“Haruki Murakami would seem the very picture of the Japanese writer-prophet… it’s hard to recognise the writer often derided by the Tokyo literati as an apathetic pop artist – a threat to the political engagement of Japanese fiction… As dreamy and introverted as his disaffected protagonists, Murakami has no literary friends and never attends parties. He has spent large stretches of his adult life in Europe and America,” and his writing often seems more at home in the pop culture-soaked West than in his native land.
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Aaron Spelling, 83
Legendary TV producer Aaron Spelling, the creative force behind Charlie’s Angels, Beverly Hills 90210, and other prime-time soap hits, has died a week after suffering a major stroke. “According to the Guinness Book of World Records, Spelling was ‘the most prolific TV producer of all time,’ producing more than 5,000 hours of television programming, including more than 300 hours of made-for-television movies and at least a dozen films.”
Norwegian Strike Ends In Mediated Settlement
Norway’s musicians’ union has called off a month-old strike that could have crippled the nation’s many state-supported symphony orchestras, after musicians accepted a draft settlement proposed by a mediator. “The strike began in Bergen in late May, disrupting the opening of the west coast city’s annual music festival. It later spread to the national Opera and the Oslo Philharmonic, which was forced to cancel its Asian tour. The musicians were protesting annual salaries that average NOK 350,000 ($58,300) and the fact that they have to pay for their own instruments and their own gala clothing that’s worn during performances.”
PBT Extends Director, Promotes Six Dancers
“Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre announced Thursday a three-year contract extension for artistic director Terrence S. Orr, as well as its 30-dancer roster, starting with the 2006-07 season. Ten new dancers have been hired and six promoted… The resignation of four principal dancers was announced earlier this season. Seven members of the corps are not returning.”
Everything You Ever Needed To Know About The Florida Orchestra
It was a good season – some concert highlights, some new players, some changes in management…
Still Waiting For The Downbeat
It’s been a year and a half since New York City Ballet began its search for a new music director to replace Andrea Quinn, who steps down from the post this weekend. For some, the search process, which is expected to be concluded sometime this summer, has been exhilirating, but some of the ballet’s musicians have taken to referring to the process as the “New York City Ballet School of Conducting,” a reference to the greenness of many of the candidates.
Cleveland Museum Facing Construction Delay
“The Cleveland Museum of Art has delayed an addition to its parking garage — an important part of a larger, $258 million expansion and renovation — because of a holdup with a $7.5 million federal grant. The delay could increase the cost of the garage expansion because the museum had to reject construction bids this month and will have to seek new ones… The delay also means the museum will have fewer parking spaces than it needs in February when it holds a blockbuster exhibition on the paintings of French Impressionist Claude Monet.”
Trouble In Paradise?
Great Britain’s arts scene should truly be the envy of the world, and increasingly, the UK’s successes are making their way to other nations as well. “We export £6 billion of cultural products each year, mostly thanks to music and theatre. That’s more than the United States manages, for all of Hollywood’s huffing and puffing. Why, then, is there disquiet in the arts world? Is global success masking an intractable problem at home? Or is there a perception of black clouds massing on the horizon? The answer is both.”
Shakespeare In The Sky With… Umm… Music & Such-Like
“The residents of Stratford-upon-Avon awoke yesterday to find a flotilla of hot air balloons drifting over their roofs serenading them with ambient music and readings from Shakespeare. The abstract sound-dream music, the composer called it – was pumped out of speakers attached to seven balloons which, for 45 minutes, brought sleeping residents slowly and serenely to their waking senses as they floated overhead. That was the idea, anyway. The reality was, hovering sometimes as little as 150ft up, they provoked a rush of pyjama and dressing gown-clad men, women and children into their gardens to get a better look.”
Gelb’s Met Can’t Come Soon Enough
There’s no longer any doubt that the Metropolitan Opera will undergo a dramatic shift when Peter Gelb takes over this fall, and with all due respect to Joseph Volpe, Rupert Christian says it’s time for a change. “Artistically, [Volpe] has presided over a regime that has been cautious and conservative, excessively in thrall to the tastes of its elderly subscribers and sponsors. Despite its superb orchestra and roster of stars, the Met hasn’t had much luck with its half-hearted attempts to employ the more radical generation of directors, and its need to churn out seven shows a week often makes it seem more like a factory delivering the goods than a hub of creativity.”