Monthly Archives: June 2012
Verdi – Father and Son
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 21st June 2012Of Verdi’s mature masterpieces none is less performed than I vespri siciliani (originally Les vêpres siciliennes). Verdi, of course, is best known for his father-daughter interactions, but in this opera it’s a father and son who come into an intense and emotional conflict. Montforte the French governor of conquered (1282) Sicily has just discovered that the…
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Verdi and Father’s Day
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 20th June 2012I know I’m a bit late, but I’ll post a few excerpts from Verdi’s operas that depict some of his portrayal of fathers. No other composer, in fact no other artist, offered so many compelling examples of paternal love as did the “Bear of Busseto” – his wife’s appellation. Beneath his ursine exterior there was…
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Final Prostate Cancer Recommendations
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 15th June 2012Though I’ve outlined them earlier in their preliminary form, The final U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement on screening for prostate cancer has been published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The one page statement is appended below. Prostate Cancer screening recommendations
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Latest Doing Nothing Review
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 13th June 2012The following brief review was published in the Midwest Book: You can learn alot about something, just not in the ways you suspect. “Doing Nothing” is a novel from Neil Kurtzman as he presents the tale of the education of Richard Grollman in Medical school, and the madness he encounters as a resident and student…
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Leo Slezak
Written by Neil Kurtzman | 4th June 2012The Czech tenor Leo Slezak (1873-1946) was one of the giants of the operatic world of the first quarter of the 20th century. His physical stature was as imposing as his voice. It was this combination of physique and voice that brought him to the Metropolitan Opera. He made his New York debut as Verdi’s…
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