Born and raised in Washington, D.C., I couldn't help but develop a keen interest in politics, but music, theater and visual art also proved great attractions. Music became my main focus after high school. I thought about being a cocktail pianist, but I hated taking requests, so I studied music history instead, earning a B.A. in that field from Eisenhower College (Seneca Falls, N.Y.) and an M.A. from Occidental College (Los Angeles). I then landed in journalism. After freelancing for the Washington Post and others, I was classical music critic for the Sun-Sentinel in South Florida, where I also contributed to NPR. I've written for the New York Times, BBC Music Magazine and other publications, and I'm a longtime contributor to Opera News. My book, The NPR Curious Listener's Guide to Classical Music (Perigee, 2002), can be found on the most discerning remainder racks.
I joined the Baltimore Sun as classical music critic in 2000 and, in 2009, also became theater critic, giving me the opportunity to annoy a whole new audience. In 2010, my original Clef Notes blog expanded to encompass a theatrical component -- how could I resist calling it Drama Queens? I hope you'll find both sides of this blog coin worth exploring and reacting to; your own comments are always welcome and valued (well, most of them, at least).
Think of this as your open-all-hours, cyber green room, where there's always a performer or performance to discuss, some news to digest, or maybe just a little good gossip to share.
Note: Tim Smith now writes about the fine arts at
baltimoresun.com/artsmash. This blog will be kept in place as an archive for an indefinite period. Please visit the new location to get the latest Mid-Atlantic arts coverage.
View the Artsmash blog
Comments
I really liked reading Don Rosenberg's reviews. I've only been able to attend 3 concerts in Cleveland over the past 3 years (poor rate indeed!), and I relied on his sound judgment to give me a pretty accurate picture of what happened (e.g., in the many desired concerts I had to miss). He is obviously not a fan of Welser-Möst, and while I don't wholly share that opinion, I can appreciate Don's stance.
(Quite frankly, the Cleveland Orchestra _is_ a wonderful instrument, so to speak, but I think that they're getting a tad too bland under Welser-Möst; having said that, they respond very well to his conducting style, which tends toward blended colours and technical precision over contrapuntal clarity and intensity. In short, they're losing a lot of "feeling" for the music in the quest for "refinement.")
I wish Don a lot of luck. To put the matter plainly: he got screwed, big-time!
Thanks for sharing your observations. I couldn't agree more with your assessment of the way Don was treated, although I might not be permitted to put it quite so vividly.TIM
Posted by: Doug Halfen | April 3, 2009 6:54 PM