“Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn has been called the conscience of the [Russian] nation, but his reputation has risen and fallen as tumultuously as Russia itself since the collapse of the Soviet Union.” So what are the odds that the former exile would suddenly become the biggest TV star in the country he has spent his life critiquing?
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If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Prop ‘Em Up
Emboldened by several years of electoral and judicial victories, religious conservatives in the U.S. have become extremely vocal when they spot a Hollywood project that a) they don’t like, or b) is aimed squarely at religious audiences but fails to pander in just the right way. As a result, the major studios have become a bit nervous when releasing any film with vaguely religious or sectarian overtones. So what are the producers of the new film version of The DaVinci Code doing to stay out front of what will surely be a wave of religious right-generated negativity? Why, they’re providing the soapbox, of course.
Why They’re Doing It Is Another Question Entirely
Remember when “robotic acting” was an insult? It still is, you say? Not according to one New York troupe. “The underground theatrical superstars Les Freres Corbusier [are premiering] the first production of Hedda Gabler in which half of the major roles are played by robots. Not humans in funny suits, but walking, talking machines performing live onstage. It’s titled, naturally, Heddatron.”
Bureaucracy In Action
There’s quite a debate going on in Canada over health care, and in particular, over government bureaucracy and its role in ‘streamlining’ hospitals and clinics perceived as inefficient. But how can us arts folk understand such a debate? One doctor is happy to provide a useful analogy: what if the Montreal Symphony were similarly ‘streamlined’? “All 20 violins were playing identical notes! This constitutes needless duplication. The staff of this section should be cut drastically… For considerable periods during the concert, the oboe player and the percussionist had nothing to do. Both jobs could be done by the same person… The position of conductor, a non-player who amazingly is paid the highest salary, should be eliminated [and replaced with] an inexpensive metronome.”
The Science Behind That Fresh-Looking Landscape
The science of art conservation is sort of like working a jigsaw puzzle without knowing for sure what the final picture is meant to look like. “Over and above conservators’ hands-on skills, scientists need to know the standard form of materials under study and be able to recognize what is novel or unusual about the composition of an object, whether sculpture, watercolor, painting or any combination of these.”
The New York DigiPhil
“The New York Philharmonic, not known for its quick-stepping ways, is entering the new world of digital downloading under a three-year recording deal with Deutsche Grammophon… [The record company,] using live recordings by the orchestra, will release four concerts a year, probably through iTunes and perhaps through other Web sites.” The full concerts will cost $8 to $10, and listeners will also have the option of downloading individual pieces. The new deal was made possible when the Philharmonic musicians agreed to a revenue-sharing deal, rather than insisting on being paid a flat fee up front for the project, as has always been traditional.
Life After Daniel
Building an orchestral season without a music director is always a challenge, but the Chicago Symphony is hoping an unconventional approach to the challenge will engage audiences. “The season, built around an innovative tie-in to Yo-Yo Ma’s ongoing Silk Road Project, is jammed with more than two dozen visiting conductors,” some of whom are undoubtedly candidates to succeed the outgoing Daniel Barenboim at the helm of the CSO.
Less Barenboim, More Crowd-Pleasers
The new Chicago Symphony season seems to have veered in a decidedly populist (read: anti-Barenboim) direction, says John van Rhein. “There will be a conspicuous drop in the kind of rigorous modernist programming Barenboim favored — no Schoenberg, no Elliott Carter.” Behind the change in tone is CSO President Deborah Card, “[whose] primary mandate is building up an audience that has fallen somewhat during the Barenboim years. And so her administration continues to stress consumer-friendly initiatives such as Classic Encounters and the popular Friday-night film series.”
Yes, There Are Still Grammys for Classical And Jazz
Conductor Leonard Slatkin, composer William Bolcom, and an orchestra from the University of Michigan were the big winners among classical nominees at the Grammy Awards last night. Mariss Jansons and the Bavarian Radio Symphony took home the award for best orchestral performance, and the Emerson Quartet’s complete set of Mendelssohn quartets won best chamber music performance. In the jazz division, major awards went to Wayne Shorter, Pat Metheny, and Sonny Rollins.
Flamenco Beyond The Stomping
Flamenco is expanding beyond its traditional moves. But “to those who don’t get flamenco, no amount of funky music, smart costumes and crossover choreography will overcome their suspicion that, as a form, flamenco is limited. Compared with classical ballet or South Asian dance, it doesn’t adapt well to the telling of stories or the invention of character; compared with the variety that has evolved within modern dance, it has a very restricted range. Between the stamping, the castanets, and the coiling, undulating arms, non-believers don’t accept there is much to see.”