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Alex Ross: The Entire History Of Film Music Is Saturated With Wagner

“Cinema’s integration of image, word, and music promised a fulfillment of the idea of the Gesamtkunstwerk, or ‘total work of art,’ which Wagner propagated at one stage of his career. His informal system of assigning leitmotifs to characters and themes became a defining trait of film scores. And Hollywood has drawn repeatedly from Wagner’s gallery of mythic archetypes: his gods, heroes, sorcerers, and questers.” – The New Yorker

Are All Arts Critics Really Just Bitter Failed Artists? No. No, They Are Not.

Well, what answer did you expect to find in a newspaper column? Nevertheless: “It might be difficult to grasp that writing a magazine cover [story] could appeal more than featuring on it, but for many it truly does. … [Critics are] besotted by an art form to the point [they] feel compelled to write about it for – let’s be honest – a meagre living.” Take, for example, Pulitzer Prize winner Jerry Saltz, who freely admits to being a failed artist but isn’t exactly known for being bitter or unenthusiastic. – The Guardian

Are The Detroit Institute Of Arts And Its Director Simply Out Of Touch With Their City?

“At a time when museum leaders across the country are being challenged on whether their institutions are systemically racist, few are confronting as many thorny issues as [Salvador] Salort-Pons. Current and former staff have called for his resignation, complaining he has developed a corrosive, authoritarian manner while retaining a certain obtuseness on matters of race in a city that is predominantly Black.” – The New York Times

‘Unhinged’ Made $4 Million Its Opening Weekend, And That’s Seen As A Major Success

With cinemas in many of the big U.S. metros still closed and many potential customers still unconvinced that multiplexes are safe from the coronavirus (despite the efforts of the National Association of Theatre Owners), Hollywood sees the box-office results for the new Russell Crowe road-rage thriller, the first major U.S. release since March, as good news. Says the CEO of the movie’s distributor, “We’re breathing a sigh of enormous relief.” – Los Angeles Times

During The Pandemic, Small Local Bookstores Have Gotten More Love Than They Can Handle (And Customers Don’t Love That)

“As the novel coronavirus takes its toll on businesses all over the world, many well-meaning consumers have flocked to local community bookstores. However, increased demand on these small shops has put a strain on business owners. Even worse, some have received backlash from impatient and disgruntled customers for slow shipping or sold out inventories.” – The Washington Post

In Wake Of Sexual Misconduct Accusations, Ballet School In UK Shuts Down Completely

Earlier this month, more than 60 former students at Ballet West, a boarding school in the Scottish Highlands, accused Jonathan Barton, the school’s vice-principal and son of its principal, of pressuring teenage female students at the school to have sex with him and carrying on affairs with some of them. Over the past week, Barton resigned, the police began an investigation, and the teaching accreditations of both Bartons were withdrawn; consequently, Ballet West is now beginning the process of liquidation. – The Herald (Scotland)