Broad Street Review

Philly's home for arts, culture, and conversation

Robert Zaller

Contributor

BSR Contributor Since January 1, 2006

Robert Zaller is Distinguished University Professor at Drexel University.

Robert Zaller is Distinguished University Professor at Drexel at Drexel University, as well as a playwright and poet, and a critic whose contributions have appeared in the New York Times and The Nation and locally in the Inquirer, Seven Arts, the Welcomat, Philadelphia Forum and Schuylkill Valley Journal. He lives in Bala Cynwyd.

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Pianist Peter Serkin appeared at the Kimmel on January 18. (Photo courtesy of PCMS.)

The Philadelphia Chamber Music Society presents Peter Serkin

Notable 'Variations'

Pianist Peter Serkin brought varying touches to a program of Mozart and Bach’s ‘Goldberg Variations.’ Robert Zaller reviews.

Jan 21, 2019 Articles 3 minute read

Cooper's appearance is always a special occasion. (Photo by Sim Canetty-Clarke.)

PCMS presents Imogen Cooper, piano

Three classics and a modern

PCMS brought British pianist Imogen Cooper to Philadelphia with a "rich and demanding" program. Robert Zaller reviews.

Nov 12, 2018 Articles 4 minute read

Burgin is a worthy chronicler of the modern urban human condition. (Image courtesy of Goliad Press.)

'A Thousand Natural Shocks: A Collection of Stories,' by Richard Burgin

Head games

A new collection of short stories by Richard Burgin highlights the author's mastery of his art: plumbing the human psyche. Robert Zaller reviews.

Oct 15, 2018 Articles 4 minute read

'The Silence' illustrates Tolstoy's famous insight about unhappy families. (Photo courtesy of Lightbox Film Center.)

Lightbox Film Center's Autumn Sonata: An Ingmar Bergman Centennial Retrospective

A Bergman bonanza

In the centennial year of Ingmar Bergman's birth, Lightbox Film Center joins art houses around the world in celebrating the auteur's work. Robert Zaller reviews.

Sep 11, 2018 Articles 4 minute read

Eichmann appeared behind a glass enclosure during his 1961 trial; film of the proceedings appears at the end of 'Operation Finale.' (Photo from the Huntington, via Creative Commons/Flickr.)

Chris Weitz's 'Operation Finale'

The Nazis are back

In Chris Weitz's 'Operation Finale,' Adolf Eichmann, the architect of the Holocaust, gets kidnapped and steals the film. Robert Zaller reviews.

Sep 04, 2018 Articles 3 minute read

Does the city's soda tax hurt communities it's supposed to help? (Photo via capallies.com.)

ICE and soda

Is Mayor Jim Kenney trying to have it both ways?

Has Philadelphia mayor Jim Kenney failed to keep two of his major campaign promises? Robert Zaller considers.

Jul 31, 2018 Essays 3 minute read

Herman's "Hope" might be menacing or harmless. (Image courtesy of Nancy Herman.)

The Cosmopolitan Club presents 'Nancy Herman: Small Oil Paintings'

Shafts of light, slants of dark

Nancy Herman's 'Small Oil Paintings' offer glimpses of daily life rendered in light and shadow. Robert Zaller reviews.

Jun 19, 2018 Articles 3 minute read

Yannick Nézet-Séguin leads the orchestra in Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony at the Haifa Auditorium. (Photo by Jan Regan.)

The Philadelphia Orchestra and "sacred spaces"

Take it to the streets

The Philadelphia Orchestra's tour of Europe and Israel brought out protesters, but why now, and why in the concert hall? Robert Zaller considers.

Jun 12, 2018 Articles 3 minute read

Juliette Binoche is a bright spot in an otherwise joyless affair. (Image courtesy of Sundance Selects.)

Claire Denis's 'Let the Sun Shine In (Un Beau Soleil Intérieur)'

What's a woman alone to do?

Claire Denis's silly French sex comedy — featuring Juliette Binoche and Gérard Depardieu — never grows up. Robert Zaller reviews.

Jun 04, 2018 Articles 4 minute read

Sharon Robinson's cello stood out during the performance of Brahms's 'First Sextet'. (Photo by Christian Steiner.)

PCMS presents the Brahms Sextets

Brahms all the way

PCMS offered a rare opportunity to hear both Brahms sextets played in tandem. Robert Zaller reviews.

May 14, 2018 Articles 4 minute read

Joaquin Phoenix's Joe helps Ekaterina Samsonov's Nina escape sex traffickers. (Photo via IMDB.com.)

Lynne Ramsay's 'You Were Never Really Here'

Divine hammer

Joaquin Phoenix's raw intensity elevates Lynne Ramsay's 'You Were Never Really Here' from a run-of-the-mill action movie. Robert Zaller reviews.

May 01, 2018 Articles 3 minute read

(Photo via imdb.com)

'The Death of Stalin,' by Armando Iannucci

The music lover

Armando Iannucci's 'The Death of Stalin' uses black humor to depict the scrum of toadies jostling for the Soviet premier's position. Robert Zaller reviews.

Mar 27, 2018 Articles 3 minute read

Of its original four, only cellist András Fejér remains, though the Takács Quartet remains in fine form. (Photo by Ellen Appel.)

PCMS presents the Takács Quartet

Vienna, Bonn, and Budapest

The Takács Quartet brought "a cornerstone of the Hungarian repertory" to its PCMS recital. Robert Zaller reviews.

Mar 23, 2018 Articles 4 minute read

Solzhenitsyn tried to stretch perfection, and occasionally succeeded. (Photo courtesy of PCMS.)

PCMS presents 'Ignat Solzhenitsyn, Piano'

Beethoven's 33rd Sonata?

Ignat Solzhenitsyn's PCMS performance brought together Shostakovich and Schubert, but called to mind a few other composers. Robert Zaller reviews.

Jan 15, 2018 Articles 3 minute read

Violinist Hilary Hahn brought great refinement and feeling to her solo. (Photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Orchestra.)

Philadelphia Orchestra presents 'Hilary Hahn Plays Bernstein'

Plato and friends

The Philadelphia Orchestra's 'Hilary Hahn Plays Bernstein' program spanned three centuries and included ancient influences. Robert Zaller reviews.

Dec 09, 2017 Articles 4 minute read

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