THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
A Passion for Prints The legacy of curators William M. Ivins and A. Hyatt Mayor, who bought 90 percent of the Met’s current 1.3 million object print collection, celebrated in an exhibition.
GERRY GOODSTEIN
Theater Review: ‘Please Continue’ Whether to follow or resist orders.
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VIGÉE LE BRUN
Self-portrait by Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, 1790. Oil on canvas.
WO M A N , A R T I S T, E N T R E P R E N E U R By Kati Vereshaka | Epoch Times Staff
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EW YORK—More often than not, one will see a portrait of Marie Antoinette before, if ever, getting to know the name of Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun (1755–1842)—one of the finest 18th century French painters and among one of the most important women artists in history.
The artist captures her subjects in suspended animation, as if they just turned to us, and are about to complete a sentence in a long and candid conversation.
Vigée Le Brun was catapulted to fame when, at the age of 23, she was summoned to Versailles to paint Marie Antoinette (1755–1793), who was a few months younger than Vigée Le Brun. For the first time, and possibly the last, this full-length life size portrait of Marie Antoinette hangs in the current exhibition Vigée Le Brun: Woman Artist in Revolutionary France at the Metropolitan Museum of Art alongside two other life size portraits of Marie Antoinette. The 80 works on view are mostly paintings and a few pastels from the self-taught artist who defied all convention and reached unprecedented success not just in France, but in nine other countries throughout Europe. See Vigée Le Brun on C8
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February 19–25, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts ALL PHOTOS BY THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
"Sphaera Mundi (Sphere of the World)," 1485, by Johannes de Sacrobosco (aka John Holybush), George von Puerbach (1423– 1461), and Johann Regiomontanus (1436– 1476). Woodcut. Published in Venice by Erhard Ratdolt. One image from “Calendar for the Year 1897,” printed 1896, by Edward Penfield. Published by R. H. Russell & Son. Lithographs with commercial relief process.
“Characters and Scenes from Jack the Giant Killer for a Toy Theater,” 1870–1890, by Benjamin Pollock. Lithograph.
“The Letter,” 1890–1891, by Mary Cassat. Drypoint and aquatint, printed in color from three plates.
“The Three Trees,” 1643, by Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606–1669). Etching with drypoint and engraving.
“Moulin Rouge: La Goulue,” 1891, by “Adam and Eve,” 1504, by “Christ Crucified Between the Two Thieves: The Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (1864–1901). Albrecht Dürer (German, Three Crosses,” 1653, by Rembrandt van Rijn. Lithograph, second state of four. 1471–1528). Engraving. Drypoint, third state of five.
A Passion for Prints
“Nemesis (The Great Fortune),” 1501– 1502, by Albrecht Dürer. Engraving, second state of two.
The Legacy of William M. Ivins and A. Hyatt Mayor celebrated in Met exhibition By Kati Vereshaka | Epoch Times Staff
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EW YORK—The title curator has come to be used in many fields—think curators of sweaters, cheeses, ham, and so on— so, inadvertently, the term has gained an elasticity that is not altogether welcomed by the curators at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met). Yet the current exhibition The Power of Prints: The Legacy of William M. Ivins and A. Hyatt Mayor celebrates the vision of two of the most productive and visionary curators at the Met, whose qualifications may not cut the mustard by today’s job description standards. The two men laid the foundation for the Met’s grand collection of prints, and they “shifted the way Americans collect, understand, and study prints,” according to organizer Freyda Spira, associate curator in the Metropolitan Museum’s Department of Drawings and Prints. William M. Ivins (1881–1961) was trained and worked as a lawyer, and A. Hyatt Mayor (1901–1980) studied literature, wrote poetry, and was an amateur actor. They both came to the field of prints because of the passion they had for works on paper, and the idea of building a collection almost like the library of a great literature professor, according to Spira. The Met’s collection of works on paper is filled not only with masterpieces, but also with works that were created in cultures in the lead-up to those masterpieces so as to give one a view of an entire culture. This is evident as one walks through the exhibition. There is a lot to take in, in one viewing. And just one of the major highlights, like the ambitious collection of Rembrandt’s etchings, will no doubt warrant longer pause for appreciation. Pause on Rembrandt Rembrandt’s genius lies in the ability to leap out across time-space and communicate to his audience in the deepest way one human can with another. The artist’s command of different printmaking techniques is evident in the tonal effects that set the scene for an intimate dialogue with the viewer. Where nature is the main protagonist, such as in his great etching “The Three Trees,” which is part of the collection, Rembrandt imbues the landscape with poetry and a tangible, painterly softness despite the limitations imposed by the precision of the etched line. Through his experimentation, he evokes the humidity of the air, the passing of a rain
Ivins and Mayor bought and collected 90 percent of the Met’s current print collection.
A lithograph by Jules Chéret, an example of a popular 19th-century print that entered a mass market.
shower, and the changing weather. His numerous self-portraits are testimony to his ceaseless search to portray with uncompromising truth that which is intangible and realer than the forms by which it is made manifest; namely, the spark of the soul. Through all the costume and character changes, the play between light and dark, the eyes that rip through the fabric of artifice, there is that which is constant and endures, totally unencumbered by the props—the human condition bestowed for a short while. There are no self-portraits in the exhibition, but the same search yielded his etching of the renowned gold-and silversmith Jan Lutma (circa 1584–1669) surrounded by the tools of his trade and his own creations. To say that it is part of the exhibition is an understatement. It acts like a black hole whose gravitational pull is irresistible. Ivins observed that this deceptively simple portrait “exemplifies the way in which Rembrandt, the alchemist, could take any ordinary subject and by passing it through the alembic of his mind turn it into matter of great import. Lutma dies and is forgotten, Rembrandt’s transmutation of his soul has immortality.” But, Rembrandt’s depictions of biblical scenes are where his spiritual and physical preparation come to fruition with awesome power. We get to view not one, but three states in the process of creating “Christ Crucified between the Two Thieves: The Three Crosses.” Faced with “The Three Crosses,” we stand aghast at the sight of the gut wrenching scene. Sharp vertical lines slice the air that seems to be heaving under the weight of pain and anguish. The air entombs the shining body of Jesus crucified between the two thieves, resigned to his fate as “darkness over all the earth” descends. Arranged thematically and by technique, the exhibition has four parts. In the first section, the idea of taste is addressed in terms of French, British, and American etchings and how it affected the collecting of etchings by the likes of Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1609–1669), and Francisco de Goya y Lucientes (Spanish, 1746–1828). Renaissance Masters The second section is proof of Ivins’s and Mayor’s keen interest in the Renaissance with etchings by Andrea Mantegna, Albrecht Dürer, Marcantonio Raimondi, and Lucas van Leyden. The two men worked toward amassing a complete collection of Dürer and were just as keen on Raimondi’s works due to the fact that reproductive engravings (for which Rai-
mondi was most well-known) communicated ideas about popular taste at the time, about disseminating, say, the style of Raphael to the wider public. The wall texts often quote the curators’ notes on the prints. For example in the text for Dürer’s (German, 1471–1528) “Adam and Eve” (1504), Mayor’s view was that in his search for depicting the ideal nude, “though Dürer modeled the flesh with a powdering of dots and flicks of a delicacy never seen before, … the engraving fails to satisfy because he was striving too tensely to achieve his masterpiece. Details steal the show.” Prints as Tools of Visual Communication The third part of the exhibition is framed around the idea of prints as visual communication. Both Ivins and Mayor were bibliophiles and as such they started reading the early printed books and discovering the treasures within. The books represent firsts of their kind on various topics such as the evolution of the study of anatomy in the Renaissance, botany, an early book about mathematics, and also the first printed book to use color. There is also the first book of patterns for dressmaking, and a huge volume on the subject of dress codes around the known world. We also get to behold the precursor to our smartphone’s currency converter apps—the first pocketbook illustrated with woodcuts of the world’s coins and their values in Flanders. Published in 1544, it was used by money changers as protection against counterfeits. The final and most colorful section is testimony to Ivins and Mayor’s interest in mixing high art with popular prints. Here, examples by 19th-century artists whose works entered a truly mass market in the form of lithographs are displayed together with popular prints and ephemera from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The exhibition is fittingly vast in scope since it was organized to kick off the museum’s prints department’s centennial celebrations of one of the vastest collections of works on paper in the world. According to Spira, during their tenure (which lasted 50 years), Ivins and Mayor bought and collected 90 percent of the Met’s current print collection, which is comprised of 1.3 million objects. She also pointed out that the Met has a study room for prints and drawings that is open to anyone, by appointment, to come in and uncover the treasures by which even the current curators continue to be surprised.
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February 19–25, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts PUBLIC DOMAIN
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EPOCH TIMES
(Left) Koreans play a game of Go in early 1900s. (Top) The round, white and black pieces reflect the circular nature that ancient Chinese ascribed to Heaven, while the square positions they occupy represent earth. (Below) The Chinese legend of the woodcutter who watches two sages play Go.
Essence of China
How About a Nice Game of Go? By Leo Timm | Epoch Times Staff You wouldn’t think that a strategy game would be created to improve moral character, but according to Chinese legends, that is how Weiqi, more commonly known to the West by its Japanese name Go, came to be. There are many tales about the origin of Go. One version says the board game was originally used by the legendary Emperor Yao to teach his son Danzhu moral principles. The object of Go, the Chinese name of which means “encirclement chess,” is to take and fill in space on the 19 by 19 board in a way that preserves the integrity of one’s own formations while encircling the other player’s pieces. The game has only one kind of piece, called stones, which are divided into white and black to distinguish between the two players. This deceptive simplicity belies the virtually endless number of possible Go matches, as well as the subtle machinations which can snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in even the most unlikely of situations. Go is one of the four great arts of ancient China—the others are calligraphy, painting, and mastery of traditional instruments. Perhaps because of its depth, Go was traditionally associated with celestial phenomena, military strategy, management of state affairs, and even divination. Patience and Character As a youth, legend says, Emperor Yao’s son
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Greatest Poems Ever Written PA R T 2 O F 10
Reaching to pick up his axe, he discovers that it has long rotted away, and returning to his hometown, finds himself in a different age. Reflection of the Cosmos A traditional Go board has 19 vertical and 19 horizontal lines, forming 360 points, which is said to symbolize the myriad celestial bodies. A single point in the center of the board, called the Tianyuan, symbolizes the center of the universe. The round, white and black pieces reflect the circular nature that ancient Chinese ascribed to Heaven, while the square positions they occupy represent earth. Mastery of Go embodied the Chinese ideal of living life in accordance with fate. This sort of personal cultivation emphasizes obtaining things naturally rather than through brute force. This principle is reflected in the mechanics of Go: playing too aggressively risks encirclement, whereas the ability and patience to analyze the flow of the match is the way to victory. Go’s simplicity is another element that meshes well with traditional Chinese philosophy. The white and black colors reflect the traditional Daoist yin-yang duality. Though they are but two elements, the opposites coexist to produce “the myriad things.” In this way, a game of Go can be seen not only as a struggle between armies, but as the ceaseless interaction of complementary opposites found throughout life and the world.
9. ‘The New Colossus’ By Emma Lazarus (1849–1887) Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame, With conquering limbs astride from land to land; Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
By Evan Mantyk
n this series we look at the ten greatest poems originally written in the English language, one by one. It is presented from least greatest (No. 10) to greatest greatest (No. 1), and each poem is followed by a brief analysis. PUBLIC DOMAIN
Emma Lazarus.
The ancients invented Go not for the sake of winning or losing, but for nurturing character and expressing one’s artistic talent.
Danzhu was lacking in character, so his father sought help from divine beings. On the bank of the Fen River, he saw two immortals sitting across from each other under a green juniper. They drew grid lines in the sand and placed black and white pieces along the grid in a battle array. The emperor approached them and asked how he could improve his son’s behavior. One immortal said, “Danzhu is good in competition but is foolhardy. Take what he is good at and develop his character that way.” One immortal pointed at the sand lines and stones. “This is a Go board,” he said. “The board is square and static, while the pieces are round and in motion. It follows the pattern of heaven and earth. From the time when we invented this game, nobody has truly mastered it.” Upon the emperor’s return, Danzhu took up Go and made rapid progress. The ancients invented Go not for the sake of winning or losing, but for nurturing character, cultivating morality and temperament, growing wisdom, and expressing one’s artistic talent. A mystical atmosphere surrounds Go, and it is the subject of the Chinese saying “a day in heaven is equivalent to a thousand years on earth.” The legend behind this phrase is that of a woodcutter who, lost in the woods, chances upon a pair of immortals playing a game of Go. Given a heavenly fruit by one of their servants, he observes their match for hours, until the servant reminds him that it is time to return home.
Analysis of the Poem Inscribed on the Statue of Liberty in New York harbor, this sonnet may have the greatest placement of any English poem. It also has one of the greatest placements in history. Lazarus compares the Statue of Liberty to the Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Like the Statue of Liberty, the Colossus of Rhodes was an enormous godlike statue positioned in a harbor. Although the Colossus of Rhodes no longer stands, it symbolizes the ancient Greek world and the greatness of the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations, which were lost for a thousand years to the West and only fully recovered during the Renaissance. “The New Colossus” succinctly crystallizes the connection between the ancient world and America, a modern nation. It’s a connection that can be seen in the White House and other state and judicial buildings across America that architecturally mirror ancient Greek and Roman buildings, and in the American political system that mirrors Athenian Democracy and Roman Republicanism. In the midst of this vast comparison of the ancient and the American, Lazarus still manages to clearly render America’s distinct character. It is the can-do spirit of taking those persecuted and poor from around the world and giving them a new opportunity and hope for
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame. “Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
the future, what she calls “the golden door.” It is a uniquely scrappy and compassionate quality that sets Americans apart from the ancients. The relevance of this poem stretches all the way back to the pilgrims fleeing religious persecution in Europe to the controversies surrounding modern immigrants from Mexico and the Middle East. While circumstances today have changed drastically, there is no denying that this open door was part of what made America great once upon a time. It’s the perfect depiction of this quintessential Americanness that makes “The New Colossus” also outstanding. Emma Lazarus was a New York poet of the Romantic period. Of aristocratic Jewish background, she worked for the defense of Judaism and Jews in Eastern Europe and throughout the world, as well as for the welfare of immigrants
to the United States. Her poem “New Colossus” was at first forgotten among many poems written to help raise money for the building of the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty. After Lazarus’s death, the poem—indeed a sort of Lazarus itself (biblical character raised from the dead)—was found by statue patron Georgina Schuyler, who selected it to be engraved on the statue. Full list of poems: ept.ms/GreatestPoems To contact the Society of Classical Poets, write to Submissions@ClassicalPoets.org Evan Mantyk is president of the Society of Classical Poets and a high school English teacher in upstate New York.
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February 19–25, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts GERRY GOODSTEIN
Theater Review
(L–R) Stanley Milgram (Haskell King) and his assistant (David Edward Jackson). Milgram ran groundbreaking social experiments at Yale in the ‘60s, and we are still discussing the repercussions.
Whether to Stand Up for What’s Right By Diana Barth NEW YORK—Social psychology professor Stanley Milgram’s experiments at Yale University in the 1960s were ostensibly to determine if punishment could be utilized to make people learn more effectively. The tests determined far more than that. They delved into the human spirit so deeply that they are still debated to this day Playwright Frank Basloe has created characters, some based on real people, some fictitious, that illustrate the participants’ varied points of view toward the experiments. As a senior adviser, Milgram (Haskell King) selects James Sanders (David Edward Jackson) to develop the project for his senior thesis. Sanders will be the authoritative “experimenter,” and volunteers will take the role of
The play is rife with moral and ethical issues, which resonate long after one leaves the theater.
“teacher,” who teaches a “learner.” The teachers, actually the people being studied, are to ask questions of an unseen learner, who is in another room, yet whose answers can be heard. If the learner’s answers are correct, they proceed to the next question. However, in the case of a wrong answer, the teacher must administer an electrical shock to the learner, who screams out in pain. The intensity of the shock increases as the work continues. The learner in this experiment is played throughout by Saul Dashoff (Jonathan Randell Silver). He is in on the scheme to appropriately scream in pain according to the level of the shock. In actuality, no shock is administered. Milgram and Sanders had thought that many teachers would not be able to proceed very far into the experiment because they wouldn’t be able to bear inflicting so much pain on another person. Surprisingly, about 65 percent of teachers were able to follow through to the end, some even appearing to enjoy their own cruelty. However, in those cases where the teacher might be faltering, experimenter Sanders coolly advises: “Please continue. The experiment requires that you continue.” And in most cases, the teacher followed orders. Later, when Sanders unexpectedly runs into a former “learner,” Harold Burden (Alex Herrald), Burden is offended when Sanders tries to explain the actual deceitful experiment and to apologize for it. He feels he has been used. A parallel plotline shows senior Francis Dunleavy (Jared McGuire) consulting the Reverend William Sloane Coffin Jr. (Tommy Schrider), the minister at Yale, for advice on a severe spiritual conflict he is undergoing. It eventually comes out that Dunleavy, along with a small group of male students, has been involved in a dreadful event involving these young men and a girl of 14. It is strongly hinted that there had been an improper sexual encounter. But Dunleavy was never named, as had been most of the others, and he is suffering from overwhelming guilt. Coffin points out that Dunleavy is seeking atonement but lacks the courage needed to attain it. Mitchell Halverson (Dylan Dawson), another of the perpetrators, rather than sitting out his suspension from Yale, joins the army; he would have been drafted anyway. (Such an incident actually took place, at a different time, however. But in the interests of making the drama more intense, the playwright has placed the situations closer together in time.) Dunleavy has been in conflict as to whether he should go through with marriage to his fian-
cee, Margaret (Molly Carden), because of his ongoing guilt. He finally concludes that he has done the best he can do, and the marriage takes place. That Margaret is portrayed as a disabled person—she wears a leg brace—adds another element to the mix. The play fascinates in that it deals with so many aspects of the human spirit: Do many of us simply follow the leader because we fear being different, not fitting in with the majority? Do we feel we must obey authority because that’s what we were taught as children? How many of us can stand and be counted when it involves going against the tide? Would we be willing to inflict pain on another human being if we felt protected by a particular project or system? Think of the Holocaust or other human catastrophes. The play is rife with moral and ethical issues, which resonate long after one leaves the theater. I was particularly drawn to see this play, as I had majored in the social sciences at Fordham College at Lincoln Center not too long after Milgram’s experiments took place. There was mention of them in my textbook, but I don’t recall much discussion in class, certainly nothing of the ethical issues that the experiments bring to the fore. Perhaps nowadays more would be made of the conundrums the experiments pose. William Carden’s direction is superior, with each character distinct and distinctive. For me, those leaving the strongest impressions are Tommy Schrider, Jonathan Randell Silver for his easy cynicism and quick wit, David Edward Jackson, and Jared McGuire. But all give firstclass performances. The set by Jason Simms effectively conveys Yale’s sense of tradition and conservatism with its somber, deep brown mahogany paneling. The play is produced by Ensemble Studio Theatre/Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, which is behind over 300 commissioned new American plays. Diana Barth writes for various publications, including New Millennium, an arts publication. She may be contacted at DiaBarth@juno.com
‘Please Continue’ Ensemble Studio Theatre 549 W. 52nd St. Tickets 866-811-4111, or EnsembleStudioTheatre.org Running Time 2 hours (one intermission) Closes Feb. 28 GERRY GOODSTEIN
(L–R) James Sanders (David Edward Jackson) is the experimenter who pressures volunteer subjects (here, Alex Herrald) to “inflict” pain on others, in Frank Basloe’s play “Please Continue.”
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February 19–25, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts ALL PHOTOS BY CARLA DEFORD
(L–R) Ashley Ellis, Patrick Yocum, Petra Conti, and Lasha Petra Conti and Lasha Khozashvili. Khozashvili during rehearsal.
(L–R) Agneta Stjernlöf-Valcu, who is a stager of “Onegin,” Ashley Ellis, and Lasha Khozashvili.
Boston Ballet’s ‘Onegin’ Tears Up the Town By Carla DeFord A harrowing tale of unrequited love, the ballet “Onegin” by choreographer John Cranko is full of opportunities missed and tragic action taken. Boston Ballet is bringing the well-loved work back to the stage for the first time in 14 years, but at first glance this meditation on 19th-century Russian society seems to have little to do with the realities of life in the digital age. What accounts for its ability to hold audiences in its grip and leave them wanting more? In other words, what makes it great? Based on the verse novel by Alexander Pushkin, the ballet tells the story of four characters: Eugene Onegin; his friend Lensky; Olga, Lensky’s fiancée; and her sister Tatiana. When Tatiana, a naïve young girl, meets Onegin, a jaded aristocrat, she falls under his spell and writes him a passionate love letter. He rejects her love and begins to flirt with Olga at a family party. Lensky then challenges Onegin to a duel in which Lensky is killed. Full of remorse, Onegin goes into exile for 20 years. Upon his return, he encounters Tatiana, who has since married, and realizes she is the love of his life. He writes her a letter begging her to return his love, but it’s too late. Although she confesses that she still loves him, Tatiana refuses to betray her husband, and she sends Onegin away. To dancers, this ballet presents some of the supreme challenges of their careers. The principal roles require both Olympian physical skill and consummate acting ability. As the artists who are bringing these characters to life explain, each one contains some aspect of the greatness of “Onegin.”
“There is a moment in the final pas de deux,” said Sabi Varga, who plays the title role, “when Onegin falls to the floor in a fetal position at Tatiana’s feet. When I first did that, I started to cry. It expresses so much pain. Onegin has been stripped down to flesh and bone.” Patrick Yocum, who plays Lensky, finds his role equally wrenching. “Lensky is consumed by passion,” said Yocum, “which drives him to do crazy things, like challenge his friend to a duel. The swan-song adagio he does just before the duel is so touching; his hands are always reaching away from his body—reaching out to the moon, to God, to anybody that can ease his fear of death.” Such expressiveness is found throughout the ballet, according to Erica Cornejo, who plays Tatiana. “‘Onegin’ contains so many details, and they must all be perfectly clear to the audience,” she noted. “The moment in the final pas de deux when Tatiana tears up Onegin’s letter declaring his love for her, just as he tore up her letter to him 20 years before, is so full of emotion. Although she has always loved him, she will not go back to him.” Tatiana’s tragic fate is echoed in that of her sister, noted Ashley Ellis, who plays Olga. “While Tatiana dreams of being in love,” said Ellis, “Olga lives her life in a free and easy way. Up to the moment when Lensky challenges Onegin to a duel, Olga is having a good time. She brushes off her fiancé when he objects to her dancing with his friend and doesn’t consider the possible consequences of her actions. That is her downfall.” The devastation caused by such choices permeates the choreography. “Cranko understood how the human body can communi-
In addition to its compelling drama, the ballet has a distinguished score.
‘Onegin’ Boston Opera House 539 Washington St., Boston Tickets 617-695-6955, or BostonBallet.org Running Time 2 hours, 15 minutes Closes March 6
cate,” noted Varga. “His greatest strength as a choreographer is that he took the elements of classical ballet and combined them with everyday actions. In this ballet, you hear the movement as if it were words.” In addition to its compelling drama, the ballet has a distinguished score, which does not contain any music from Tchaikovsky’s famous opera “Eugene Onegin.” It was created by KurtHeinz Stolze by adapting parts of lesser-known works by the composer. “In that way, Stolze created a Tchaikovsky score that never was … brilliantly,” said Jonathan McPhee, Boston Ballet music director emeritus. Geneviève Leclair, Boston Ballet Orchestra assistant conductor, agreed. “Tchaikovsky’s mastery of melody and the orchestral color palette plays a huge role in his success as a composer. There’s a simplicity of texture in this score that is similar to the character of Tatiana. She’s simple and pure, and yet she lives through intense emotions,” Leclair said. One is left to wonder: Does the greatness of “Onegin” lie in its story, choreography, or music? The only answer is that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. When the Boston Ballet dancers and musicians perform “Onegin,” they will be interacting with and transformed by the vision of Pushkin, Tchaikovsky, and Cranko. Based in a Boston suburb, Carla DeFord is a freelance writer with a special interest in the arts and education. Her work has appeared in such publications as CriticalDance.org, Ballet Review, The Boston Globe, School Band and Orchestra, JAZZed Magazine, Choral Director Magazine, and Diverse: Issues in Higher Education.
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February 19–25, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts S I BY L L E ’ S S T Y L E D I A RY
GEORGE BRESCIA
NINA DUNCAN PHOTOGRAPHY
on Enhancing Your Personal Brilliance COURTESY OF GEORGE BRESCIA
By Sibylle Eschapasse
George Brescia’s book, “Change Your Clothes, Change Your Life.”
This week’s style diary guest is George Brescia, the very well known New York style expert and author of “Change Your Clothes, Change Your Life.” He frequently appears on national television, doing regular red carpet commentary and fashion and trend reporting. Brescia truly knows about style; his background includes 25 years of working closely with top fashion leaders. He is also a top-tier NYC-based stylist and image consultant helping people, including many celebrities, to look and feel their best. George’s philosophy is that clothing is so much more than style. In his own words, every single thing you wear communicates something about you to the outside world. It also has a significant impact on the way you feel, and your clothing has the potential to either enhance or hinder your personal brilliance.
Always be open and curious about what is around you in the world and expand on that. George Brescia COURTESY OF GEORGE BRESCIA
Sibylle Eschapasse: Describe your style? If a close friend were to describe your personality in three words, what would they be? George Brescia: My style is focused on the classic while always staying modern. Three words?... Effervescent! Warm! Fun! Ms. Eschapasse: How did your style evolve since you were a teenager? What is the wildest thing you ever wore? Mr. Brescia: When I was a teenager, I was a little heavier, but when I started working out and got into shape my style became more streamlined. I always wanted to look classic, but also sexy. The wildest thing I’ve ever (Middle) worn wasn’t that wild by my standards, but Style expert other folks might think it was … my fuchGeorge Brescia. sia corduroy suit by Marc Jacobs, which I’ve
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Television personality and image consultant to Broadway stars George Brescia. worn on-air a few times. I always get a kick out of how happy it makes people! Ms. Eschapasse: How do you dress on workdays versus weekends? Mr. Brescia: My book “Change Your Clothes, Change Your Life” says that your clothes speak before you do. Always have them say exactly what you want them to about your true self. Truthfully, I usually work seven days a week. When I’m on my way to meetings and clients, I wear a jacket and tie, a cashmere sweater, dress slacks or great jeans, etc. But even when I’m running off to the gym for cross-training, I choose my workout clothes carefully. My own closet is full of what I call “perfect 10s”! Whether a weekend or a weekday, I’m always conscious of what I’m wearing.
of people are not conscious of how they dress from day to day, and how important it actually is in their day to day lives!! You really DO say so much when you walk into a room just by your appearance. Like it or not, people make judgments within 60 seconds of meeting just by what they see. You really DO have to wear clothes because you can’t go naked, so make your clothes be a choice not an accident. You can develop your own personal style by looking at people, whether famous or from your own circle, whom you’ve always admired. You can find great inspiration in magazines, on the Internet, Pinterest, entertainment shows, and websites! Find people and things that draw you to them. Always be open and curious about what is around you in the world and expand on that.
Ms. Eschapasse: What are three accessories you can’t live without, and what’s one item that makes you instantly more confident? Mr. Brescia: My three accessories are an oversized cashmere scarf, a beautiful leather duffle, and a great watch. And the right pair of shoes always makes me more confident!
George’s Favorites
Ms. Eschapasse: Who have been your greatest fashion influences? Who is your style icon? Mr. Brescia: My fashion influences have been my own stylish mom (she had her own clothing store when I was growing up, and still looks amazing!), Cary Grant because he was always so polished in every movie, even the comedies, and Ralph Lauren, which was my first job out of college! And he is totally my style icon.
Favorite drink: Cranberry and club, 50/50
Ms. Eschapasse: What does having style mean to you? In other words, please define style. Mr. Brescia: Style is the way that you express your truest self through clothing, accessories, grooming, and your overall appearance. It is the choices you make that says to the world who and what you are, and what you intend to be.
Sibylle’s “Style Diary” is a column that explores style from the perspective of choices, and what that means for different people, with personal advice from some of the most stylish people in New York.
Ms. Eschapasse: What is one purchase you’re most proud of? What would you pay a lot of money for, and what would you never pay much money for? Mr. Brescia: Most proud of?... There are so many, but if I had to pick one, it would be my navy, double-breasted, chalk-stripe, cashmere suit…. by Ralph Lauren Purple Label, of course. What I would pay a lot of money for would be a beautiful watch! ... And I have! And what I don’t pay a lot of money for is underwear. Everyone is making perfectly good underwear.
Favorite color: Red ‥ every shade of red! Favorite cologne: Lemon Sugar by Fresh Favorite restaurant in NY: Mezzo Giorno Favorite movie: “Moonstruck” Favorite book: “Daring Greatly” by Brené Brown ... and then of course “Change Your Clothes, Change Your Life” ... by George Brescia Favorite quote: “Those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”—George Bernard Shaw
Sibylle Eschapasse is from Paris and now lives in Manhattan. She is a journalist and a contributing writer to various publications. Sibylle is also the author of a children’s book, “Argy Boy!: A New York Dog Tale.” She may be reached at Sibylle.Eschapasse@gmail.com NINA DUNCAN PHOTOGRAPHY
Ms. Eschapasse: When you go on the red carpet, how do you want your outfit to make you feel? Which designers can achieve that? Mr. Brescia: Chic and confident! I want the stars I’m interviewing to be just as dazzled with me as I am with them! It doesn’t matter what designer it is as long as I feel great. It can be the up-and-coming designers as well as the icons. There are some new kids on the block that I’m very excited about for both men and women!
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Ms. Eschapasse: What do you think of how others dress and what’s your advice to people who would like to develop their personal style? Mr. Brescia: As I say in my book, I think a lot
Playbill.com’s “Best Dressed” columnist George Brescia.
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February 19–25, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts
THINGS TO DO COMMUNITY EVENTS NEW IN MANHATTAN Athena Film Festival Feb. 18–21 Barnard College (at 117th Street & Broadway) The Athena Film Festival honors extraordinary women in the film industry and showcases films that address women's leadership in real life and the fictional world. $12–$80 (for all-access pass). AthenaFilmFestival.com Neighborhood Concert: Nation Beat Feb. 20 at 3 p.m. El Museo del Barrio 1230 Fifth Ave. (at 104th Street) Nation Beat is a 21st-century mashup that plays with infectious energy, seamlessly bridging Brazilian grooves, New Orleans funk, and classic American roots music. The group’s latest album, Growing Stone, which the band calls “an album for two Americas,” was inspired by Brazilian maracatu drumming, New Orleans second-line rhythms, Appalachian-style bluegrass, funk, rock, and country blues. Free. ElMuseo.org In the Time of the Butterflies Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. Harlem Stage Gatehouse, 150 Convent Ave. Based on the novel of the same name, the story of the courageous Mirabal Sisters from the Dominican Republic. The Sisters inspired resistance cells throughout the country against the dictatorial regime of Gen. Rafael Leónidas Trujillo. Free with RSVP. HarlemStage.org Neighborhood Concert: Sarah Elizabeth Charles Feb. 24 at 7:30 p.m. Harlem Stage Gatehouse, 150 Convent Ave. Vocalist and composer Sarah Elizabeth Charles’s smooth, soulful voice has captured audiences worldwide, including performances at the Bern Jazz Festival in Switzerland and Jazz at Lincoln Center. Free. HarlemStage.org
NEW ELSEWHERE Neighborhood Concert: Slavic Soul Party! Feb. 19 at 7:30 BRIC House, 647 Fulton St. (at Rockwell Place), Brooklyn A fiery mix of Balkan brass, accordion, virtuosic jazz, and pulsing grooves, Slavic Soul Party! is influenced by its members’ Eastern European, Mexican, and Asian roots, as well as American jazz and soul. Free. BRICArtsMedia.org Neighborhood Concert: The Itty Biddies Feb. 21 at 2 p.m. Snug Harbor Cultural Center & Botanical Garden Music Hall, 1000 Richmond Terrace (at Hamilton Avenue), Staten Island With roots in jazz and cabaret, The Itty Biddies are known for their genre-defying sound and energetic live performances. The trio encourages listeners to sing and dance along to their soaring vocals and lively instrumentals that feature ukulele, piano, bass, and drums. Free. Snug-Harbor.org Neighborhood Concert: Brown Rice Family Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m. LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, 31-10 Thomson Ave., Queens Brooklyn-based world roots band Brown Rice Family is a
high-energy, eight-member ensemble that combines an eclectic mix of musical influences encompassing reggae, hip-hop, Brazilian, Afrobeat, jazz, rock, Latin, and funk. Free. LPAC.nyc
VISUAL ARTS NEW IN MANHATTAN Patterns of Plants Feb. 24–28 Noguchi Museum, 9-01 33rd Rd. (at Vernon Boulevard) Internationally celebrated pianist Sarah Cahill will take up residence, performing Mamoru Fujieda’s stunning cycle of short pieces titled "Patterns of Plants" throughout the Noguchi Museum’s opening hours in the ground-floor galleries. General admission $10. Noguchi.org CHRISTIAN CRAVO: Twenty Five Years Through Feb. 27 Throckmorton Fine Art, 145 E. 57th St., Third Floor Christian Cravo’s upbringing was indelibly stamped by the contrasting environments he experienced being raised partly in Brazil as the son of a celebrated artist father, and for many years in Denmark, his mother’s home. This union produced an extraordinary talent who decided to make his life’s work a true journey between fascinating and disparate cultures. Free. ThrockMorton-NYC.com
PERFORMING ARTS NEW IN MANHATTAN Madama Butterfly Feb. 19–April 12 Metropolitan Opera Anthony Minghella's breathtaking production has thrilled audiences ever since its premiere in 2006. Kristine Opolais reprises her acclaimed portrayal of the title role, opposite Roberto Alagna as Pinkerton, the naval officer who breaks Butterfly's heart. Hei-Kyung Hong, Roberto De Biasio, and Gwyn Hughes Jones star in a second set of performances. Karel Mark Chichon conducts. From $25. MetOpera.org Astoria Stories Feb. 19–27 Astoria Performing Arts Center, 30-44 Crescent St., Astoria, Queens Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35 Ave., Astoria, Queens A festival of short plays and musicals paying homage to Astoria Performing Arts Center's home. $10. APACNY.org NYTB in Legends & Visionaries 2015 Feb. 24–27 New York Live Arts, 219 W. 19th St. New York Theatre Ballet will present three ballets set to Philip Glass's "Piano Etudes," Jerome Robbins' "Antique Epigraphs" staged by Kyra Nicols to Debussy's "6 Épigraphes antiques", and Richard Alston's "Such Longing" set to "Mazurkas" by Frédéric Chopin. From $15. NewYorkLiveArts.org All Balanchine II Feb. 27 at 2 p.m. David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center The Company draws upon its vast Balanchine repertory to exhibit some of his most luminous works. Walpurgisnacht Ballet,
RICK DIAMOND/GETTY IMAGES FOR COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME AND MUSEUM
Rosanne Cash
The River & The Thread
Feb. 20 at 8 p.m. Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall
Sonatine, Sonatine, Symphony in C ballet matinees. $60– $170. NYCBallet.com
ENDING IN MANHATTAN Maria Stuarda Through Feb. 20 Metropolitan Opera The second chapter of soprano Sondra Radvanovsky’s quest to sing all three Donizetti Tudor queen operas in the same season has her playing the doomed Mary, Queen of Scots. Sir David McVicar’s stunning production turns on the dramatic confrontation between Mary and her arch nemesis, Queen Elizabeth— compellingly portrayed by soprano Elza van den Heever. Riccardo Frizza conducts. From $32. MetOpera.org Cavalleria Rusticana/ Pagliacci Through Feb. 26 Metropolitan Opera Opera’s indomitable double bill returns in Sir David McVicar’s searing production from the 2014–15 season. Tenor Yonghoon Lee and mezzo-soprano Violeta Urmana star in Cavalleria Rusticana, the tragedy of ancient codes and illicit love, Sicilian style. From $25. MetOpera.org
NEW ELSEWHERE A Tribute to Maya Plisetskaya Feb. 25–18 BAM Howard Gilman Opera House Featuring Uliana Lopatkina, Diana Vishneva, and members of the Mariinsky Ballet. For decades, the legendary Maya Plisetskaya (1925–2015)— muse to choreographers Yuri Grigorovich, Alberto Alonso, and Maurice Béjart—was synonymous with Russian ballet. A star in the truest sense of the word, she is remembered for the ravenous intensity of her hyperphysical dancing and the spitfire personality that captivated audiences around the world, onstage and off. From $35. BAM.org
Feb. 20 at 8 p.m. Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall Three-time Grammy Award winning Rosanne Cash—along with co-writer and musical director John Leventhal— explores the full depth of her masterwork "The River & The Thread" in a riveting performance that untangles the journeys, myths, longing, and musical authenticity of the American South. $17–$80. CarnegieHall.org Mitsuko Uchida, Piano Feb. 23 at 8 p.m. Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall When Mitsuko Uchida performs Schubert and Schumann, the results are transcendent; the same is also true of her performances of works from the Second Viennese School. The beloved pianist performs Schumann’s ultra-Romantic Piano Sonata No. 1 in F-sharp Minor, Berg’s youthful Piano Sonata, and Schubert’s Four Impromptus, D. 899. $23–$145. CarnegieHall.org Christian Tetzlaff, Tanja Tetzlaff, Lars Vogt Feb. 24 at 7:30 p.m. Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall Schumann’s fascination
with counterpoint is a key component of his Piano Trio No. 2 in F Major, but he also inserts a quotation from one of his most popular songs in this energetic work. Songs inspired Dvorák’s Piano Trio in E Minor, but his were Slavic folksongs called “dumka.” $60–$72. CarnegieHall.org Sean Botkin, Piano Feb. 24 at 8 p.m. Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall Fresh off recent collaborative appearances in Weill Recital Hall and Merkin Hall and solo concerts in Tbilisi, Georgia, American pianist Sean Botkin performs a solo piano recital of Rachmaninoff, Prokofiev, Beethoven, and Chopin. $45. CarnegieHall.org Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra Feb. 26 at 8 p.m. Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage at Carnegie Hall There are stunning colors, stirring melodies, and an abundance of drama in this concert that features three orchestral favorites. Wagner’s Overture to "The Flying Dutchman" evokes both the storm-tossed sea and tormented soul of the
legendary mariner, while Debussy’s "La mer" employs shimmering colors for an impression of the very ocean itself. Ravel’s superbly scored orchestration of Mussorgsky’s piano suite "Pictures at an Exhibition" is electrifying from its opening Promenade to the famous “Great Gate of Kiev.” $37–$250. CarnegieHall.org
NEW ELSEWHERE Folk, Form, and Fire: The Prokofiev Piano Concertos Feb. 24 at 7:30 p.m. BAM Howard Gilman Opera House Conductor Valery Gergiev, the Mariinsky Orchestra, and five renowned soloists perform Sergei Prokofiev's piano concertos in this marriage of virtuosic repertoire and pianistic might—part of year two of the Mariinsky’s residency at BAM. From $35. BAM.org
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ONGOING ELSEWHERE The Cherry Orchard Through 27 BAM Harvey Theater, 651 Fulton St. Written for a Russia in the throes of social upheaval, Chekhov’s masterpiece "The Cherry Orchard" reverberates across more than a century in this new staging from visionary director Lev Dodin and his St. Petersburg-based Maly Drama Theatre (Three Sisters, 2012 Winter/Spring; Uncle Vanya, 2010 Spring Season). $25–$100. BAM.org
MUSIC NEW IN MANHATTAN Jasper String Quartet Feb. 19 at 7:30 Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall The beautifully poignant second-movement Adagio duet for viola and cello is just one of many unforgettable moments in Haydn’s String Quartet in G Major, Op. 76, No. 1. Debussy introduced daring textures, chords, and harmonies that were quite novel for 1893 in his String Quartet in G Minor that foreshadows his later musical style. $58. CarnegieHall.org Rosanne Cash: The River & The Thread
Celebrate
2016
Year of the Monkey Saturday February 20 & Sunday February 21 Join us for a Chinese cultural celebration dedicated to animals and good fortune! Enjoy traditional performances by a local theater group, Chinese Theatre Works. Warm up with tea and fortune cookies and don’t miss a calligraphy workshop, story time and special crafts.
11am – 4pm throughout the Zoo For more information visit queenszoo.com
This Chinese Theatre Works production was paid in part with funds from the New York State Council on the Arts and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.
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February 19–25, 2016 TheEpochTimes.com/EpochArts KATI VERESHAKA/EPOCH TIMES
“The Marquise de Pezay and the Marquise de Rougé With Her Sons,” 1787. Oil on canvas.
This picture has been hailed as tribute to friendship and maternal love.
THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
KATI VERESHAKA/EPOCH TIMES
KATI VERESHAKA/EPOCH TIMES
THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
“Marie Antoinette With a Rose,” 1783. Oil on canvas.
“Alexandre Charles Emmanuel de CrussolFlorensac,” 1787. Oil on wood.
“The Princess von und zu Liechtenstein as Iris,” 1793. Oil on canvas.
VIGÉE LE BRUN
“Madame Grand (Noël Catherine Verlée),” 1783. Oil on canvas.
WO M A N , A R T I S T, E N T R E P R E N E U R Vigée Le Brun continued from C1 Eighteenth century painting is not currently at its peak of popularity, remarked Katharine Baetjer, curator in the museum’s Department of European Paintings, hence her great surprise at the unexpected press preview turnout on an early, snowy February Monday morning. In Baetjer’s 40-year career at the Met, it was her first retrospective on a woman artist of the period. Surrounded by Vigée Le Brun’s work, the reason for her appeal is immediately obvious. The artist captures her subjects in suspended animation, as if they just turned to us, and are about to complete a sentence in a long and candid conversation. An Engaging Mind Her painting of Controller General of Finances Charles Alexandre de Calonne (1784), shows her subject in a sumptuous setting with a slightly bemused and relaxed expression. It is an exercise in the artist’s technical virtuosity in rendering a veritable cornucopia of the most challenging textures—from rich crimson brocade to silk satin, lace, the writing quills on Calonne’s gilded desk, and finally his sculptural, sensual hands that belie nothing of Vigée Le Brun lack of formal training. Portrait paintings often suffer from a masklike rigidity. It is the inevitable result of the sitter adopting an appropriately authoritative posture which, when considering that it must be maintained for prolonged periods of time, only adds to the artist’s challenge of capturing the subjects real character. This is understandable, since most portrait
Vigée Le Brun was not taught to draw in the traditional way that a French male artist was groomed from the mid-17th to mid-19th centuries.
painting was commissioned for contemporary propaganda and, later, for posterity. The forbearance of boredom was never factored into the outcome of the royal, or less than royal, highnesses’ resulting portraits. Vigée Le Brun knew better. She was very interested in giving her sitters a good experience; in her memoirs she wrote that her clients should be comfortable. This is evident as her subjects are almost always leaning on something. Even when they don’t, she manages to render her subjects in a lively and expressive way. Her painting of Countess Varvara Nikolayevna Golovina, (circa 1797–1800) captures the countess’s keen curiosity, which the artist wrote about in her memoirs. “It was very important to be able converse with your clients, and entertain them, and if you did, in return, you got a more lovely image. It has to be assumed that that it is one of the reasons that she was so gifted at portraiture and that her sitters appear so lively,” said Baetjer. Talent and Determination Trumps Training Vigée Le Brun was not taught to draw in the traditional way that a French male artist was groomed from the middle of the 17th century to the mid-19th century. She did not get to do studies of male nudes, as the training demanded, and anatomy was difficult for her. Her father was a skillful pastelist whose work must have been an inspiration to her, but he died when she was 12. Yet, by her mid-teenage years, Vigée Le Brun was supporting her family with her art. In her memoirs she tells us that she was inter-
ested in music, theater, and was a great conversationalist, which gained her a rather unusual degree of acceptance in high circles. And judging by her self-portraits, Vigée Le Brun was also bestowed with more than a fair share of beauty and grace. There are at least three self-portraits in the exhibition, including the one she painted in 1790 in Rome that became her calling card after she left France. When the revolution came in France, in 1792, her association with the royal family became a liability. Her “Self-Portrait in Traveling Costume (1789–1790),” shows her sadness after she fled revolutionary Paris in the autumn of 1789. Forced to divorce her husband, and without escort, Vigée Le Brun traveled with her 9-year-old daughter and a governess by public coach first to Italy, and subsequently throughout Europe. International Success She worked in Italy, Austria, Russia, Germany, and England, achieving a rather unique standing abroad. Among her patrons were Catherine the Great, the regent of Poland, and even one of Napoleon’s sisters. Her success outside of France was no lesser than that at the height of her career inside France, and it continued until the 1820s. She died at the ripe old age of 87. Due to her keen intellect and passion for painting, which she wrote only increased rather than subsided with her age, Vigée Le Brun managed to transcend all limitations of her sex, age, and education. She is a visual ambassador who brings us such easily accessible and vivid glimpses into a time that continues to fascinate us.