His baton technique was, er, idiosyncratic; he couldn't conduct complex meters; he could be cruel. And after 44 years as music director, seemingly everyone was relieved to see him retire. Yet he and the Philadelphia Orchestra became worldwide legends together. - Classical Voice North America
Almanacs are an anomaly in the 2021 literary landscape, a choose-your-own adventure of print culture. So much of reading, especially online, is about seeking: looking for a fact, an image, a bit of information. - Los Angeles Review of Books
"EdiliziAcrobatica's team has rock-climbed up and abseiled down some of Italy's most significant historic monuments. … Suspended from ropes, the acrobatic technicians can perform a whole range of tasks, from the waterproofing of roofing to welding." - Apollo
Matthew Gardiner takes over the 32-year-old company, which operates two performance spaces in Arlington’s Village at Shirlington, at a tumultuous inflection point. - Washington Post
The kinetic, flamboyant, arm-waving dance style was born in the Black and Latino gay nightclubs of L.A., spread via the TV show Soul Train, faded away after the 1980s, and found a long-term home in East Asia. - The Guardian
55% of U.S. organizations plan to host performances before October 2021. U.K. arts and culture organizations are even more optimistic, with 83% planning a return to performance before September 1. - TRG
For 40 years, he and his resourceful company, Pocket Opera, used young singers, small instrumental groups, and librettos in English to bring unfamiliar works to thousands of new audience members. His dozens of libretto translations are still in use all over the globe. - San Francisco Classical Voice
Our unreliable memories of musical events are only partly the result of faulty powers of recall. Another contributing factor is the aging process. - The Nightingale's Sonata
First, for God's sake, he shouldn't wipe it off himself. (This lesson was learned the hard way.) Beyond that, there are ways of repairing the damage, or at least keeping it from getting worse. - The Atlantic
The website has launched "Classic Nudes", a curated selection of NSFW art at the Louvre, the Met, the Prado, etc. View the works online or in person with your phone; adult actor Asa Akira is your audio guide. The promo video features none other than Jeff Koons's ex, Cicciolina. (second item) - Artlyst
"The subsidy came after intense lobbying from small theaters concerned about their future after a 15-month shutdown. Compounding the effects was the prospect of sharply increased labor costs for many theaters as a result of a new gig worker law that took effect in 2020." - The New York Times
The former Alabama jurist and Senate candidate sued the actor/mockumentarian over the scene in the Netflix series Who Is America? in which Baron Cohen's supposed "anti-terrorism expert" wields a supposed "pedophile detector" which goes off as it gets close to Moore. - The Hollywood Reporter
Succeeding longtime chief Nigel Redden in October is Egyptian-American musicologist Mena Mark Hanna, a teacher, composer, Coptic Orthodox cantor (!), and former administrator at Houston Grand Opera. He is currently dean at the Barenboim-Said Akademie in Berlin. - The Post and Courier (Charleston)
The company, which was having money troubles even before the pandemic, finally has agreements with the unions for onstage (AGMA) and backstage (IATSE) workers. But negotiations over pay cuts with Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians, which represents the orchestra, drag on. - The New York Times
An announcement to this effect was made earlier this year, but the mammoth passenger boats turned up anyway. But now the national government, eager to avoid UNESCO "World Heritage in Danger" status, has made it feasible for the rule to take effect August 1. - Reuters
