“The American Federation of Musicians has placed the Louisville Orchestra on its ‘unfair list’ – meaning that any union member who plays for it without a contract could be fined.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Working Infinite Jest Into A Rock Video
Michael Shur, co-creator of the television comedy series Parks and Recreation, has based his video for The Decembrists’ “Calamity Song” on the game Eschaton, which David Foster Wallace described in his novel.
Another Thing To Blame On David Foster Wallace
“How he both inadvertently created the voice of the Internet and ruined a generation of writers.”
The Struggles Of A Freelance Choreographer (Even An Admired One)
Susan Shields: “Choreography is a lonely profession. You never know when you’re going to get your next commission. I’ve been very fortunate, but I’ve noticed a slump in the past few years. Companies can’t afford new work, so they have to bring old work back.”
Martin Luther King Memorial Unveiled On Washington’s National Mall
“The first members of the public to see the official opening of Washington’s new $120 million memorial to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. walked in quietly, smiling but ‘so slow it was like we were coming to see a body’.”
The National Mall: Is ‘America’s Front Yard’ Getting Too Many Lawn Ornaments?
“After years of public squabbling over how many memorials is too many, a 7-acre homage to World War II was plunked in the middle of the National Mall in 2004. Congress then declared the cherished space known as America’s Front Yard an ‘essentially finished work of art’.” (Ha.)
Des McAnuff’s Legacy At Stratford Festival
“From the moment he arrived at Stratford, people either loved or hated him, with the fans cheering his audience-pleasing productions, while the detractors mocked his excesses with the phrase, ‘Is it McAnuff for you?’ But even the most hard-core haters would have to concede that, under his leadership, the acting company had grown stronger, the guest directors improved almost exponentially and the physical standard of production hit new heights.”
Uh-Oh, TV Really Is Bad For You, Says Study
“The report, published last week in The British Journal of Sports Medicine, says that every hour of television, after the age of 25, shortens the viewer’s life expectancy by 22 minutes. Adults who watch six hours a day may be cutting almost five years off their lives – almost as much as if they were lifelong smokers.”
‘YouTube Rules The Ballet World,’ Says Renowned Russian Ballet Master
Mikhail Messerer on national styles of ballet dancing: “The ballet world is ruled by YouTube, Russian performers are watching French performers and the other way around, and they take bits from each other, sometimes good and occasionally bad … everything is so mixed up now.”
Anglophone Canada Loses Its Last Full-Time Classical Music Critic
John Terauds: “This morning, fresh from vacation, I found out that I am no longer music critic but a reporter for the business desk at the Star – a bit of news that still has my head spinning a bit.”