“Online services account for just a small fraction of overall music sales, but they’re growing rapidly. And the new choices they give consumers threaten to remix the recording industry’s traditional revenue streams, pumping up the volume of singles and subscriptions and turning down album sales… The shift to online shopping could be lucrative for the music industry if the flexibility and convenience lead people to spend more on tunes than they do today. But some industry executives and analysts fear the opposite result, with music lovers buying a few 99-cent singles instead of $15 CDs.”
Month: April 2004
Harvard Looks To The Liberal Arts Model
Harvard University, that great American bastion of the high-intensity, ultra-focused education, is apparently ready to lighten up a bit. A 15-month internal study has concluded that the university would benefit from allowing students more time to choose majors, and limiting the set-in-stone class requirements for those majors, so as to encourage a balanced, wide-ranging educational experience. The study also suggests that Harvard students be encouraged to study abroad, and emphasizes the importance of science for all students.
All That Money For A Ring, And You Don’t Even Get Engaged!
Looking forward to attending the Canadian Opera Company’s forthcoming Ring cycle? You might want to see about a home equity loan: the COC announced its ticketing policy for the cycle this week, and patrons learned that they can expect to pay CAN$1700 for prime seats, and as much as CAN$2200 for certain VIP tickets. The cheapest ticket is CAN$300 for the full cycle. And having the money is no guarantee of getting in the door, since the company is giving ticket priority to its donors. The COC cycle commences in the fall of 2006.
Robertson & St. Louis: A Perfect Match?
The task of matching a conductor to an orchestra is far more complex than merely identifying a high level of skill in each. Orchestras, as well as conductors, often have distinct personalities, and a conductor who goes over fabulously in, say, Cleveland, may not get such a warm reception in Boston or Chicago. So when the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra announced David Robertson as its next music director, the real question wasn’t whether either party had the necessary skills for top-notch performances, but whether this would be a match of musical personalities. The SLSO played New York with its music director-designate this week, and Bernard Holland found the new marriage promising.
Oakland Ballet Gets A Boost
“The financially strapped Oakland Ballet is breathing a little easier this week after the receipt of a major grant that, if matched, could put the company close to the $500,000 make-or-break goal it set for itself earlier this month. The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation has approved a $200,000 matching grant to help the company meet its goal by May 31. Because of declining ticket sales and $200,000 in debts, the company suspended its fall 2004 season and announced that if it couldn’t raise $500,000, it would go out of business.”
Officials to Investigate Faltering Arts Center
When Pennsylvania’s Mountain Laurel Performing Arts Center closed its doors only five months after opening, arts supporters and state officials were aghast at what appeared to be a classic case of mismanagement and overreach. Now, the state Auditor General’s office is getting involved at the request of Pennsylvania legislators, investigating the decisions and deals that led to the construction of the $35 million venue. Mountain Laurel, located in the Pocono Mountains in the northeastern part of the state, was to have been the summer home of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and planned to host summer concerts by the Philadelphia Orchestra as well.
Strad Cello Stolen in L.A.
A Stradivarius cello known as the “General Kyd” has been stolen from a private home in the Los Angeles area. The instrument, which is owned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and played by its principal cellist, Peter Stumpf, dates from 1684 and is valued at $3.5 million. Police are being cagey about the circumstances surrounding the theft, refusing to identify the specific house from which the cello was taken, but stating that there was no immediate sign of a break-in at the residence.
Comcast Backs Away From The Mouse
Cable giant Comcast has withdrawn its hostile takeover bid for the Walt Disney Corporation after Disney’s board showed no interest in accepting the deal. A Disney-Comcast merger would have created the biggest media company in the world, but despite Disney’s recent well-documented boardroom chaos, the company spurned Comcast’s $66 billion offer immediately after it was announced in February. There is no guarantee that federal regulators would have approved the deal in any case.
Hubert Selby Jr, 75
“Hubert Selby Jr, the acclaimed author of Last Exit to Brooklyn and Requiem for a Dream, has died at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 75. The author, who had been in and out of hospital in recent weeks, died of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.”
Scottish Theatres Get Their Funding Back
The Scottish government has changed its mind and decided to refund the country’s theatres. “Only months ago the groups were told their core grants from the SAC would end in 2005 and they would have to re-apply for money from a greatly reduced pot. The change now means the companies will effectively be guaranteed funding from 2005 to 2006. There are no guarantees beyond then.”