SFMOMA Rethinks Definition of 'Modern Art' The San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) didn't just reorganize its permanent collection this spring - it decided to ask some fundamental questions about what can truly be said to constitute 'modern art' in the 21st century. "The museum has decided to work more carefully with the permanent collection... 'partly as a philosophical corrective, to wean the public and the museum from an unrealistic diet of blockbuster shows.'" San Francisco Chronicle 07/07/04
Posted: 07/07/2004 6:34 am
Another Vermeer (Ho Hum) There's another Vermeer. "That means that, instead of there being - depending on who is doing the counting - about 35 authentic Vermeers in existence, there are now about 36. So why is there not more euphoria? Why no breathless feature articles, no documentaries on TV? And why are Sotheby's estimating that at the auction tomorrow it will make not more than £3 million, or not much more than a rather average Roy Lichtenstein recently reached?" The Telegraph (UK) 07/07/04
Posted: 07/06/2004 11:06 pm
Cologne Cathedral On Endangered List "Cologne cathedral, a masterpiece of Gothic architecture, was placed on Unesco's list of endangered World Heritage sites yesterday, its visual integrity threatened by skyscrapers being built on the opposite bank of the Rhine." The Guardian (UK) 07/07/04
Posted: 07/06/2004 10:26 pm
Venezuela's Curious Art Boom Venezuela has had a tough few years. Now - curiously - it's on an art-buying boom. "In a country hit hard by economically devastating antigovernment strikes, a 2002 failed coup and capital flight that has amounted to billions of dollars, a curious phenomenon is unfolding: The affluent are seeking to shelter their fast-depreciating currency, the bolívar, in art, demonstrating once again that art can flourish in times of crisis, whether in Nazi-occupied Europe 60 years ago, in Communist Cuba in the 1990's or in this politically charged South American country." The New York Times 07/07/04
Posted: 07/06/2004 9:25 pm
First Antarctic Painting On Display "The first painting of Antarctica, which has been hidden under another painting for the last 200 years, is going on public view in London. The painting was the work of artist William Hodges, who joined Captain Cook's second epic voyage in 1772." BBC 07/06/04
Posted: 07/06/2004 9:13 pm
Should San Francisco Be Looking Past MTT? Michael Tilson Thomas is nearing his tenth season as music director of the San Francisco Symphony, and the partnership shows no signs of fatigue. Under MTT, as he's known throughout the industry, the symphony has flourished musically and become the media darling of American orchestras. So what now? Joshua Kosman thinks its time to start looking for Tilson Thomas's successor. Seriously. San Francisco Chronicle 07/07/04
Posted: 07/07/2004 6:37 am
More Controversy At Bayreuth "Rehearsals for the eagerly anticipated new production of Richard Wagner's final opera Parsifal at this year's legendary Bayreuth Festival resumed yesterday after iconoclastic theatre director Christoph Schlingensief re-appeared for work following a few days absence. Schlingensief had plunged preparations for the prestigious annual summer music festival... into disarray on the weekend by calling in sick following a row with the composer's grandson and festival chief Wolfgang Wagner." The Globe & Mail (Agence France-Presse) 07/07/04
Posted: 07/07/2004 6:19 am
Concert Companion Taking Off The much-hyped "Concert Companion," a PDA-sized device which allows concertgoers to follow a written commentary to symphonic works live in the concert hall, is becoming the gotta-have-it item for major American orchestras. With successful trials in New York and Pittsburgh now complete, other orchestras are lining up for the chance to try out the device on their audiences. In fact, it may be hard for the supplier to keep up with demand, not so much for the hardware, but for the specialized commentary (written, up to this point, by ArtsJournal blogger Greg Sandow) which must be composed for each featured work. Hartford Courant 07/07/04
Posted: 07/07/2004 5:51 am
KC Music Director Candidate Withdraws Conductor David Lockington has withdrawn his name from consideration in the three-man race to become the new music director of the Kansas City Symphony, saying that he wishes to keep his focus on the Grand Rapids (Michigan) Symphony, which is preparing for its 75th anniversary next season. The Kansas City job would have been a considerable jump in prestige for Lockington, but no further reasons for his withdrawal have been given. The job will now likely go to either Stefan Sanderling or Michael Stern. Kansas City Star 07/07/04
Posted: 07/07/2004 5:43 am
Asian Musicians Abused, Assaulted in NZ Several Asian members of New Zealand's Wellington Sinfonia were taunted with racial slurs this week while on tour in the town of Masterton this week, and one Asian violinist was physically assaulted on the street in an apparently racially-motivated incident. The woman "was approached by a girl described by witnesses as wearing 'Gothic-style clothing' and who said 'why don’t you just go back to where you came from' and then hit her in the face." Waiarapa Times-Age (New Zealand) 07/07/04
Posted: 07/07/2004 5:38 am
ENO Tries Another Unconventional Show The English National Opera is attempting to mount a major outdoor production of La Boheme in London's Trafalgar Square, covering the whole area with fake grass in an effort to recreate the look and feel of Glyndebourne's opera on the lawn. But on the heels of ENO's wild and unconventional success at the Glastonbury Festival, this event may be a bust: "heavy rain and winds are forecast and picnics, bottles and outdoor furniture banned." Still, all 7,000 free tickets to the event are already spoken for. BBC 07/07/04
Posted: 07/07/2004 5:20 am
- Previously: Wagner Is A Hit At Pop Festival An abridged version of Wagner's "Ring" cycle has been a hit at the Glastonbury Festival. "It was the first time opera had been performed at the festival, with thousands of fascinated revellers gathering in front of the main Pyramid stage for the event. The 75-minute long extract opened with the section of the opera familiar to fans of the film Apocalypse Now, its lyrics sung in English and subtitled at the side of the stage to make it widely accessible. The Valkyries were played with relish by the ENO singers, flame-haired and dressed in black, as members of the orchestra behind them were clearly enjoying the unique experience." BBC 06/28/04
Make-Your-Own CDs (Legally) A new music kiosk allows customers to mix their own CDs, choosing from 200,000 songs. "At $10 for the first seven songs and $1 per song after that, it's not as cheap as free, but it is legal. And the service addresses a fundamental problem with how the music industry sells its product: People don't like paying $15 for a 10-song album when they want only two of the tracks. The company hopes to expand the concept to digital movies, games and software." The Star-Tribune (Mpls) 07/06/04
Posted: 07/06/2004 11:10 pm
The £6 Million Pirate A prolific music pirate lands in court. Prosecution says he made £6 million in ten years selling copies of bootlegged music. "He commissioned, manufactured and sold, here and elsewhere, unavailable or illicit recordings of musical works performed by virtually every well-known artist in the world. Members of the audience at concerts made illegal recordings which were used as master copies for the CDs. TV and radio performances were also illicitly taped, and tracks from existing records were duplicated, the court heard." The Guardian (UK) 07/06/04
Posted: 07/06/2004 10:37 pm
The Longest Concert - Two Notes Down, 636 Years To Go "In the abandoned Burchardi church in the German town of Halberstadt, the world's longest concert moved two notes closer to its end Monday: Three years down, 636 to go. The addition of an E and E-sharp complement the G-sharp, B and G-sharp that have been playing since February 2003 in composer John Cage's 'Organ2/ASLSP' -- or 'Organ squared/As slow as possible'.'' Chicago Sun-Times 07/06/04
Posted: 07/06/2004 10:12 pm
Pulitzer Music Changes And The Comfort Zone What's wrong with changes in eligibility for the Pulitzer Prize in music? "On the face of it, the changes instituted are small. The Prize will no longer be for a musical work of "significant dimension," as the Board seems to feel that such language has tended to prevent composers of shorter pieces from submitting their work. The press release also states that the changes are intended to broaden the types of works available for review to include jazz, musical theater, movie scores "and other forms of musical excellence." Never mind that such works have actually been eligible since the last overhaul of the Music Prize's rules, the real problem that I have is how this restated emphasis on broadening the scope of musical works under consideration bespeaks the essential discomfort that the Pulitzer Prize Board has with art music." NewMusicBox 07/04
Posted: 07/06/2004 10:04 pm
Mexico's Music Piracy Standoff "Entertainment bootlegging is sweeping the globe, but nowhere has the landscape changed more quickly than in Mexico. An estimated six out of every 10 CDs sold are believed to be bootlegs, vaulting Mexico to the No. 3 spot worldwide, behind China and Russia. But unlike those nations, Mexico has a long-established commercial industry that is getting pummeled in the process." Los Angeles Times 07/06/04
Posted: 07/06/2004 9:36 pm
Wanted: The Very Model Of A Major Music Director With Daniel Barenboim on his way out as music director of the Chicago Symphony, the orchestra searches for its next leader. But what kind of maestro fits the bill for a modern music institution? National Public Radio [audio] 07/06/04
Posted: 07/06/2004 8:55 pm
Sniping Surrounds 'Music Manifesto' The UK government's new "music manifesto," which aims to put a renewed emphasis on music education in Britain, is being assailed by several high-profile musicians who say that it offers little in the way of substantive change, and by minority Conservative politicians who declared the document to be "of Wagnerian length with more hot air than the wind section of the London Philharmonic." When asked for his own vision of how to improve music education, the Tory shadow arts minister suggested that schools should bring back regular hymn singing. The Telegraph (UK) 07/07/04
Posted: 07/07/2004 5:58 am
Seattle Arts Groups Back In Balance "Although the past two years were economically difficult for Seattle arts groups, including the biggest and richest, the proverbial corner seems to have been turned for some. Pacific Northwest Ballet not only balanced its $16.3 million budget this fiscal year but eliminated its 2-year-old $1.2 million accumulated deficit and restored its cash reserve fund of $580,000... The Seattle Symphony Orchestra 'expects' to balance its $20.9 million budget, and Seattle Opera is 'cautiously optimistic' that it will do the same with a budget of $20.7 million." Seattle Post-Intelligencer 07/07/04
Posted: 07/07/2004 5:55 am
Shanghai - Asia's New Capital Of Culture? "Determined to raise the city to the level of regional rivals like Tokyo and Hong Kong as well as Beijing, Shanghai officials have made culture a major priority. Beijing has its Forbidden City, its prestigious national schools and museums, its centuries-old neighborhoods that breathe Chinese culture, none of which Shanghai can realistically challenge. But like Tokyo, all but destroyed in World War II, this city is making a virtue of its newness." The New York Times 07/07/04
Posted: 07/06/2004 11:26 pm
Union: A Better Day For Culture In Canada? Canada's actors' union is celebrating the Liberal Party's win in the recent federal election. "We look forward to working with the minority government to establish policy, legislate and make appointments that will protect and enhance Canadian cultural industries." BackStage 07/06/04
Posted: 07/06/2004 9:02 pm
Message From America: Don't Come Here The American border police have been making it more and more difficult for foreign journalists, authors and musicians to enter the US. "American businesses have "lost $30.7 billion in the last two years because of visa delays and denials for their foreign partners and employees, according to a survey sponsored by eight business organizations." The New York Times 07/04/04
Posted: 07/06/2004 4:16 pm
France's Cerebral Star Bernard-Henri Levy is a true French celebrity - a philosopher, author, journalist, filmmaker, diplomatic envoy, world traveler, political activist and all-around celebrity intellectual. "Levy's omnipresence here reaffirms a French tradition that may seem odd in countries where philosophers don't exactly dominate prime time. The French revere intellectual achievement and celebrate "grandeur," a concept that combines excellence and glory. Not only do certain French authors and academics become institutions, Levy is the latest to show that they can be stars too." Los Angeles Times 07/06/04
Posted: 07/06/2004 9:30 pm
1000-Year-Old Stolen Iraqi Book Recovered A thousand-year-old Iraqi book stolen in 1995 has been recovered by police and will be returned. "The £250,000 book turned up in a London auction room last year, but auctioneers were suspicious and called police." The Guardian (UK) 07/07/04
Posted: 07/06/2004 10:31 pm
Irish "Devil" Magazine Provokes Protests "The publication of alleged 'devil worshipping' articles in the current issue of the arty-and-alternative magazine The Vacuum has caused a stir within Belfast City Council. The magazine features an interview with an exorcist and an article called I peed in church, and has been deemed blasphemous by certain city councillors. The fact that The Vacuum was granted £5,000 of Belfast Coluncil Arts Committee funding has no doubt added more fuel to the controversial 'hell' fire." Recirca 07/06/04
Posted: 07/06/2004 8:59 pm
By The Power Of Gracenote A little-known company called Gracenote is quietly becoming a major player in the new world of digital music. The company was formed around an idea - that there should be a way for digital players to recognize and label songs and albums without users having to enter the information - and every major digital player now depends on its services. "Gracenote's rise resembles a pattern seen in many industries, in which one company evolves into an information clearinghouse that holds extraordinary power over its rivals." Wired 07/07/04
Posted: 07/07/2004 5:32 am
UK Way Ahead Of US With Digital Radio Digital radio is so hot in Great Britain that the government is preparing to announce a shutdown date for traditional analog broadcasting. 600,000 digital receivers have been sold in the UK since the format launched earlier this year, and nearly half of all British radio broadcasts are now available in digital form. Even the receivers themselves are becoming cheaper - a £50 model will be available in supermarkets shortly. BBC 07/07/04
Posted: 07/07/2004 5:27 am
The Biggest Blockbuster (Who Sez?) What's the most popular movie of all time? Looking at the box-office receipts gives only part of the answer... National Public Radio 07/05/04
Posted: 07/07/2004 12:03 am
The Movies' Billion-Dollar Month For the first time, American movie theatres sold more than a billion dollars worth of tickets. "The North American box office took $1.03 billion during June, Hollywood Reporter found - a 14% increase on June 2003's previous monthly record. Takings were boosted by blockbusters including Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Shrek 2." BBC 07/06/04
Posted: 07/06/2004 9:43 pm
Study: Link Between Violent Video Games And Violence New research suggests links between violent video games and aggressive behavior. Predictably, this has led to calls for legislation to limit violent games. "The game industry says legislating ultra-violent games out of the hands of children would deal a severe blow to free speech. Game companies point to the industry-imposed ratings system that gives detailed descriptions of violence in a game and labels some titles as "mature" or "adults only." Forbes (AP) 07/06/04
Posted: 07/06/2004 9:09 pm
Oakland Ballet Can Breathe Easier "Oakland Ballet may never be entirely out of the financial woods, but at least the company has met its $500,000 'Keep Us Dancing' goal to, well, keep the company dancing... The company, founded in 1965, will take the coming year off from performing in order to reorganize and prepare for the 40th anniversary season." San Francisco Chronicle 07/07/04
Posted: 07/07/2004 6:40 am
Sell-Out Dance A new London play celebrates ballroom dancing. "Ballroom dancing is very much back in fashion, with the success of Strictly Come Dancing on TV giving it a new lease of life. It is estimated that more than one million people regularly go to ballroom-dancing classes, while the monthly gay tea dance in Brockley in south-east London is always a sell-out." The Guardian (UK) 07/06/04
Posted: 07/06/2004 10:44 pm
