Issues in the Arts

By Wynne Delacoma

Inside the Empty Bottle, a band was tearing up the joint, playing to a SRO crowd. An encore? Absolutely. What should it be? "Bartók Four!" somebody yelled. Welcome to the newest edition of Chicago's classical music scene.

By Barbara Jepson

Kronos Quartet tries out the K-Bow, made of graphite and Kevlar, the same synthetic material used in bullet-proof vests. Quartet member Jeffrey Ziegler: "Basically, this bow can do almost anything except make an espresso."

By Richard S. Ginell

One hundred and thirty-five years since its 1876 premiere, Richard Wagner's Ring remains the biggest operatic show on earth, and the composer's influence... has, ever since, been immense and amply documented. Yet what influence has this irresistible force had upon the popular and jazz fields? Not a hell of a lot, if the truth be told. Upon jazz, for the most part, Wagner's actual language has had little impact.