MY NEW YEAR RESOLUTION FOR 2023

 My New Year resolution for 2023 is to keep my promise of bowing out of political commentaries. These have taken up a lot of my time during the past few years, and life is short. I predict the immediate political future of our country will be dreary and bordering on a fine line between fascism and democracy. My hope is that younger generations will run for public office for the right reasons, and not for the purpose of fulfilling inflated egos.

My political predictions for the next two years are as follows:

1.) Donald Trump will fade from the political landscape. We probably won't see him land in jail. However, he will be carrying too much baggage to become the GOP's presidential nominee in 2024.

2.) I predict Ron DeSantis will be the GOP's presidential nominee in 2024 if he decides to enter the race. On the Democratic side, I expect that despite his age, Joe Biden will run for reelection, even though I would like to see a younger candidate, especially if Ron DeSantis should be the GOP candidate. (DeSantis will be 46 in 2024, and Biden will be 82.)

3.) With a Republican majority in the House, beginning in January, I don't expect much in the way of actual work getting done on behalf of the American people during the next two years. I expect Kevin McCarthy will make concessions with far-right GOP members in order to become Speaker. This means we can expect revenge tactics targeting Democrats, which potentially means hearings, impeachments, and ugly behavior. We will see very little work on legislation.

4.) International affairs will continue to be troubling. We must continue to hope that nuclear exchanges never occur, despite the increase in totalitarianism across the globe.

As I fade from political commentaries on social media, I look forward to maintaining a focus on my primary area of interest, which is the performing arts. At the same time, I will continue to pray for a political environment in the U.S. and elsewhere that is more civil than what we are now experiencing.

A MUSICAL ANALYSIS OF THE MOVIE, TAR

 I recently wrote a lengthy review of the movie, TAR. My focus was primarily on the performances, the narrative of the story, and my expectation that there will be Oscar nominations for best film and best actress (Cate Blanchett). Since I have studied the art of conducting in the past, in addition to the fact that I continue to follow the careers of conductors I admire (wanted to be one once-upon-time), a musician friend asked me what I thought of Cate Blanchett's character and how I felt about the manner in which classical music is treated in this film. So, I will address these issues now.

It is important to state that Lydia Tar is a fictitious conductor. Cate Blanchett carries the role very well, and I guarantee she will send chills up and down the spines of viewers. That said, from a musical standpoint, I felt that the movie did an injustice to conductors in general, especially women conductors. The best conductors know how to collaborate well with orchestra musicians. It is this type of collaboration that produces respect and trust between conductors and orchestras. A dictator on the podium, such as Lydia Tar, will only instill fear and disrespect.

Two female conductors I highly respect and admire are Marin Alsop and JoAnn Falletta. I have no doubt they were horrified if they watched the film, TAR. The primary symphony used in the movie is Gustav Mahler's #5, a challenging work by all accounts. We see Cate Blanchett's portrayal of Lydia Tar as a tyrant, with temper tantrums reminiscent of those displayed by the late Arturo Toscanini. Her berating of conducting students in a master class was beyond the pale. Her method of choosing a cellist for Elgar's Cello Concerto (made famous by the late Jacqueline Dupree) was also contrived and would be inexcusable in a real-life setting.

There is much more I could say about TAR. If you simply watch it for its intent, which is a study of musical power gone wrong, you might agree with me that Cate Blanchett is deserving of an Oscar nomination. It is simply important to keep in mind that a conductor such as Lydia Tar would be immediately dismissed by an orchestra's board of directors. My deep admiration continues for Marin Also and JoAnn Falletta for being perfect role models for women who aspire toward careers on the conducting podium.