Blog – Page 535 – ArtsJournal Wayback

How Shakespeare Became An American Gold Standard

The 17th-century puritans who founded the first English settler colonies were “rabidly anti-theatrical”, and colonial insurrectionists rejecting the motherland in the 18th century would not necessarily have embraced the quintessential English playwright. “How Shakespeare won over America in the early 19th century is something of a mystery.” – New Statesman

Furtwängler and Shostakovich: Bearing Witness in Wartime

Books continue to be written about what it was like to live in Germany under Hitler. I wonder if any of the authors have auditioned Wilhelm Furtwängler’s wartime broadcasts with the Berlin Philharmonic. They should – and also ponder a kindred question: the function of culture in the life of a nation. – Joseph Horowitz

Umberto Eco And A State Of Doubt

What the library tells you is not that there is that much to read, but that there are no limits as to how much there is to know. The essence of the library is its limitlessness. The more time you spend in it, the more you realize that no time could ever be enough; no matter how hard you strive, you will never know it all. The revelation of your finitude comes with embarrassing pain. And when you have realized that you cannot live without that pain, your perverse relationship with the library has reached its climax. – Los Angeles Review of Books

London’s Proposed Centre For Music Would Be “Tate Modern Of Music”

“We believe the Centre for Music’s potential transformative power for music is equal to that of Tate Modern’s impact on the London visual arts scene.” The centre will occupy the current Museum of London site after the museum reopens at Smithfield Market in 2024. Construction will take about four years. – Arts Professional

Amazon Flooded With Fake COVID Books

The retailing giant has already been removing “tens of thousands” of listings from “bad actors” attempting to artificially raise prices on items such as face masks and hand sanitiser. Now it is fighting a losing battle against the writers rushing out self-published books to profit from coronavirus fears. Generally shorter than 100 pages, dozens have been published in the last few weeks, promising worried readers ways to prevent or avoid the virus. – The Guardian

We Need To Rethink Audience Development

The reality for most organisations is that their value and survival increasingly demand competence – and coherence – across all audience development. Many next-generation cultural organisations are developing as ingenious social enterprises, learning to manage this cultural triple bottom line. Of necessity, they have to do well to do good. What matters is that an organisation is clear about its public purpose and priorities, and that it knows how to achieve them. – Arts Professional

Until They Were Shut Down, Chicago’s Jazz Clubs Kept Swinging This Weekend

Until Gov. Pritzker on Sunday ordered all bars and restaurants in the state to shut down at close of business on Monday night through March 30, the jazz clubs kept on swinging — albeit with smaller audiences and less energy than just a week ago. – Chicago Tribune

All Of The Dead Sea Scrolls At The Museum Of The Bible Are Fakes, Study Says

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Did you think the owner of Hobby Lobby paid too much for something that wasn’t authenticated so he could put it in his museum? You were correct. “Experts have confirmed what has long been suspected: the artifacts proudly displayed in the nation’s capital by the owners of the Hobby Lobby chain of stores are not part of one of the most significant archaeological finds of all time. They are worthless forgeries, probably made from old shoe leather.” – The Guardian (UK)