The great opera singer, a rival of Maria Callas, died in San Marino. “Born in Pesaro, she made her debut in 1944 but her career took off after performing at a concert to mark the re-opening of La Scala, Milan, in 1946. She sang at the great opera houses of the world but retired in the 1970s due to problems with her vocal chords.”
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Making The Sand Safe From Artists
Groups of artists creating elaborate sand sculptures on the beaches of Durbin, South Africa have become an attraction. “Foreign tourists, in particular, have been blown away by the beachfront artists who earn a humble living from the tips they get for shaping everything from sharks and mermaids to lounging lions.” But the artists say some of them have been arrested by police. “The city bylaws view sand sculptors in the same way as they do beggars and loiterers – as law breakers.”
Dumbing Down? Don’t Blame The Media
“Intellectuals have long expressed concern about the media’s potential for diminishing the quality of our culture. Ever since the invention of the printing press, there have been periodic outbursts of anxiety about the destructive impact of the popular media.” But “too often the blanket condemnation of the media pundit reflects the profound sense of insecurity that the professional academic experiences when confronted with having to engage with a wider audience.”
Merle Haggard For Poet Laureate
Deciding on a new poet laureate for California is an exercise fraught with complications. “On one side are lawmakers and constituents who want to honor a local poet – a man who writes rhymes for greeting cards, say, or a woman with a couple of self-published volumes to her credit. On the other side are writers and other intellectuals, urging the governor to name a serious poet, someone whose work is critically acclaimed but whose name is not widely known among ordinary people.” So who to picK/ Why not Merle Haggard…
At Chicago Lyric Opera – A Personality Clash
Matthew Epstein’s departure from his job as artistic director of Chicago Lyric Opera was a surprise. Does it signal a change of direction for the company? “Clashing personalities may be a factor in Epstein’s departure. Artistic differences certainly play their part. Without a doubt, he could once again set himself up as a powerhouse consultant to opera companies and artists. We can hope that his longtime friends and new clients won’t boycott Lyric out of some sense of personal loyalty. With or without Epstein, it remains one of the world’s great opera houses. Whether it remains one of its most exciting only time will tell.”
MoMA – Great Art In A Cold Box
“The new Museum of Modern Art is a $425 million bore that will excite purists but put many others to sleep. Not because of the art, which looks even more spectacular now for having been in storage for four years, but because the galleries and public spaces are so cold and cavernous, as if put together from a collection of drive-in movie screens.”
Playing Around – Video Games Lap Movies
The video game industry is already bigger than the movie business. Now its lead is widening significantly. “These are extraordinary times for video game fans. The $10 billion video game industry, which generates more revenue than Hollywood, has never released so many highly anticipated blockbuster titles in a single season.”
The Barnes Decision – Do The Math. Does It Really Work?
So the Barnes is moving to Philadelphia, where it’s said opportunity awaits. But the plan is to replicate the Barnes’ current galleries and limit visitors to 100 ata time. “If the replicated galleries are going to be the same size and if entrance is going to be restricted, as it is now, one wonders if the expected gain is great enough to be worth the effort. The foundation’s Merion galleries are much too small for large crowds; the 100-visitor limit acknowledges that. So why replicate the problem as part of the solution?”
Grimshaw: Taking On The Royal Academy
One of England’s premiere high-tech architects is taking on the task of turning around the decidely low-tech and troubled Royal Academy. “As far as running the RA is concerned, Nicholas Grimshaw plans to institute what he calls a six-monthly forensic audit to assure himself that an organisation which now has £23m turnover is on the right track. “My role is to encourage on all fronts, I am an optimistic person generally. All the so-called problems are perfectly handlable’.”
Play, Don’t Talk!
Lawrence Johnson has a complaint against a growing practice at concerts he attends of concert organizers getting up and giving speeches. “This kind of superfluous chatter is, at a minimum, distracting and annoying, and frequently crosses the line to being crass and provincial.”