For music fans, the news last Thursday that WNYC will end New Sounds, a show hosted by John Schaefer since its debut in 1982, has provoked a deep sense of mourning and nostalgia for both the show and the city’s eroding arts and culture scene. Over four decades, the eclectic music program had come to be seen as a proud local institution that reflected New York City’s sophistication and idiosyncratic personality. – Gothamist
Author: Douglas McLennan
Architecture Critic And Historian Charles Jencks, 80
Mr. Jencks was an architectural historian who, with a landmark book, put himself at the forefront of the debate over what architecture should do. – The New York Times
The “Slow Fire” That’s Destroying Our Books
It’s called a “slow fire,” this continuous acidification and subsequent embrittlement of paper that was created with the seeds of its own ruin in its very fibers. In a 1987 documentary on the subject, the deputy Librarian of Congress William Welsh takes an embrittled, acid-burned book and begins tearing pages out by the handful, crumbling them into shards with an ease reminiscent of stepping on a dried-up insect carcass. – Literary Hub
The Radical Personal Life Of Johann Sebastian Bach
“I’ve talked to people who feel they know Bach very well, but they aren’t aware of the time he was imprisoned for a month. They never learned about Bach pulling a knife on a fellow musician during a street fight. They never heard about his drinking exploits—on one two-week trip he billed the church eighteen gorchsen for beer, enough to purchase eight gallons of it at retail prices—or that his contract with the Duke of Saxony included a provision for tax-free beer from the castle brewery; or that he was accused of consorting with an unknown, unmarried woman in the organ loft; or had a reputation for ignoring assigned duties without explanation or apology.” – Lapham’s Quarterly
More Theatres Are Experimenting With Different Performance Times
The conventional wisdom on curtain times has long been broken, and it’s proving beneficial to producers and audience. More show-by-show tinkering can only continue to evolve theatregoing practice, which is essential in an era when most entertainment can be scheduled on demand. – The Stage
Are We Seeing A New Theatre Construction Boom In America?
Some see other current trends—the conversion of old structures, the blurring of boundaries between disciplines, the increasing move of visual artists into performance, the popular interest in all things digital – will be reflected in future theatre design. “We are still in the supposed old ways of thinking. But yeah—change is on its way.” – American Theatre
How Do You Reconstruct A 140-Year-Old Ballet? Carefully
“It’s controversial in Russia to reconstruct ballets — original Russian ballets — but on the notation that was removed from Russia. In recent years, “La Bayadère” has raised questions over cultural stereotypes and insensitive depictions of India. – Los Angeles Times
Why That Picture Of Nancy Pelosi Standing Up To Trump Has Become Iconic Art
Something about the symmetry, the light, and the postures of the figures in the room turned ordinary people into art historians who were captivated by the strength of the composition. “The juxtaposition of the direction the participants are leaning on opposite sides of the table is a strong dynamic.” – Washington Post
Watch: Elijah Cummings Speaking To The League Of American Orchestras In 2016
This Little Light of Mine: The inimitable Mr. Cummings speaks to the League’s annual meeting about how the arts has the power to change lives. “As I march toward the twilight of my life, there’s nothing more important to me than seeing children have opportunities. – YouTube
John Schaefer: Why We Still Need Music Curators
“When what we listen to is all based on algorithms, you’re fed things that will already fit your taste. My intention with the show was always to make it like a series of doors. You could peek in and you could go into that door if you liked, or you could choose another.” – The New York Times