In this week's New Yorker I have a column on various new-music developments: a quick survey of the SONiC Festival, with particular attention to Alex Mincek and Alex Temple, and comments on Nico Muhly's first two operas, Two Boys and Dark Sisters. Also in the magazine is Ariel Levy's profile of the Principessa Rita Boncompagni Ludovisi, formerly Rita Jenrette, whom I had the honor of meeting in Rome last June. Her home, the Villa Aurora, is an astounding place. Corey Brennan, whom I first got to know circa 1988 in his capacity as guitarist of Bullet LaVolta, appears in Ariel's piece in his current incarnation as the Andrew W. Mellon Professor-in-Charge of the School of Classical Studies at the American Academy in Rome.
