Heart On His Sleeve
Following a new Otello that streamed to thousands, the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino’s Alexander Pereira on directing opera mid-pandemic
Christmas Scamp
Martin Jarvis records Richmal Crompton’s “Just William” stories as the young hero makes a mockery of holiday merriment
Good Pluck
The Israeli mandolinist Avi Avital is gaining world recognition for his delightful mastering of the string instrument
French Leave
Nearly ten years ago Dominique Strauss-Kahn was accused of rape but managed to avoid jail. A new documentary recounts the incident and its aftermath
Home for the Holidays
Art, ballet, operas, carols: a cultural guide to a holiday season spent socially distanced and (mostly) at home
The Populist and His Flock
The rise and fall of Father Coughlin, the Depression-era version of the departing president
Groucho’s Dinner with T. S. Eliot
Comedy meets tragedy over roast beef in London
In Love and Song
In Vienna, a new exhibition showcases the lives of Jan Kiepura and Marta Eggerth, husband-and-wife stars of opera and operetta on both sides of the Atlantic
The Mice Will Play
The crawling creatures of The Nutcracker, much loved by the choreographer George Balanchine, make their annual appearance this holiday season
A Symphony For Our Time
Conceived by the conductor Marin Alsop with the imprimatur of Carnegie Hall, “Global Ode to Joy” collects clips by concert royalty around the world
Huniford At Home
A new book collects the interiors of James Huniford, ranging from Connecticut barns to his own Tribeca loft
Mean Streets
A documentary takes to the streets of Venezuela to chronicle the day-to-day life of a nation in crisis
Color Her World
Exhibitions in Oxfordshire and New York capture Cecily Brown, the British painter of bold, energetic works, at her finest
Frost, Nixon, et al.
In his son’s new podcast, David Frost, who interviewed Gloria Steinem, Robert Kennedy, and, famously, Richard Nixon, reflects on the art of the interview
Art House
As director of Newlands House, a quiet British-countryside gallery, the former Phillips auctioneer organizes an exhibition of works by Ron Arad
Come Together
In lieu of an American tour, 21-year-old cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason records Saint-Saëns’s Carnival of the Animals at Abbey Road alongside his musical siblings
Hats Off!
This month, exhibitions on designers Philip Treacy and Halston pay extravagant tribute to headwear
Open Studio
Contemporary artists offer accessible, at-home art projects in a new book, out now