“Scottish Opera has developed a seasonal formula that embraces the philosophy of the lucky dip. Main-scale productions are fewer and further between, but by increasing its joint activity over a whole range of production scales and performance venues, it has managed to eke out a continuous string of activity that genuinely attempts to offer value for money.”
Tag: 05.25.11
Stephen Fry: Language Over Rules
“Yes, I am aware of the technical distinction between less and fewer and uninterested and disinterested and infer and imply and all the rest of them but none of these are of importance to me.”
At Book Fair All Is E-
“There is a Wild West quality to the book business these days, and it is on full display at BookExpo America, an annual trade show that draws tens of thousands of authors, publishers and booksellers.”
Big Fight Over Two Paintings
“One of Europe’s wealthiest and most fractious families has returned to feuding mode after the son of the Spanish art collector Baroness Carmen Thyssen took her to court in a battle over two paintings – valued at €6m (£5.2m) – by Goya and Giaquinto.”
Are Screen Stars Stealing Stage Actors’ Jobs?
“Whether stage actors… will disappear from Broadway’s future if the Tonys continue to focus on Hollywood stars is debatable. Many actors appearing on Broadway–including Al Pacino, a nominee this year–began their careers on stage, but their mass appeal comes from their films.”
Detroit Symphony Concertmaster Leaves In Wake Of Strike
“Concertmaster Emmanuelle Boisvert, 47, first violinist of the DSO for 23 years and known for the refined elegance of her playing and her strong leadership of the string section, will become associate concertmaster of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra in September. Several other DSO musicians have announced plans to leave the orchestra in the wake of the recent strike.”
Houston Grand Opera Names New Leader
Patrick Summers will assume business management responsibilities as artistic and music director, and collaborate with COO Perryn Leech and chief advancement officer Greg Robertson in an attempt to continue and build HGO’s international reputation. Leech will now be called managing director under the three-headed leadership team.
Whitney Breaks Ground On New Home
“Today, we begin to create the Whitney of the future, an aspirational space where contemporary artists can realize their visions and audiences can connect deeply with art.”
Test: Is It Art Or Is It Child’s Play?
“To test whether people really mistake paintings by professionals with those produced by children and chimps, researchers at Boston College showed art and non-art students pairs of images – one by an Abstract Expressionist and one by a child or animal. Their survey results, released in March, revealed that a clear majority of participants in both groups liked the professional paintings more and judged them as better.”
Remembering Composer Daniel Catán
“Catán’s sudden death last month from an apparent heart attack has the left the Los Angeles music community, and especially Los Angeles Opera, bereft. His fourth opera, “Il Postino,” opened the company’s 25th season in the fall. It was a hit, the least troubled and most successful of the company’s premieres.”