There's a line...maybe it's from Newsies...or Roman Holiday...about how today's headlines will line tomorrow's kitty litter bins. Today, newspapers and magazines that remove articles from their sites after a certain date are rare; the Philadelphia Inquirer is a notable offender. When a feature or review in a newspaper would never been seen or heard from again except in a press kit or on a quote sheet, I assume that a reader's inclination to voice their own opinions existed in a diluted form. A letter to the editor could be written, a correction … [Read more...]
Archives for October 2010
File Under: “??????????”
Allow me to set the scene. Last Thursday, violinist Anne Akiko Meyers paid the world-record price of $3,600,000 for a 1697 Stradivarius violin known as "The Molitor". The instrument was sold online by Tarisio Auctions. Please note that the last thing yours truly bought on the interwebz was a $50 David Byrne print from the wonderful site 20x200. "The Molitor" is believed to have been owned by, wait for it, Napoleon. Yeah, that Napoleon. Bonaparte (comma) Napoleon. In Bizarre News of Today, a friend forwarded me an e mail saying that Meyers … [Read more...]
Birds of a feather
It seems my twice summer intern Emmy has found the perfect counterpoint to the Maestro Jonathan video below. I think publicizing a double bill (double ~beak~?) of the two of them is my True Calling. I would be so unstoppable if I brought that bird out with me. And no, I will not make a "wingman" joke __here__. … [Read more...]
In which I am indirectly schooled by a 3-year-old I don’t know
Not one hour and twenty minutes after I sent out a press release about Polish conductor Krzysztof Urbański being appointed as the next music director of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra, did my friend Cage send me this:I particularly like minute 1:41, when Jonathan begins the ever-popular Flashdance jog-in-place technique, utilized with the greatest precision by the world's greatest maestros. Krzysztof turned 28 on Sunday, making him the youngest music director in the country. I thought I had that story locked down until I saw our friend … [Read more...]
In which we learn that there is such thing as bad publicity
Now that Eric is the toast of (the) New York(er) and Hilary has been on PBS, I feel I can spend some time on more important matters, namely the bedbug infestations at the David H. Koch Theater (New York City Ballet, City Opera) and the Metropolitan Opera House. Via Gothamist today:Yesterday news broke that classy bedbugs with a craving for blue blood had infiltrated a dressing room at Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater, which is used by the New York City Ballet. Well hold onto your monocles, people: Not content with the gossamer blood of … [Read more...]
Duuuude, where’s my funding?
From the New York Times, via my friend Megan:SANTA ROSA, Calif. -- ...the foundation, called Life Is Art, recently began to reap a new kind of financing, in the form of tall, happy-looking marijuana plants. Late this month, with some help from the sale of its first small crop, grown under California's liberal medical marijuana laws, the group plans to present an inaugural exhibition on its land, of sculpture and installation work by more than 20 visiting artists -- some of whom will have helped bring in the harvest. The foundation's hope … [Read more...]
I’ll give you a thousand dollars if you don’t make me go.
Inspired by Aaron Sorkin's excellent screenplay for The Social Network (which really is worth seeing), I've been watching The West Wing for the second time through. I always liked President Bartlet, mostly because they make it fairly clear that he was supposed to be a professor at Dartmouth, but also because he uses a lot of Latin unnecessarily. That said, I was dismayed to learn that he does not support contemporary classical music! The set-up for this bad news is that President Bartlet is forced to go see The Reykjavik Symphony Orchestra at … [Read more...]
Newsies
It's always great when classical musicians get featured on the TV, but I think we can all agree that it's especially great when my clients get featured on the TV. All kidding aside, I have to applaud Jeff Brown and producer Anne Davenport at the PBS NewsHour for committing to a story about a new piece of classical music, and to many other important arts stories in the past. I post this clip...well, first to to brag, but also so it gets as many hits as possible on YouTube so there will be more features like it in the future. Now go watch it from … [Read more...]
Does your mother know that you’re out?
Since there is not one track off ABBA Gold that I do not know the words to, I feel it's my duty to post this, from our friends at C to the Hall. Carnegie Hall will host a disco attire contest for ticket holders attending The New York Pops season-opening concert, The Music of ABBA, on Friday, October 15, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. with special guest vocal group Rajaton. Participants are invited to embrace the spirit of the decade and come flaunt their finest leisure suits, bell bottoms, glitter gowns, and other 1970s attire while enjoying the … [Read more...]
Rhapsody in Amber
One night--ONE NIGHT--I spend meeting my lawyer friend's visiting Argentinian quasi-boyfriend at Please Don't Tell and not at a classical music concert, and look what cocktail I had to go and order: It was delicious. I had two. (No, I sit on a throne of lies: I had three.)I did some light internet stalking of this "classical musician and mixologist" Lydia Reissmueller, and here's what I found: Lydia Reissmueller was born in Orange, California USAa great and famous lady mixologist she likes to put natures gifts into her work life!working with … [Read more...]
Some artists have complicated images
...but don't you just hate it when publications use old photos?From the Kansas City Star: … [Read more...]
A Tale of Two Cities
This morning, Anne Midgette posted about the PR success of the Chicago Symphony's Riccardo Muti music director launch versus the seeming PR failure of the National Symphony Orchestra's Christoph Eschenbach music director launch on her blog, The Classical Beat. She points out that while both men have comparable careers (despite Muti's perhaps more current trendiness), not even an Associated Press writer was sent to review Eschenbach's first performance in D.C., and the Kennedy Center's season launch for him was business as usual. Riccardo Muti … [Read more...]
Ladies and gentlemen…the beaver!
The Gray Lady has the story:When the Wildlife Conservation Society recently discovered another beaver living in the Bronx River - the first to be spotted there in three years, and only the second in two centuries - it did the neighborly thing and asked local residents to help name the floppy-haired, buck-toothed little critter. And when the Bronx Zoo opened up the competition to online voting, it all but guaranteed the end result: ladies and gentlemen, say hello to Justin Beaver. On Friday, the Wildlife Conservation Society said "the … [Read more...]