“Classical music, some say, is in decline. I say, over and over, that it isn’t. Classical music is just fine. It’s the institutions that perform it that are having trouble. … Of course, new work has an audience. It just may not be a traditional opera audience.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Hartford Symphony Music Director Says She’ll Accept Pay Cut Similar To Musicians’
Carolyn Kuan: “Given the urgency of the situation, I want to personally recognize the substantial cuts being asked of the musicians of the HSO and offer publicly to share their sacrifice by reducing my salary commensurately.”
Hartford Symphony Musicians Accept Pay Cut Management Demanded To Keep Orchestra Open
“The union faced a deadline of midnight Monday to agree to concessions. Without a vote accepting $450,000 in wage concessions, management said it would shut down the symphony.”
Bette Midler To Return To Broadway In ‘Hello, Dolly!’
Producer Scott Rudin “There has not been a new production in 50 years. Partly it was the difficulty of who could play Dolly. It had to be someone who could take it to a different level. Bette is the only one who can. Never has there been something more inevitable than her in this role.”
No, Akram Khan – We Really *Do* Need More Female Choreographers
Luke Jennings: “In saying that we should not have more female choreographers ‘for the sake of having more female choreographers’, you are choosing to disregard a gender imbalance so egregious, and of such long standing, that it shames the British dance establishment.”
Top Posts From AJBlogs 01.18.16
NEW FEATURE: Last Week’s Top Stories on ArtsJournal: Doug McLennan chooses top stories in the arts from the past week.
“Recent Criminal Charges”: Smithsonian Revises Cosby Show’s Wall Text (again)
Reacting to the latest rent in Bill Cosby’s tattered reputation, National Museum of African Art has quietly revised the Message to Our Visitors regarding its exhibition of works from the comedian’s African-American art collection. … read more
AJBlog: CultureGrrl Published 2016-01-18
Monday Recommendation: Jaco, The Film
Jaco Pastorius, Jaco: The Film (Iron Horse Entertainment) The documentary tells the story of the meteoric career and early burnout of the electric bassist who transformed the instrument. … read more
AJBlog: RiffTides Published 2016-01-18
Honoring MLK With a Clever Starbucks Ad
It’s a brilliant use of the alphabet, worthy of poésie concrète. … read more
AJBlog: Straight|Up Published 2016-01-18
Except That
I’m putting up a new version of my microtonal work Solitaire: Solitaire (2009), 14:08 It’s been sound-produced by M.C. Maguire, whom I consider the best Canadian composer of my generation, and in fact … read more
AJBlog: PostClassic Published 2016-01-17
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The Three King Georges Of ‘Hamilton’ Give The Royal Lowdown On The Show
“Here, the trio” – Brian d’Arcy James, Jonathan Groff, and Andrew Rannells – “explain what it’s like to play George, how they developed their own interpretations, and how heavy the head wearing the crown actually is.”
The Greatest Cocktail Pianist Who Ever Lived
“It’s the grossest of understatements to say that cocktail pianists get no respect. … On the other hand, it’s also true that most cocktail pianists aren’t worth listening to, at least not very closely. … But a few such folk are true artists, and one of them, Cy Walter, was a very great one, among the finest popular pianists of the 20th century.”
How Do You Paint A Boeing 737? It’s ‘A Ton Of Effort’
“As the time-lapse video above shows, a lot more work and craftsmanship goes into painting a factory-fresh Boeing 737 than one might think. It’s an expensive process, with an estimated cost between $100,000 to $200,000, depending on the colors and level of detail involved.
Festive, Transgressive, And Sometimes Offensive: Philadelphia’s Mummers Parade Is Ambulatory Outsider Art
Yes, this year’s parade had some unfortunate displays of bigotry – even as, in other ways, it’s become more inclusive. “The Mummers represent a wild, exuberant, and frankly bizarre tradition that deserves to continue; where else can you see your electrician dance down the street as a sequined cow carrying a miniature umbrella?”