AJ Logo Get ArtsJournal in your inbox
for FREE every morning!
Home > ARTS ISSUES

Wednesday, November 30, 2005

Arts Buildings To Save Downtown? How About Killing It? "Large scale arts buildings have recently been opened in Madison, Dayton, Denver and Omaha; new ones are in the pipeline in Miami, Dallas, Orange County and Nashville. Given the economics, it seems likely that these buildings will have a major adverse impact on wider ecology of the arts in these communities as they preempt and siphon off existing audiences and philanthropic resources rather than generating new ones. This is hardly the regenerative function that the planners will have had in mind." The Platform 11/05

Nothing Funny About It (Yet) British comedians and satirists are struggling with the same problem that confronted American entertainers in the months after 9/11: how to acknowledge the terrorist elephant in the room without insulting anyone or bringing the mood down. For comedians, who frequently operate on the razor edge of good taste, anyway, the July train bombings in London are a delicate matter. If those comedians happen to be of Middle Eastern descent, well, then, the pressure is even more intense. Some comics are gingerly beginning to talk about the bombings, but "for all the effort at cheerful revenge, none of the dozens of acts addressing this year's hot issue know quite what to say about it." Los Angeles Times 11/30/05

Biting The Hand That Designed You "[Philadelphia's] Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts has sued its internationally acclaimed architect in U.S. District Court, accusing Rafael Viñoly Architects of 'deficient and defective design work' and delays that boosted the project's final cost. The lawsuit over construction of the arts center, designed to be one of the world's great venues for orchestral music, does not seek a specific amount of damages, but it cites a loss of $23 million." The center, completed in 2001 at a cost of $265 million, has struggled financially, and questions have been raised about the acoustics of its main concert hall, home to the Philadelphia Orchestra. Philadelphia Inquirer 11/29/05

Tuesday, November 29, 2005

Study: Art And Sex... They Go Together "A survey comparing mental health and the number of sexual partners among the general population, artists and schizophrenics found that artists are more likely to share key behavioural traits with schizophrenics, and that they have on average twice as many sexual partners as the rest of the population." The Guardian (UK) 11/29/05

Who Will Save The Edinburgh Festival? The Edinburgh Festival is looking for a new director, but the search has been a lazy one so far. "Edinburgh stands out as the last bastion, the one place and time when Scotland can bask in the world's attention and imagine itself briefly to be Athens. The festival is not what it was, the last couple of years under Brian McMaster featuring fewer world-class orchestras and opera companies and less incisive theatre; but these shortcomings have been masked by the vitality of peripheral festivals for books, film and television and, of course, the anarchic fringe." La Scena Musicale 11/29/05

Experience Music Project Turns to Impressionist Lifeline In another sign that Paul Allen's Experience Music Project is an enterprise in search of a mission, EMP has announced it will be staging an Impressionist art show drawn from the artworks in Allen's personal collection. Allen is said to have a significant collection, but Allen's "private asset management company" won't release details of the art that will be shown. Seattle Post-Intelligencer 11/29/05

Some LA Times Arts Writers Departing? Unofficial names on the list taking buyouts include: movie reviewer Kevin Thomas, theater writer Don Shirley and Calendar writer Elaine Dutka... LA Observed 11/28/05

Canadian Election Imperils Toronto Arts Funding As the Canadian government falls, Toronto arts groups are wondering about a promised funding plan to complete high-profile arts building projects. "Representatives of the six arts groups involved have been working for months on the top-up proposal. The $96 million of extra funding ($48 million from each of the two governments) would raise the total investment of the two governments in these projects to $328 million." Toronto Star 11/28/05

Monday, November 28, 2005

Kansas City Arts Scene Prices Out Artists "It's a process familiar to anyone who has watched the evolution of SoHo in New York or most other downtown revitalizations. However positive the impact on the Kansas City art scene - attracting new galleries and people like the Tylers away from the East Coast - urban renewal has also threatened to squeeze out the artists who pioneered its progress." The New York Times 11/29/05

Marches In Italy To Protest Budget Cuts Tens of thousands of Italians took to the streets Friday to protest deep budget cuts proposed by the Berlusconi government. "Theaters in several cities staged simultaneous evening performances of 'requiem' funeral masses by Mozart, Verdi and Brahms 'for the announced death of all cultural activities,' due to reduced arts funding." USAToday (AP) 11/26/05

Kosky: Fear And Loathing In Australia Why are Australian arts in such bad shape? Director Barrie Kosky thinks he knows: "[There is a] terrible arts funding dilemma in Australia but that's just the skin. Look at the muscle and the bone and the blood system, see what it's actually about. It's about fear. There has to be something inherently distrustful of art in the Australian psyche for there to be such problems. I don't think it's ultimately about money. To me, it's fear of sadness, fear of going within yourself, fear of the heart of darkness."
Sydney Morning Herald 11/26/05

Canada Council Budget To Double The Canadian government has decided to double the budget of the Canada Council, bumping it to $300 million per year. Canadian Heritage Minister Liza Frulla called it a "rebirth of the Canada Council" when she made the announcement in Montreal. CBC 11/24/05

A Right To Culture (A Campaign Begins) A campaign was launched in Glasgow last week to demand "cultural" rights for all residents of the UK. "The campaign was launched in Scotland after the Cultural Commission – which delivered its plan for Scotland this summer – said all citizens should have four cultural rights: to fulfil their creative potential, to take part in cultural life, to an enriching communal life in a satisfying environment, and to participate in designing and implementing cultural policy. lasgow City Council also said it was creating a charter of "cultural entitlements" for its citizens, which may be implemented as early as next year." Glasgow Herald 11/24/05

Sunday, November 27, 2005

Arts: Ticket Prices Are Up, But Expenses Even More Ticket prices for arts events have been rising faster than the rate of inflation over the past decade. But "for arts organizations, artists fees and construction materials costs have risen steadily. Groups that don't own their performance venue are paying more for rent than they did in 1995, while those that do own their space pay more for such items as building maintenance, utilities and security." San Diego Union-Tribune 11/27/05

SF: Portrait Of An Arts Scene San Francisco is bursting with arts activity. And most of the region's myriad arts groups are doing well, both artistically and financially. Still, 63 percent of artists in the Bay Area earn less than $7,000 a year from their art... San Francisco Chronicle 11/26/05

The Marketing Of Frida "The Frida Kahlo Corporation, created by Isolda Kahlo, is busy exploiting the artist's name with a series of products. "The family has marketed Frida Kahlo jewellery and clothing after her niece won the rights to register the name as a brand. But the commercialisation of the painter, who died in 1954 at the age of 47, has provoked a row between her friends, family and critics." The Guardian (UK) 11/25/05

Our Politics Onstage Britain, more than any other country, is fictionalising its public and political life for the entertainment of the cultural elite. Financial Times 11/25/05

Wednesday, November 23, 2005

Boston Globe Arts Staff Takes A Big Hit The Boston Globe's A&E section takes a big hit as prominent critics take buyouts. "Veteran reporters slated to leave that section of the paper include pop/rock music writer Steve Morse, theater critic Ed Siegel, feature writer Jack Thomas, classical music critic Richard Dyer and arts reporter Maureen Dezell. The Globe announced the buyout package in October as a cost-cutting attempt to avoid layoffs by cutting 35 newsroom positions." Boston Herald 11/23/05

Canadian Arts Funding Questioned Canadian Auditor-General Sheila Fraser says oversight of Canada's cultural spending is a mess. "The general state of oversight in funding and tax credits for the arts is poor, Fraser's report found. Canadian Heritage, Telefilm Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency do not apply controls rigorously enough to ensure that requirements covering Canadian content, project selection and eligibility of expenses are met." The Globe & Mail (Canada) 11/23/05

Tuesday, November 22, 2005

In Buenos Aries: A Historic Theatre's Hard Times "Over the past decade, the Colón, which opened in 1908, has had seven different artistic directors or coordinators, including one who held the job twice. That chronic instability might have reached a peak in October, when the new management was forced to suspend the entire 2006 season, only to reverse course in early November when a tentative labor accord with one of the theater's two unions was announced." The New York Times 11/23/05

Auditor General: Canadian Content Rules Need More Attention "Ottawa spent $2.2 billion on culture in 2002-3, including $1 billion for the CBC, Fraser said in her report. But Canada's Heritage Department does not have a clear strategic plan for Canadian culture and the many agencies involved in cultural funding all seem to go their own way, Auditor General Sheila Fraser said." CBC 11/22/05

U.S. Senate Passes Artist Donation Bill The U.S. Senate has passed a bill that would allow artists to donate their work to a museum and take a tax deduction for the full market value. "Under the bill, artists could donate their work during their lifetimes at full market value provided that it is properly appraised and handed over at least 18 months after it is created. The provision seems likely to open the way for more acquisitions by cash-strapped museums." The New York Times 11/22/05

Monday, November 21, 2005

What's New? There is so much copy-catting going on, it's sometimes easy to think that artists have run out of original ideas. And yet, it's not true. "There are original ideas getting traction -- spurred by writers, artists, actors and musicians -- that are out there if you want to look for them." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 11/21/05

Pumping Venice Up? Engineers have a plan to pump seawater under Venice in an attempt to raise the city by a foot. "The $117 million project entails digging 12 holes with a diameter of one foot within a six-mile area around the city, and pumping seawater into the ground at a depth of 2,298 feet. The seawater is expected to expand the sand that lies underneath, which combined with a topping of waterproof clay would eventually push up the soil." The Guardian (UK) (AP) 1/21/05

The Duo Who Fixed The Barbican In 10 years Graham Sheffield and Sir John Tusa have turned around London's Barbican. "This dynamic duo have managed to turn a derided behemoth into a cultural powerhouse. Once a byword for unfashionability, the Barbican has become a home for cutting-edge experimentalism and music and performance from around the world. Meeting them in the flesh, the two actually put you in mind more of another high-flying double-act that started out at roughly the same time - that of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, albeit without the acrimony." The Telegraph (UK) 11/21/05

Sunday, November 20, 2005

Why We Go The cultural cognoscenti love to draw comparisons between art, music, and theatre patrons who are in it for the love of the form, and those who show up mainly for social reasons, or simply to get themselves noticed by other "arts people." But is there any real truth to this longstanding legend of the self-interested patron? According to a new study which focuses on why people attend cultural events, the legend is true, to a degree. "The most common major motivation claimed by respondents for attending any or all arts events over the last 12 months was wanting to socialize with friends and family, followed by having an emotionally rewarding experience and gaining knowledge." But arts organizations might want to take note of the study's other finding: attendees are rarely completely satisfied with the experience. Chicago Tribune 11/20/05

Using Art To Fan The Flames Of Bigotry Two new and surprisingly popular graphic novels released in Japan are causing observers to worry about a startling rise in Japanese animosity towards the country's Asian neighbors. The long-form comics, sporting the titles Hating The Korean Wave and Introduction to China, openly mock what some Japanese see as inferior societies, and even advocate open confrontation with China and South Korea. Worse, the visual depictions of the various nationalities reveals an ugly racism that has permeated Japanese society for more than a century. The New York Times 11/19/05

The Great Big GoogleLit Debate "If there was any point of agreement between publishers, authors and Google in a debate Thursday night over the giant Web company's program to digitize the collections of major libraries and allow users to search them online, it seemed to be this: Information does not necessarily want to be free. Rather, the parties agreed, information wants to be found. But when it comes to how information will be found and who will share in the profits, the various sides remain far apart - not surprising, perhaps, since the issue has already landed in federal court." The New York Times 11/19/05

Friday, November 18, 2005

Why Do People Go To Arts Events? Two new studies seek answers: "For instance, 68 percent of theatergoers surveyed said they attended plays as a way of socializing. Only 36 percent said they went to the theater to gain knowledge. By contrast, 65 percent of those who went to museums said they did so because they strongly desired to learn something new. The study found that a large number of blacks and other minorities attended arts events to learn specifically about their own heritage. Only 15 percent of whites said the same thing." The Plain Dealer (Cleveland) 11/18/05

Thursday, November 17, 2005

Vancouver Candidates Won't Promise Arts Funding Vancouver's mayoral candidates were on the hook this week to show their support for arts funding. But they declined to say they would provide for recommended arts budgets. "We are looking at a seven-percent [property] tax increase [if all the staff recommendations for next year are approved by the new council].... In principle, I support it. But I cannot in advance tell you what the budget is going to be." Georgia Straight (Vancouver) 11/17/05

U.S. To Maintain Internet Control A U.N. conference on global internet issues has spawned an agreement that will work to combat cybercrime and e-mail "spam," but which also leaves the internet firmly under U.S. control, a controversial move opposed by many other countries. "A U.N. working group, followed by governments including China, Saudi Arabia, Cuba and the 25-member European Union, had all proposed taking away control of the domain name 'root zone file' from the United States and handing it off to a multinational agency... The United States and business groups had opposed the proposals, arguing that multilateral control would compromise the stability of the system, and that the current model has generally worked well." Wired 11/17/05

Monday, November 14, 2005

Demystifying The Grand Tour "Brian Sewell's new series for TV Five, is a travelogue in which he examines 'the dark underbelly' of the supposedly educational journeys that were undertaken in the 18th century by young Englishmen from wealthy families. Sewell emits a winsome sigh. 'The Grand Tour is mostly portrayed as young aristocrats who went off and came back with fine paintings. I wanted to indicate that they caught chicken pox, mumps and venereal disease. No one could distinguish between syphilis and gonorrhoea. There was no treatment'." The Guardian (UK) 11/14/05

That Song/Album/Movie You Just Bought? (What Do You Own?) "Not many music lovers have warmed to the idea that they don't retain all the rights to the music they buy. The crux of the debate is this: When you buy a song, an album, or a movie, are you buying the content only in the form it comes in? If you purchase a song from Apple's iTunes store, should you be able to play it on any hardware you want? Not according to Apple, which bundles each download with a "digital rights management" scheme called FairPlay." Slate 11/14/05

Boycott Sony Corporate bad behavior over copyright protection has escalated, reaching something of a nadir when Sony rendered home computers vulnerable to hackers with its new-generation anti-piracy measures. "This kind of behavior can never be tolerated. It may be unrealistic to think many will heed this call, but someone’s got to say it: Boycott Sony. Boycott them until they come clean and recall all the infected CDs. Boycott them until they distribute a removal program. Boycott them until they promise never do anything like this again." Wired 11/14/05

Prize Possession: Competing For Taste Prizes have shaped and transformed our taste over the years. "It's not just the Oscars, the Emmys, the Pulitzers and the Nobels. It's the film festivals, best-of lists, poetry contests, architectural competitions and international pressure-cookers that serve up the next piano star." The Plain Dealer (Cleveland) 11/13/05

Richmond Committee To Study Performing Arts Center Plans Richmond Virginia mayor Douglas Wilder has formed a new committee to study controversial plans for a new downtown performing arts center. "Wilder and the arts foundation have clashed in recent months over the foundation's plans to expand and renovate the Carpenter Center and surround it with additional arts venues." Richmond Times-Dispatch 11/13/05

Sunday, November 13, 2005

The Getty's Very Bad Year "The festering problems at the Getty Trust burst into view in October 2004, following the abrupt resignation of Getty Museum director Deborah Gribbon from one of the most coveted posts in the field. Without elaborating, Gribbon cited sharp philosophical differences with Munitz. Since then the scene has grown increasingly bleak. How did things get so bad?" Los Angeles Times 11/13/05

Italian Arts Funding Cuts Imperil La Scala, Others Only a year after it reopened, La Scala is facing a huge cut in its funding from the Italian government. "The cash-strapped Italian government has threatened to slash by a third from next year the heavy subsidy which keeps the theatre in business. Across the board cuts in next year's budget for the arts are also likely to affect the Venice Film Festival and the newly opened Music Auditorium in Rome. Other Italian cultural icons which may be touched are 12 other major opera houses, including the Fenice in Venice, plus theatres in Florence, Rome, Naples and Palermo." BBC 11/13/05

Friday, November 11, 2005

Dallas' New Performing Arts Center Breaks Ground "The $275 million project, which will include the Winspear Opera House, the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre, the City Performance Hall, the redesigned Annette Strauss Artists Square and the Grand Plaza, is expected to be ready for performances by 2009. Resident companies will include The Dallas Opera, Dallas Theater Center, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Texas Ballet Theater and Anita M. Martinez Ballet Folklorico and other local arts organizations." Dallas Business Journal 11/11/05

Thursday, November 10, 2005

Promoters Lobby For Tout Ban Theatre, concert and sports event promoters want the British government to outlaw ticket touting. "Some unofficial agencies and auctions deceive and defraud fans as well as charging high prices, promoters say. But the government is not convinced a new law is needed and wants promoters to tackle the problem themselves." BBC 11/10/05

Wednesday, November 9, 2005

Supporting Artists, Not Just Their Art Norway's culture minister has announced plans for a $150,000 study of the living conditions of the country's artists. The eventual aim would be to find new ways for the government to provide support for freelance artists, who frequently move in and out of existing unemployment programs, and often lack retirement savings. Aftenposten (Oslo) 11/09/05

Tuesday, November 8, 2005

Medals of Arts to Marsalis, DePriest, Duvall "President Bush will honor authors, musicians and historians from New York and elsewhere on Thursday with the National Medal of Arts and the National Humanities Medal. In an Oval Office ceremony with his wife, Bush will present the Medal of Arts to author Louis Auchincloss of New York, symphony orchestra conductor James DePriest of Portland, Ore., jazz musician Paquito D'Rivera of Bergen, N.J., actor Robert Duvall of Plains, Va., arts advocate Leonard Garment of New York and film animator and artist Ollie Johnston of La Canada, Calif. Also to receive Medals of Arts are jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis of New York, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and dancer and choreographer Tina Ramirez of New York. Singer and actress Dolly Parton will receive the medal at a later date." Newsday (AP) 11/09/05

Monday, November 7, 2005

Crescent City's Arts Scene Slowly Reemerging There's no question that New Orleans' cultural scene has been devastated by Hurricane Katrina. But Harry Shearer sees signs of life from the city's artists, even if the money needed to rebuild the big institutions isn't there yet. "There are messages everywhere of resilience and defiance, of bringing the city back. Live Music is Back!, says one poster. Another announces a series of poetry evenings in a Quarter bistro. When all else is stripped away, the capital-unintensive arts endure, as does the place’s irreducible eccentricity." The Huffington Post 11/06/05

Chicago's Young Humanities Fest Grows Up "The Chicago Humanities Festival turned 16 over the weekend, making it one of the most precocious cultural soirees in America. Spotlighting esteemed authors and virtuoso musicians, innovative actors and visionary scholars, the citywide event has grown up fast. What once was a weekend's diversion now stands as a cultural institution." Chicago Tribune 11/07/05

Sunday, November 6, 2005

In Cleveland: A Mayor Who Would Be Better For The Arts? "Members of Cleveland's arts community are wondering which candidate would do the best job as mayor over the next four years. But a lot of them are having trouble deciding. Even those with a leaning lack any real passion about it. Part of the problem is their perception that arts just aren't part of the regular campaign discussion." The Plain Dealer (Cleveland) 11/06/05

What San Antonio Arts Need "Annual public and private support of existing institutions' operating budgets is still several million dollars short of the need, and serious gaps persist in the local menu of professional arts institutions. Moreover, San Antonio can't attain a level of cultural development appropriate to a city of its size without very substantial new investment in capital projects." San Antonio Express-News 11/06/05

Rockettes High-Step Into Pittsburgh Add Pittsburgh to the list of cities welcoming the Rockettes to town for the holidays. And as usual, the arrival of the touring Radio City show is being greeted by both enthusiasm and trepidation. On the plus side, the show could pump as much as $25 million a year into Pittsburgh's hospitality industry. But for local arts groups, the Rockettes represent a serious threat to their own holiday-themed programs, and thus to their overall bottom lines. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 11/06/05

Construction Boom Causing Venue Crunch In KC Kansas City is pumping millions of dollars into renovation projects for two of the city's venerable performance venues. But a decision to move up the start of one of the projects by a year has arts groups scrambling to find a place to perform during the renovations. "Some blame the construction rush on the city’s desire to book The Lion King, even though the Broadway blockbuster has yet to announce whether it will play [Kansas City] in 2007-08." Kansas City Star 11/05/05

The Franco-Louisianan Ties That Bind They may have given it up for pennies an acre back in 1803, but the French have always maintained a certain affection for Louisiana. "That attachment paid off for Louisiana, in money and relief supplies, after Hurricane Katrina, and on Friday it took a more symbolic turn in the form of a quick but apparently heartfelt visit to this stricken city by the French minister of culture, Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres. The minister came to announce a series of cultural initiatives: a planned exhibition here with the help of the Louvre and other French museums, and benefit concerts across France. But since he was the highest-ranking foreigner to come to this city since the storm... his visit was just as much the reaffirmation of a link that has never quite disappeared. The New York Times 11/05/05

Friday, November 4, 2005

Richmond Mayor Ponders Takeover Of Performing Arts Center Richmond (VA Mayor Douglas Wilder is considering buying the closed downtown Carpenter Center and reopen it as is as a home for city arts groups. "The concept, which involves an eminent-domain-style takeover of the 2,000-seat complex, immediately drew cautious responses from leaders of the Virginia Performing Arts Foundation, another arts organization and City Council." The move is the latest in a complicated road to building a new performing arts center. Richmond Times-Dispatch 11/04/05

Thursday, November 3, 2005

A Biennale For Performance Art "At the moment, it seems to be the art world's medium of choice. Admired for its purity and subversive spirit, it is ubiquitous in gallery and museum exhibitions, whether on its own or as an active ingredient in video, installation art, sound art and photography. And performance art - also known as performance - is often the ghost in the machine in even the most static of objects; there is hardly a work of art with a scratchable surface that can't be assigned so-called performative aspects. The biennial has emerged - without corporate sponsorship or even a sponsoring institution - seemingly out of thin air, hard work and fortuitous timing."
The New York Times 11/04/05

San Antonio Pol Questions Arts Funding A San Antonio city councilman wants to rethink all the city's grants to the arts. "I think there's a lot of other things that the city ought to be concentrating on first, before we start looking at the arts." Councilman Kevin Wolff said "the process for awarding arts grants is 'flawed' and 'too politicized'." WOAI-TV, (San Antonio) 11/03/05

France Steps Up To Help New Orleans Culture "Benefit concerts to help jazz musicians in New Orleans hit by Hurricane Katrina are to take place in France. Local musicians will also be sponsored to play club dates in Paris. An exhibition of loaned French works at the New Orleans Museum of Art is among the other cultural initiatives being lined up by officials to help the city." BBC 11/03/05

Arts Funding? Sorry, We've Got A City To Run. The two candidates in Detroit's mayoral race freely admit that they don't know a thing about the city's arts scene, and both are hesitant to commit to any arts funding in the future. The sitting mayor killed off the Department of Culture, Arts, and Tourism last year as part of a plan to battle a massive budget deficit, and Detroit has plenty of civic problems that take priority over the arts. "Those in the arts and cultural communities, who are facing funding woes such as a $1.5-million cut to the Detroit Historical Museums and a $5-million cut to the Detroit Zoo, appreciated the candidates' attention but remain skeptical." Detroit Free Press 11/03/05

Tuesday, November 1, 2005

Scotland's Roman Amphitheatre With A Twist The stadium will be constructed on classical Greco-Roman lines and due to open in 2009. The Colosseum will rise to 148 feet (45 metres), with a dome measuring 394 feet (120 metres) across. It will be clad in translucent material that allows it to glow in the dark. The arena, by the Clyde in Glasgow, will seat 12,500, the same as London's Wembley Arena. But unlike Wembley and other large arenas in the UK, the Colosseum will not be built around a sporting 'key'. The design is solely dedicated to huge entertainment events such as concerts and theatrical performances." The Scotsman 11/01/05

France Extends Cultural Hand To New Orleans France is offering a cultural helping hand to New Orleans in trying to rebuild the city. "Among the projects expected to be announced is an exhibition of some 50 works of art lent by the Louvre to the New Orleans Museum of Art for an exhibition tentatively scheduled for late 2006 or early 2007." The New York Times 11/01/05

St. Paul's Arts Mayor Loses Artists Over Bush Support By most accounts St. Paul's Randy Kelly has been a terrific mayor for the arts. "But artists, who generally lean to the left of center politically, are weighing that steadfast support against what many consider to be an unpardonable sin: The Democratic mayor endorsed Republican George W. Bush in the last presidential election. 'I know he's well-intentioned and a good guy, but that kind of collapse shows the lack of vision and strength that we need." St. Paul Pioneer-Press 11/01/05

The Line Between Knowing And Knowing Too Much "Do you understand a piece of music better if you know its secrets, or does illumination destroy mystery just as explaining a joke defuses its humor? Might audiences at classical music concerts be more receptive, not less, if they didn't read program notes? Is there a reason why so many people who profess to believe in the Bible haven't actually read it?" Los Angeles Times 11/01/05


Home | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy
Copyright ©
2002 ArtsJournal. All Rights Reserved