Bruce Hodges

@brucehodges

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Bruce Hodges@brucehodges· 25d

From the Festival d'Aix-en-Provence, a scene from the new production of Die Frau ohne Schatten, directed by Barrie Kosky, with the Orchestre de Paris conducted by Klaus Mäkelä A fabulous cast, and thank you, @artefr.bsky.social 📷: Monika Rittershaus

One of the sets from the opera, Die Frau ohne Schatten, in a production by Barrie Kosky at Aix-en-Provence. A steampunk-style metallic tower shows three levels, as if a small apartment building, with bits of furniture, hanging clothing, and members of the cast inside.

Bruce Hodges@brucehodges· Jul 11

Revisited War of the Worlds (2005, dir. Steven Spielberg), and liked it more this time, despite being a bit "meh" about Cruise. A shout-out to Spielberg's longtime editor, Michael Kahn, for the terrifying appearance of the aliens, a subsequent plane crash, and a panicked scene on a crowded ferry

A screenshot from "War of the Worlds" (2005) by Steven Spielberg, showing a rear view of two people gazing at a towering creature, perhaps as tall as a skyscraper, looming in the distance.

Bruce Hodges@brucehodges· Jul 3

Tonight, thanks to @filmadelphia.org, revisiting "Independence Day" from 1996 (how is it 30 years ago already) Will be interesting to see if the audience reacts to The White House being blown up by aliens 😄

From the film "Independence Day" (1996) a screenshot showing a closeup of a TV (the tube kind) with a map of the Los Angeles area, and at right, a Mexican cookbook

Bruce Hodges@brucehodges· Jul 2

Pianists Soyeon Kate Lee and Ran Dank in the finale of Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra, arranged by Logan Skelton for two pianos (and snare drums in the second movement) at the Bowdoin International Music Festival More livestreams from Bowdoin all month: www.youtube.com/@bowdoinfest...

At the Bowdoin International Music Festival, pianists Soyeon Kate Lee and Ran Dank at two pianos, with two snare drums between them, in the finale of Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra, arranged by Logan Skelton

Bruce Hodges@brucehodges· Jun 24

Hadn't seen Days of Heaven (1978, dir. Terrence Malick) in probably 30 years, and it has been magnificently restored by the Criterion crew. Richard Gere, Brooke Adams, and Sam Shepard are excellent, but Linda Manz steals the show as the narrator, a cigarette-smoking little girl from Chicago

A screenshot from "Days of Heaven, showing Richard Gere standing in a wheat field with five men in the background, as clouds of locusts fill the orange sky. In the distance is a silhouette of a farmhouse.

Bruce Hodges@brucehodges· Jun 21

Happy Summer Solstice 📷: Reuben Wu

A photo by Reuben Wu from his "Siren" series, showing the Northern Lights above, and below, ghostly, veil-like images crossing the water

Bruce Hodges@brucehodges· Jun 20

Bonus: first time hearing Lucienne Renaudin Vary, who also did an encore, an arrangement by Bob Zimmerman of Astor Piazzolla's "Oblivion"

A close-up photo of soloist Lucienne Renaudin Vary, in a vibrant green dress, near the end of Alexander Arutjunjan's Trumpet Concerto

Bruce Hodges@brucehodges· Jun 18

At the opening ceremonies of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, The Boss is looking pretty fine at 76

Bruce Hodges@brucehodges· Jun 9

"Aerolite observed on the 11th June 1867" From Astronomy (1875) by Jean Pierre Rambosson (1827-1886) (California Digital Library, via @pdimagearchive.bsky.social)

Against a gray background, an aerolite (a type of meteor) streaks across the frame from left, leaving a dark brown trail. It heads toward a glowing pattern of yellowish particles on the right side of the frame.

Bruce Hodges@brucehodges· Jun 2

Now through July 19 at @artsmia.bsky.social, "Modern Art and Politics in Germany 1910–1945: Masterworks from the Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin" It is a stunning show, with all-too-sober resonance for 2026. If I lived in the Twin Cities I would go more than once new.artsmia.org/exhibition/m...

A 1928 painting (oil on canvas) by Christian Schad (German, 1894–1982) titled "Sonja" from the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin. In the center of the frame, a woman with dark short hair and dark gray eyes gazes soberly at the viewer. She wears a black dress with a pink flower on her left shoulder, and is sitting next to a bottle of champagne in a bucket. Two unidentified male figures are on either side of her, one in a black jacket, the other in red.

Photo: Jörg P. Anders

Bruce Hodges@brucehodges· May 24

Hadn't seen an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000 (#MST3K) in something like twenty years. "Samson vs. the Vampire Women" (1962) made an excellent welcome back as you can see from the shot below packed with references to Samson and vampires

A black-and-white still photograph from the 1962 movie, "Samson vs. the Vampire Women," showing a living room at night with two figures facing each other. At left is a tall man in a dark suit, talking with (at right) an actor dressed as a Mexican wrestler in tights, a cape, and a gold metallic head mask

Bruce Hodges@brucehodges· May 22

A couple of years ago I had this Amaro Sfumato Rabarbaro after a fantastic meal in New Orleans, and bought a couple of bottles afterward. It's derived from rhubarb, and delicious

A dark brown bottle of Amaro Sfumato Rabarbaro, an Italian liqueur, with the name printed in metallic ink on a dark brown label.

Bruce Hodges@brucehodges· May 20

Philadelphia, 8:14 pm

A photograph of a sunset in Philadelphia, with tall buildings in the center, a balcony railing at the bottom. At the top, an arc of clouds shows the blue sky peeping through, with the orange sunset glowing in the distance

Bruce Hodges@brucehodges· May 18

Just now, I overheard a guy in my building apologizing to a member of the staff, apparently after yelling. "I'm sorry, I had a bad day. It was wrong, and I apologize." We could use more of this kind of thing. Image from "Nos Invisibles" (1907) by Raffaele Mainella, via @pdimagearchive.bsky.social

A dark green illustration showing an outstretched palm, horizontally at the top, with at bottom, two clasped hands

Bruce Hodges@brucehodges· May 18

Woodcut of the day "Creation of the Firmament" from Genesis (1924) by Paul Nash (British, 1889-1946) From the Wellcome Collection (London) via Public Domain Image Archive (@pdimagearchive.bsky.social)

A woodcut by British artist Paul Nash (1889-1946) called "Creation of the Firmament" from his 1924 book, Genesis. In black and white, the image shows a series of vertical arcs, interlocking with a horizontal one at the top

Bruce Hodges@brucehodges· May 17

Despite longtime admiration for John Waters, I had somehow missed Desperate Living (1977) until last night. Now it will be forever burned in the memory, thanks to the Philadelphia Film Society (@filmadelphia.org) (Note: it might be a bit rogue) 📷: Edith Massey as Queen Carlotta, via [FILMGRAB]

A close-up of actress Edith Massey, scowling in John Waters's film Desperate Living (1977). She is wearing a white dress with a large ruff framing her head, with red hair and s small silver crown

Bruce Hodges@brucehodges· May 16

46 Reasons to Ditch Your Car In our car-centric culture, I realize not everyone can do this all the time, but even part-time makes a difference, both in your life, and in the life of the planet. momentummag.com/reasons-to-d... (Thanks to @brenttoderian.bsky.social and @momentummag.bsky.social)

A corner block in Montreal's Plateau neighborhood, with two pedestrians, two cyclists going in opposite directions, and two parked cars. On the wall of the building is a mural in orange, with black-and-white striped forms (zebra?)

Bruce Hodges@brucehodges· May 15

Curtain call after a blazing Bruckner Third Symphony in its intriguing original version (new to me), with @nezetseguin.bsky.social and @philorch.bsky.social. Before that, an engrossing world premiere by Tyshawn Sorey, "For Marilyn Crispell," with pianist Aaron Diehl as the quietly superb soloist

Photograph from the interior of Marian Anderson Hall (reddish brown and purple hues) of The Philadelphia Orchestra and conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin, after their performance of Bruckner's Third Symphony

Bruce Hodges@brucehodges· May 12

Memorial concert for Haleh Abghari Monday, May 18, 7:30 pm Benzaquen Hall, DiMenna Center for Classical Music, NYC Renowned for her work with Georges Aperghis, György Kurtág, and others, in 2007 she was the first woman to perform the title role in Peter Maxwell Davies's "Eight Songs for a Mad King"

Close-up of singer Haleh Abghari, wearing a yellow shirt, in front of a microphone

Bruce Hodges@brucehodges· May 6

Yess. Haven't heard either of these in *decades*, but I recall liking them at the time.

Record album cover for Bizet's Jeux d'enfants, with Alfons & Aloys Kontarsky, pianists. Cover art is a blurred shot of a multicolor top spinning

Record album cover for works by Bartok and Stravinsky with Alfons & Aloys Kontarsky, pianists. Cover art shows the two of them in front of a large black chair

Bruce Hodges@brucehodges· May 6

"I dedicate this to MTT and to his beloved Joshua." ~ Audra McDonald at Carnegie Hall, introducing Michael Tilson Thomas's arrangement of Gershwin's "Fascinating Rhythm," which she performed with pianist Andy Einhorn 📷: Kristen Loken

A color photo of vocalist Audra McDonald with conductor Michael Tilson Thomas standing behind her, both smiling

Bruce Hodges@brucehodges· May 4

More 📷 by Tracie Van Auken from the Curtis Opera Theatre production of Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream: Tytania (the fairy queen), the two pairs of lovers, and the group of "Rustics"

Jeysla Rosario Santos as Tytania, onstage in Britten's opera, A Midsummer Night's Dream, staged by the Curtis Opera Theatre

Emilio Vásquez as Demetrius and Jennifer Robinson as Helena in Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream, staged by the Curtis Opera Theatre

Carlyle Quinn as Hermia and Landry Allen as Lysander in Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream, staged by the Curtis Opera Theatre

Onstage, the group of six "Rustics" — Yulin Yan, Sebastian Wittmoser Herrera, Hongrui Ren, Ryan Jester, Henry Drangel, and Ross Macatangay — in Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream, staged by the Curtis Opera Theatre

Bruce Hodges@brucehodges· May 4

Yesterday, my first encounter with Britten's opera, A Midsummer Night's Dream (1960), staged by the Curtis Opera Theatre (@curtisinstitute.bsky.social) Sparkling orchestration and colors, brought to life by a deliriously game cast and conductor Vinay Parameswaran 📷: Tracie Van Auken

Members of the chorus as fairies, seen in dark silhouette behind a curtain, with a bare tree in the foreground, onstage in Britten's opera, A Midsummer Night's Dream, staged by the Curtis Opera Theatre

An onstage close-up of Maya Mor-Mitrani as Puck, wearing deer horns and sitting on a bed, in Britten's opera, A Midsummer Night's Dream, staged by the Curtis Opera Theatre

Sam Higgins as Oberon, onstage in front of the proscenium, in Britten's opera, A Midsummer Night's Dream, staged by the Curtis Opera Theatre

A photo of the set, designed by Cameron Anderson, for Britten's A Midsummer Night's Dream, staged by the Curtis Opera Theatre. From left to right, Puck poses with a stepladder, with a bare tree in the center, two chairs at the right, and a glimpse of a spiral staircase at the far right

Bruce Hodges@brucehodges· May 1

And the incomparable Dianne Reeves at the 15th Annual International Jazz Day All-Star Global Concert in Chicago #JazzDay

Dianne Reeves onstage, wearing a flowered pink and silver satin floor-length coat, singing "In a Sentimental Mood"

From the 15th Annual International Jazz Day All-Star Global Concert in Chicago

Bruce Hodges@brucehodges· May 1

Lizz Wright, heavens From the 15th Annual International Jazz Day All-Star Global Concert in Chicago #JazzDay

Jazz singer Lizz Wright, in a floor-length black dress, onstage at the 15th Annual International Jazz Day All-Star Global Concert in Chicago

Bruce Hodges@brucehodges· May 1

Gov. Pritzker welcomes the packed Civic Opera House in Chicago for the 15th Annual International Jazz Day All-Star Global Concert #JazzDay

Photo of the audience inside the ornate interior of the Civic Opera House in Chicago, with Gov. Pritzker at the right, welcoming the crowd for the 15th Annual International Jazz Day All-Star Global Concert

Bruce Hodges@brucehodges· Apr 28

Vintage postcard of the day 2386 Hulett Electric Hoists Ashtabula, Ohio (c. 1914)

A postcard from the early 20th century showing the massive machinery of an electric hoist in Ashtabula, Ohio

Bruce Hodges@brucehodges· Apr 27

In the lobby of Philadelphia's Academy of Music before the final performance of Sleepers Awake by Gregory Spears, after its world premiere by Opera Philadelphia 📷: Daniele Sahr

In the lobby of the Academy of Music in Philadelphia, a woman in an elegant, floor-length black dress stands next to a man in a dark gray suit. Seen from the back, both are wearing veils, and stand facing a glass door leading to the outer lobby

Bruce Hodges@brucehodges· Apr 24

Tomorrow afternoon, Juilliard Opera will livestream Verdi's Falstaff (2 pm Eastern) at the link below, which also has details on the production, cast, and chorus. (Alas, won't be archived, but on the plus side, it's free.) www.juilliard.edu/event/178991...

From the Juilliard Opera, a photo of the set of Verdi's opera, "Falstaff, with two of the characters in a park at night, flanked by two park benches, street lights, and a giant moon overhead.

Photo by Richard Termine

Bruce Hodges@brucehodges· Apr 24

Gilles Vonsattel (piano) and Tai Murray (violin) take a bow after their encore, "Tango in a Madhouse" (1976) by Alfred Schnittke Thank you, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society