“The 46th New York Film Festival includes a striking number of features — among them some of the strongest and freshest films likely to be shown on Manhattan screens this year — that might be called semi- or quasi- or crypto-documentaries.” Which is to say, they’re hard films to pin down.
Author: sbergman
Ouroussoff Slams Columbus Circle Redesign
The critics aren’t pulling any punches with the controversial redesign of 2 Columbus Circle in New York. “This is not the bold architectural statement that might have justified the destruction of an important piece of New York history. Poorly detailed and lacking in confidence, the project is a victory only for people who favor the safe and inoffensive and have always been squeamish about the frictions that give this city its vitality.”
Legendary Picasso To Hit The Block
“One of the most important works by artist Pablo Picasso is to be sold at auction in New York. Picasso’s Arlequin was last seen in public 45 years ago and is expected to fetch over $30m (£16.3m) when it goes under the hammer in November.”
London Gets A New Concert Hall
“A British property developer… has given London its first concert venue since the Barbican’s opening in 1982, incorporating it in a 100 million pound ($185 million) office-building-arts-complex around the corner from the King’s Cross St. Pancras station.”
Canadian PM’s Wife Follows His Anti-Arts Lead
“A day after Stephen Harper complained that the arts community is ‘a bunch of people at a rich gala,’ his wife has pulled out of a ritzy soiree at Ottawa’s National Arts Centre… The sold-out show will feature Pinchas Zukerman and the NAC orchestra – who perform for free – followed by Tony Bennett and his band. The gala is expected to raise well over $500,000 for the NAC’s National Youth and Education Trust.”
How Far Can Honeck Take The Pittsburgh Symphony?
“In the years the Pittsburgh orchestra operated without a music director, [its] identity lost some of its luster. Good reputations are like gold in this ultra-subjective business, and it’s here that [new music director Manfred Honeck] and his connection to the Viennese repertoire can make a substantial impact.”
Many Georgian Cultural Sites Badly Damaged By Invasion
The Russian military push into disputed areas of Georgia did more than shake up the international scene – it left some significant cultural devastation behind. “Thus far the destruction includes severe bomb damage to the Museum of Prince Matchabelli… destruction by arson of the church of St. George in Sveri, a rare 19th-century wooden structure… and extensive bomb damage to the monastery complex of Nikozi Church — dating from the 11th century, it is perhaps the most important site of all.”
Canadian Actors Rail Against Harper Arts Cuts
“A phalanx of [Canadian] actors and artists, led by veteran Gordon Pinsent, spoke forcefully yesterday against the Conservatives’ recent cuts to arts and culture, urging citizens who value culture to vote and press for a prominent place in federal decision-making.”
MySpace Music Set To Launch
MySpace will offer a huge catalog of free music to users beginning this week, hoping to compete with giants like iTunes and Napster. “The catch: the music can be played only on personal computers connected to the Internet and listeners have to tolerate advertising splashed across the screen.”
The Evolving Sound of Musical Theatre
Washington, D.C.’s Signature Theater is in the midst of a complex change from presenting musicals 100% acoustically to making use of the high-tech amplification systems that have become standard in the business. “Paradoxically, it might be harder than ever to sing in the musical theater, even with the help of high-tech sound systems.”