Scholars Poke Pop Culture For Meaning

“The image of scholars searching for allegorical meaning in mainstream movies or popular paperbacks might seem farfetched, but as God scholars point out, holier-than-thou attitudes in religious departments have taken a democratic twist over the past couple of decades. They now focus less on what the masses are thinking — the philosophy or theoretical approach — and concentrate more on what they are actually doing: the sociology of their religion.”

Cleveland Orchestra Takes A Couple Whacks At Berg

The piece was moving along when everything suddenly collapsed and music director Franz Welser-MÖst uttered, “Sorry.” He took the ensemble back a bunch of bars and tried again, to no better effect. “You see how difficult this is,” the conductor said to the audience. “It worked this morning.” Finally, Welser-MÖst got his meters straight, and the music proceeded to its inevitable, touching end. One suspects the weekend’s remaining performances will go more smoothly.