Now, at least, there are some female conductors working. But they’re often not treated well, and they’re held to different standards than their male counterparts. “There is no shortage of male conductors who turn up with a half-read score and get away with a self-deprecating grin and a round of drinks. But with a female conductor, orchestras are less tolerant.” – The Telegraph (UK)
Month: June 2000
SIZE DOES MATTER
It’s the 250th anniversary of Bach’s death, and performances abound. But how to perform the music? “Choirs, even the compact 12-to-16 voice ensembles accepted as ‘authentic’ in period-instrument circles, are anachronisms and inventions – modern-day hybrids that have nothing to do with J. S. Bach’s actual practice, and are as much a misrepresentation of the composer’s intentions as performing Beethoven’s string quartets with a string orchestra would be.” – The Globe and Mail (Canada)
WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE POP MUSIC BIZ?
The greed? The commercialization? The changing economics of Napster et al? Nope – it’s “this idea that you have to be young to be valuable, that’s the downfall of music. There’s very little appreciation for growth. You think about crafts where elders are respected, and people are dedicated to the idea of getting better. Seems like that’s no longer what being involved with music is about.” – Philadelphia Inquirer
“You mustn’t measure old by years,” says The Who’s Roger Daltrey, —
— who, if old were measured out in years, would be 57. “It’s got bugger-all to do with time. You’ve got 16-year-olds that are old and 75-year-olds that have kept their childlike quality with the maturity of being older in years, and that leads to somebody very, very hip and spiritual.” – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
STUDIO TO CLOSE
Los Angeles’ oldest independent recording studio is closing. “They’ll switch off the last tube-powered amplifier and unplug the last 50-year-old audiotape console on Friday.” – Times of India (AP)
LOOK AT ME
Maybe we’re too sophisticated or jaded or cynical to appreciate them in this world of hyper-media. But the good old-fashioned publicity stunt, designed to bring out an audience and tilt credibility, is an honest-to-God artform. – London Evening Standard
THE 30-HOUR DAY
A new study says that through multi-tasking, Americans have essentially created the 30-hour day. “According to the study, this group of multi-taskers spends most of its leisure time with media and entertainment, or about 4.7 hours a day. But factor in simultaneous activity and it’s jacked up to 7.6 hours – that is, for instance, for 2.9 of those 4.7 actual hours, the average American simultaneously reads magazines and watches TV, or listens to CDs and sends e-mail.” – Inside.com
FEARS OF CULTURAL INVASION
A recent decision by the Korean government to open its door to Japanese culture have put the “local industries concerned on alert.” The biggest causes for alarm appear to be pop music, software games, television…and “Japanimations” – several of which already have “cult” followings in Korea. – Korea Times
PHANTOM LEARNING
“Virtual” education seems like such a good idea. But what about the quality of the learning. “Many ‘virtual universities’ are little more than degree mills making millions of dollars selling dubious qualifications to the gullible.” – Sydney Morning Herald
KOREA GOES CORPORATE
Korean businessmen are learning a new word in French: “mecenat” – meaning “the patronage of culture and the arts.” In an attempt to improve their corporate image and give support to the arts, private corporations have increased their donations by 50% since 1998. – Korea Herald