"Treasures from the Uffizi' at the Michener Museum

When artists rediscovered the human form

As the Michener Museum's remarkable current exhibit demonstrates, Renaissance art was above all about rediscovering the human body, last in vogue among the Greeks and Romans.

Anne R. Fabbri

Apr 24, 2012 · Articles · 4 minute read

Bach, Christians and anti-Semitism: A reply

Fixing blame for anti-Semitism: A Christian perspective

Bach wasn't anti-Semitic, and neither is his St. John Passion. Neither was St. John himself. True Christians understand that Christianity is Jewish through and through.

Kile Smith

Apr 24, 2012 · Articles · 5 minute read

Joseph Cedar's "Footnote' (1st review)

Pornography for bibliophiles, or: Footnotes for Footnote

Writing, books and acts of reading and arguing about books and publications and words and ideas are to Joseph Cedar's Footnote what martial arts are to Jackie Chan movies. And I've got the footnotes to prove it.

AJ Sabatini

Apr 24, 2012 · Articles · 4 minute read

J. M. Ledgard's "Submergence'

The novel as metaphor

Part international thriller, part philosophical romance, J. M. Ledgard's Submergence is that rare postmodern fiction, a work whose disparate parts cohere finally into an unexpected whole. It also suggests that our hyperintelligent species may be too clever to survive. Submergence. By J.M. Ledgard. Jonathan Cape, 2011. 191 pages. www.amazon.com.

Robert Zaller

Apr 21, 2012 · Articles · 7 minute read

Joshua Bell at Verizon Hall

On taking Joshua Bell seriously

At 44, the violinist Joshua Bell is no longer a child prodigy, but he's still a matinee idol. His latest concert served notice that he's been taking himself seriously as a major classical musician all along as well.

Steve Cohen

Apr 21, 2012 · Articles · 4 minute read

"Tribes' and "4000 Miles' in New York

The sounds of thinking, feeling and listening

A rare spring season of compelling new work brings two gems to the New York stage, both revealing something new about what it really means to hear and to listen.

Carol Rocamora

Apr 21, 2012 · Articles · 5 minute read

I remember Dick Clark

Dick Clark, and a hint of things to come

A couple of lucky breaks brought Dick Clark to “Bandstand” and then national acclaim as big brother figure to America's teenagers. But Clark knew how to make the most of his opportunities, as I witnessed firsthand early in his career.

Steve Cohen

Apr 21, 2012 · Articles · 3 minute read

David Foss and Lisa Sylvester at L. G. Tripp Gallery

The big blue skies of…. Philadelphia?

David Foss is an artist coming to terms with his environment. Lisa Sylvester is an artist who takes poetry too literally.

Anne R. Fabbri

Apr 17, 2012 · Articles · 2 minute read

Dolce Suono's "Russian Roots'

Shulamit Ran finds the ‘soul of the instrument'

Shulamit Ran, ending her composer-in-residence stint with Dolce Suono, seems to have uncovered heavenly aspects of the flute and viola previously hidden from other inquiring theologians.

Tom Purdom

Apr 17, 2012 · Articles · 4 minute read

Mauckingbird's "The Temperamentals'

The way we were (before we came out)

Where were you at the dawn of the gay liberation movement? Jon Marans's lyrical look back at the '50s made me ask that question for the first time.

Jackie Schifalacqua

Apr 17, 2012 · Articles · 3 minute read