Britain’s free library service is an endangered species. “In the first six months of this year alone, 21 (1.4%) of the country’s libraries have closed, five are due to close and 67 are under review for closure. So a plan to spruce up and make libraries semm more “exciting” has begun. “The idea was to make them more exciting and convenient for users as ‘models of a future library service with reading at its heart’. The transformations – each costing £90,000 – are designed to turn them into national showcases demonstrating how catastrophic declines in book borrowing and visitor numbers could be reversed.”
Blog
Of Art Reviews And Politics (No Mixing?)
Should critics keep their political opinions out of their reviews? Some readers of the Orlando Sentinel think so…
Falling For The Picasso Hype?
Christie’s has been hyping the sale of an expensive Picasso owned by Andrew Lloyd Webber. But maybe it’s not a very good Picasso. “Lloyd Webber recently suggested to Bloomberg that his sale announcement would be ‘the biggest news in the art market in 30 years.’ Why does it matter if someone actually falls for such hype? After all, the proceeds will reportedly go to a good cause—the education of young performers. The problem is that feverish prices pose a threat to the longterm health of the art market. The acquisition of lesser works for exorbitant amounts is the art trade’s version of ‘irrational exuberance.’ It can only set the stage for the next correction.”
Out To Record Music Of The World
A simple idea, really, so why was no one doing it? Forty years ago David Lewiston set out to travel th world with his tape recorder, capturing music along the way. He became “a recorder and collector of traditional music from dozens of countries over a territory that extends from Bali to Kashmir to Peru.”
Authors Get Into The Audio Production Biz
More and more authors are producing audio versions of their own books. Some are calling on celebrity friends to help out, producing versions with large casts…
Copyright Killing Artistic Freedom?
Canadian artists are protesting plans to revise their country’s copyright laws. “Canadian artists find existing laws restrictive, and most assume that new legislation will only increase constraints — especially if, as expected, it leads to Canada’s ratification of 1996 World Intellectual Property Organization treaties protecting works in the digital environment. Canada took part in those WIPO talks, but unlike the U.S., never ratified. This annoys the entertainment industry, whose executives describe Canada as ‘a piracy haven’.”
Canadian Portrait Gallery Stalled
While Americans celebrated the reopening of Washington’s National Portrait Gallery, plans for a Canadian portrait gallery have been languishing. “If the U.S. National Portrait Gallery’s reopening in Washington is ‘symbolic of the American spirit,’ what does it say about the Canadian spirit that Canada Day, 2006, has passed with completion funding for the Portrait Gallery of Canada still in limbo?”
Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, 52
Hunt Lieberson occupied a special place on the music scene due to the protean nature of her musical interests — baroque to contemporary — extraordinary gifts and the committed, spiritual aura both her presence and plangent voice conveyed.
Ottawa Orchestra Extends Zukerman Contract
Ottawa’s National Arts Center Orchestra has renewed music director Pinchas Zukerman’s contract through 2011. “The renewal comes despite Zukerman’s abrupt five-month sabbatical from the NACO and reports of conflict between the conductor and his musicians.” While on “sabbatical” Zukerman also made disparaging remarks about his orchestra.
Universal Revamps CD Cases To Compete With Downloads
To try to compete with music downloads, Universal, the world’s largest CD producer, is revamping its CD cases, replacing some jewel boxes with cardboard sleeves. “Universal Music Group is introducing three tiers of packaging in Europe, also including deluxe and sturdier versions of the standard case. It expects the basic CDs to sell for about £7, the standard for about £10, and the deluxe – offering bonus CDs or DVDs – for around £14.”