“As things stand now the cellist Clyde Shaw and his wife, the violist Doris Lederer, members of the Audubon String Quartet, will have to surrender their instruments to a court-appointed trustee in Roanoke, Va., at 4 p.m. tomorrow.” It’s not just that the instruments are valuable, there’s a special bond between the musicians and their instruments…
Blog
Does Dance Die In College?
So you want to be a dancer. Should you go to college? Debatable. “College-level dance programs are proliferating. Dance magazine’s College Guide lists more than 500 such programs, up from 131 in 1966. But stable, paying jobs in the field are hard to find. And the utility of a college degree in dancing is a matter of endless debate.”
Swed: A Theory About Performance In Performances
Music critic Mark Swed knows all the caveats about which performances to avoid: “Opening night is a glorified dress rehearsal, so avoid it. Everything comes together about the middle of the run. By the end, the performers are starting to get a bit bored, and it’s best, once more, to stay away. Oh, and matinees are never as inspired as evening events.” But he’s got a new theory: “A performance that begins with proper commitment will likely just keep getting better. One that starts out cynically or inherently weak will tend, like a small crack in a windshield, to get only worse.”
Prominent LA Violinist Burned In House Fire
Violinist David Ewart, 48, was listed in critical but stable condition with second- and third-degree burns to his face, hands, chest and back. The fire “also destroyed one of Ewart’s prized possessions, a violin dating from the 1770s. The maker of the instrument was not immediately known. Ewart’s father, Hugh Ewart, concertmaster emeritus of the Portland Symphony, suffered facial burns and a broken nose.”
Thinking Pain-Free
“Researchers asked people in pain to try to control a pain-regulating region of the brain by watching activity in that area from inside a real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI, machine. Initial results showed subjects could reduce their pain, some quite dramatically. It’s the first evidence that humans can take control of a specific region of the brain, and thereby decrease pain.”
Vintage Disney Animation Discovered
“A collection of vintage Disney animation cells, sketches and background pictures has been uncovered in a warehouse at a Japanese university. About 250 pieces including works from Sleeping Beauty, Bambi, Fantasia and Cinderella were discovered at the building at Chiba University near Tokyo.”
Christie’s Is Champ In France
Christie’s maintains its three-dominance as the leading auction house in France. “Christie’s, the biggest art seller, had French sales of 115 million euros ($138 million) in 2005, up 33 percent from 86.4 million euros last year. It is now selling 2.6 times more art in France than Sotheby’s Holdings Inc., the No.2 auction house.”
Smith Resigns From ENO
Martin Smith has resigned as chairman of the English National Opera. A campaign was mounted against him recently after a series of black eyes for the company. “It is clear my ability to continue helping ENO has been damaged by a campaign against me.”
Why Is Scotland Neglecting The Arts?
It was a rough year for the arts in Scotland, and Duncan MacMillan says it didn’t have to be that way. “Since devolution public funding of the arts has increased, but by considerably less than it has in the same period in England. So words and deeds don’t match and there is ground to be made up before any new dispensation can even begin.” More disturbing is the seeming indifference of the Scottish executive to the problem, and the unwillingness of politicians to confront the atrophy of treasured Scottish institutions.
Stella vs. Katrina, and Guess Who Wins?
“The news from New Orleans is that, yes — the annual Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival will take place, as scheduled, from March 30 to April 2 in its usual French Quarter haunts. The four-day fete, in its 20th year, celebrates the life and legacy of the playwright who called the Big Easy his ‘spiritual home’ with panel discussions, celebrity events, theater and musical performances, French Quarter walking tours, food and wine tastings and — what would a Williams celebration be without it? — a Stanley and Stella Shouting Contest.”