From Habsburg in Vienna to Jefferson at Monticello, this special exhibition focuses on the overriding power of the garden as a pendant in the life of civilized society.

Andrea Chénier‘s high melodrama and appealing theme of feminine self-sacrifice has proved more lasting and appealing than the true story it is based on—but this is how opera thrives.

History is a story that is at once true and false, a story in which truth sometimes requires us to record a falsehood, if only so we do not forget that a falsehood was once told. 

A new book traces the words and deeds of eight leaders who devoted their lives to their fellow Jews.

A segment of Spanish society—the Left’s leaders, if not their voters—has been too quick to paper over the difference between lawful politics and violence.

Bernanos and Poulenc dare us to ask why men of differing opinions would condemn their fellow men to death, leading to new waves of chaos and destruction.

Robbins’ study of the Golden Age might be called a work of skepticism in that it “refuses to create a unitary narrative, a single interpretive vision” of the period, but instead dissects it piecemeal under a microscope.

On opening night, Cecilia Bartoli was awarded Austria’s highest operatic honor, the title of Kammersängerin by the Austrian government.

Much discussion of Yang’s work has focused on the ways that he expertly depicts the interplay (and clash) between East and West within the context of deeply human stories. However, far less ink has been spilled over the role that Christianity has in this interplay.

One quibble with Eisenberg’s approach is that, in giving a vivid and political reading of the teachings of these philosophers, he occasionally simplifies them, perhaps out of prosecutorial zeal.

Paathan presents a challenge to any nationalism that supports a bureaucratic and utilitarian approach. Instead, it shows that community and human dignity are compelling reasons to preserve nations against multinational bids for global hegemony.

Six centuries of printmaking offered visitors a visual display of the genre in all of its splendor. Christof Metzger, the Albertina’s curator, created an exemplary exhibition.

Within the classical realm, the range and virtuosity of composition demands an equal measure of interpretation. Hannah Eisendle’s performance illustrated this with a spirited and novel direction.

The Magnificent Ambersons engages with issues of technological and social change in modernity. But it is also a very human story, focusing on a single family, detailing the lives of its members as change rocks their way of life

The Vienna Philharmonic’s visits to New York date back to 1956—a fine example of cultural diplomacy in the Cold War world and an enduring tradition.

Both the novel and the memoir touch on themes that are sadly out of fashion today: the brotherhood of arms crossing ethnic and cultural divides, individual bravery in battle, and the manly quest to build empires.

MasterVoices does not appear to be planning any Gilbert and Sullivan next season, but it should consider exploring that repertoire as it moves on. Events in Britain might just demand it.

A new book by ethicist Nigel Biggar argues that post-colonial guilt has been blown out of proportion.

Sonya Yoncheva lacked that flame in crucial moments, though comparative listening across performances suggests that Maurizio Benini’s pedestrian conducting may well have been the culprit.

The old cowboy has had the great luck to be written and illustrated by people who love and believe in the original Luke, people who recognize that we still need joyful stories about heroes.

Defending tradition in an anti-traditional world such as ours requires both belief and boldness. Tim Stanley manifests both, combining wry humour and a sense of peace with the world unseen in many political polemics.