How do you get more than one performance of new music? A couple of new projects band together dozens of orchestras to give new music multiple performances. “The project originated during a meeting of the leaders of small-budget orchestras belonging to the American Symphony Orchestra League. Wanting to make the presence of their orchestras felt, they decided to pool their resources to commission a new work. Each of the initial participants contributed $1,000, and those presenting four regional premieres kicked in a few thousand more.”
Tag: 02.03.06
Psychology The Key To Finding New Ballet Stars?
“An international conference in Switzerland of 32 ballet leaders from 12 countries was convened this week by British dance administrators because of concerns about training and inadequate collaboration between dance schools and the ballet companies.”A psychologist suggested that “to develop and shine, ballet dancers needed the individual training programmes already common in sport. Some countries, including Australia, have already incorporated performance psychology into their training curriculum for young ballerinas.”
Muslim Furor Over European Muhammad Cartoons
Muslims across the Arab world are protesting against European publications that have published cartoons depicting Muhammad. “Newspapers in France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Norway and Switzerland have run some or all of the cartoons first commissioned by Jyllands-Posten’s culture editor, Flemming Rose. It is apparent that the demonstrations are the biggest, and the diplomatic reactions the most vehement, in countries where authoritarian regimes are under domestic pressure from Islamist opposition forces.”
Berlin Audience Protests Violent Production
A production of Titus Andronicus at the Berlin theatre was so violent, the audience protested and tried to storm the stage. “You’re getting off on it [the violence],” members of the audience shouted at the actors in protest at the graphic rape scene in which Titus’s daughter, Lavinia, also has her hands chopped off and tongue ripped out.
Movie Theatres Bank On Concerts
American movie theatres, faced with declining audiences, are offering other fare like simulcast concerts. “Attendance for these shows varies widely. A pair of Phish performances in 2004, one at Coney Island and another in Vermont, drew more than 30,000 fans each for national simulcasts. A Prince tour attracted 25,000 fans at multiplexes across the country.”
Where Is Australia’s Cultural Policy?
Australian economist John Throsby has launched a shot at teh Australian government’s lack of a cultural policy: “It may reasonably be surmised that [the Prime Minister, John Howard] neither knows of, nor cares about, contemporary art in any of its manifestations.”
Inside The Orchestra
A new film about musicians in the Philadelphia Orchestra gives glimpses inside the life of an orchestra. “Although no one can quite articulate it, being part of an orchestra puts the individual in constant contact with music so grand and utopian that it can either ennoble or wreck the soul. It demands from those who make it essentially the same bargain that the religious must make with God: You submit and serve, in return for a deeper sense of participation in the sublime.”
Harlem Boys Choir Evicted From Home
“The choir that started in the basement of a Harlem church and grew over nearly 38 years to become famous internationally is scrambling to find a new home. At an emotional rally of about 100 supporters outside the school on Wednesday, choristers and parents said they hoped to revive the group.”
Britain’s Largest-Ever Art Heist?
“Antiques and art treasures, possibly including works by Picasso, Rubens and Titian worth millions of pounds, have been stolen from the 17th century Wiltshire mansion of the reclusive multi-millionaire Harry Hyams in what police believe could be Britain’s biggest ever burglary. Precise details of what was taken have not been released, although there have been estimates that property worth between £20m and £30m was stolen.”
What Happened To That Contract Between Composers And…
“The dialogue between the composer, the orchestra and the audience was based on an understanding that the composer would primarily serve the needs of the listener and performer by providing music for worship or entertainment. Tension arose when composers began to express themselves overtly as individuals, and the contract started to break down at the end of the 19th century when – straining against the bounds of conventional tonality – composers started to make demands on players and audiences that required an ability to focus and specialise that was generally beyond the non-professional or social listener.”