Watching Fiddler on the Roof for the first time in years this past weekend was the inspiration for this week’s column. Even though, in the words of his recent biographer, Marc Chagall “loathed” the production, it still reminds me of him when I see it. Much of the imagery comes from his 1912-1913 painting The Fiddler, and throughout his work, his relationship to his own traditions is evident.
Read the whole thing here.
The anniversary of his death is a fitting time to remember the tremendous legacy of Ludwig van Beethoven who died on this date in 1827 in Vienna. It seemed as though the entire city turned out for his funeral and the grief was both profound and widespread. Last Saturday night I heard the Waco Symphony Orchestra play a movement from his Fifth Symphony (you can guess which one), and, despite the total familiarity with which we approach this piece, to hear it played live is still a bracing, even overwhelming, sensation.
A wonderful way to introduce children to Beethoven’s work is through a CD called “Beethoven Lives Upstairs,” from the “Classical Kids” series of recordings. Narrated by a young boy, it tells a story that is illustrated by excerpts from Beethoven’s compositions, both great and small, and does so to great effect. I’ve heard two children in particular humming and singing Beethoven as they go about their day after having listened to this in the car. Perhaps we will do so again this afternoon, with a little added poignancy because of the date….
My column this Thursday looks at the impressive restoration work going on right now at Pompeii (see an example below) and compares it with the destructive, nihilist agenda followed by ISIS in places like Mosul, Iraq.
It may sound strange to say, but even if we don’t realize it, all our lives are made just a bit richer by this restoration. These frescos—as does all great art—give us a way of being in communication across the centuries, or in this case, millennia. Conversely, our lives are that much diminished when great works of art are lost. Art at numerous other historic sites, particularly in the Middle East, is in danger of destruction as well, and often from forces that are much more immediate and irreversible than the slow passage of time.
…While nothing good can come from the loss of irreplaceable art, perhaps an outrage such as that in Mosul can illustrate to the rest of the world the virtue of taking better care of what we have. We can hope.
Read the whole thing here.
On this date in 1766, the government of King George III repealed the Stamp Act which had been passed by Parliament the year before. It had caused outrage in the American colonies and triggered the formation of a group calling itself the “Sons of Liberty,” which organized a slew of protests. In repealing the Stamp Act, the Parliament took the risky move of appearing to give in to the protest thinking it would quiet the American colonies….
