A new documentary film featuring the musicians of the Philadelphia Orchestra takes a decidedly personal view of music and the people who play it. “The paradox of performing in an orchestra is that it is an intensely private experience in a public arena,” and the aloofness with which orchestral musicians (and orchestras as a whole) are usually portrayed stands at stark odds with the film’s exploration of the emotions and contrasting inspirations of the Philadelphians. “The musicians… are presented as regular people who have been anointed with a gift they do not fully comprehend, or want to. The ineffability of their musicmaking is central to their passion.”
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Possible Lead In KCS Murder
Police in Independence, Missouri, have picked up a Kansas City teenager for questioning in the murder of Kansas City Symphony bassist Steven Peters, who was killed in his home on Tuesday. Police are not saying whether the 17-year-old is a suspect in the case.
Proms Unscathed By Terrorism
The London bus and subway bombings barely made a dent in ticket sales at the BBC Proms. After an initial dip at the beginning of the festival (which occurred between the July 7 bombings and the second attempted attack on July 21), sales were robust throughout August, and the final tally will likely be down only 2% on last year. More than 20 concerts in the massive Royal Albert Hall sold out, and overall capacity was better than 80%, a big success in a venue more than twice the size of the average concert hall.
Shakespeare In Afghanistan
Shakespeare’s Love’s Labor Lost is being performed in Kabul. “The William Shakespeare play is one of the first to be staged in the country since the fall of the Taleban in 2001. Theatre is much more popular than television. But during the Taleban’s time it wasn’t allowed.”
America On Top (In Universities)
“Since the second world war Europe has progressively surrendered its lead in higher education to the United States. America boasts 17 of the world’s top 20 universities, according to a widely used global ranking by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University. American universities currently employ 70% of the world’s Nobel prize-winners, 30% of the world’s output of articles on science and engineering, and 44% of the most frequently cited articles. No wonder developing countries now look to America rather than Europe for a model for higher education. Why have European universities declined so precipitously in recent decades?”
Reinventing The Modern (Ancient) University
Global competition is forcing some of the world’s most venerable and tradition-bound universities to rethink what they do. “These tradition-loving (or -creating) institutions are currently enduring a thunderstorm of changes so fundamental that some say the very idea of the university is being challenged. Universities are experimenting with new ways of funding (most notably through student fees), forging partnerships with private companies and engaging in mergers and acquisitions. Such changes are tugging at the ivy’s roots.”
Altman, 80, Makes London Stage Debut
Film director Robert Altman is making his London directing debut. “Altman, who turned 80 this year, will tackle one of the last plays written by Arthur Miller, Resurrection Blues, which he was rewriting in the months before his death in February. The director of Gosford Park and Short Cuts knew Miller as a friend and wanted to bring the production to London, a wish expressed by the late playwright himself.”
Are Directors London’s Latest Hollywood Obsession?
“Hollywood actors come over to the West End all the time, of course, attracted by a relatively short run, all-expenses-paid accommodation in a top hotel or apartment, bags of prestige – and they’ve often got a good deal of theatre experience to draw upon anyway. But will a Hollywood director find it quite the same congenial experience?”
Today’s Students Eschew Books For Internet
College libraries are finding that students are abandoning libraries. “Today’s students can go through a semester, or even a year, without ever wandering into the stacks or opening a hardbound volume, and that’s a reality more and more librarians are recognizing. That circulation is down shows students aren’t simply using the Internet to check things out in digital form, but using it in lieu of checking things out at all.”
Surprise – You’re Not On The Booker List
Some of the UK’s biggest heavyweight writers have failed to make this year’s Booker list. “Ian McEwan’s tale of an extraordinary day in the life of brain surgeon Henry Perowne, has widely been seen as a shoo-in for the shortlist from the date of its publication. And he was joint favourite with Julian Barnes at the longlist stage to take home the gong for the second time. Instead, he has become the shortlist’s most high-profile casualty – although with previous winners Salman Rushdie and JM Coetzee also failing to make the cut, he is in very good company.”