There was a time when high- and middle-brow culture coexisted on television, in the form of wildly popular variety shows that showcased everything from dancing poodles to orchestras to The Beatles. “Those shows mirrored and even led a mass pop culture that was more populist than what we have today.”
Author: sbergman
Maazel Stirs Fury From American Right Wing
The NY Philharmonic’s upcoming trip to North Korea has been debated in both musical and political circles, with some fearing that the concert in Pyongyang amounts to an endorsement of one of the world’s most brutal regimes. Loren Maazel has dismissed that idea, but some see in his comments a leftist attempt to equate North Korea’s leader with the Bush Administration.
Are We Over Renzo Piano?
“Forget the Bilbao Effect. It’s not Frank Gehry who has ridden the U.S. museum-building boom, it’s Renzo Piano.” Piano’s new addition to the LA County Museum of Art opens to the public next week, and James Russell says that the architect’s work is all starting to look the same, and what used to seem innovative now just seems repetitive.
Germany Showing Filmmakers The Money
“A fresh source of film subsidy has injected new vigour into Germany’s rich cinematic tradition, which before the Nazis took power in 1933 had been a great rival to Hollywood… About 34 international co-productions got money last year under the scheme.”
£26m Buys A Lot Of Bacon
An important Francis Bacon painting sold at auction in London this week for £26.34 million, “breaking the record for any postwar and contemporary work of art sold in Europe… Almost 1,000 collectors, dealers and hangers-on descended on Christie’s in London to witness the sale as a barometer of the art market. “
DC’s Fancy New “Living Room”
Architect Norman Foster’s latest challenge was to revitalize the courtyard of the Smithsonian’s American Art Museum, and “the result is quite a departure in a city as architecturally conservative as Washington DC… Foster was eager to rekindle the history of the Smithsonian as a social-events building providing a large public living room.”
Ruscha Reflects
Artist Ed Ruscha, who helped to create the ever-widening genre known as “pop art” is 70, which is itself hard to believe. But he remains deeply connected to the world of contemporary art, and even has a few unexpected favorites: Tracey Emin, for example.
Hairspray, Rings Score Big In Olivier Noms
“West End hit Hairspray has received a record 11 nominations at the Laurence Olivier Awards… The stage version of The Lord Of The Rings is also a best new musical contender, despite mixed reviews, [and] three Shakespearean actors will battle it out in the best actor category.”
Alan Gilbert, Enigma
Alan Gilbert may be the most famous conductor that no one knows anything about. The music director designate of the New York Philharmonic has built a sturdy reputation in his still-young career, but he’s still essentially an unknown to most American critics and concertgoers. And that lack of superficial flash and self-promotion may just tell you all you need to know about his style of music-making.
Finally, A Handy Desk Reference For Literary Porn!
Erotic literature has a long and steamy history in cultures around the world. So it’s probably no surprise that scholars have an interest in cataloging it. And what better way to suck the sexual pleasure out of the genre than wedging it into an encyclopedia?