A Surprising Violin Concerto
The latest outing by our Austin Symphony Orchestra featured the violinist Elisabeth Kufferath. It was an inspired choice to celebrate the music of Albert Dietrich (1829-1908), a little-known German composer…
Naval Strategy
In physics, ‘exceptional points’ are specific system parameters leading to the commonality of two different solutions that can only exist in systems with losses. For those with a scientific, rather…
The Celestial Hunter
Hunting took many forms in ancient Greece. Sometimes a wild boar would be hunted. Another time a God would take the form of a wild boar to hunt down a…
The Farce of Wrestling
If you have any faith in the ‘sport’ of wrestling, you probably don’t want to see this play. It will shatter any illusions you might have. It’s not really a…
Getting China Wrong
Our engagement with China has been wrong for decades. Disastrously wring. This is the assessment of Aaron L. Friedberg, Professor of Politics and International Affairs at Princeton University. He outlined…
Judy Garland at 100
June 10 this year marked the 100th birthday of Judy Garland, who died in 1969. The singer attained iconic status with the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, and for…
Doris Goodwin donates archives to Austin
The Briscoe Center for American History in Austin is about to become the home to collected archives of Doris Kearns Goodwin, and her late husband Richard Goodwin (1931-2018). Richard Goodwin’s…
New Insights into 18th Century Philosophy
This book offers, for the first time English, some of the most important early writings by the great German philosopher Johann Nicolaus Tetens (1736-1807). The first 36 pages consist of…
The Inheritance, Part 2
Many people in Texas will remember the halcyon days when Ann Richards, a Democrat, was Governor. The actress Libby Villari, from North Carolina, moved to Texas where she graduated from…
Tchaikovsky and Ravel at Austin Symphony
The Austin Symphony Orchestra opened its 112th season with a superlative programme this past weekend. Acclaimed pianist Benedetto Lupo gave the audience a marvellously nuanced interpretation of Ravel’s Piano Concerto…