“The 1.2bn krona (£100m) brass-clad structure, designed by the British architect David Chipperfield, would harm the capital’s picturesque waterfront, a cultural heritage site, the land and environmental court ruled on Tuesday. The scale of the building ‘would affect the readability of Stockholm’s historical development as a port, shipping and trading city’, the court said, and cause ‘significant damage’ to the preservation of the old harbour site.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
This Is America: Donald Glover Fans Take Over Pro-Donald Trump Reddit Group
“The takeover began on Monday when fans began posting photos and memes of the acclaimed actor and recording artist. ‘The One True Donald,’ one user posted on Monday, along with a black-and-white head shot of Glover. … ‘Not a racist. Not a rapist. Can read. Was never bankrupt. Likes Mexicans. Talented. Pays his taxes. Handsome. Loves immigrants. Not a puppet for Russia. Doesn’t want to [redacted] his daughter. Must be the real one true Donald,’ another posted above a picture of Donald Glover. Others posted artwork of Glover and calls to vote for Donald Glover for president.”
Another Advantage Of The Conductorless-Chamber-Orchestra Model: No Lecherous Maestros
“In his classic book, The Maestro Myth, Great Conductors in Pursuit of Power, first published in 1991, Norman Lebrecht described how ‘sexual rapacity’ added to the mystique of many conductors. … As though the touchy-feely nature of the performing arts, with that odd sense of a creative imperative for artists, is actually an entitlement, especially for those who are socially inept or nerdfully ignorant. … Moreover, the hierarchical nature of symphony structures insures that, even with a code, the allocation of power remains unchanged. And so this all becomes another argument for the kind of horizontal structures that you find with the likes of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra.”
Why Doesn’t Great Opera Singing Get The Cheers In New York That It Gets In Barcelona, Munich, Or Vienna?
Fred Plotkin recalls the rapturous reception he’s seen terrific performances get – not just at the final curtain calls, but at the ends of acts and even after arias – and offers an idea or two as to why he so rarely sees such excitement from the audience at the Met. (It’s not just because they have trains to catch.) And, by the way, he thinks the Met should make more use of its fabulous gold curtain.
Why Is The Taj Mahal Deteriorating? Smog, A Filthy River, And Massive Amounts Of Bug Poop
“Insect slime is only one of the problems facing the monument … The once mighty Yamuna — after being dammed upstream to provide electricity for the region surrounding India’s capital, New Delhi — now runs low and thick with trash and untreated waste, and blooms with insect-attracting algae. Auto emissions, deforestation and crop burning have contributed to heavy smog that experts say has dimmed the tomb’s pearly exterior to a jaundiced yellow.” Says one environmental activist, “The Taj Mahal has never looked as fatigued, pale and sick as it does now.”
That Jesus Painting In The Museum Basement Turned Out To Be A $30 Million Mantegna
“A painting that spent more than a century in the storerooms of a provincial Italian museum will be attributed Wednesday to one of the greatest artists of the Renaissance. The attribution to Andrea Mantegna (1431-1506) has the backing of Keith Christiansen of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the world’s leading expert on the artist. It means the painting, a wooden panel depicting Jesus’s resurrection, may be worth about a thousand times more than was previously thought: between $25 million and $30 million.”
It’s So Disgusting Backstage At British Regional Theatres That It’s Become Dangerous, Say Actors
“Mould, loose tiles, leaking drains, hanging wires, rats and a lack of disabled access are just some of the issues cited by performers and creatives. Actor Daniel Page, proposing the motion on behalf of the West and South West London Branch [of Equity], said: ‘I’ve seen gaffer tape holding up wires, gaffer tape holding up dressing-room mirrors, and I fear that we will lose these palaces that are our working environment if we don’t do something about it soon.'”
Philip Roth, 85
“The big one – the Nobel prize in literature – eluded him, but there can be few American literary careers so richly laurelled, early and late. He was a bestselling writer only once in his career, when Portnoy’s Complaint (1969) sold 420,000 copies in the first 10 weeks after publication.” Roth was, however, embattled throughout his career, known for both his mental health troubles and the constant criticism he received for his relations with women and with Judaism.
Man Booker International Prize Goes To Olga Tokarczuk’s ‘Flights’
“More than 100 novels were submitted for the 2018 award, and Tokarczuk’s Flights saw off work by two former winners – South Korea’s Han Kang and Hungary’s László Krasznahorkai – to secure the £50,000 prize, which is shared equally with her English translator Jennifer Croft.”
Demand For Nigerian Art Is Growing – Not Just In The West, But In Nigeria, Too
“The newfound interest there is part of a larger cultural and economic revival. It wasn’t long ago that moving abroad or catering to outsiders’ perceptions of their country was the only way for artists here to survive. But as the economy has surged — diversifying from oil into manufacturing, telecommunications and a thriving film industry to give Nigeria the biggest gross domestic product in Africa — so has interest in fashion, music and art. That has fueled a rise in the number of galleries and auction houses. It has also allowed many artists to make a living at home.”