As the Forsythe era ends in Frankfurt, disgrace deepens. “It’s a daft situation: not only is Frankfurt perversely depriving itself of the one arts institution which makes it internationally famous, but the city’s culture senator, Dr Nordhoff, refuses to negotiate social provision with the 50 per cent of the troupe’s members who will lose their jobs. It’s all about money, it’s very grubby, and doubtless symptomatic of increasing cynicism in the subsidised sector towards challenging art.”
Blog
Saving Eccentricity – Fixing Up The Young Vic
London’s Young Vic is “one of the London luvvie world’s shaggiest buildings,” a space beloved as “one of the most intimate and successful theatre spaces in the country.” Now, after 33 years, it’s time for a refurbishment. But how to do it without spoiling the feel of the place?
The Best Writing About Music? It’s Online
Writing about music in the mainstream press is in a bad way. So, Rob Young writes, the best music writers are now to be found webside – in blogs. “What they add up to is a fertile breeding ground for a new style of music writing – just when the trade needs it most. The ludic quality of music criticism merges with a serious approach to the subject rarely found in a mainstream that treats music as entertainment rather than art. Add encyclopaedic knowledge, genre-crossing frames of reference and a disregard for celebrity, and you have the key traits of the music blog.”
Where Have All The Artist/Scientists Gone?
At one time it was said that “the most innovative scientists are almost always artists, musicians or poets. But is it still true today, in the first decade of the 21st century? There are some distinguished scientists who are very appreciative and knowledgeable about the arts. But where have all the artists who are also scientists gone – are the likes of Da Vinci just one offs? There has been a rupture between science and the arts in modern times, indeed between the arts and many aspects of society, and all the video installations in the world cannot repair it.”
Power Struggle In Moscow Concert Hall
Moscow has a shiny new $200 million performing arts center – its first new concert hall in 100 years. “With the conductor and violinist Vladimir Spivakov as the center’s president, a rich array of events has taken shape. Yet behind the glass and metal exterior, a power struggle as harsh as the confrontation between Kremlin prosecutors and the oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky has unfolded, rooted in Spivakov’s acrimonious departure as music director and principal conductor of the Russian National Orchestra last year.”
Too Many Bad Songs – Is That The Problem?
Music executives are prodding acts to limit the number of tracks on their CDs in a bid to raise fans’ perceptions of the value of albums. ‘There’s been a tendency to overload CDs because the technology permits it. The final choice will always be the artist’s, but I feel — and consumer research bears it out — that the public thinks albums have too much filler’.”
Canada’s Bull Market Run On Art
“For at least the last six years, the resale market for Canadian art has been decidedly bullish, with the last three or four being especially buoyant. Indeed, since the spring of 1999, close to 10 paintings by Canadian artists have either come close to or surpassed the $1-million selling mark at auctions in Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary.” Can the enthusiasm continue?
Mickey Mouse Turns 75
“The years have dulled Mickey’s personality, a result of him becoming the corporate face of a multibillion-dollar entertainment empire. In the process, Mickey also has become a cultural Rorschach test — a symbol of American optimism, resourcefulness and energy or an icon of cultural commodification and corporate imperialism.”
Dobrin: Rattle And Berlin Still Finding Themselves
Though there wee other high-appeal concerts in Philadelphia Sunday, Peter Dobrin naturally went to hear Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic. “What’s more interesting at this point in the green relationship between orchestra and conductor – Rattle took his position a year ago – is that it’s still not clear whether their respective strengths will add up to anything resembling synergy. Berlin is a perfection machine; Rattle is a supremely inspiring musician with a somewhat less than perfect baton technique. Someday this might be a great match. So far it’s not, at least not consistently.”
Broad And Popular (And That Ain’t Bad)
“The International Impac Dublin literary award, is the most eclectic and unpredictable of the literary world’s annual gongs. The Impac is one of the world’s richest prizes but it is arguably more remarkable for its breadth of coverage and truly global nature than the size of its coffers. Nominations for the prize are made by 162 different libraries in 47 different countries. As a result, the longlist is staggeringly long but also incredibly broad, featuring a range of genres and nationalities. This year the list is notable for the sprinkling of popular titles.