Bellini 101
Were it not for the fact that I had been assisted in choosing pastries for the reception following the program by an enthusiastic set of two considerably younger siblings, I could have easily been led to believe that I was attending a lecture presented at a most prominent college of arts and humanities. The Symposium, […]
A Double Success of Composer & Performer Alike: La Straniera of Opera Circle
I shall refer to antiquity, as many a writer thus open their thoughts. In the 4th century B.C., Aristotle reflected on the capacity of music to soothe the senses, & certain forms thereof to cleanse the soul. He could not have possibly known the musical output of Bellini, since the latter lived in the 19th […]
Polish Neighborhoods
Many readers of the Forum are familiar with the story of Cleveland Poles. Polish immigrants came to the United States, settled in neighborhoods near others from their homeland, worked in the mills and factories, and built institutions to serve their community, many of which are still around today. But most of us today talk about […]
FREE OF CHARGE
Is it possible to receive health care in the United States for free? The easy answer to that question would be: no. Those who have health insurance thanks to their employer are fortunate. It’s also possible to buy insurance, but this can cost several hundred dollars per month. In the 1980s there arose the romantic […]
Christmas Traditions and Customs
As Advent a time of peace and introspection comes to an end, the joyous celebration of Christmas, the most family centered Polish holiday begins. The earliest recorded descriptions of Christmas celebrations date back to the 3d Century. By the beginning of the 4th Century, the Church had designated the time near the winter solstice, December […]