Finding a replacement for Richard Bradshaw at the helm of the Canadian Opera Company won’t be easy, and the company says it is casting a wide net. “Above all, we need an inspired ringmaster – someone who like Bradshaw knows how to build momentum and how to keep it going.”
Author: sbergman
The Battle Over Abortion Plays Out (Quietly) On Screen
‘The future of a woman’s right to abortion in the US is far from certain. And cinema has become a key frontline in the battle of ideas… Today, Hollywood is often derided for its liberal agenda, but is it switching sides on abortion?”
What Are We Preserving, And Why?
The UK is building a huge repository designed to store the seemingly endless collection of printed words published there. But “with the British Library’s UK collection growing at a rate of 12.5km of shelf space a year, is the notion of the copyright library really sustainable?”
The Enduring Power Of Agon
When it premiered in 1957, Stravinsky’s ballet “Agon” represented the height of modernist music and dance – complex, hard to understand, and somewhat cold and aloof despite its layers of meaning. Half a century on, it’s still just as daunting, and just as fascinating.
Balancing Quality With Convenience
The dirty little secret of the iPod is that its audio quality is actually quite poor, at least when judged against the quality of high-end stereo systems. “For consumers, easy access has trumped high fidelity.” It’s bad news for audiophiles, but musicians don’t seem to mind.
The Accidental Hit
Xanadu wasn’t expected to be the hit of the fall Broadway season, and it didn’t garner great reviews in its out-of-town tryouts. But as one of the few productions still running during the stagehands’ strike, the show has seen its fortunes rise considerably.
What’s Next For DAM?
The Denver Art Museum has an eye-catching new building, and the attention of the public. So what now? DAM’s director says that the museum is now focused on building its permanent collection, and displaying as much of it as possible.
Important Moment For Denver Opera Company
Opera Colorado recently lost both its artistic director and its president, leaving a leadership void that needs to be filled quickly. “This leadership transition can either be a time of retrenchment or continuing artistic growth. It all depends on the vision and courage of the company’s board and the effectiveness of the leadership team it assembles.”
Deep Inside The Surreal Mind Of Picasso
“With the publication of A Life of Picasso: The Triumphant Years, 1917-1932 — the third of a projected four-volume chronicle of the artist’s life, times and artistic progress — we have a fresh reminder of just how massive a project [Picasso biographer John Richardson] constructed for himself.”
Arts & Dollars
“Some artists grumble at ‘support the arts for the sake of commerce’ strategy, saying that by trumpeting the economic-engine argument, the arts-for-aesthetics-sake notion gets rudely pushed aside.” But those who make the economic argument are convinced that they’ve hit on the best way to get commerce-obsessed Americans to pay attention.