It’s a phenomenon that seems to cross all artistic genres and mediums: the live-fast, die-hard lifestyle of artists from James Dean to Lord Byron. But why is it that artists capable of communicating such profundity through their work are so frequently incapable of normal social interaction? ” A new exhibition at Britain’s National Gallery traces the image of the artist as rebellious loner from its Romantic roots through works by Vincent van Gogh, Edvard Munch, Edgar Degas and others.”
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Emmy Noms Announced
How fast do Hollywood trends move? This fast: the Emmy nominations were announced this morning in Los Angeles, and neither of last year’s big winners – Lost and Desperate Housewives – received nods for best series. The most-nominated show is 24, with medical drama Grey’s Anatomy also garnering several nominations.
Overhauling Emmy
The Emmys will be different this year, or so everyone is hoping. A series of rule changes regarding nominees has been designed to reduce the number of repeat winners and make the event less of a Hollywood popularity contest.
Mourning Lieberson
The death of 52-year-old mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson from cancer is hitting the music world hard. “No death in the classical-music community since Leonard Bernstein’s is likely to arouse such a sense of personal grief among those who heard but never knew her. Both artists tended to reveal their innermost selves in performance, and to do so passionately in the service of great art. She did so, however, in places where you might not think to find it: modern and ancient music.”
Rumors Prove Tragically True
“For the past two years, there had been reports that Lieberson had not been well. She canceled most of her engagements, and her representatives put the word out that she was suffering from a back injury. But she summoned her strength to appear in a few choice performances…”
NYCity Ballet In Transition?
It feels like a moment of transition for New Yok City Ballet, writes Robert Gottlieb. “Senior dancers past their prime are moving inexorably toward retirement—some gracefully, some with obvious reluctance. There are stirrings in the ranks of the ballet masters and mistresses which may gradually lead to needed changes in casting and coaching. Andrea Quinn, the stimulating resident music director, is leaving (her successor hasn’t been announced). One can feel an effort being made to bring back to life certain Balanchine ballets that have been in dire decline… And the results of the Diamond Project itself, although over-publicized and underwhelming, were more positive than those of any of its five predecessors.”
Abrupt Departure Roils Liverpool’s Culture Plans
Liverpool’s plans for being the European capital of culture in 2008 were thrown into chaos yesterday when Robyn Archer, the director of the city’s 2008 culture efforts, suddenly quit. “Last night officials denied rumours that she had been sacked as a result of growing dissatisfaction among leaders of some of Liverpool’s big cultural institutions. Some complained that it had not been clear whether she was organising an international arts festival or a year-long community celebration.”
Running A Festival? It’s All About The Local Context
“Who is best equipped to run a city’s cultural jamboree? Without being unduly parochial, I’d suggest it is someone with an understanding of local needs. Robyn Archer made a big success of Adelaide in 1992, as Jim Sharman had in 1982, because she was clued in on Australian tastes. But, intriguingly, the American director, Peter Sellars, was invited to succeed Robyn in Adelaide and was eventually forced to quit. In short, it’s a matter of horses for courses: festivals, in my experience, are best created by people who possess not just taste and vision but an awareness of the cultural context.”
Gimme A Break! (Do We Really Need Intermissions?)
“While we will never see a return to the time when people dined at the halfway mark of a four-act play, the more traditional midway break is time for any technical busywork (such as scene changes) and to heighten a sense of suspense, expectation or time having passed. Time to make sense of the staged world before returning to a possible changed set of circumstances.”
Escalating Tensions In Seattle Symphony Dispute
A survey taken by musicians of the Seattle Symphony rating music director Gerard Schwarz is to be out this week. But the orchestra’s executive board reportedly did an analysis of the survey’s methodology. “Its report concluded that the June 1 survey was flawed in design, data collection and overall methodology, so that its ‘results are highly suspect’. The board’s executive committee believes the survey may also be a breach of the musicians’ contract.”