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Culture

Saturday

Music Interviews

Mezzo-soprano Highlights Lesser-Known Pieces

American mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson has taken an unconventional career path. She's not singing the big roles at the Metropolitan Opera that are every soprano's dream. Nor is she preparing a crossover album of classic pop tunes. Instead, Hunt Lieberson finds drama within lesser known pieces. Her recent recording of Bach cantatas was named one of the ten best classical albums of the year by the New York Times and is currently No. 3 on the Billboard classical chart. Jeff Lunden has this profile.

Mezzo-soprano Highlights Lesser-Known Pieces

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Thursday

In Performance

Mindy Smith, Live at NPR

In Nashville, where new musical talent arrives at the bus station every day, singer-songwriter Mindy Smith is known as one of the city's most promising young artists. NPR's Bob Edwards talks with Smith about her new CD, her mentor Dolly Parton, and the inspirations behind her spare, emotional material. Hear an extended interview, plus four tracks performed live in Studio 4A.

Mindy Smith, Live at NPR

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Wednesday

Music Review: 'Stellastar' from Stellastar

Stellastar is a four-piece band from Brooklyn, N.Y., that makes music reminiscent of early U2 or Joy Division. The young band has released a debut CD, the eponymous Stellastar. Jim Fusilli has a review.

Music Review: 'Stellastar' from Stellastar

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Tuesday

Oscar Nominations Announced

The Return of the King, the last film in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, leads the Academy Awards race with 11 nominations, including best picture and best director. Master and Commander gets 10 Oscar nods. With her film Lost in Translation, Sofia Coppola becomes the first American woman to be nominated for best director. Hear NPR's Bob Edwards and reporter Pat Dowell.

Oscar Nominations Announced

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Acclaimed Music Arranger Billy May Dies

Billy May, a jazz trumpeter and composer best known for his critically acclaimed arrangements for Frank Sinatra, died last week at age 87. In the 1940s and '50s, May was one of the most sought-after arrangers for big-band music and American standards, working with stars such as Ella Fitzgerald and Nat King Cole. NPR's Bob Edwards has a remembrance.

Acclaimed Music Arranger Billy May Dies

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Dining 'In the Devil's Garden'

From taboos against tomatoes to blessings from bread, the history of food is filled with associations between meals and morality. Author Stewart Lee Allen chronicles sinful treats of the past in his new book, In the Devil's Garden. NPR's Susan Stamberg talks with Allen in the conclusion to her series on food.

Dining 'In the Devil's Garden'

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Oscars: And the Nominees Are...

The Return of the King, the last film in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, heads the Academy Awards race with 11 nominations, including best picture and best director. Master and Commander gets 10 Oscar nods. NPR's Kim Masters reports.

Oscars: And the Nominees Are...

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Monday

Sunday

Oscar Box-Office Bounce Could Be Undramatic

In most years, the Oscar nominations help the box office prospects of the movies on the list. But many of the films that could earn nominations Tuesday have already produced big financial returns. NPR's Bob Mondello reports.

Oscar Box-Office Bounce Could Be Undramatic

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Composer Robert Een's 'Mystery Dances'

NPR's Liane Hansen speaks with composer, singer and cellist Robert Een about his new CD, Mystery Dances. The longtime collaborator of New York composer Meredith Monk has written music for film, theater, and dance, often inspired by the music and sounds of distant cultures.

Composer Robert Een's 'Mystery Dances'

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The Fate of Photography in a Digital Age

News that Eastman Kodak will put more emphasis on the sale of digital cameras and accessories underscores a fundamental shift in technology. But what about the art of photo development? Hear NPR's Steve Inskeep, J. Ross Baughman, a photojournalist with The Washington Times and Lois Greenfield, a photographer known for breathtaking shots of dancers in motion.

The Fate of Photography in a Digital Age

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Ricky Gervais, a Hit at 'The Office'

In The Office, British comedian Ricky Gervais plays David Brent, a buffoonish, self-involved but affable office manager at a dismal paper supply office called Wernham Hogg, in the London suburb of Slough. Gervais created the faux documentary and co-writes and directs the series, which appears on the BBC and has a small cult following on BBC America. The 61st annual Golden Globe Awards ceremony is tonight, and Gervais is up for a Golden Globe award in the Lead Actor category. He speaks with NPR's Liane Hansen.

Ricky Gervais, a Hit at 'The Office'

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Saturday

'At Last': Cyndi Lauper's Standard Issue

Pop singer Cyndi Lauper was huge in the 1980s, starting with "Girls Just Want to Have Fun." Then she faded from the public eye. Now she's back with a new CD that emphasizes some of her favorite classic pop tunes. Hear full songs from the CD and samples of her earlier hits.

'At Last': Cyndi Lauper's Standard Issue

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Author Biskind, 'Down and Dirty' on Indie-Film Icons

Film writer Peter Biskind's new book is Down and Dirty Pictures: Miramax, Sundance and the Rise of Independent Film. It reveals the uglier side of independent films, dishing dirt on Robert Redford of Sundance and the Weinstein Brothers of Miramax Films. But it also credits them with transforming American cinema. Hear Biskind and NPR's Scott Simon.

Author Biskind, 'Down and Dirty' on Indie-Film Icons

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