Christian Tetzlaff in the Globe

Christian Tetzlaff

The Globe's David Weininger interviewed violinist Christian Tetzlaff for today's edition. Tetzlaff, you'll remember, is half of tomorrow night's duo (Leif Ove Andsnes is the other half) concert at Jordan Hall. Here's a snippet of Weininger's column:

"'Intelligent,' 'rigorous,' 'serious-minded' are common descriptions
of his playing, and his interpretations of such 20th-century
heavyweights as Schoenberg, Berg, and Ligeti have drawn wide acclaim.

But don't call him an intellectual.

'Ouch!'
he says over the phone from Madrid when that label is proposed. 'You
picked the meanest and the worst word. I think I don't deserve that.'
He's laughing, but also quite serious that to him it conveys something
dry and soulless - certainly no compliment. In fact, to hear him talk
about his own artistry, he sounds like nothing so much as an
old-fashioned romantic.

Read all of He has beauty on the mind.

The Boston.com pothole chart

Maybe it will lead us to trying Byzantine alternate routes around The Hub, but I'm more inclined to think it's just an interactive way to vent. I can appreciate both the effort required and attentiveness to our needs this entails on the part of Boston.com. It's kind of cute, actually, especially the relatively few potholes accounted for in Belmont, dollar for dollar the Greater Boston pothole kings. Check out the Boston.com map of potholes in greater Boston.

Globe on The Romeros Guitar Quartet

The Romeros Guitar Quartet played Friday evening at Jordan Hall before a packed house. Ethan Gilsdorf reviewed for today's Boston Globe: Virtuosity Across Generations.

Pepe Romero backstage and quote

Pepe Romero (foreground) and Celin Romero warm up prior to the second half of The Romeros Guitar Quartet performance at Jordan Hall on January 24, 2009. Alan McLellan of WGBH radio looks on (WGBH radio recorded the concert for future broadcast).

"Every note has the right to live a happy life."
-Pepe Romero

A nice little quote from Pepe Romero's master class at New England Conservatory on Friday, January 23, 2009.

The Blind Boys of Alabama sing and chat (video)

Some singing and interviews with The Blind Boys of Alabama from Avon, Colorado. The Blind Boys of Alabama meet up with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band at Boston's Symphony Hall on March 27 for a program called "Down By the Riverside." The concert is co-presented by the Celebrity Series Series of Boston (yours truly) and World Music.

Stefanie Lubkowski receives special commendation

I do enjoy plugging the good deeds and accomplishments of our own staff at the Celebrity Series of Boston when I can. In this case the good deed(s) took place before the party in question was a member of La Familia Celebrity Series. Stefanie Lubkowski, our Publicity and Communications Manager, was recently given a special commendation by the Boston Society of Film Critics for her work as the Friends of Film Coordinator for her previous employer, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Congratulations, Stefanie!

Philharmonia Quartett Berlin performance cancelled

Due to the illness of one of the Quartett's members, the Philharmonia Quartett Berlin performance scheduled for Friday, January 23 at Jordan Hall, has been cancelled.

Ticket holders will be contacted by mail as to options to donating, exchanging or returning tickets for refund. The options available depend on the method of purchase.