Classical music may not be as elitist as some claim, but there’s no disputing the obvious fact that it attracts almost none of America’s famous racial diversity. In fact, an African-American musician in a symphony orchestra is such an unusual sight as to be jarring, and token attempts to bridge the racial gap have generally been short-lived and unsuccessful. So when an entire ensemble of minority musicians starts to achieve commercial and critical success with a classical product, it’s worth taking note, and Imani Winds, which brings together African-American and Latino composers and performers with an interest in serious new music, is establishing itself as a unique voice in the lily-white classical wilderness.
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What, Did He Flunk Phys Ed Or Something?
Filmmaker Michael Moore may be a hero to thousands of disenfranchised liberals across the country, but at his old high school in Michigan, his name doesn’t engender a whole lot of respect. Nominated three times to the high school’s honorary “hall of fame,” Moore has been soundly rejected all three times, with one voter describing the controversial documentarian as “an embarrassment.” Still, some rather determined sorts are actually spending money this year in an attempt to enshrine Moore in the hall.
The Day Lang Lang Came To Dinner
Pianist Lang Lang is much in demand these days, and like any soloist, his schedule generally demands that he flit from city to city, with barely enough time to accustom himself to the piano placed in front of him before it’s time to move on to the next one. And yet, there Lang was in Detroit this week, taking an entire day off to entertain 80 schoolchildren at a private home. “It’s difficult to convey how rare it is for a pianist of Lang’s celebrity to find his way to an anonymous suburban home to play a free concert disconnected from any corporate sponsorship or commercial agenda or the kinds of formalized outreach and education programs that have become de rigueur in classical music. Maybe Brad Pitt accepting an invitation to your daughter’s birthday party would be a similar jaw dropper.”
Previewing The Year In Dance
The American dance scene will become ever more eclectic in 2005, with plenty of crossover (Savion Glover tapping his way across scores by Bach and Beethoven), a healthy dose of classic ballet (Martha Graham’s Appalachian Spring will be revived in Washington), and “a veritable atlas of international dance troupes [visiting] US shores, in case Americans needed further reminder of how small the world has become.”
Broadway 2005: Serious Star Power, Seriously Goofy Musicals
It’s a bit early to be declaring 2005 the Year Of The Anything, but a look at the upcoming Broadway schedule does make a few trends abundantly clear. If all goes as expected, this will be the year that the Broadway musical regained its footing (likely on the back of the Monty Python blockbuster Spamalot), and the year that the Great White Way threw in the towel on new plays, opting instead for a host of revivals of classic stage works featuring big-name stars to draw in the tourists.
Getting Ready To Rumble
Conventional wisdom says that Broadway only has room for one smashingly successful blockbuster musical per season. But this year, Spamalot will be going head-to-head with Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, with plenty of star power, Hollwyood glitz, and industry buzz on each side. Michael Riedel can’t wait to see who wins: “At this point, I’m not betting on either combatant. I’m just looking forward to the struggle. Let’s hope it’s bloody, with dashed hopes and dreams all over the place.”
Chicago, City Of Wacky Bridges
“Offering a major surprise, the City of Chicago on Friday will announce winners in its international design competition for pedestrian bridges along the lakefront, choosing a bold new look for the North Avenue Bridge instead of a plan that would have echoed the gently curving profile of the existing bridge.” Among the winners are a boomerang-shaped bridge with solar-powered lighting, two S-shaped specimens, and a curving suspension bridge. Each bridge will cost several million dollars to build, and construction is slated to begin in 2007.
Is Copyright An Immoral Monopoly?
Extension of copyright is all the rage lately, with companies and individuals scrambling to protect their exclusive rights to various moneymaking characters, songs, and images. On the surface, such protection seems at least somewhat reasonable, but isn’t the public interest hurt when the government repeatedly prevents classic songs from entering the public domain? “We rightfully grant the monopoly called copyright to inspire new creative work. But once that work has been created, there is no public justification for extending its term. The public has already paid. Term extension is just double billing.”
Fox Agrees To Balance 24 With PSAs
It’s not an easy time to be Muslim in America, and lately, Islamic advocates have been complaining mightily about Fox Television’s new season of the terrorism drama 24, which depicts an ordinary Muslim family as a covert terrorist “sleeper cell.” Fox isn’t apologizing for the plotline, but has agreed to air several public service announcements produced by the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which depict Muslims in a positive light.
Chicago’s New Star Trumpeter?
Succeeding an orchestral legend is no small undertaking, and the Chicago Symphony has proven itself most determined to find the perfect fit for the principal trumpet chair once occupied by 53-year veteran Bud Herseth. One hopeful was given the job in 2001, but failed to acheive tenure. Now, the CSO is preparing to announce the hiring of the Atlanta Symphony’s young principal, Chris Martin.