“Behind the scenes, the Lucerne Festival, an increasingly important part of the classical music ecosystem, [has been] forced to reinvent itself. Within the past couple of years, the festival has lost not one, but both of its guiding artistic lights: [Claudio] Abbado died in 2014 at 80, and [Pierre] Boulez this year at 90.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Nicholas Serota Will Leave As Director Of Tate Galleries, Will Become Chair Of Arts Council England
“Nicholas Serota is stepping down as director of the Tate after 28 years in charge to be the next chairman of Arts Council England. The timing of the move next February, … months after the opening of a new wing of Tate Modern (Switch House) will come as a surprise to many although there has been speculation … that such a move was on the cards.”
Who Could Fill Nicholas Serota’s Shoes At The Tate? Here Are A Few Possibilities
“He doesn’t want the next incumbent to think he or she has an easy ride: there is work to be done. He might be leaving, but he’s setting the agenda before he goes. And who might that person be to come in and realise Tate’s ‘potential’?” BBC arts editor Will Gompertz names some potential candidates.
Tate Modern’s New Extension Has A Peeping-Tom Problem
“Residents of London’s Neo Bankside luxury apartment complex, next to the Tate Modern, have lately been dismayed to find photographs of their living rooms and bedrooms popping up on strangers’ Instagram feeds.”
Tenor Johan Botha Dead At 51
“Uncommonly versatile, Botha shone in roles ranging from Florestan in Beethoven’s Fidelio to main figures in works by Verdi, Wagner, and Richard Strauss. … Over a nearly 30-year career, he appeared on most of the world’s top stages including La Scala, the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, New York’s Metropolitan Opera and the State Opera in Vienna, where he made his home.”
Art Handlers And Auctioneers Sentenced For Thefts From Paris’s Leading Auction House; Union Ordered To Disband
“In March, 49 people were put on trial charged with organised theft, conspiracy to commit a crime and handling stolen goods. … Their scam was rumbled following an anonymous tipoff, which led to a police operation that recovered thousands of paintings, sculptures and other objects stolen from auctioneers Hôtel Drouot.”
Prommers Against Brexit: Some Folks Will Be Bringing The EU Flag To The Last Night Of The Proms
“It includes rousing performances of ‘Land of Hope and Glory’, ‘Rule Britannia’ and ‘Jerusalem’ always accompanied by a sea of Union Jacks, but … The Guardian understands activists will be outside the Royal Albert Hall in force on Saturday handing out thousands of EU flags, which they hope audience members will wave instead of, or even along with, the traditional red, white and blue.”
Ballerinas, Here Are Some Tips About Partnering From The Guys Doing the Lifting
“Communication is key – but there are also some mistakes that your counterpart may not think to mention.” Here are half a dozen of them.
Top Posts From AJBlogs 09.07.16
David Lang’s new opera The Loser may yet win
Pulitzer-winning composer David Lang has written several operas so far, none of them in the least bit conventional, and all of them showing how much the ultra-minimalist Bang on a Can aesthetic can be fascinatingly at odds with an art form that’s traditionally grand. … read more
AJBlog: Condemned to Music Published 2016-09-07
The Four Parts of (Meeting) Speech
With a new academic year now begun, I’m noticing again how odd and awful meetings can be. People of strong intellect and good intent, when gathered over an agenda (or a lack thereof), … read more
AJBlog: The Artful Manager Published 2016-09-07
Gard Foundation Symposium–Our Communities: Day 1
Today marked the beginning of The Robert E. Gard Foundation’s gathering at the The Johnson Center at Wingspread’s conference center outside Milwaukee. Announced here earlier this year, Our Communities: A Symposium on the Arts is … read more
AJBlog: Engaging Matters Published 2016-09-07
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This Linguist *Loves* What’s Happened To ‘Literally’
John McWhorter, as part of an interview with Renee Montagne on the ways English has always been changing: “[The word literally has become] something called a contronym. Contronyms, let’s face it, are neat. We should rejoice that our language has interesting little wrinkles as long as they don’t interfere with comprehension.”