Australian economist John Throsby has launched a shot at teh Australian government’s lack of a cultural policy: “It may reasonably be surmised that [the Prime Minister, John Howard] neither knows of, nor cares about, contemporary art in any of its manifestations.”
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Inside The Orchestra
A new film about musicians in the Philadelphia Orchestra gives glimpses inside the life of an orchestra. “Although no one can quite articulate it, being part of an orchestra puts the individual in constant contact with music so grand and utopian that it can either ennoble or wreck the soul. It demands from those who make it essentially the same bargain that the religious must make with God: You submit and serve, in return for a deeper sense of participation in the sublime.”
Harlem Boys Choir Evicted From Home
“The choir that started in the basement of a Harlem church and grew over nearly 38 years to become famous internationally is scrambling to find a new home. At an emotional rally of about 100 supporters outside the school on Wednesday, choristers and parents said they hoped to revive the group.”
Britain’s Largest-Ever Art Heist?
“Antiques and art treasures, possibly including works by Picasso, Rubens and Titian worth millions of pounds, have been stolen from the 17th century Wiltshire mansion of the reclusive multi-millionaire Harry Hyams in what police believe could be Britain’s biggest ever burglary. Precise details of what was taken have not been released, although there have been estimates that property worth between £20m and £30m was stolen.”
What Happened To That Contract Between Composers And…
“The dialogue between the composer, the orchestra and the audience was based on an understanding that the composer would primarily serve the needs of the listener and performer by providing music for worship or entertainment. Tension arose when composers began to express themselves overtly as individuals, and the contract started to break down at the end of the 19th century when – straining against the bounds of conventional tonality – composers started to make demands on players and audiences that required an ability to focus and specialise that was generally beyond the non-professional or social listener.”
The Joint Chiefs Have Time To Read The Comics?
“In a protest with an unusual number of high-level signatures, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and each of its five members have fired off a letter assailing a Washington Post cartoon as ‘beyond tasteless.’ The Tom Toles cartoon, published Sunday, depicts a heavily bandaged soldier in a hospital bed as having lost his arms and legs, while Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, in the guise of a doctor, says: ‘I’m listing your condition as ‘battle hardened.””
The Brokeback Agenda
Okay, Brokeback Mountain is a good movie, but are those eight Oscar nominations for Ang Lee’s “gay cowboy” flick really about rewarding great filmmaking? Or is this just Hollywood’s way of thumbing its nose at the right-wingers who currently control America’s political system? Stephen Hunter says that Brokeback “makes an argument with images craftily employed to communicate ideas. Nothing in it is arbitrary… generally, the movie is cruel to family. It seems to think family is a bourgeois delusion” and that homosexuality is a natural reaction against the imprisonment of traditional American family life.
Greening The Skyline, For Health And Profit
Can towering skyscrapers and natural beauty ever really coexist? A new generation of architects doesn’t see why not, and the corporations that populate high-rises across America are beginning to see the benefits of a different kind of urban planning. “Not so long ago, green construction was largely dismissed as prohibitively expensive and as just so much political correctness. But the arrival of the Condé Nast tower in Times Square in 1999, designed by Fox & Fowle and billed as the first green skyscraper in New York, sent the message that corporate America saw something to gain from the green model.”
New Swan Lake To Hit The Road
A new production of Swan Lake that has been making serious waves since its premiere last year in Shanghai is preparing to take the “unconventional blend of classical ballet and traditional Chinese acrobatics” on a major world tour including Russia, Japan, Germany, and the U.S. The production, which includes acrobatic feats worthy of Cirque du Soleil, is a complete reimagining of Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet, and even changes the storyline to make it more relevant to modern Chinese audiences.
Box Office Slump? Don’t Tell The Brits
“In a year when blockbusters went bust in the United States and films fizzled in Europe, Britons flocked to the cinema — to see a teenage wizard, a magical wardrobe and a psychedelic chocolate factory. The U.S. box office slumped to its lowest level in almost a decade in 2005, dragged down by a slew of underperforming action films and lackluster sequels. Ticket sales also fell across much of Europe. But while a strong pound and an uncertain tax climate have fueled fears for the future of British filmmaking, British filmgoing is in great shape.”