A new traveling exhibition is attempting to bring attention the architectural/cultural phenomenon of urban “greening,” a philosophy which allows cities to build big skyscrapers and massive sports stadiums, so long as they “consume less energy, use renewable materials and resources, and uplift their surroundings and the spirits of those who work in them.” It’s an intriguing concept, but most American cities, even those which consider themselves to be on the cutting edge of both architecture and the movement towards making cities more inviting, haven’t even begun to explore the possibilities of building green.
Tag: 06.11.04
Reversing Course In Wisconsin
The board of the tiny La Crosse (Wisconsin) Symphony Orchestra has thought better of its decision to terminate conductor Amy Mills, after some board members complained that the process which led to the vote ousting Mills was underhanded and unfair. Mills’s current contract runs through next season, which will be her tenth with the ensemble, and the board’s reversal opens the door for her to negotiate a new deal, despite artistic conflicts with some of the ensemble’s musicians.
Iona Brown, 63
British violinist and conductor Iona Brown, who led the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields for decades, first as concertmaster and then as music director, has died at the age of 63. Brown, who also led the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra for a time, was renowned worldwide for her skills as a violinist, and blazed a trail for female conductors at a time when sexism was still rampant in the industry.
Do Dogs Understand Language?
Ask any dog owner, and he’ll tell you: it’s not what you say to a dog, it’s how you say it, with your tone of voice the key to the dog’s understanding. But a team of German scientists and a border collie named Rico say different, and their evidence that dogs can understand language is compelling. Rico can fetch up to 200 objects by name, and can even figure out which object his master wants when confronted with a word he’s never heard. “Rico’s abilities seem to follow a process called ‘fast mapping,’ seen when young children start to learn to speak and understand language.”
Arrest in Saatchi Fire Case
There’s been an arrest in the investigation surrounding the warehouse fire that destroyed £50 million worth of art owned by the collector Charles Saatchi. The suspect, who has been charged with burglary and released on bail, is 23, and police are not saying much more than that at the moment.
More Calls For Scrapping Libeskind
The voices speaking out against the official plans for the WTC site are growing ever louder, and those calling for a strict rebuild of the original Twin Towers are gaining ground. The obvious argument is visceral, of course – you knock our buildings down, and we’ll just put ’em right back up! – but there is more to the increasingly popular movement than simple defiance. “We are replacing a symbol of world peace and human cooperation with a self-absorbed salute to America,” says the man who is leading the charge, adding that Daniel Libeskind’s design is “tone deaf to a monumental degree.”
WTC Arts Tenants Announced
“Pledging to reinvigorate cultural life in Lower Manhattan, state and city officials yesterday announced the selection of arts groups devoted to dance, theater and drawing, along with a museum celebrating freedom, as the cultural anchors for the World Trade Center site… The Signature Theater Company, the Joyce Theater, the Freedom Center and the Drawing Center” were the lucky winners in a process which had been roundly criticized by arts leaders as insufficiently open to public scrutiny.
Composer Kramer Dies
“Jonathan Kramer, a composer and musical theorist, died on June 3 at Mount Sinai Hospital. He was 61 and lived in Manhattan. The cause was leukemia, said his wife, Deborah Bradley. Mr. Kramer, a professor of composition and theory at Columbia University, wrote eclectic music that often drew from sources as disparate as Baroque music and jazz.”
Gehry Wins UK Building of the Year
“Maggie’s, a cancer care centre designed for free by the renowned US architect Frank Gehry, was yesterday declared British building of the year. It came top in the Royal Fine Art Commission’s annual awards. Gehry has called the design – which seeks to welcome the centre’s patients with light gently reflected from an undulating steel roof – ‘about my best yet’.”
Birtwistle’s Plot Man
When composer Harrison Birtwistle put out the call for a “gloomy poet” to write the libretto for his next opera, Stephen Plaice, who prefers to think of himself as “lyrical and ironic,” found himself with the job. Over the ensuing three years, a story emerged which blends Greek myth with disturbing sexual undertones and a complex relationship which ended before the opera begins. It’s a process that few opera lovers ever think about, but a successful relationship between librettist and composer can mean the difference between success and failure.