Musings on ballet, classical music, the violin, and life
The Classical Girl Oh, the many moods and stories Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg conjures in my mind, my heart. There’s the transcendent “Morning Mood” from his Peer Gynt Suite, the haunting yet hopeful “Last Spring.” I’ve sat in my car and wept to the wintry longing in his “Nocturne.” There’s the “March of the Dwarves” that evokes a … Read more
Diablo Ballet closes out its 2022-23 season this weekend, May 26 and 27, with a winner: a brand-new, charming comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Choreographed by Julia Adam, it features Mendelssohn’s iconic music, and costumes designed and constructed by Christopher Dunn, with assistance from Amanda Farris. It’s a world premiere that, Diablo Ballet promises, “will … Read more
Question: what makes choreographer Christopher Wheeldon’s stunning ballet, Cinderella, come so magically alive onstage? Answer: it’s everything. The scrim that gives the prologue a dreamy, cinematic feel. The four benevolent Fates who blend into the shadows. Prokofiev’s affecting music. Wheeldon’s choreography. The really, really good dancers. The tree that sprouts from Cinderella’s tears at her … Read more
I haven’t gone to movies much since the pandemic, which is a shame. Pre-pandemic, they were a delicious escape into another world, that I simply couldn’t duplicate in any other way, certainly not while watching Netflix in my living room, everyday life fibrillating all around me. But it’s Academy Award season, and I knew I … Read more
Valentine’s Day is a funny sort of holiday. Some argue it’s simply a Hallmark fabrication, to get people to buy cards, spend unnecessary money. Others like to recall its curious, barbaric origins in the ancient celebration of Lupercalia. Me, I’m a fan of tertiary holidays, like St. Patrick’s Day and Valentine’s Day, that allow me … Read more