“Sir Harrison Birtwistle and Sir Peter Maxwell Davies have known each other for almost half a century since they were friends at the Royal College of Music in Manchester – members of an illustrious group of students that included the composer Alexander Goehr and the pianist John Ogdon.” But 35 years ago they had a falling out, and haven’t spoken since. Now they meet again.
Blog
New Pressure Squeezing Out American Arts Education
Under George Bush’s No Child Left Behind initiative, “arts education was listed as a core subject for the first time in federal law. But reports released over the past several months have documented that arts classes are getting squeezed out because the law doesn’t require that students be tested for proficiency in art, music, dance or drama. Many people also see arts classes as ‘academic frills,’ so they often are the first ones eliminated when school districts run short of money.”
The Perfection Of Carlos Kleiber
“An undoubted perfectionist, Kleiber agreed to appear only when and where he felt like it. He was prone to cancel his appearances in a quite cavalier fashion, and refused to be tied to any one orchestra or opera house. No wonder, when he did appear, the man whom the New York Times once described as “the most venerated conductor since Arturo Toscanini” commanded attention and sold-out houses.”
Laguna Fest Votes On Licensing Pageant
“The Pageant of the Masters, a 70-year-old Laguna Beach California hallmark, reenacts art masterpieces with live models, called tableaux vivants. A 2002 plan by then executive director Steven Brezzo to have the pageant produced in other communities caused an uproar among members.” Now members of the festival are considering whether to prohibit such licensing without approval of the festival members.
Chicago’s Giant Bean
“Chicago has something new and unexpected in the heart of downtown: the Bean. Only a few days into the opening of Millennium Park, a mere four and a half years late, locals have taken their newest piece of public sculpture into their affections. The legume-shaped sculpture, a 110-ton hunk of highly polished steel, has been designed by Anish Kapoor, the Anglo-Indian sculptor. It is his first piece of public art in America, but remains unfinished.”
Vegas Hotel Boots Ronstadt After She Praises Michael Moore
Linda Ronstadt praised Michael Moore during a performance at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas and called him a “great American patriot” and “someone who is spreading the truth” Saturday. “Some among the crowd of 4,500 stormed out, tore down concert posters and tossed cocktails into the air. Aladdin president Bill Timmins said Ronstadt was escorted off the property, saying she “spoiled a wonderful evening for our guests and we had to do something about it.”
British MP’s: Museums Must Be Better At Business
A British parliamentary committee says museums need to be more business-like. “Unbelievably, some museums and galleries have made losses on activities that were supposed to generate income, and have an inadequate grasp on the costs involved,” says one critic. “All museums and galleries must be more robust in their planning. They should establish five-year targets for income growth and set out how these will be achieved; in doing so they must properly identify which activities are profitable and the risks to be managed. Seventeen government-sponsored venues received grants worth £280m last year, and generated an additional £108m.”
Vegas Hotel Manager Bans Ronstadt
“Aladdin President Bill Timmins ordered security guards to escort pop diva Linda Ronstadt off the property following a concert Saturday night during which she expressed support for controversial documentary filmmaker Michael Moore. Timmins, who was among the almost 5,000 fans in the audience at the Aladdin Theatre for the Performing Arts, had Ronstadt escorted to her tour bus and her belongings from her hotel room sent to her. Timmins also sent word to Ronstadt that she was no longer welcome at the property for future performances.”
Ronstadt’s Wolf Trap Adventure
At a concert earlier this month at Wolf Trap, Linda Ronstadt also dedicated an encore to Michael Moore: “The biggest excitement of the night, by a long shot, came when Ronstadt then dedicated her encore of “Desperado” to filmmaker Michael Moore, kick-starting a boo-cheer competition throughout the venue that drowned out her singing and left grown-ups in tuxes and evening gowns yelling at each other on their way to the parking lot.”
Poll – The Diversity Of “Must-Haves”
A poll of 500 readers last month came up with a list of “must have” books. “What has made me so relieved is that these very diverse books are practically all serious, accomplished, ambitious and original works of fiction. It takes a bit of thought to discover them, read them and respond to them. Most are contemporary, but they are not brand-new bestsellers or spin-offs from movies or TV shows. It was word of mouth, not hype, that got them on to this bookshelf.”