Charles Michener laments the death of the piano recital. “For some time now, I have remarked on a development that, while less dramatic than the Bolsheviks’ overthrow of the Tsar, represents a considerable loss: the disappearance of the piano recital as a staple of New York’s concert scene. Among the world’s generous supply of first-class pianists, only a handful of the most famous ones are heard with anything like regularity in our major halls, and then generally not more than once a year. Piano competitions continue to turn out the next Horowitzes at an alarming rate, but how these prodigies manage to make careers is a mystery, given that virtually none of them are ever heard hereabouts.”
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Gunning For A Virtual Oscar
You’ve likely never seen Andy Serkis, and you very likely won’t until the camera pans to show him as a nominee at the next Academy Awards. Serkis is the human actor behind the creepy voice and complex range of movement of the twisted and obsessive Gollum character in the second film of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, which you may have heard opens this week. The talk of a possible Oscar nod for Serkis is evidence of the growing seriousness with which virtual characters are being taken in Hollywood.
Playwrights’ Comp Cancelled In Baltimore
Baltimore television station WMAR is pulling the plug on a playwriting competition it has sponsored for the past two decades. The competition was organized by the Arena Players, which solicited scripts from black playwrights, and picked one each year to be rehearsed, performed, and broadcast on WMAR. Station officials cited lack of corporate sponsorship as the major reason for their pullout.
Why Thomas Krens Ought To Be Fired
With the Guggenheim in financial ruin, why, Hilton Kramer wants to know, is director Thomas Krens still allowed in the building? “The fact is that during Mr. Krens’ 14-year tenure as director of the Guggenheim, the museum virtually ceased to make a significant contribution to the art life of New York. Some of us are old enough to recall the days when the Guggenheim was a vital presence in the city.”
A Thankless Job Ahead In Pittsburgh
Whatever brave soul volunteers to replace Gideon Toeplitz as managing director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra will have a massive rebuilding job ahead. What makes the PSO situation particularly tricky is that the city is not in the habit of supporting non-profits that don’t support themselves, and that means that prospects are not good for an orchestra running a $7 million deficit with little in the way of reserves or a long-term plan.
Surrealist Record On Sale
When Surrealist Andre Breton died at 70 on Sept. 28, 1966, his small apartment at 42 Rue Fontaine in the Pigalle district of Paris was “a veritable treasure trove.” But what to do with the art? “With the French government unwilling to buy the collection, the largest single record of the Surrealist movement is to be sold next spring at the Hôtel Drouot-Richelieu, where Paris auctions are held. One measure of the size of the sale is that the auction house, CalmelsCohen, plans at least six catalogs to cover the 5,300 lots. The auction, from April 1 to 18, is expected to raise $30 million to $40 million.”
Scottish Museums Need Emergency Investments
The Scottish Museums Council says the country’s museums need £14 million to keep them viable. The council’s report stresses that “museums have suffered years of under-investment and called for ‘funding appropriate to 21st century Scotland’. Ultimately we’re talking about museums closing.”
A New Way To Share Creative Work
Copyright protects the rights of authors. But what if authors don’t want their rights protected? Some just want to give their work away, to let others build on their ideas. But that’s actually more difficult than you think. Just getting the rights to use work can be daunting. A new set of licenses created by the Creative Commons group “enables authors to communicate to users of their content how those consumers may use the content without requiring the user to contact the author each and every time.”
The Universal Everything…
What if your radio could act as a cellphone one minute, a TV the next, and a PDA after that? “Imagine if the only thing stopping your handheld PDA from simultaneously being a GPS receiver, phone, radio or miniature TV was your willingness to download and install some free software program.” The GNU project is working towards the day…
Why Not Arts For Arts Sake?
So the Blair government threw a bunch of money at arts programs for children because it was proven that arts education cut crime. “At the bottom of the press release was a note saying that in areas where the scheme had been successful, burglary rates had fallen by up to 23 per cent.” Great. But why have to justify supporting arts education on social grounds? “Is it too far fetched to believe in a future where artists and performers of all sorts are a familiar and essential part of the school community?”