Moises Kaufman has written 33 Variations, a play that explores Beethoven's obsession with Diabelli's inane little waltz. Sounds worth seeing—or you could buy this.
I don't know about you, but I got a little bit bored with the wall-to-wall coverage of the 40th anniversary of Sgt. Pepper's last week. So why am I linking to Jody Rosen's article on the subject? Because it actually has something to say and says it well.
Okay, no list of 50 could be perfect, but this one's pretty good. I could probably come up with a list of 50 that also changed music without any overlap, but that's one of the pleasures of the list game.
The (insert adjective here) recording and entertainment lobbies have sneakily maneuvered to have language inserted in
Section 115 Reform Act (SIRA), which is being considered by the House Judiciary Committee, that will destroy fair use as we know it. The language is vague but it appears to require licenses from copyright holders for "every digital copy made in the transmission of digital media—including cached copies on servers or on your hard drive, and even temporary copies in RAM," according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).
Haven't heard of it yet? You will. It's an opportunistic pathogen that is extremely resistant to antibiotics—some people call it a super bacterium. Jon Carroll writes about it in his column today, which, like all of his columns, is a great read.
If you're in search of a great read, full of heart and in love with the way language can sing, Neil Gaiman's Anansi Boys is the book you've been looking for.