Grace Notes Grace Notes
Estonian composer Arvo Pärt's journey toward stillness has been halted by the roar and rawness of his latest piece.
Apr 13, 2006 / Books & the Arts / Paul Griffiths
The Man Who Heard It All The Man Who Heard It All
Richard Taruskin's Oxford History of Western Music reviews the world of Western art music, expressing the magnificence and melancholy of its own age.
Feb 16, 2006 / Books & the Arts / Paul Griffiths
The Color of Money The Color of Money
Four new books explore the politics, culture and racial awareness of the hip-hop generation.
Feb 9, 2006 / Books & the Arts / Greg Tate
A Second-Line Revival A Second-Line Revival
Storm-whipped New Orleanians returned to the city to join a joyful second-line parade, a revival of music that made real the triumph of the city's spirit.
Jan 25, 2006 / Books & the Arts / Billy Sothern
Music for the End of Time Music for the End of Time
A new biography examines the life and work of composer and theorist Olivier Messiaen, who moved French music out of the cafes and back to the cathedrals.
Jan 25, 2006 / Books & the Arts / David Schiff
Disco Inferno Disco Inferno
Military detainees have been subjected to starvation, sleep deprivation and now Metallica and Britney Spears. Blasted at high volume, torture music has become a weapon of war, used...
Dec 8, 2005 / Books & the Arts / Moustafa Bayoumi
Studs Terkel on Music Studs Terkel on Music
Still going strong at 93, Studs Terkel has produced yet another oral history, And They All Sang: Adventures of an Eclectic Disc Jockey.
Nov 30, 2005 / Books & the Arts / The Nation
Soul on Ice Soul on Ice
Is jazz really dead--or has it simply moved to a cooler location? Four new books take a scholarly look at a musical genre that is on the wane in America, but finding new life and n...
Nov 17, 2005 / Books & the Arts / David Yaffe
In Search of Sam Cooke In Search of Sam Cooke
A womanizing gospel king and black-pride pop star, Sam Cooke led a short life filled with contradiction.
Sep 22, 2005 / Books & the Arts / Robert Christgau
New World Symphony New World Symphony
Joseph Horowitz diligently lays out the immense problems that face American classical music today, and his warnings cannot go unheeded.
Sep 15, 2005 / Books & the Arts / Russell Platt