The Montreal Symphony is moving a summer series of concerts out of the cathedral that has housed it since 1980, and into the same concert hall it uses for its winter season. Arthur Kaptainis is left wondering why: “It is hard to create an aura of specialness around summer concerts given in the same room where the regular season happens. Whatever the weather, it always feels like February in dark, womb-like Salle Wilfrid Pelletier.”
Author: sbergman
Paris To Get Nouvel Concert Hall
Architect Jean Nouvel has been tapped to design a new €200 million concert hall in Paris. The hall, which will be home to the Orchestre de Paris as well as several other groups, will seat 2,400, and is expected to be completed by 2012.
Movies Are Nice, But Being There Is The Thing
The success of the Metropolitan Opera’s high-definition movie theatre simulcasts notwithstanding, William Littler says that there’s just no substitute for the power of a live Met performance. “The deadliest criticism of opera has long been that it is too expensive to be anything but caviar for the elite… [But] the reason people are gladly buying tickets at such prices is that they are not just watching a movie, they are participating vicariously in a live event.”
Sydney Opera House Due For A Rebuild?
The architect behind the Sydney Opera House has proposed an extensive gutting and rebuilding of the interior of the facility, which has been plagued by acoustical issues and space problems since it opened forty years ago. “At the moment there is so little space in the wings that ballerinas coming off stage have to have someone to catch them so they don’t hit the concrete walls. Some members of the orchestra are sitting up to 12 metres under the stage… The Utzon solution involves dropping the theatre floor into the offices and utility rooms, and cutting space into the surrounding sandstone, allowing the backstage area to be enlarged and sound quality improved.”
Import Restrictions Loom For Art, Artifacts
The U.S. State Department’s Cultural Property Advisory Committee “has been the focus of fierce battles between archaeologists, who say the art market fosters the looting of historic sites, and dealers, who say that broad import restrictions threaten collecting by private individuals and museums in the United States.” The debate has taken on a particularly desperate air lately, as rumors swirl that the committee may decide to acquiesce to a Chinese request to ban the import of Chinese antiquities.
Also, The Contestants Have To Know How To Sing
China is getting its own version of American Idol, but government authorities, who have apparently been watching the US show with growing horror, are placing strict limitations on the content of the televised talent show. Regulators have dictated that the show “should include only ‘healthy and ethically inspiring’ songs and avoid scenes of screaming fans or losing contestants in tears.” And self-esteem will be protected, as judges will be barred from “mocking or humiliating contestants.”
CBC Cancels The Arts
“CBC’s sneak preview of its fall television season announced yesterday is more notable for what’s not coming back, including its last cultural showcase, Opening Night,” which has presented dance, classical music, and opera for seven seasons. “Presenting Canadian culture to Canadians has been a CBC hallmark since its inception,” but the cancellation leaves the television service without a single performing arts program.
Man Attacks Painting For Disturbing Him
“A man put his foot through a $300,000 painting Wednesday afternoon at the Milwaukee Art Museum and told museum workers later that the image disturbed him… Painted in 1640, the oil painting depicts the outcome of the biblical tale of David and Goliath, with David carrying the giant Goliath’s severed head.”
Peabody.com
The Peabody Awards were announced this week, and the prizes for the best in electronic media have clearly expanded into the digital world. For the first time, websites and basic cable channels were honored alongside traditional journalism outlets.
Jobbing The System?
It’s been two months since Apple CEO Steve Jobs proposed dropping all digital copy-protection schemes and allowing consumers free reign over music they buy. “On Monday, his wish started to come true” as some record companies agreed to drop restrictions on online tracks. “But the victory is not as big as it might’ve been… The Apple founder is the real winner here, once again demonstrating his clout in a music industry that is on a 7-year run of diminishing CD sales.”