“For someone whose life expectancy is usually less than 100 years, it’s nearly impossible to imagine something so vast as geological or deep time,” says J.D. Talasek of the National Academy of Sciences. So he – a believer in the power of metaphor – assembled a group of 18 artworks to help get the idea across.
An 88-Year-Old Ballerina Recreates A WWII Ballet [VIDEO]
Dame Gillian Lynne recreates a ballet about the working class of Glasgow that was performed for soldiers near the battlefields of Germany during the war.
If Books Can Change Your Life, Can They Also Make It Far Worse?
“Novels might not make us worse, but they can unlock parts of us that were already there, already dark, already violent or ruthless or self-destructive.”
Robert Curran Wants To Make Classic Ballets “Cinematic”
Says the former Australian Ballet star, who’s just starting his new job as artistic director of Louisville Ballet: “I might be a bit presumptuous in saying this but I would really like to bring a cinematic quality to these productions, to these traditional ballets. I think audiences are used to and expect a certain quality in period pieces, whether they be on the silver screen or whether they be on stage. So what I would really like to bring is reality.”
Gerald Wilson, Jazz Trumpeter And Bandleader, Dead At 96
“In a lifetime that spanned a substantial portion of the history of jazz, Wilson’s combination of articulate composition skills with a far-reaching creative vision carried him successfully through each of the music’s successive new evolutions.”
Some French Bookstores Refuse To Stock Tell-All By President’s Ex-Wife
“As Merci Pour Ce Moment (Thank You For This Moment) hit the bookshelves last week, signs appeared in some bookshop windows across the country to explain to readers why they wouldn’t find Valérie Trierweiler’s opus in store. ‘This bookstore doesn’t aspire to be a washing machine for Madame Trierweiler’s dirty laundry,’ one read.”
Qatar Philharmonic Music Director Han-Na Chang Quits Mid-Tour
“The musical director who took Qatar’s fledgling orchestra to the BBC Proms has quit, less than 24 hours after its triumphant debut at the festival in London. The shock departure of Han-Na Chang, the star cellist hired a year ago to transform the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra into a world-class ensemble, came amid reports of clashes with its management.”
Brooklyn Museum’s Longtime Diretor Arnold Lehman To Retire
“Mr. Lehman made many attempts to reinvigorate the museum. But he will most likely be remembered for being at the center of one of the most bitter public fights in recent museum history when, in 1999, he presented “Sensation: Young British Artists From the Saatchi Collection,” a show of art from the holdings of Charles Saatchi, the British advertising magnate.”
Should Artists Own The Copyrights For Public Art?
“How can a work of public art, located on public land and funded by taxpayer money, be the intellectual property of an individual artist? Actually, it’s not that uncommon. Portland was a leader in first allowing artists to retain copyright on all public art, but other cities, from Seattle to Miami, have followed suit.”
New All-Classical Radio Station To Debut In North Carolina (Well, That’s Bucking A Trend!)
“The non-commercial, around-the-clock station [in Wilmington] will join the newly expanded non-commercial news and information station 91.3 FM WHQR News.” The broadcast frequency and programming schedule will be announced next week.
Smartphones And Map Apps Are Messing With Our Spatial Thinking
“When people plan a route based on their mental representation, they have to form a sequence of these landmarks, and follow this plan by reaching landmark after landmark. When people use navigation systems, they don’t do this planning any longer. … Basically, people don’t really learn their environments.”
Partying With The Hedheads
Those are the superfans of Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and Sarah Larson joins them for an old-style (as in 1990s) punk concert with the Hedwig band – called The Angry Inch for the show but, when on their own, performing under the name Tits of Clay.
Top Posts From AJBlogs 09.09.14
The Death of Art’s Third Place
AJBlog: CultureCrash | Published 2014-09-09
Elvis Costello at the Hollywood Bowl
AJBlog: CultureCrash | Published 2014-09-09
Lookback: Our Girl in Chicago on how literary taste evolves with age
AJBlog: About Last Night | Published 2014-09-09
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Ursula LeGuin, That Sharp-Tongued Writer Of Science Fiction And Fantasy, Gets A Lifetime Achievement Award
The National Book Foundation: “She has shown how great writing will obliterate the antiquated — and never really valid — line between popular and literary art.”
The Orchestra That Keeps (Parts Of) Congo Together
“Thrice-weekly rehearsals take place when everyone has finished work, often going on late into the evening – but, then, for many players, the OSK represents a nurturing family.”
Controversial Builder Chosen For New V&A Museum In Dundee
“Steve Murphy, general secretary of the Ucatt building workers’ union, said blacklisting firms should be banned from public contracts until they had ‘fairly compensated the workers whose lives they ruined.'”
Booker Prize Shortlist Announced, With Americans Still On It
“The decision to open the prize beyond Britain, Ireland and the Commonwealth was a controversial one, and the BBC announcement of the longlist carried the headline ‘Commonwealth Authors Edged Out.'”
New York Philharmonic Finally Sets Date For Overhauling Avery Fisher Hall
“The target date to begin the long-delayed renovation of Avery Fisher Hall is now 2019, and the New York Philharmonic is planning a campaign to raise its share of the construction costs and double its endowment, the orchestra disclosed in a recent job listing.” (This time we’ll get the acoustics right, we swear!)