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David Belcher
Posts
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Film Noir Was All About Ticking Clocks and Checking the Time
Experts say the genre was all about suspense, and what better way to convey that to audiences than an obsession with time?
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Venice Film Festival: Marina Cicogna’s Glamorous Legacy
Cicogna, who died in November, was the face of the Venice Film Festival for decades and a pioneer for women in the Italian film industry....
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In a Handel Opera, a Rare Type of Voice Gets a New Audience
A revival of Handel’s “Giulio Cesare” this summer at Glyndebourne, an English opera festival, features three countertenors with three different sounds.
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In Muscat and Beyond, an Omani Paradise
Muscat, the capital, offers opulent culture, but it is the mountains and the sea that bedazzle.
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In a New ‘Simon Boccanegra,’ Family Ties Are Tightened
“Simon Boccanegra,” a story of fathers, politics, love and duty, is returning to La Scala, where personal connections to the opera run deep.
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In Vienna, the Adventures of ‘Candide’ Continue
On the heels of the new film “Maestro,” an American director will stage Leonard Bernstein’s often-reworked operetta in its “concert version.”
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Two Shopping Areas in Qatar Couldn’t Be More Different
The neighboring areas in Doha, Qatar, couldn’t be more different when it comes to ambience and goods for sale.
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Frankincense Tops Gift Lists in Oman
The resin’s sweet and musky scent has been added to items like sunscreen and ice cream.
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Thailand Highlights Its Rich History in Jewelry
The country plans to use a trade show in Bangkok this week to remind the world of its expertise in processing and perfecting natural stones.
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Female Singers Shine in Royal Opera’s ‘Don Carlo’
In a Verdi revival at the Royal Opera, two top female singers are discovering, and rediscovering, characters from a real-life royal love triangle.