“Researchers analyzing how listening to classical music affected the study’s participants found that songs that alternate between fast and slow sections – like opera – induced dynamic and somewhat predictable change in the cardiovascular and respiratory systems of the volunteers.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
‘Why Does That Chocolate Chip Cookie Have Such Power Over Me?’
Former US Food and Drug Administration head David Kessler posed that question, which most of us have asked ourselves. “Is it the cookie, the representation of the cookie in my brain? I spent seven years trying to figure out the answer.”
The Central Myth Of Judy-ism
“Some fanciful souls are convinced that Judy Garland was responsible for the Stonewall Rebellion. Gay grief, they say, occasioned by saturation coverage of her overflowing two-day Madison Avenue funeral (June 26 and 27, 1969) set the stage for the history-making riot at a Greenwich Village bar that very weekend.” Is it true? But then, is it totally untrue?
The Death Of The Exhibition Announcement Card
“Of all the things going the way of the Internet these days, one is the gallery exhibition announcement card. … In most cases environmental concerns shield a certain, shall we say, cost-cutting desperation. ‘Sculpture Center is Going Paperless.’ ‘Francesca Kaufmann is Going Paperless.’ ‘Going Green’ (from P.P.O.W.). … Sometimes you wish they’d just come clean.”
Toronto Fest 2009 To Feature New City Series Plus Resnais And Oliveira Premieres
“Organizers of this year’s Toronto International Film Festival made their first programming announcement of the year on Tuesday,” with the programme including North American premieres by 101-year-old Manoel de Oliveira and Alain Resnais. In addition, the TIFF is launching a new sidebar: “City to City. The programme will examine the changing landscape of one featured metropolis each year by showcasing films from and about the chosen city. … Tel Aviv, which is celebrating its 100th birthday in 2009, was selected for the inaugural edition.”
NY Phil Serves Up Website For The Stat-Obsessed
“Creating a little bit of heaven for classical music geeks, the New York Philharmonic has put online an ocean of data about its concerts, dating back to the first one on Dec. 7, 1842.”
The Year Everything Changed: 1968? 1989? No, It’s 1959
Fred Kaplan: “Several years ago, it occurred to me that many of my favorite groundbreaking record albums, books, and movies … were all released in 1959. Was this just coincidence, or was it part of a pattern? … The more I looked into it, the more it struck me that 1959 really was a pivotal year – not only in culture but also in politics, society, science, sex: everything.”
Oregon Ballet Theater Exceeds Its Fundraising Goal
“After a furious three-week fundraising effort that included a spectacular gala performance last week, the ballet announced that it has surpassed its $750,000 needed to guarantee that it could continue beyond June 30. By the end of the day Wednesday, the company had raised $853,271.”
More Success: Texas Ballet Theater Is Back In The Black
“With less than two weeks remaining before the end of its current fiscal year, the Texas Ballet Theater has reached its fundraising goal of $2 million dollars – the total that it said was needed over the last six months in order to give the financially strapped company renewed stability as it plans for the upcoming 2009-2010 [season].”
As Economic Stimulus, Germany Funds Renovation Of Richard Wagner’s Mansion
“Germany’s government has pledged €500,000 ($700,000) to renovate the Wahnfried villa that houses the archive of legendary German composer Richard Wagner. The government said Thursday the money to renovate Wagner’s former house in the southern city of Bayreuth would come from an economic stimulus package that earmarks funds for improving infrastructure.”