“When the Birmingham Royal Ballet announced plans to perform Sir Peter Wright’s inspired version of The Nutcracker at the vast O2 arena in London, it was hailed as a brave attempt to bring ballet to the masses. … Victor Hochhauser, who agreed to promote the ballet, [says] that he is suing the owners of the O2 Arena for more than £338,000.”
Tag: 03.17.12
Brain Science? What About The Art?
“It seems to me that aesthetics, criticism, musicology and law are real disciplines, but not sciences. They are not concerned with explaining some aspect of the human condition but with understanding it, according to its own internal procedures. Rebrand them as branches of neuroscience and you don’t necessarily increase knowledge: in fact you might lose it.”
The Great Granddaddy Of All Political Strategists (He Was Cicero’s Brother)
“Cicero was … a brilliant man and gifted speaker, with a burning desire to gain the highest office in the ancient republic. As the campaign approached, his brother Quintus … decided that his older sibling needed to learn a few things about how to win an election.”
Sydney Opera House Renames Auditorium For Joan Sutherland
“The opera theatre at the Sydney Opera House will be renamed in honour of the late Dame Joan Sutherland … Despite the announcement, a long-proposed $1 billion renovation of the Opera House, with a particular focus on the opera theatre” – which has notorious design and acoustical problems – “remains stalled.”
Is The Minnesota Orchestra On Course To Hit An Iceberg?
“The Minnesota seems headed straight for a very large mine which could sink the musical ship. There is a confluence of events pointing to the 2012-13 season. First, they’re in contract negotiations. Second, they’re being kicked out of the hall. Third, the deficit is looming. Suddenly, and I mean very suddenly, the Minnesota is in desperate waters.”
Without Support, What Happens To Arts Development In Los Angeles?
California Governor Jerry Brown recently defunded community redevelopment agencies, and that’s going to hurt the arts in L.A. “The list of construction projects funded by CRA/LA over the years includes the Museum of Contemporary Art headquarters ($23 million), the Kodak Theatre ($30 million), the downtown Los Angeles Theatre Center ($27 million for construction and operating subsidies) and the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center in Mid-City ($13.9 million).”
The New York Review Of Books Is Robert Silver’s Baby. What Will Happen When He Leaves?
“Like its editor, The New York Review is elegant, well mannered, immensely learned, a little formal at times, obsessive about clarity and factual correctness and passionately interested in human rights and the way governments violate them.” But Robert Silvers is 82. Who can possibly succeed him?
Swearing Gets You An R, But Killing Teenagers Means A PG-13. Um, What?
Will this season’s outrage over the (deeply flawed) MPAA ratings system finally produce an overhaul?
Art Detectives Flood The Zone In Florence – And Search For A Rumored Leonardo
“With plenty of enduring historical puzzles to solve, as well as a series of fictional riddles courtesy of thriller writers from Dan Brown to Sarah Dunant, the work of the skilled teams that interrogate the stories behind the art of the Renaissance has never looked so alluring. That this trade also allows practitioners to live among the chief exhibits just adds to the appeal.”
42 Ways Of Making Money (But Not If You’re A Classical Musician)
“In addition to the expected sources, such as merch, concert ticket sales or, in the case of symphony musicians, employment, the Future of Music Coalition found artists make money from teaching, speaking engagements, fan-funding, acting, YouTube partnerships, persona licensing, session musician work and myriad national and international publishing groups.”