Twyla Tharp Attacks Dance

“Tharp, unlike so many choreographers who are most secure with a pas de deux or a solo, is a master (mistress?) of group dynamics: Everything’s a rush, a melee, a jumble, except that everything’s crystal clear. She’s not a mere traffic manager, though; things not only work out, they go somewhere.”

Qatar’s Building A New Center For Classical Music. Is It Viable?

“Who will fill the lecture theatres, staff the orchestras and fill the concert halls when so few Qatar residents turn out for a concert with the biggest name in the opera business? The LPO’s Tim Walker says that on the ground, classical music is thriving. In Dubai alone 25,000 people are learning musical instruments. There’s a private music school with 90 students, and there are excellent music stores. We will also be helping to train orchestral players. A viable musical life in the Gulf is possible.”

New York’s New Architecture Stars

“Ben van Berkel’s Five Franklin Place takes the glass-box condo and ties it up in sinuous ribbons of black metal. Frank Gehry drapes the Beekman Tower’s 76 stories in voluptuous folds of stainless steel. More is to come from Rem Koolhaas, Daniel Libeskind and Jean Nouvel. These are not just emblems of confidence in the New York market. They also express faith in architecture that strives for significance.”