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Foreign Affairs
On NJN’s State of the Arts
Friday, October 27, at 8:30 pm; and Wednesday, November 1 at 11:30 pm
STATEWIDE – This edition of State of the Arts reveals how globetrotting artists and other cultural figures from the European destinations of Estonia, the Czech Republic, France, and Italy find a creative home in New Jersey. The encore presentation of Foreign Affairs airs on Friday, October 27 at 8:30 pm, with a rebroadcast on Wednesday, November 1 at 11:30 pm.
• The Gentle Bonaparte
It comes as a complete surprise to many people that Napoleon Bonaparte's older brother, Joseph Bonaparte, who was at one time the King of Spain and the Two Sicilies, secretly fled Europe after Waterloo in 1815 and established a palatial residence in Bordentown, New Jersey, where he lived for almost 20 years. His home became a cultural center containing the largest collection of European paintings in America during the first half of the 19th Century, and a library that was larger than that of the Library of Congress at the time. State of the Arts producer Eric Schultz speaks with scholar Patricia Tyson Stroud, who tells the remarkable story of Joseph Bonaparte's escape to America, his turbulent relationship with his famous brother, and his extraordinary life in America, — drawing upon her new book: "The Man Who had Been King: The American Exile of Napoleon's Brother Joseph." "The Man Who had Been King” has recently received the New Jersey Council for the Humanities 2006 Book Award. Schultz also talks with historian James Turk from the New Jersey State Museum, historian Roger Moss from the Athenaeum in Philadelphia, and curator John Zarabell from the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
•The Gentle Maestro: Neemi Järvi
Neemi Järvi, one of the most celebrated and extensively recorded conductors of our time, became the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra’s twelfth Music Director beginning in the 2005-06 season. Born in Tallinn, Estonia and an American citizen since 1987, Järvi is one of today's busiest conductors, making frequent guest appearances with the major orchestras and opera houses throughout the world. His recordings include over 350 discs on the Deutsche Grammophon, Chandos, BIS, Orfeo, EMI and BMG labels. Järvi has been awarded many international accolades including an honorary doctorate from the Music Academy of Estonia in Tallinn, and the Order of the National Coat of Arms from the President of the Republic of Estonia and Commander of the North Star Order from King Karl Gustav XVI of Sweden. State of the Arts producer Eric Schultz profiles this remarkable musician through interviews with the maestro, his musicians, and behind-the-scenes footage from recent rehearsals and concerts.
Renaissance Men
State of the Arts producer Christopher Benincasa catches up with rookie novelists Ian Caldwell and Dustin Thomason, authors of The New York Times best-selling intellectual thriller The Rule of Four. They began writing together when they were undergraduates, Ian at Princeton and Dustin at Harvard (they’ve been friends since they were 8). Now their tale of Ivy League murder, apocryphal Renaissance history and a mysterious coded manuscript known as the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili has launched their careers as writers — and landed them a Hollywood deal. State of the Arts meets them on the campus of Princeton University, where the novel is set in part.
The Global Modernist
Jan Matulka was a Czech-born modernist who was influenced by his contacts with Native Americans during his travels to the Southwestern United States in the first part of the 20th century. “Jan Matulka: The Global Modernist,” an exhibit at the Montclair Museum of Art, brought this painter’s achievements to a wider audience. State of the Arts producer Amber Edwards gets an exclusive tour of the show from museum director, Patterson Sims.
State of the Arts, the award-winning, half-hour arts magazine airs every Friday at 8:30 pm, followed by an encore presentation each Wednesday at 11:30 pm.
The current episode of State of the Arts can be viewed online at www.njn.net. Individual stories will be available to view following their broadcast by visiting the program online at State of the Arts.
Funding for State of the Arts is provided by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. The series producer is Susan Wallner and the executive producer is Nila Aronow.
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