Peter Eisenman’s Holocaust Memorial in Berlin is nearing completion. “Germany’s largest memorial to the Holocaust into position, certainly had his problems. But despite everything, his design, spreading over nearly five acres of central Berlin, promises to be one of Europe’s most extraordinary pieces of architecture. A spectacle that defies the spectacular.”
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Connections – What New Music Needs To Live
What does new music need to win the hearts of listeners? “Decades ago, composer Pierre Boulez predicted that audiences would subscribe to music-generating computers much the way they now do to their favorite orchestra. Guess why that hasn’t happened: no warm bodies. Instead, I hear current composers translating the shape and timbre of electronic sound to, say, the live acoustic string quartet.”
Bush Portrait Brings Notoriety To Artist
Artist Chris Savido is pondering his new fame. Since his portrait of George W. Bush composed of monkeys offended a Bush supporter who shut down the New York show, the artist has become famous. “Bush Monkeys,” a portrait of the president made up of dozens of primates swimming in a marsh, enraged the manager of a upscale market with gallery space in lower Manhattan, pushing him to shut down the entire 60-piece show last weekend.
Heritage Minister: Canadian Museums Need Help
Canada’s Heritiage Minister says Canadian museums are in need of major help. “Hundreds of buildings have not been renovated in 30 years. Their roofs are starting to leak and there are cracks in the foundations. Federal funding levels have been stalled since 1972. Ottawa offers about $200 million a year in direct funding for a handful of major sites in the capital region, compared to $9 million for 2,500 sites in the rest of the country.”
Getty Land Sale Raises Questions
“In 2002, the J. Paul Getty Trust sold Eli Broad a Brentwood property for $2 million. Two years earlier, an appraisal had said it was worth $2.7 million. Getty Chief Executive Barry Munitz, a close friend and professional associate of Broad, personally directed the early stages of the deal, Getty documents show. Experts say the deal raises legal and ethical questions.”
In Praise Of Renata Tebaldi
“Cooler heads could fault her for what often seemed incomplete technique, some strident full-voiced top notes when the vocal line took her above high B-flat, and occasional lapses in pitch. But most opera buffs and critics found it impossible to have a cool head when listening to Renata Tebaldi.”
Barnes’ Court Ordeal Affects School’s Enrollment
All the fuss about whether or not the Barnes Collection would be allowed to move to Philadelphia has affected the Barnes’ school enrollment. If the number of applicants doesn’t increase, three of the four new classes may have to be cancelled…
Shankar: Indian Classical Music In Peril
Sitar master Ravi Shankar says he’s concerned for the future of Indian classical music. India’s musicians should not expect support from the government, he says, but corporate and indivisual support is essential. “After some great performers in the field of Indian classical music we have had promising talents, however, the programmes which new talents get to perform are not good.”
Tim Page Remembers Renata Tebaldi
“Tebaldi’s voice — impossibly smooth, florid and welling with poignancy — touched people to their souls. In the late 1950s, there were more than 100 Renata Tebaldi Music Clubs throughout Europe and America, and she retained a following long after her best years were behind her.”
How To Watch Merce Cunningham
“It seems to me that watching Cunningham is like taking a nature walk. The shifting landscape you scan offers many beautiful (or fascinating or eerie) things, but in an entirely evenhanded way. It is your own wandering view, guided by your own temperament, that selects which of them to notice, which of them to enhance through deeper contemplation, which of them to elaborate with your personal fantasies. The choreographer has chosen to abstain from dictating in these matters. He is present in the scheme, absolutely, but mysterious and silent.”