“It’s great to receive a big wad of cash, of course, especially when you’re a writer with an erratic income trying to cobble together a living from part-time day jobs, intermittent advances, peripatetic teaching gigs and the occasional one-time grant. But unexpected sums bring unexpected burdens, both practical (What does this mean for my tax situation?) and psychological (Am I a fraud who does not deserve this money?)”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Boss At London’s Royal Opera Says His Final Production Will Take Direct Aim At His Critics
Kasper Bech Holten’s tenure as artistic director, which ends in March of next year, has seen more controversy over stagings than is usual at Covent Garden. So, he says, “what could be more fitting for my last show in London than to do a comedy about how hard it is sometimes for audiences and artists to find the right way to communicate with each other?”
Antonio Pappano To Be Longest-Serving Music Director In Covent Garden’s History
“Talking this morning about his decision to stay on [until 2020] … Pappano said simply ‘I don’t want to go to any other opera house’.”
Top Posts From AJBlogs 04.06.16
Risk management
New ballets are risky endeavours, requiring significant investment in talent, time and money. Yet do classical companies give them the best chance to shine? Performance Monkey asks companies around the world about previews, rehearsals … read more
AJBlog: Performance Monkey Published 2016-04-06
At the NEA’s Jazz Masters Ball
The Kennedy Center was filled Monday night with VIPs, devotees and artists across disciplines for the 34th annual celebration of Jazz Masters by the National Endowment of the Arts. Here’s my coverage for DownBeat magazine on the … read more
AJBlog: Jazz Beyond Jazz Published 2016-04-06
Snapshot: Neil Young sings “I Am a Child”
Neil Young sings “I Am a Child” in concert in 1978: (This is the latest in a series of arts-related videos that appear in this space each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.) … read more
AJBlog: About Last Night Published 2016-04-06
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What We Can Learn From Our Weirdest Dreams
“Dreaming is a kind of play in a set apart from space where ordinary rules of reality are suspended temporarily and we try out different strategies, we rehearse different kinds of behavior.”
‘Car Talk”s Ray Magliozzi Checks Out The Famous Old Cars Of Cuba
“What we saw were beautiful cars. The 1957 Chevy taxi we rode in was beautifully maintained. But it was not original by any means. A lot of cars had Hyundai diesel engines. … That’s part of their ingenuity – to rip out [original] engines and create something more reliable and newer and something you can get parts for.”
Another Country Faces Steep Arts Funding Cuts – Because Lottery Money Is Falling Short
Creative New Zealand, the island nation’s arts funding body, has warned arts organizations to prepare for 10% reductions in grants. “Creative New Zealand receives two-thirds of its annual revenue from Lotto NZ profits, and is set to receive NZ$11 million less this financial year than in 2013-14.”
Preserving Disappearing Languages By Setting Them As Music
“A growing number of [composers] are turning their attention to languages that are extinct, endangered or particular to tiny groups of speakers in far-flung places with the aim of weaving these enigmatic utterances into musical works that celebrate, memorialize or mourn the languages and the cultures that gave birth to them.”
Louisiana Legislators Target State’s ‘One Percent For Art’ Law
“A Louisiana House bill that seeks to limit public funds spent on art for state buildings is getting a lot of attention, but would be unlikely save Louisiana much money for priorities like education and health care.”
The Paris Venue That Became A Musical Theatre Powerhouse – What Will Happen To It Now?
Over his 11 years as general director of the Théâtre du Châtelet, Jean-Luc Choplin made the American comédie musicale the heart of his programming, producing one critically praised hit after another, even exporting productions to Broadway and winning Tonys. Next January, Choplin steps down and the Châtelet closes for a 2½-year renovation. What then?