ROBERT MERRILL: BARITONE AND MAN OF LETTERS
BARITONE ROBERT Merrill must have been a hoot as well as a Metropolitan Opera stalwart from 1945 to 1976. Well, there was the time in 1951 when the Met’s high-toned … Continue reading
HAPPY 800TH, MAGNA CARTA!
IT WAS JUNE 15, 1215, that King John of England granted concessions to 25 of his barons at Runnymede, about 20 miles west of what’s now central London. From then … Continue reading
IN GOD WE TRUST—BUT FROM WHEN?
I SEEM to be finding religion and patriotism at this point of my life, prompted by a piece by Michael Kazin in The New York Times Book Review, May 17, … Continue reading
PICASSO’S THEATER
WONDERFUL ART comes about when famous artists are cajoled into theater costume and set design. I’ve offered examples of this, with Pablo Picasso’s contribution to Le Tricorne, Fernand Leger’s work … Continue reading
LILLIBULERO’S HISTORICAL NICHES
LILY IS my granddaughter, though I call her Lillibulero, after a traditional English ballad with a 350-year heritage. Lillibulero is said to have sung a king out of three kingdoms. … Continue reading
FERRARIS I HAVE KNOWN
FEW PEOPLE may never have heard the name Ferrari, but I suspect two planned biopics, one involving actor Robert De Niro, the other director Michael Mann, will remedy this presto. … Continue reading
A TRIO OF THREE-POINT RACERS
A HYDROPLANE is the high-performance sports machine of the aquatic world. Because of its specially contoured hull, once the craft is “on plane” it touches the water in only three … Continue reading
NOËL COWARD SAYS
NOËL COWARD was the most flamboyant wit of the 20th century. As confirmed in A Last Encore, he was also a rare combination of social satirist and patriot. Sir Noël … Continue reading
IT’S GOOD TO BE HOME
“SHOW ME a person’s home,” someone or other must have said, “and I’ll tell you who that person is.” Homes can be modest or grand, elegantly traditional or jarringly post-modern. … Continue reading
SHORT RIDE IN A FORMULA FORD
SIRIUSXM SATELLITE radio’s Symphony Hall channel recently featured Short Ride in a Fast Machine, a fanfare for orchestra by modern composer John Adams. I immediately thought of my brief but … Continue reading
Simanaitis Says 