Schoenberg and beauty are words that rarely occupy the same sentence. Arguably the most influential composer of all time, his fame derived from his abolition of tonality—the harmonic system of the previous centuries, in which melodies and harmonies relate to the tonic (the home) of a given key. While detractors still demonise him for having destroyed music, the largely self-taught Schoenberg saw his work as a logical evolution of tradition. Frustrated that tonality seemed exhausted and had reached its limits (in other words, what did classical music have to say after Wagner?), Schoenberg felt that he must transcend its constraints. – Standpoint
Tag: 01.30.20
It’s Beethoven’s 250th Birthday. Is There ANYTHING New To Say About Him?
How did Beethoven’s work — its harmonies, its rhetoric, its formal ideas — become such an exclusive model for what classical music should sound like? What are we going to do to give other models, both past and present, their due? How do we get past our Beethoven addiction? – San Francisco Chronicle
No Matter How Many Problems There Are With The NFL, Hordes Of People Keep Watching The Super Bowl. What Keeps Us Hooked?
“The Super Bowl isn’t just a game. It’s the halftime show; it’s the ads; it’s the chips and guac. It is sport but also music, dance, costumes, TV production and stage design — a pop culture event greater than the sum of its parts. Perhaps most important, … the Super Bowl is one of the last true vestiges of an era when we all watched the same things at the same time.” Times journalists Wesley Morris, Caryn Ganz and Austin Considine discuss. – The New York Times
Should Artists Work For “Exposure” When A Museum Asks?
Artists looking to establish themselves often get requests to perform or otherwise lend their creative skills to conferences, private parties, businesses and assorted projects for the promised payment of exposure. But what does it say about the value of an artist’s work when a city’s leading arts institution does the same? – Blue Ridge Public
Failure To Entertain? Is That A Problem With Today’s Arts?
Ben Lawrence suggests that a large swath of the arts establishment is more interested in lecturing and criticizing than it is giving people affecting experiences they enjoy. – The Telegraph (UK)
A New, Nationwide Initiative For Asian-American Theater
“The National Asian American Theater Company is starting a partnership with regional theaters across the country, aiming to foster inclusion of more Asian-American theater artists, technicians, administrators and community members through productions, outreach and other programming. The first partner theaters will be New York Theater Workshop, Soho Rep, Long Wharf Theater in New Haven, Conn., and Two River Theater in Red Bank, N.J.” – The New York Times
In Today’s Russia, The Government Doesn’t Always Need To Bother Censoring Cutting-Edge Art
Often, gangs of far-right nationalists will do it instead — burning books, protesting outside venues, bursting into buildings to disrupt an exhibition or performance, or even (in one instance) sending a teenager with a fake ID into a gay-themed play that’s legally barred to minors, then busting the company for admitting someone underage. A Moscow correspondent looks at the case of Teatr.doc. – The Economist
Ten Or More Dalí Sculptures Stolen From Stockholm Gallery
“The sculptures are each approximately 20 inches tall and are worth between $21,000 and $52,000. They were apparently snatched by at least two thieves in a smash-and-grab operation that was conducted in the early hours of Thursday morning … [at] Galleri Couleur.” – Observer (New York City)
Liam Scarlett, Royal Ballet’s Choreographer In Residence, Suspended Following #MeToo Claims From Students
“Independent investigators are examining claims that he behaved inappropriately with Royal Ballet School students and encouraged them to send him naked photographs. … The inquiry has not concluded and it is understood that no findings have been made against Scarlett.” – The Times (UK)
Citing Coronavirus Epidemic, Boston Symphony Cancels Asia Tour
“When officials with the Shanghai Oriental Art Center informed BSO that they were canceling the concert and other events because of the outbreak, BSO followed up with their presenting partners in Seoul, Taipei and Hong Kong, and ultimately decided to shelve the tour, the orchestra’s statement said.” – Boston Classical Review