It was invented by three scholarly brothers named Banū Mūsā, and it has been reconstructed according to their treatise by a museum in Germany. (The brothers also invented an automatic hydraulic organ that could play with punch cards similar to player piano rolls.)
Boring Architecture Is Literally Unhealthy For Us
“A growing body of research in cognitive science illuminates the physical and mental toll bland cityscapes exact on residents. Generally, these researchers argue that humans are healthier when they live among variety – a cacophony of bars, bodegas, and independent shops – or work in well-designed, unique spaces, rather than unattractive, generic ones.”
Fabian Barnes, 56, Founder/Director Of Dance Institute Of Washington
“The Dance Institute of Washington is reeling from the unexpected death Friday of [Barnes], the hard-driving and big-hearted former Dance Theatre of Harlem soloist who devoted his life to training underprivileged children in classical ballet.”
Yannick’s Montreal Orchestra Gives Homeless Man New Violin To Replace Stolen One
Mark Landry plays for passing commuters most mornings at the Joliette Métro station. But he awoke Tuesday morning to find that his instrument had been taken, and he sat in his usual spot with a cup asking for change to help buy a new one. Enter the Orchestre Métropolitain du Grand-Montréal. (includes video)
Claim: Demise Of Repertory Companies Is Hurting Theatre
“[The rep system] is not really functioning much these days. Directors are less willing to run a company – an ongoing company – because the temptation, if you do have a big enough budget, is always to spot cast, but what you don’t get is a sense of continuity,” Alan Ayckbourn said.
British Playwright And Author Arnold Wesker Dead At 83
“After first gaining prominence in the 1950s, critics grouped him with other working class writers sometimes referred to as the ‘angry young men’ generation, although Wesker rejected the label. He was later characterised as a leading voice of 1960s ‘kitchen sink’ British drama.”
North Carolina: Do Musician Boycotts Do Any Good?
“Although performers have been using their power to appear—or not—to send political messages for decades, the efficacy of the gesture in fights over North Carolina and Mississippi’s laws remains unclear. But musicians played a very public role in fighting segregation in the U.S. and apartheid in South Africa.”
For Its Next Principal Conductor, Santa Fe Symphony Chooses An Old Friend And Neighbor
Guillermo Figueroa, who begins his term this fall, was music director of the New Mexico Symphony Orchestra in Albuquerque from 2000 to the orchestra’s closure in 2011.
Would You Be Willing To Pay $50 For A Movie In Your Home?
“Access to the service would cost something like $150; then, home viewers could pay $50 to watch a new film instead of going to their local theater. Film distributors would supposedly get a huge chunk of that revenue, as an incentive for partnership—Variety reports that several major studios, like Universal, Fox, and Sony, are interested. But after years of intransigence, studios might understandably be reluctant to allow such a drastic change to be put in the hands of a self-branded industry disruptor.”
Doug Banks, Chicago Radio Legend, Dead At 57
“From his humble beginnings to the devoted following he found in Chicago to national syndication, he was a man – a black man – whose four-decade career shaped radio as we know it. And … in a medium often dominated by loud, white, obnoxious shock jocks with particular politics, he was something else: nice.”
Museum Of Modern Art To Close Its Architecture And Design Galleries
The museum is famous, of course, for having the first sustained department of architecture and design of any museum in the world.
Facebook Live Is Going To Have A Big Problem, And It Won’t Be Porn
Rule 34 notwithstanding, “it’s unlikely that the site will devolve into a Chatroulette-style exhibitionist’s paradise anytime soon, partly because its controversial ‘real names’ policy makes it hard for most to remain anonymous. Far more troublesome for Facebook will be … matters of intellectual property.”
Did A Lost Caravaggio Just Turn Up Underneath A Leaky Roof In France?
“The mysterious 400-year-old canvas was only found by accident when the owners of a house near Toulouse went to fix a leak in the ceiling. The large, remarkably well-preserved canvas of the beheading of the general Holofernes by Judith, from the apocryphal Book of Judith, was painted between 1600 and 1610, specialists estimate. And many experts believe it could be a work by the Milan-born master, Caravaggio.”
Post-Kobborg Uproar In Bucharest: Alina Cojocaru In Tears, 30 Dancers Threaten To Quit, Staffers Scream ‘Foreigners Out Of The Country!’
Tuesday evening, after Johan Kobborg formally resigned as artistic director of the ballet company at the Bucharest National Opera, about 30 dancers (many of them from abroad) joined Alina Cojocaru – the country’s leading ballerina and Kobborg’s fiancée – to protest the situation; all of them agreed that they would not stay with the company if Kobborg were not brought back. Meanwhile, some other opera house employees counter-demonstrated, booing the dancers and shouting, “Foreigners out of the country! This is the Romanian National Opera!” (in Romanian; Google Translate version here)
City Of London Festival Shuts Down
“The three-week summer festival offered around 50 ticketed events and a further 100 free outdoor events in the financial centre, spanning classical and contemporary music, visual arts, film and talks. … The organisers laid the blame on the deteriorating climate for arts funding.”
Kate Soper Wins Virgil Thomson Award; Pulitzer-Winning ‘Life Is A Dream’ Takes Ives Opera Prize
“The composer Kate Soper won the Virgil Thomson Award in Vocal Music, while the composer Lewis Spratlan and librettist James Maraniss won the Charles Ives Opera Prize for their work Life Is a Dream, the American Academy of Arts and Letters, which awards the prizes, announced on Tuesday.”
Top Posts From AJBlogs 04.12.16
What Does BKM Mean In The Museum World?
Can you guess? It is another attempt by a museum to be hip to the younger generation. It’s one of the latest changes to the visual identity of the Brooklyn Museum.* I don’t believe … read more
AJBlog: Real Clear Arts Published 2016-04-12
A Farewell To Bryce Rohde
In January, Rifftides reader Donna Shore sent a remembrance of Bryce Rohde, the pianist and music director of the Australian Jazz Quartet. Outside of Australia the talented musician’s achievements received too little notice when … read more
AJBlog: RiffTides Published 2016-04-12
Lookback: a visit to suburbia
From 2006: It’s been a long time since I paid an overnight visit to suburbia, and I happily admit to having found it pleasant. I sat on a patio yesterday morning, sipping a drink, basking … read more
AJBlog: About Last Night Published 2016-04-12
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The First-Ever Afghan Muppet Is A Girl With A Mission
“Zari, whose name means ‘shimmering,’ is an eager 6-year-old who will focus on girls’ empowerment, health and emotional well-being” on the Afghan version of Sesame Street, Baghch-e Simsim.
This Viral Dance Sweeping The Arab World Is Landing People In Jail
The “Barbs” is a certifiable hit in the Middle East. A fun mix of hip-hop and early 1980s-style break dancing melded with Arabic rhythms, the routine is performed by a bunch of young Saudis, including one wearing a dark suit and bright red high-top sneakers. Their video has gone viral.
Calling His Bosses Liars, Johan Kobborg Rejects Offer To Stay On As Director Of Romania’s National Ballet Company
Last week, the interim director of the Bucharest National Opera who stripped Kobborg of his artistic director title was quickly replaced, and Romania’s culture minister worked out a deal with Kobborg to stay on, with title. But things haven’t exactly worked out.