Daily Magazine

Peter Oundjian´s "Symphony No. 5" by Nielsen illustrated his growth from a tasteful, efficient conductor to an interesting one.

A galvanizing cellist with the orchestra

By David Patrick Stearns, Inquirer Music Critic

Notes don't ring so much as they tend to be wrung from Dvorak's Cello Concerto: It's the grandest piece of its kind and solo cellists can't help loving it to their (and sometimes the audience's) distraction.

Press button, make movie die

By David Hiltbrand, Inquirer Staff Writer

Whatever you do, do not accept delivery of The Box, a package that doesn't know where it is going nor how to get there.

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Dave on Demand: A Series of unending promos for Fox TV: By David Hiltbrand, For the Inquirer

As much as I enjoyed the actual games, a part of me couldn't wait for the World Series to be over.
Energetic, thoughtful Thao with Get Down Stay Down: By David R. Stampone, For The Inquirer

In days past, even in the more egalitarian indie scene, the rockin' world was mostly guyville - boys galore, with only scattered women playing along. If she were the focus, a female might be the "chick singer" who left heavy instrumental lifting to the menfolk. But times change, and San Francisco's Thao with the Get Down Stay Down presented more entertaining proof on Thursday night at First Unitarian Church.
Sideshow: 'Wild' man gets time served, probation: By Tirdad Derakhshani, Inquirer Staff Writer

Joe Francis, the entrepreneur behind the tasteless Girls Gone Wild vid series, was sentenced yesterday to 301 days already served and a year of probation for filing false income tax returns and bribing Nevada jail workers for better treatment behind bars.
Ask Amy: How big a do for second wedding?: By Amy Dickinson

Dear Amy: I am a 28-year-old divorced mother of one. Six years ago, I was married in a very traditional wedding ceremony that included a 200-person reception, white dress and all the extras. The marriage lasted only two years.
Blogosphere: What would Dickens say? From Carrie Rickey's "Flickgrrl" http://www.philly.com/philly/ blogs/flickgrrl My reaction to Disney's A Christmas Carol, the motion-capture animation released yesterday, was that the Robert Zemeckis version of Charles Dickens' evergreen was "too much Halloween night and not enough Christmas morning." Watching it I scribbled, "What would Dickens think?"
Our critics' selections: An Education Carey Mulligan shines as a suburban British teen, circa 1962, who falls for an older man (Peter Sarsgaard) in this beautifully turned coming-of-age tale, adapted from journalist Lynn Barber's memoir by writer Nick Hornby and director Lone Scherfig. Funny, sad, subtle, real. R
Our critics' selections: An Education Carey Mulligan shines as the Oxford-bound honors student courted by a mysterious suitor twice her age (Peter Sarsgaard) in this resonant story directed by Lone Scherfig from Lynn Barber's memoir. PG-13
Puppets find humanity in Christmas bleakness: Playing at: Drexel University's Mandell Theater, 33d and Chestnut Streets. Through Nov. 15. Tickets: $15 to $25. Information: 215-733-0255 or www.AzukaTheatre.org.
Changing Skyline: Powering down: The art deco steam plant and soaring smokestack near 30th Street Station soon will be gone, yet another emblem of industrial might vanished.

By Inga Saffron, Inquirer Architecture Critic

There comes a point in the life of our workhorse industrial buildings when we stop seeing them for the marvels they perform, and soon after that, we stop seeing them altogether. In Philadelphia, which abounds with the unused relics of a mighty industrial past, it's all too easy to forget that these are the structures that made the city modern.
Holiday or anytime, no exceptions: If you're a houseguest, arrive with gift in hand

By Karyn Collins, For The Inquirer

If you want to be a good houseguest during the holidays, proper etiquette calls for you to bring more than your suitcase, your sparkling personality, and your good manners.
For truly tasty garlic, it's a do-it-yourself delight: By Virginia A. Smith, Inquirer Staff Writer

Last year, Tim Jones created the perfect recipe for garlic butter, but as he searched for just the right ingredients, he discovered something many Americans still don't realize: Most of the garlic sold in supermarkets comes from China.
Ask Amy: Fiance's old friend wants to lunch: By Amy Dickinson

Dear Amy: I have been dating my fiance for more than three years. He has a longtime female friend who lives in town, whom I have never met. Many years ago, on a couple of occasions they were sexually intimate.