Around the 'sphere

Daniel Wolf has Anton Webern's back here, Marc Geelhoed a deliciously evil review here, and I review a disc by eighth blackbird here.

And a happy 70th to Phil Glass!

Words of Caution

Clement Greenberg:

One cannot condemn tendencies in art; one can only condemn works of art. To be categorically against a current art tendency or style means, in effect, to pronounce on works of art not yet created and not yet seen. It means inquiring into the motives of artists instead of into results. Yet we all know — or are supposed to know — that results are all that count in art.

These words should give pause to anyone contemplating engaging in Style Wars criticism. (h/t to Leonard Pierce)

Jeffrey Siegel

Review. Tallahassee (FL) Democrat, 22 January 2007.

Electric Now

Stirling Newberry has written a telling introduction to George Crumb's Black Angels and posted it on the Crooks and Liars blog. Crooks and Liars is a center-left political blog that chronicles the top down media's treatment of politics. I've posted about my mixed feelings concerning political posting on cultural blogs, but I think posting on political blogs about cultural matters and artifacts is a spectacular idea, especially when the two realms meet as they do in Black Angels.

I also want to add my conratulations to Alex Ross for completing his book on 20th century music. It appears, though, that the critics are already being catty.

Lee Hyla

Jeremy Eichler of the Boston Globe writes about Lee Hyla (registration may be required to get theough the whole article).

Here's my take on Mr. Hyla, from The High Hat.

Christos Hatzis

Review at Sequenza21.