Hollywood studios want to start releasing 3-D movies again, using new technology that goes well beyond the cellophane glasses of the ’70s. But with many theaters not yet equipped with digital projection equipment, “the slow rollout of 3-D projection systems raises the specter of a competitive bloodbath, as too many movies overwhelm the available outlets.”
Author: sbergman
NY Musicians Eye Armory
New York may get an important new classical music venue as plans for the Park Avenue Armory are unveiled. Final decisions about the armory’s piecemeal restoration and use haven’t yet been made, but “impresarios, directors and conductors are salivating at the possibilities.”
Zelotti Finally Back On The Critical Radar
Giovanni Battista Zelotti was once regarded as one of the greatest artists of the 16th century, but scholars have largely ignored him in recent decades. “It didn’t help that until recently one of Zelotti’s greatest achievements — a cycle of 40 frescoes here at the so-called Castle of Cataio, about nine miles from Padua — was off limits to visitors.” But that’s all changing now.
That Old SNL Magic
It’s been a while since Saturday Night Live was really a part of the national political discussion, eclipsed as it’s been by Jon Stewart and various online voices. But apparently, all it took to reclaim an important satirical place in presidential politics was a few sketches that some viewed as blatantly in favor of one particular candidate.
Composer Alun Hoddinott, 78
Welsh composer Alun Hoddinott has died at 78, a year after undergoing major heart surgery. Hoddinott “had a partnership with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales spanning seven decades.” The orchestra plans to name its new concert hall after him.
Golijov’s Creative Tension
Osvaldo Golijov may wind up being thought of as the preeminent composer of our age. But it’s clear that he still approaches each new project without assuming that he will complete it successfully. “Writing music is always the struggle in the beautiful tension between fear and desire.”
Milwaukee Arts Fund Seeking More Money
Milwaukee’s United Performing Arts Fund, which “provides core operating funds for 16 member performing arts groups, as well as grants to several others in the greater Milwaukee area,” is boosting its annual fund drive by $250,000 and hopes to raise $10.6m this year.
Write What You Know
Composer Jake Heggie has become known for his opera based on unusually dark themes, even by operatic standards, but once you get to know him, you start to understand his fascination with difficult personal stories. He’s had a rough life, himself, and much of what he has learned through pain emerges in his music.
Singing The Praises Of Music No One Else Likes
Why is it that music critics are always so hopelessly devoted to music that the vast majority of the public has no use for? “In an ideal world, music critics would be a simple conduit between great music and the wider public. ‘Here you go,’ we should say, ‘you’ll love this’ – and you would love it. The truth is a little different.”
Canada’s Embattled Culture Minister
Canada’s Heritage Minister has been under fire from all sides recently, accused of snubbing arts leaders and promoting censorship. “While it can’t be easy for women in [Stephen] Harper’s testosterone-filled cabinet (seven of the 32 ministers are female), it must be even harder as the minister promoting arts and culture, an area that many Tories believe is frivolous.”