The New Criterion

By The New Criterion

Arts

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A monthly review of the arts and intellectual life. Interviews, poetry readings, musical criticism, and more.

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Music for a While #71: Musi...

02.07.2023

Paul Johnson, the great English historian and journalist, passed away last month. Music was important in the life of Paul Johnson. Jay has arranged a little program, in tribute. Mozart, Clarinet Concerto, first movement Bruckner, Scherzo from Symphony No. 9 ...

The New Criterion episodes:

02.07.2023 Music for a While #71: Music in the life of Paul Johnson Paul Johnson, the great English historian and journalist, passed away last month. Music was important in the life of Paul Johnson. Jay has arranged a little program, in tribute. Mozart, Clarinet Concerto, first movement Bruckner, Scherzo from Symphony No. 9 ...
01.30.2023 Benjamin Riley and James Panero in conversation Benjamin Riley and James Panero discuss the Hilton Kramer Fellowship, the bridges of Robert Adam, and what it takes to write for The New Criterion. This is the first podcast in a series celebrating the tenth anniversary of the magazine’s ...
01.26.2023 Roger Kimball introduces the February issue Roger Kimball, the Editor and Publisher of The New Criterion, discusses highlights of the February 2023 issue and reads from its opening pages.
01.19.2023 Harry Mount addresses the Young Friends Remarks from Harry Mount on the publication of his new book Et Tu, Brute? The Best Latin Lines Ever.
01.12.2023 Music for a While #70: Ringtones and other tunes This episode features the “Nokia tune”—which actually comes from a Spanish guitar piece. We also have tributes to two late-greats: the clarinetist Stanley Drucker and the organist Frederick Swann. And music by Handel, Berkeley, Guillaume Connesson (b. 1970), et al. ...
01.05.2023 Roger Kimball introduces the January issue Roger Kimball, the Editor and Publisher of The New Criterion, discusses highlights of the January 2023 issue and reads from its opening pages.
12.19.2022 Music for a While #69: Noël! A Christmas podcast: with carols, songs, and other things from all over. Various musical presents under this Tannenbaum. Bach, “Grosser Herr, o starker König,” from the Christmas Oratorio Trad., “The First Noël” Trad., “Joy to the World” Rinker & Huddleston, ...
12.06.2022 Music for a While #68: Preludes and other short wonders As our heading suggests, Jay fills this episode with preludes and other short pieces, and songs—by Tchaikovsky, Debussy, Shostakovich, and others. A wonderful, filling assortment. Shostakovich, Fugue in A major, from Preludes and Fugues, Op. 87 Debussy, “La fille aux ...
11.22.2022 Roger Kimball introduces the December issue Roger Kimball, the Editor and Publisher of The New Criterion, discusses highlights of the December 2022 issue and reads from its opening pages.
11.14.2022 James Panero on “A library by the book” James Panero reads “A library by the book,” his article on the politicization of the American library in the December 2022 issue of The New Criterion. https://newcriterion.com/issues/2022/12/a-library-by-the-book
10.27.2022 Music for a While #67: Mornings, etc. This episode begins with “Early in the Morning,” the song by Ned Rorem (who just turned ninety-nine). It proceeds with “Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin’.” Later on, there is “Sunday Morning,” one of the “Sea Interludes” from Britten’s opera “Peter ...
10.26.2022 Roger Kimball introduces the November issue Roger Kimball, the Editor and Publisher of The New Criterion, discusses highlights of the November 2022 issue and reads from its opening pages.
10.25.2022 The fourth annual Circle Lecture: “The beginnings” by Joshua T. Katz The New Criterion’s Visiting Critic Joshua T. Katz discusses “The beginnings: first words, first lines, first stories.”
10.17.2022 Roger Kimball introduces the October issue Roger Kimball, the Editor and Publisher of The New Criterion, discusses highlights of the October 2022 issue and reads from its opening pages.
10.11.2022 Joshua T. Katz and James Panero discuss “The beginnings” Executive Editor James Panero sits down with Visiting Critic Joshua T. Katz to discuss “The beginnings: first words, first lines, first stories,” the fourth annual Circle Lecture of The New Criterion.
09.21.2022 Music for a While #66: September songs True to the title of this episode, Jay has September songs: classical (Strauss and Ives, for example); popular (Earth, Wind & Fire!); and in between (Weill). A wonderful and timely bouquet. Marx, “Septembermorgen” Weill-Anderson, “September Song” Stenhammar, “September” Schmidt-Jones, “Try ...
09.09.2022 Music for a While #65: Moods, indigo and not As you can tell from the heading, Jay plays “Mood Indigo” in this episode—or rather, Ella Fitzgerald sings it. There is more jazz at the end, as the Oscar Peterson Trio does up “Tangerine.” This episode also includes an aria ...
08.16.2022 Music for a While #64: Horne-o-rama This summer, Jay had a long talk with Marilyn Horne, the great mezzo-soprano, resulting in a piece called “A Life of Singing.” He thought a podcast, to accompany the piece, would be good. You may well agree. Tracks of various ...
08.03.2022 Music for a While #63: Little things, big things This episode begins with Mozart—a movement from a piano sonata. It ends with a popular song, from the mid-1950s: “Little Things Mean a Lot.” In between are wonders and curiosities—including the Orientalist song on which the James Bond theme is ...
06.28.2022 Music for a While #62: Beyond the sabre Jay presents a program of music by Aram Khachaturian. You get the “Sabre Dance,” sure, from the ballet “Gayane.” But plenty more, too. Very interesting fellow, Khachaturian. All tracks by Aram Khachaturian Waltz from “Masquerade” (orchestra) Suite from “Gayane” Adagio ...
06.14.2022 Music for a While #61: “Just about the best thing ever” Sometimes Jay indulges in hyperbole—but the hyperbole is not far off. In this episode, he calls Dawn Upshaw’s 1989 recording of “No word from Tom” (Stravinsky) “just about the best thing ever.” You may well agree. He begins the episode ...
06.01.2022 Roger Kimball introduces the June issue Roger Kimball, the Editor and Publisher of The New Criterion, discusses highlights of the June 2022 issue and reads from its opening pages.
05.27.2022 Music for a While #60: A wide and wonderful world Jay begins and ends with Simon Preston, the English organist, who recently passed away. He also pays tribute to Alexander Toradze, the Georgian-born American pianist who also passed away in recent days. There is a little piece by Chopin, with ...
05.27.2022 James Panero on “The obtuse bard” James Panero reads “The obtuse bard,” his article on Winslow Homer in the June 2022 issue of The New Criterion. https://newcriterion.com/issues/2022/6/the-obtuse-bard
05.25.2022 Douglas Murray on “The War on the West” Douglas Murray discusses his latest book, “The War on the West,” during an event for the Friends of The New Criterion with an introduction by James Panero, Executive Editor.
05.06.2022 Roger Kimball introduces the May issue Roger Kimball, the Editor and Publisher of The New Criterion, discusses highlights of the May 2022 issue and reads from its opening pages.
05.02.2022 Music for a While #56: Playing on A couple of weeks ago, Alexei Lubimov, a Russian pianist, was playing at an anti-war concert in Moscow. Police burst in to stop the concert. Lubimov kept playing until he had finished his piece (a Schubert impromptu). At the end ...
04.11.2022 Larry P. Arnn and James Panero discuss “Consistency in politics” A conversation between Larry P. Arnn, the president of Hillsdale College and the 2022 Edmund Burke Award winner, and Executive Editor James Panero on the future of education in America and the salvation of free government. https://newcriterion.com/gala
04.07.2022 Roger Kimball introduces the April issue Roger Kimball, the Editor and Publisher of The New Criterion, discusses highlights of the April 2022 issue and reads from its opening pages.
04.01.2022 The New Criterion Poetry Prize New Criterion Poetry Editor Adam Kirsch & Executive Editor James Panero discuss the April 2022 poetry issue; in celebration of The New Criterion Poetry Prize, Bruce Bond & Nicholas Pierce read from their winning books.
03.11.2022 Kelly Jane Torrance on the front lines of journalism On February 24, Kelly Jane Torrance, Op-Ed Editor of the New York Post, addressed a gathering of the Young Friends of The New Criterion in New York. Listen to her remarks on the recent invasion of Ukraine and working on ...
02.07.2022 Roger Kimball introduces the February issue Roger Kimball, the Editor and Publisher of The New Criterion, discusses highlights of the February 2022 issue and reads from its opening pages.
01.24.2022 Music for a While #58: “I hate music”? That’s the title of a Bernstein song: “I Hate Music” (“but I like to sing”). In this episode, Jay has Barbara Bonney sing it. There’s also music by Mozart and other familiar composers. And music off the beaten path: Catoire? ...
01.10.2022 Roger Kimball introduces the January issue Roger Kimball, the Editor and Publisher of The New Criterion, discusses highlights of the January 2022 issue and reads from its opening pages.
01.05.2022 Music for a While #57: “Hold out your light” This episode begins with a Vivaldi concerto and ends with a seasonal favorite: “Sleigh Ride,” by Leroy Anderson. In between, there is music by Bruch, Grieg, Stephen Foster, and others. In the mix is a spiritual, “Hold Out Your Light.” ...
12.18.2021 Music for a While #56: Welcome, Christmas In this episode, Jay does his annual Christmas show—this year featuring E. Power Biggs, Heidi Grant Murphy, Oscar Peterson, Marilyn Horne, and other worthy performers. A glad season, with glad music. “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” Handel, “And He Shall ...
12.09.2021 Roger Kimball introduces the December issue Roger Kimball, the Editor and Publisher of The New Criterion, discusses highlights of the December 2021 issue and reads from its opening pages.
12.02.2021 Music for a While #55: Nuts This episode begins with the “Chinese Dance” from “The Nutcracker”—a ballet that has been banned in Berlin. Wokeness has hopped the pond. Jay also plays an excerpt from an old, old opera based on the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice; ...
11.29.2021 Robert Erickson & James Panero discuss Herodotus & more James Panero, the Executive Editor of The New Criterion, sits down with Robert Erickson, Assistant Editor, to discuss the Histories of Herodotus and other major works in ancient Greek.
11.18.2021 Music for a While #54: Joy in music Nelson Freire, who passed away this month, said that pianists ought to play with joy. He did. There is a lot of joy in this episode, and sublimity, ethereality, and other qualities to savor. From Wagner to Errol Garner. Trad., ...
11.04.2021 Music for a While #53: Songs and memories A piece he was writing about soccer, believe it or not, put Jay in mind of a song. So did the title of the latest Bond movie. There have been some passings in music recently: of Carlisle Floyd, Edita Gruberová, ...
10.29.2021 Roger Kimball introduces the November issue Roger Kimball, the Editor and Publisher of The New Criterion, discusses highlights of the November 2021 issue and reads from its opening pages.
10.18.2021 Conrad Black delivers the third annual Circle Lecture: “Is America in irreversible decline?” Conrad Black delivers the third annual circle lecture titled “Is America in irreversible decline?” with an introduction by Roger Kimball.
10.04.2021 Conrad Black & James Panero discuss “Is America in Irreversible Decline?” Occasioned by the third annual Circle Lecture of The New Criterion, Conrad Black discusses his essay for the forthcoming November 2021 issue with James Panero.
09.30.2021 Roger Kimball introduces the October issue Roger Kimball, the Editor and Publisher of The New Criterion, discusses highlights of the October 2021 issue and reads from its opening pages.
09.22.2021 Music for a While #52: Strains of Salzburg In the current issue of the magazine, Jay has a chronicle on the 2021 Salzburg Festival. In this episode, he plays some of the music he discusses: from Bach to Mozart to Gershwin. (There are seven composers in all.) A ...
09.09.2021 James Panero on “New worlds” James Panero, the Executive Editor of The New Criterion, reads the essay “New worlds,” his reflections on a discovery of fifteenth-century Venetian glass beads in Alaska, from the September issue.
09.08.2021 Music for a While #51: From Mozart to Borge The opening piece, Jay says is one of the most joyous, most exuberant pieces ever written. It is a movement of a symphony, actually—the finale. Jay closes this program with Victor Borge, the musician-comedian, or comedian-musician—but in a serious vein. ...
09.01.2021 Roger Kimball introduces the September issue Roger Kimball, the Editor and Publisher of The New Criterion, discusses highlights of the September 2021 issue and reads from its opening pages.
08.25.2021 Music for a While #50: Pieces from all over It is characteristic of this podcast to contain a variety of music. But this episode is exceptionally diverse, with music by George Walker, Lili Boulanger, and Florence Price, to go with music by Mozart, Shostakovich, and Hindemith. Jay lays it ...

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The New Criterion

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The New Criterion episodes:

Music for a While #71: Music in the life of Paul Johnson

Benjamin Riley and James Panero in conversation

Roger Kimball introduces the February issue

Harry Mount addresses the Young Friends

Music for a While #70: Ringtones and other tunes

Roger Kimball introduces the January issue

Music for a While #69: Noël!

Music for a While #68: Preludes and other short wonders

Roger Kimball introduces the December issue

James Panero on “A library by the book”

Music for a While #67: Mornings, etc.

Roger Kimball introduces the November issue

The fourth annual Circle Lecture: “The beginnings” by Joshua T. Katz

Roger Kimball introduces the October issue

Joshua T. Katz and James Panero discuss “The beginnings”

Music for a While #66: September songs

Music for a While #65: Moods, indigo and not

Music for a While #64: Horne-o-rama

Music for a While #63: Little things, big things

Music for a While #62: Beyond the sabre

Music for a While #61: “Just about the best thing ever”

Roger Kimball introduces the June issue

Music for a While #60: A wide and wonderful world

James Panero on “The obtuse bard”

Douglas Murray on “The War on the West”

Roger Kimball introduces the May issue

Music for a While #56: Playing on

Larry P. Arnn and James Panero discuss “Consistency in politics”

Roger Kimball introduces the April issue

The New Criterion Poetry Prize

Kelly Jane Torrance on the front lines of journalism

Roger Kimball introduces the February issue

Music for a While #58: “I hate music”?

Roger Kimball introduces the January issue

Music for a While #57: “Hold out your light”

Music for a While #56: Welcome, Christmas

Roger Kimball introduces the December issue

Music for a While #55: Nuts

Robert Erickson & James Panero discuss Herodotus & more

Music for a While #54: Joy in music

Music for a While #53: Songs and memories

Roger Kimball introduces the November issue

Conrad Black delivers the third annual Circle Lecture: “Is America in irreversible decline?”

Conrad Black & James Panero discuss “Is America in Irreversible Decline?”

Roger Kimball introduces the October issue

Music for a While #52: Strains of Salzburg

James Panero on “New worlds”

Music for a While #51: From Mozart to Borge

Roger Kimball introduces the September issue

Music for a While #50: Pieces from all over