REVIEW POTPOURRI – Film: A Kiss Before Dying
Recently I viewed a 1956 film noir, A Kiss Before Dying, starring Robert Wagner and Joanne Woodward, both still living at 92; Virginia Leith (1925-2019) and Jeffrey Hunter (1925-1969)
Entries by Peter Cates
REVIEW POTPOURRI: Andrew Jackson
by Peter Cates Andrew Jackson The seventh former President Andrew Jackson (1767-1845) has drawn much controversy during the more than 180 years since his years at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue from 1829 to 1837. His stand against the abolition of slavery, his being a wealthy plantation owner with slaves at his large Tennessee mansion known as […]
REVIEW POTPOURRI – Pianist: Marcelle Meyer
by Peter Cates – Pianist Marcelle Meyer (1897-1958) was one of a superbly gifted group of pianists born between 1880 and the beginning of World War I…
REVIEW POTPOURRI: First Lady Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams and John Adams
by Peter Cates Louisa Adams The sixth former First Lady, Louisa Catherine Johnson Adams (1775-1852) was born in London, England, and was one of only two first ladies not born in the U.S., the other being Melania Trump who entered the world in 1970 in Yugoslavia. Louisa was also born illegitimately; her mother was referred […]
SCORES & OUTDOORS: The re-emergence of the almost forgotten firefly
by Roland D. Hallee – A reader recently told me they saw some fireflies recently, and asked whether it is early for them…
REVIEW POTPOURRI: Conductors Bruno Walter and George Szell
by Peter Cates – Toscanini and his players tore into the first movement and fully communicated its growling jubilation, Beethoven being a 100 percent manic depressive…
REVIEW POTPOURRI: First Lady Elizabeth Monroe
by Peter Cates First Lady Elizabeth Monroe Former 5th First Lady Elizabeth Kortright Monroe (1768-1830) was one of the most anti-social FLs to live at the White House during her eight years (1817-1825) while her husband James Monroe (1758-1831) ushered in what was known as the Era of Good Feelings, that period of “happiness” sometimes […]
REVIEW POTPOURRI: Five LPs from my youth
by Peter Cates Arlo Guthrie During my senior year at Kent’s Hill boarding school the spring of 1969, I lived in Wesleyan Hall dormitory and was acquainted with a fellow whose father was a wholesale record distributor. He provided me with five LPs for sale at $2 each and gave me several days to audition […]
REVIEW POTPOURRI: Former First Lady Dolley Payne Todd Madison
by Peter Cates Former First Lady Dolley Payne Todd Madison Former First Lady Dolley Payne Todd Madison (1768-1849) grew up under very strict Quakers in Virginia chafing at their authoritarianism, and, needless to say, would fall very, very far from that denominational tree. She was the third of eight children born to John and Mary […]
REVIEW POTPOURRI – Soprano: Frances Alda; Cellist: Beatrice Harrison; Conductor: Victor Herbert
by Peter Cates Frances Alda Born in New Zealand, soprano Frances Alda (1879-1952) became a big star at the Metropolitan Opera in NYC, recorded a batch of Victor acoustic discs including duets with Enrico Caruso (1873-1921) and was married to Met manager Gatti-Casazza for several years. A two sided , ten inch Victrola (527) features […]