How a traditional New Year’s melody that dated back to the pre-Christian era (when the new year was celebrated in March), and which was introduced by a Ukrainian choir touring the U.S. while Lenin’s Red Terror was raging at home, became “The Carol of the Bells.” – Slate
Author: Matthew Westphal
How Russia’s Version Of Santa Claus Survived Soviet Communism
“Ded Moroz today is about what you would expect. He has a long white beard, wears a fur-lined hat, has an animal-towed sleigh, and delivers presents to well-behaved children when it is cold outside. But Ded Moroz’s last hundred years have been violent, political, and full of massive social upheaval. This, for Santa, you would not expect.” – Atlas Obscura
Telling Quotes From Great Arts Figures Who Passed In 2019
“At their best, the artists who died this year could make us see the world in new ways — even as they made us laugh and cry. Here is a tribute to some of them, in their own words.” – The New York Times
What The Ballet World Is Doing About Its Body Image And Eating Disorder Problems
“Over the years, around the world, there have been stories of ballet dancers having unhealthy diets, eating disorders and mental health issues. In more recent decades, the ballet world has recognised this – and a shift is well underway, in attitudes towards food, eating, diet and nutrition … So how far has the industry come – and what more could yet be done?” (audio) – BBC
Vienna Philharmonic Makes (Some) Progress With Its Women Problem
The august, tradition-bound orchestra, founded 177 years ago when Vienna was the capital of a now-vanished empire, would not allow women even to audition until 1997, despite years of criticism, especially from the U.S. (It was happy to employ the services of a female harpist for 26 years before that, though it would not confer membership on her.) Now the 145-member orchestra, which has very low turnover, includes 15 women, with four more in the process of joining. – The New York Times
Insurers Are Very Reluctant To Cover Art Basel Hong Kong
“As dealers struggle to insure works of art bound for Hong Kong, where pro-democracy protestors continue to clash with police, Art Basel in Hong Kong organisers say they are working with a local insurance broker to offer cover — at 20 times the normal rate.” – The Art Newspaper
Stalker
Do all uncooked foods talk back? Snap crackle crunch; that’s how cerealized infants learn words for eating. Yet the sound of celery is curbed by wilt. And then comes heat, and silence. – Jeff Weinstein
It’s That Time of Year …
… when it seems that everybody is looking back over their shoulder more with nostalgia than disgust. I am not immune. Scrolling through some old emails, I came across this one called “from NELSON ALGREN’S LETTERS TO RAJAH.” – Jan Herman
Words For Emotions Tend To Translate Poorly From One Language Into Another: Study
“[Researchers from UNC-Chapel Hill] report how they carried out an analysis of 24 emotional concepts, such as anger, love and pride, across 2,474 languages. The study also included more than 2,400 non-emotional concepts — such as ‘quarrel’ — that were used to further explore meanings and context of emotion words.” – The Guardian
Cree Decree: Monkman Debunks U.S. Creation Myths in His Metropolitan Museum Commission
In my skeptical post last month about Cree artist Kent Monkman’s plans for the Metropolitan Museum’s Great Hall, I recklessly ventured some premature commentary. This “squeamish critic” has now eyeballed Monkman’s magnum opus is visually intriguing and intellectually thought-provoking. – Lee Rosenbaum