Despite a slew of bad reviews, the film version of The DaVinci Code opened a strong number one at the weekend box office, taking in $224 million worldwide. The film’s distributor believes it to be the second biggest opening in film history, behind only the final Star Wars installment.
Tag: 05.22.06
Like Practicing Your Driving Skills In A Ferrari
One of the toughest things about being a young conductor is finding opportunities to learn the craft in front of a real, high-quality orchestra. So a spot at the National Symphony’s annual National Conducting Institute, where participants get to spend three weeks learning from one of America’s top orchestra and its music director, Leonard Slatkin, has become one of the most sought-after privileges for up-and-coming conductors.
Maazel’s Gift
When conductor Lorin Maazel purchased a 550-acre farm in Virginia, his original intention was to have a place where he could escape the music world and live like a hermit. Instead, though, Maazel chose eventually to open his house “to local children in an expansive home-schooling project; to neighbors for chamber music concerts by the likes of stellar cellist Mstislav Rostropovich; and, lately, to music students and young professional singers, who have created a fully staged opera production.”
Not The Way You Want A Tour To Go
The Perth-based West Australian Symphony Orchestra, which just completed a major tour of China, ought to be flying high right now. Instead, the orchestra has declined to renew the contract of its music director (and informed him the week before the WASO headed to China,) and the tour was plagued by logistical problems and half-filled halls. For the WASO, it’s clear that there are a lot of things not working the way they should, and many management problems that will have to be addressed once the ensemble returns home.
Corporate Funding? It Has Its Downsides
“The art world’s increasing reliance on the private sector for funding creates a series of challenges. First, rich companies tend to be interested only in the best-known brands. Second, if not handled carefully, sponsorship can leave galleries open to accu-sations of kowtowing to commercial interests.”