Category: Music

Militarism and the Art of Slander

Don Basilio (Paata Burchuladze) and Dr. Bartolo (Maurizio Muraro) in Rossini’s “Barbiere di Siviglia” at the Metropolitan Opera in NYC.

I seem to express myself best lately in angry podcasts for World BEYOND War, the very worthy global nonprofit where I’ve worked since 2018. Why can’t I ever just … Read the rest

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Chronicles of the Malediction [two podcasts]

On left, Marc Eliot Stein, Ted Shulman and friends with Regina Opera. On right, portrait of Jamelah Vincent.

I spent the final days of 2023 desperately scrambling to complete two episodes for the two podcasts that represent the clashing sides of my brain.

I was possessed by a superstitious idea that I needed to launch both episodes before 2024 began – a superstition I probably manufactured as a … Read the rest

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Princess Ida: An Academy of Song

Antique illustration of court scene in first act of "Princess Ida" featuring the Princess, Gama and the Warriors Three.

A mysterious book-length poem called The Princess by Alfred Tennyson became a popular craze in England about a century and three-quarters ago. The title of this book barely hints at the complexity of the story inside — a story within a story, a poem inside a poem, featuring a crew … Read the rest

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Waters Run Deep (A River Change)

jigsaw puzzle of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon

I really don’t know what happened to me about five years ago, when I suddenly found it difficult and annoying to write blog posts.

I suppose this wasn’t so strange, because it is difficult to write good blog posts, and difficult things can be annoying. What was strange is that I’d … Read the rest

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Comprehending Trovatore

A battleship in Il Trovatore in Marx Brothers A Night at the Opera

Nearly three years ago, I announced a new podcast called “Lost Music: Exploring Literary Opera”. I truly had no idea what I was doing, and proudly said so. I’ve always been a medium-is-the-message guy, and the podcast medium just has an energy and a freshness these days that attracts … Read the rest

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Beelzebub and Galileo

Daniel Nester

Season 3 of “Lost Music: Exploring Literary Opera” has kicked off with something different! We are joined by Daniel Nester, poet, author, professor and podcaster, and one of only a few people I’ve ever met who has actually co-written a libretto for a modern opera, “The Summer King” by Daniel … Read the rest

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