Blog

Orchestra To Perform Silent Cage On Radio

For the first time in the UK an orchestra will be performing John Cage’s silent work 4’33” on the radio. “Cage’s seminal work, 4’33”, which consists of four minutes and 33 seconds of silence, will be the highlight of a concert on Radio 3 at 7.25pm. In readiness for the performance, Radio 3 bosses will have to switch off their emergency back-up system – designed to cut in when there is an unexpected silence on air.”

From Granola To Cell Phone – The Evolving Sundance

It’s been 20 years since Robert Redford took over the Sundance Film Festical. Since then, the festival has “morphed from the “granola Sundance” of the 1980s into the “cell-phone Sundance” of the 1990s and now, as the shoestring cinéastes of the early days, true anti-studio aesthetes like Jim Jarmusch, Victor Nuñez and Allison Anders, were shoved aside by Hollywood heavies looking for the Next Big Thing among talented newcomers.”

Tobias: Hubbe’s “Apollo” The Finest I’ve Seen

Next up in New York City Ballet’s Balanchine celebration – Apollo. “At the first showing of Apollo in the New York City Ballet’s Balanchine 100 Centennial Celebration—in the curtailed staging, alas—Nikolaj Hübbe offered an Apollo in the tradition that charts the god’s evolution, giving a performance that I consider one of the finest accounts of the role that I’ve witnessed and one of the most illustrious in his career.”

At The Ballet – A Musical Scandal

Terry Teachout attends City Ballet’s latest Balanchine installment and is appaled by the orchestra: “I learned long ago not to expect miracles out of the NYCB pit orchestra, but I was shocked by what I heard. The playing of the string section in both pieces was ill-tuned and inaccurate, and in the case of Concerto Barocco the performance, particularly in the first movement, was so rhythmically uncertain as to adversely affect the quality of the dancing on stage. Dancers can’t do their job when they’re not sure what tempo to take. My friend was appalled. I was embarrassed.”

Presidential Candidates And The Arts

The American Arts Alliance is asking presidential candidates to state their positions on the arts. “We have an agenda for the American Arts Alliance: federal funding for the arts, tackling issues around artists from foreign countries wishing to perform here, and tracking all legislation that affects arts groups, such as nonprofit accountability reform. For 2004, we feel it’s important to engage candidates in the presidential race — in all parties — a little bit more than they have, say, in the past on the subject of the arts. So we sent each of their campaigns a letter asking them to make a pledge — a commitment to encourage the creative development and appreciation for the arts.”

Of Intellectual Property And Agribusiness Subsidies…hmnnn

Lawrence Lessig writes that intellectual property laws and agribusiness subsidies ought to be tied together. “Both the subsidy of agribusiness and the subsidy of local culture and science violate the principles of free trade by ignoring American intellectual property laws. Both violations are bad. But the two bads should be resolved together. Indeed, if anything, American subsidies should be ended first. The actual loss to US firms from piracy worldwide is not terribly high – if ‘actual loss’ means the amount Americans would get if the piracy ended.”

Austin Arts Outdraw Sports

A new national study reports that “despite a flagging economy and a stubborn reputation for elitism, Austin Texas’s performing arts outdraw sports events and live music, while their audiences are more diverse than is commonly assumed. Those are among the findings of a national study on attendance and attitudes toward theater, dance, symphony, opera and related arts in five cities.”