Monday, January 9
The Magical Healing Powers Of Mozart?
"Over the past decade, Mozart has increasingly been placed in a role that is perhaps the most controversial of all: as healer of mind and body. In this New Age interpretation, Mozart is the ultimate composer-therapist whose music can help treat ailments ranging from acne to Alzheimer's disease and even, it is claimed, make you and your kids smarter. Some of these claims are based on science."
Time
01/08/06
Posted: 01/09/2006 9:13 am
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Crowded Out - The Modern Museum
Museums are now so crowded it's impossible to really see art. "The more I watch viewers thronging to sample the latest blockbuster shows, or the permanent collections at the Prado, the Louvre and the National Gallery, the less convinced I am that they are giving art any sustained attention. Most visitors move through exhibitions and museums with disconcerting speed. Pausing now and again in front of particular images before resuming the onward march, they do not seem prepared to scrutinise anything for a substantial length of time."
New Statesman
01/09/06
Posted: 01/09/2006 8:17 am
Figure It Out - The Leipzig School
"Figurative art that was deprecated as hopelessly passé in Paris and Düsseldorf never lost its grip in Leipzig. The city prided itself on being the birthplace of Max Beckmann and (if you looked back a few centuries and across Saxony to Wittenberg) on a painterly lineage begat by Lucas Cranach."
New York Times Magazine
01/08/06
Posted: 01/09/2006 8:08 am
Norman Foster Takes New York
"In the city that perfected the skyscraper then repeated the formula endlessly, Foster is the European who has taken on the apparently impossible task of rescuing the high-rise from creative exhaustion. His just-completed new headquarters for the Hearst magazine empire, on Eighth Avenue, close to Central Park, succeeds in doing that, and deservedly is getting astonishingly enthusiastic coverage."
Scotland on Sunday
01/08/06
Posted: 01/08/2006 6:39 pm
Needed: A Smithsonian Showplace
Some of the Smithsonian's museums suffer from a lack of physical prominence. What's needed? A central exhibition facility, and Blake Gopnik nominates: "The Smithsonian's glorious 1881 Arts and Industries Building, shuttered since early 2004 and neglected or underused for many years before. In architectural terms, it is one of the most important landmarks in Washington."
Washington Post
01/08/06
Posted: 01/08/2006 6:35 pm
Assessing The Cleveland Museum's New Director
He is not a household name, even within the art world, and so he might have seemed an underdog for a major directorship at one of America's leading museums. But Steven Litt is impressed anyway. "In choosing Timothy Rub of Cincinnati as its next director, the Cleveland Museum of Art picked an arts manager who has not yet achieved cultural stardom... Rub transformed local perceptions about the 125-year-old [Cincinnati Art Museum,] long viewed as an elitist institution on a hilltop in Eden Park, overlooking the rest of the city... The new director will need those skills in Cleveland. Rub, whose appointment begins in April, will take over the massive, $258 million expansion and renovation the museum launched in October."
The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)
01/08/06
Posted: 01/08/2006 12:19 pm
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Previously: Tim Rub To Head Cleveland Museum Cincinnati Art Museum director Timothy Rub has been named director and chief executive officer of the Cleveland Museum of Art. "During his six years in Cincinnati, Rub oversaw the creation of the $10 million Cincinnati Wing, renovations of the courtyard and auditorium, reinstallation of the African and American art collections, and free general admission." Cincinnati Enquirer 01/06/06
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Ohio University Killing Off 60-Year-Old Quartet?
The Oxford String Quartet is 60 years old. But its future is in doubt as Miami University of Ohio has declined to replace a departing violinist. "A group of distraught fans in Oxford, Cincinnati and as far away as Cologne, Germany, are campaigning to 'save the quartet.' They say the school's prestige is at stake. But the dean of MU's School of Fine Arts, Jose Antonio Bowen, thinks it's a non-issue, and that eventually the school will want to emphasize other areas, such as world music."
Cincinnati Enquirer
01/09/06
Posted: 01/09/2006 10:24 am
Mozart's Skull? Inconclusive
Scientists have failed to determine whether a skull they tested is that of Mozart. "The scientists hoped to match its DNA to genetic samples taken from what they believed are the skeletons of Mozart's grandmother and niece. The scientists said on Austrian television Sunday that the skeletons do not match the skull, and that the skeletons are also unrelated - creating a whole new mystery of who is buried the Mozart family crypt."
Voice of America
01/09/06
Posted: 01/08/2006 8:30 pm
Wait For It! Second Chord In World's Longest Piece
We're now two years into the performance. The abandoned Buchardi church in Halberstadt, eastern Germany, is the venue for a mind-boggling 639-year-long performance of a piece of music by US experimental composer John Cage (1912-1992). Entitled "organ2/ASLSP" (or "As SLow aS Possible"), the performance began on September 5, 2001 and is scheduled to last until 2639.
Yahoo! (AFP)
01/05/06
Posted: 01/08/2006 6:54 pm
Where Is The Singing?
Singing seems to have disappeared from British public life. "The main reason people don't sing is that it's a very exposing thing to do. In Britain we're especially good at using the voice to cover our real thoughts and feelings. But in singing you can't help revealing yourself. It's like suddenly going naked, vocally speaking."
The Telegraph (UK)
01/08/06
Posted: 01/08/2006 6:42 pm
Berlin's Looming Opera Funding Crisis
Berlin has three major opera companies. But the city has struggled to pay for them, and "some kind of funding crisis is almost certain to occur perhaps as early as late this year."
Washington Post
01/08/06
Posted: 01/08/2006 5:49 pm
Difficult Word - Writing About Music
It's a tough time for music critics. "Along with the usual horrors that print pubs endure now, the music press has its own particular headaches. Not only are publications reigning in their use of freelancers (Rolling Stone, Red Flag), others are cutting their word count (Washington Post, Village Voice) or cutting their pay rates (the Voice again, which is also dealing with a recent takeover). And while 'zines are generally more open about accepting material, they're also feeling the crunch of ad dollars and the pressure from record companies to include more--and thus, shorter--reviews to make up for the space."
Rockcritics.com
01/05/06
Posted: 01/08/2006 5:12 pm
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Hong Kong Legislature Criticizes Gov On Cultural District
A Hong Kong legislative committee is criticizing the government for proceeding with a single developer for the city's massive new cultural district.
The Standard (Hong Kong)
01/08/06
Posted: 01/09/2006 8:49 am
Time To Restore California Arts Funding?
"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposed education budget includes $100 million for art and music in the classrooms. This is a laudable step in the right direction, but it doesn't address the critical need to restore the state's arts infrastructure. The miserly million allocated to the California Arts Council was required to match a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional funds from the arts license-plate program and other sources make up a total agency budget of $3.2 million. At its peak in 2001, the Arts Council had a budget of $32 million."
San Francisco Chronicle
01/08/06
Posted: 01/09/2006 8:45 am
Education Workforce Up 4.4 Percent
The higher education workforce in the US grew by 4.4 percent to just under 3.3 million between 2003 and 2004. "Most of the growth occurred at public universities and at for-profit colleges, and much of it came among employees who provide instruction rather than among administrators."
InsideHigherEd
01/09/06
Posted: 01/08/2006 11:23 pm
Orange Pulls Out, Scots Are Blue
"Telecommunications giant Orange is to reduce financial support for arts north of the Border, which is likely to leave Edinburgh's renowned film and book festivals with huge holes in their budgets. Other national companies are also expected to reduce sponsorship in Scotland because of sporting events such as the World Cup, which will soak up spare cash."
Scotland on Sunday
01/08/06
Posted: 01/08/2006 7:03 pm
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The Shirtless Baritone
Nathan Gunn is one hell of a singer. No one is disputing that. But the thing is, he's also unbelievably good-looking, especially in comparison to many of his male compatriots in the opera world, who have a tendency to look - how shall we put it - very, very fat. Consequently, Gunn's rise to the top of the opera world (and make no mistake, 2005 was the year the young baritone became a bona fide star) has run on two parallel tracks, one defined by his gentle and distinctive voice, and the other by his exceedingly well-defined pecs.
The New York Times
01/08/06
Posted: 01/08/2006 12:00 pm
Barenboim The Crusader
Say this for Daniel Barenboim: he's never boring. The celebrated conductor/pianist may not have the youthful sheen that once added to his stardom, but his controversial involvement in Mideast politics and his outspoken opposition to America's near-constant use of music as background noise make him one of the era's best interviews. These days, Barenboim is on a lecture tour of three continents, and he is taking seemingly everyone to task: Americans for their short attention spans, Germans for being unwilling to accept the unpleasantness of their own history, Britons for allowing music education to decline precipitously, and Israelis for their seeming inability to differentiate between power and strength.
The Independent (UK)
01/08/06
Posted: 01/08/2006 10:10 am
Aging Like A Fine Wine
Let's face facts. Elaine Stritch is not exactly in her prime these days - her voice cracks, her intonation is off, and she sounds like every bit of her 80 years. But Stritch did not become a Broadway legend by vocal talent alone, and her magnificent stage presence and bravado is 100% intact. Furthermore, the aspects of her singing that always made her unique - her use of silence and her special way of delivering lyrics - could be used as a primer for aspiring theatrical singers.
The New York Times
01/07/06
Posted: 01/08/2006 9:16 am
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Phantom By The Numbers
"Phantom of the Opera" has played longer than any show in Broadway history. It "is a record breaker in many respects, having grossed nearly $600 million since opening in 1988, the most ever for a Broadway show. When you add in the original London production, numerous foreign productions and three United States tours, the worldwide box office exceeds a whopping $3.2 billion, surpassing every other stage production and even the world's highest-grossing film, "Titanic" ($1.8 billion)."
The New York Times
01/08/06
Posted: 01/08/2006 6:45 pm
Broadway Sets A New Year's Record
2005 was a blockbuster year for Broadway, and it wrapped up with a record-setting performance in the biggest week of the year. The week between Christmas and New Year's nearly always racks up the biggest box-office gross of the season, and this time around, 28 shows took in more than $25 million over the week, making it the highest-grossing seven day period in Broadway history.
Chicago Tribune (AP)
01/08/06
Posted: 01/08/2006 11:26 am
Two Countries Separated By A Common Musical?
There was a time when, if a musical was a smash hit on London's West End, it was soon to be a similar hit on Broadway, and no one bothered asking whether the action and staging would "translate" well to an American audience. But increasingly, the biggest hits in London are falling flat in America's leading theatre cities. Part of the problem is simply the London audience's affection for a specific style of theatre from which American audiences long ago moved on. But the larger issue may be the incredible specificity of recent London productions: shows which require an offhand knowledge of recent UK political and social history are likely to meet with blank stares across the pond.
Chicago Tribune
01/08/06
Posted: 01/08/2006 10:19 am
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Harry Best-Sold Of 2005
The latest installment of Harry Potter was the best-selling book of 2005. "Proving its enduring popularity, which is likely to continue with the release of a movie adaptation this year, Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" was the fifth highest U.S. seller of the year."
Yahoo! (AP)
01/08/06
Posted: 01/09/2006 9:05 am
CIA Trying To Discourage Books
Concerned about information getting out about how the CIA operates, agency director Porter Goss is trying to discourage books about the agency by former employees. "Goss is concerned about the potential effects of books written by those with inside knowledge of agency operations."
Time
01/09/06
Posted: 01/08/2006 8:26 pm
Cracking The Code - Da Vinci To Get Paperback Megaprint
The publisher of the Da Vinci Code is printing 5 million copies in paperback. "Even though the book is one of the best sellers in hardcover history with 12 million copies in print in North America, Random House, a division of Bertelsmann of Germany, is operating on the assumption that many readers have been waiting for a less-expensive paperback version and that the film will generate new interest."
The New York Times
01/09/06
Posted: 01/08/2006 8:19 pm
The Word Of The Year
It's "truthiness". "The American Dialect Society chose the word Friday after a runoff with terms related to Hurricane Katrina, such as "Katrinagate," the scandal erupting from the lack of planning for the monster hurricane."
Seattle Times (AP)
01/08/06
Posted: 01/08/2006 6:51 pm
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Howard Stern Pay Shows Satellite Radio Legit
"Last week, Sirius announced that it had granted Mr. Stern and his manager more than 34 million shares of common stock, currently worth about $225 million, because certain subscriber levels had been reached. That is on top of the $500 million that Sirius had already agreed to pay Mr. Stern for his salary and production costs. Whether or not Mr. Stern's show, which begins at 6 a.m., is a success, his decision to jump from free broadcast to subscription radio has bestowed legitimacy to a medium that many had regarded with skepticism." The New York Times
01/09/06
Posted: 01/09/2006 8:07 am
What Happened To British Comedy?
"British television has produced a rich library of laughter. There are comedies ranging from Hancock's Half-Hour and Steptoe And Son to Blackadder and The Royle Family, from Are You being Served? to Allo Allo." But in recent years, the British comedies have been MIA... The Age (Melbourne)
01/09/06
Posted: 01/08/2006 11:16 pm
Film Critics Society Names Capote Best Film
In the closest vote in its history, the National Society of Film Critics has named "Capote" as the best movie of 2005. "At the NSFC's annual voting meeting Saturday in New York City, "Capote" prevailed by a single vote on the sixth ballot." Chicago Tribune
01/08/06
Posted: 01/08/2006 8:35 pm
FM Looks To Talk To Save It From Satellite
Having so homogenized the FM radio landscape that listeners have begun turning to iPod shuffles and satellite pay services for their music fix, the corporate conglomerates that control a majority of U.S. commercial radio stations have begun to try out news/talk on their FM frequencies. In the process, traditional talk formats are being swept aside in favor of more wide-ranging approaches that skew less political and (the broadcasters hope) attract a wider variety of listeners. Washington Post
01/08/06
Posted: 01/08/2006 12:31 pm
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Ballet On The Brink
Dance has not fared particularly well in Northern Ohio in recent years. The old Cleveland/San Jose Ballet folded back in 2000, and this season, the Ohio Ballet, which performs in Cleveland and Akron, canceled many of its winter performances and laid off all but two full-time staffers. Now, the ballet has 60 days to determine whether it has the resources to rehire its dancers for April performances. More importantly, the company is attempting to assess whether there is really enough support in the area to sustain a resident ballet in the long term.
The Plain Dealer (Cleveland)
01/08/06
Posted: 01/08/2006 12:13 pm
Washington Ballet Rejects Mediation Offer
The current contract negotiations between Washington Ballet and its dancers could best be described as an extended meltdown, with both sides dug in and spouting vitriol at their opponent through the press. So it should have been a positive development last week when Michael Kaiser, president of Washington, D.C.'s Kennedy Center, offered to mediate the talks. Kaiser is widely respected in the arts world by both managers and performers, and he has stepped into the middle of more than one labor dispute with good results. But Washington Ballet's management team wants nothing to do with mediation, saying that "we're just not there yet." A representative of the dancers, who have been out of work since mid-December, called the ballet's rejection of Kaiser "asinine."
Washington Post
01/07/06
Posted: 01/08/2006 9:51 am
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