschichten, a new blog with a musical bent - subtitle: "music and history." Despite the title, it is mostly in English. Zeitschichten...Zeitschichten...Zeitschichten (fun to say, less fun to type, lemme tell you).

Thanks to St. Botolph's Town for the tip.

Cape Breton Quartet The Cottars to Disband

The Cottars

The Cottars, the Cape Breton folk band that made their Celebrity Series debut with The Chieftains this past March, are splitting up. Here is the Reuters story from the end of June. I'll post more on this story if I can find it.

WBUR Arts to Shut Down

An email from writer Debra Cash has alerted me to a sad story: WBUR is shutting down WBUR Arts, the arts criticism web site, calendar and weblog run by Bill Marx. Read the full story from Nina McLaughlin on thephoenix.com: WBUR Slashes Arts Coverage.

Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, 1954-2006 - UPDATED LINKS

Lorraine Hunt Lieberson

She performed three recitals for the Celebrity Series. First, in 1993 with pianist Steven Blier as part of the Emerging Artists Series, she sang a program which began with Handel's "Ogni vento" from Agrippina, and proceeded through to Pablo Luna's "De España Vengo" from El Niño Judio. She was still Lorraine Hunt then. Another recital followed, in 1998, with pianist Judith Gordon that featured three pieces by her future husband, Peter Lieberson. There was just one more in 2003 with Peter Serkin (Brahms...Debussy...Mozart..."Deep River" for one encore). Like so many other fans, we thought these wonderful nights were just the beginning.

Some highlights from among the many remembrances, tributes and obituaries:

Boston Globe, Richard Dyer: Her Luminous Voice Transported Listener
(July 5)

An Appreciation by Lloyd Schwartz
from Fresh Air with Terry Gross, July 7, 2006 (audio)

The New York Times, Anthony Tommasini (July 5)

The Philadelphia Inquirer, David Patrick Stearns (July 6)

The Washington Post, Tim Page (July 6)

San Francisco Chronicle, Joshua Kosman (July 7)

Playbill Arts News, Matthew Westphal (July 5)

Slate.com, Marc Geelhoed (July 7)

Opera News, F. Paul Driscoll (July 5)

The Gramophone, Ken Smith (July 5)

The Standing Room, a list of tributes and remembrances

The Rest is Noise, Alex Ross

UPDATE:

Lloyd Schwartz on Lorraine Hunt Lieberson in the Boston Phoenix
(July 13)

San Francisco Classical Voice Tribute

MORE:

Boston Globe - Richard Dyer: Remembering a Mezzo-Soprano Known for Talent and Hard Work (July 14)

Open Source, WGBH radio - Lorraine Hunt Lieberson Remembered
(July 12, audio and blog entry)


Other information:

Charles Michener's 2004 profile on Lorraine Hunt Lieberson in The New Yorker magazine

Short biography of Ms. Hunt Lieberson on bach-cantatas.com

The Passion of Lorraine Hunt Lieberson
On Point with Tom Ashbrook, WBUR radio, February 13, 2004 (audio)