Radu Lupu’s Story: It was Always About the Music
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“The artist should have his own voice,” pianist Radu Lupu said. “Everyone tells a story differently and that story should be told compellingly and spontaneously. If it is not compelling and convincing, it is without value. The most important thing is to play. Enjoy is not the word, but to be able to feel that […]
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Augusta National: The Tradition That Always Delivers
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After a two-year hiatus, The Masters returned to pre-pandemic form this year. The patrons flocked to Augusta National in full force. For a few blessed April days, the world of beauty, order, and civility emanated from that beloved golfing cathedral. We may not have fully escaped the COVID-19 nightmare, but it was good to be […]
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Alfred Hitchcock Taught Joseph Cotten to be a Murderer
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When Joseph Cotten was cast as Charlie Oakley in Alfred Hitchcock’s Shadow of a Doubt, he found himself completely at a loss. The thirty-seven year old actor had never played a real villain before: Oakley was a serial killer whose victims were wealthy widows. Cotten was so conflicted about the matter, he approached Hitchcock for advice. “I’ve […]
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Who killed Vincent van Gogh?
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“The sadness will last forever.” These are among the last words spoken by Vincent van Gogh before his death just after 1 a.m. on July 29, 1890. The thirty-seven year old artist was cradled in the arms of his brother, Theo — the two were in Van Gogh’s modest attic room at the Ravoux Inn, […]
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50 Years Later: The Legendary Funeral of J. Edgar Hoover
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It was more like a presidential inauguration than a funeral. Among the more than two thousand invitation-only attendees were President and Mrs. Richard Nixon, Vice President Spiro Agnew, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Warren Burger, future President Gerald Ford, Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird, Acting Attorney General Richard Kleindienst, former Attorney General John Mitchell, […]
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