Tag: 04.02.20

The First Published Black Composer Went Into Print In 1551

His name was Vicente Lusitano, he was son of a Portuguese father and African mother, he worked in Italy and (later) Germany, and his first book of motets contains daring chromaticism and dissonances that precede Gesualdo by decades. His place in European music history was obscured not (or not only) by racism: it was a case of sharp aesthetic disagreement with, and professional enmity from, an influential colleague. – Van

The Art World Pre-COVID Is Dead

Jerry Saltz: “Even an art-lover lifer like me has to admit much of the art world infrastructure feels like it’s already in the balance. Some of it may be gone even now. In three months, or six months, or — God forbid — 12 or 18 (there has never been a vaccine for a coronavirus)? There will be galleries on the other side of this chasm, and museums, and artists making work, of course. But I worry that such a sundering will only exacerbate the inequalities that more and more dominate this universe, with megagalleries and art stars surviving and the gap between them and everyone else only widening, rendering the scrappier artists and galleries something close to invisible.” – New York Magazine

Comic Books Industry Grinds To Halt For The First Time Ever

Comics are largely sold through the direct market, moving from publisher to distributor to specialty comics retailers, as opposed to digital distribution or the newstands of yesteryear. But last month, Diamond Comics Distributors—the monopoly that supplies monthly comics to retailers in the United States and Britain—announced that it was refusing to accept new product from comics’ largest publishers, including Marvel, DC, Image, and Boom Studios. – The Daily Beast

New Plays About Coronavirus Epidemic Are Already Arriving

“Skylight Theatre, a Los Angeles theater company that prioritizes social issues, … [has] kicked off weekly plays from its writers lab set amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and the [online] series will continue until Skylight can open its doors again.” The project has started with Christine Hamilton-Schmidt’s Our First Honest Conversation, about an estranged couple, separately sheltering in place, trying “to reignite a sexual spark using only words.” – Los Angeles Times

Guitarist And New York Jazz Institution Bucky Pizzarelli Dead Of COVID At 94

“[He] was revered for the technical aplomb that enabled him to combine intricate runs, full chordal accompaniment and even his own walking bass lines. His rock-solid rhythmic footing and broad harmonic understanding were hallmarks of a warmly understated style that always drew attention to the song he was playing, rather than the playing itself.” – NPR

Edinburgh Festivals’ Cancellation Could Devastate Labor Market Throughout City

Warning that there are up to five times as many jobs in the city indirectly affected by the festivals and the tourism industry as there are directly employed in them, the head of the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce said, “We are already seeing quite a number of businesses in the tourism and hospitality sector fail. … I think we’ll see a second wave now.” – The Scotsman