“To use the language of the 18th-century economist Adam Smith, the value of the arts ‘in use’ precedes their value ‘in exchange’. Once something is deemed desirable, the market can indeed establish its commercial price. But although the market can trade in the products of culture, it cannot express the value of culture as a process, or what it does.”
Tag: 07.06.10
An Angry Kent Nagano Decides To Leave Munich’s Opera
In an open letter, the American conductor confirms that the city’s cultural politics have driven him to decline any renewal of his contract as music director of the Bavarian State Opera.
BBC Phil Names Juanjo Mena Chief Conductor
“Juanjo Mena is to succeed Gianandrea Noseda as chief conductor of the BBC Philharmonic. The initial contract is for three years, and begins with the 2011-12 season. The Spanish conductor will lead the Manchester-based ensemble for 12 weeks per season, including concerts at the Bridgewater Hall – where the orchestra is resident – as well as at the BBC Proms, on tour and in BBC Radio 3 broadcasts.”
We Are All One Giant Wiki
Robert Wright, Author of The Evolution Of God: “[T]echnology is weaving humans into electronic webs that resemble big brains – corporations, online hobby groups, far-flung N.G.O.s. And I personally don’t think it’s outlandish to talk about us being, increasingly, neurons in a giant superorganism.”
The Most Influential Black Dancer-Choreographer You May Never Have Heard Of
He’s Donald McKayle, 80, whom Judith Jamison calls “a pioneer, a precedent setter, and a formative talent by any measure.” He danced for Merce and Martha, choreographed for Broadway and Hollywood, “created works for companies around the world and he taught and administered dance programs at colleges throughout the United States, most recently at UC Irvine.”
Conductor Walks Out Of/Is Fired From La Scala’s Barber Of Seville
“‘Because of the impossibility of maintaining a serene and constructive work relationship, Maestro Jean-Christophe Spinosi, in agreement with La Scala management, has decided to abandon the production,’ the opera house said in a statement.”
The Style Of Elements: Blogging The Periodic Table
Sam Kean: “Mercury made me see how many different areas of life the periodic table intersects with, and … I realized that you can say the same about every single element on the table. There are hidden tales about familiar elements like gold, carbon, and lead and even obscure elements like tellurium and molybdenum have wonderful, often wild back stories.”
Why The Art World Is Reacting So Badly To Bravo’s Work Of Art
“Part of the reason art so rarely flourishes on TV is that most artists are reluctant to be represented in the mainstream media. Just hearing people on television discuss ‘the work’ in art-world lingo, makes us art-world denizens shudder: In the context of highly formatted cable entertainment, it sounds put on and pretentious.”
In A Hurry? Better Read That Book On Paper, Not Tablet
“The [very small] study found that reading on an electronic tablet was up to 10.7 percent slower than reading a printed book. Despite the slower reading times, Nielsen found that users preferred reading books on a tablet device compared to the paper book. The PC monitor, meanwhile, was universally hated as a reading platform among all test subjects.”
Man Who Threatened Obama In Poem Pleads Guilty
“Magistrate Judge Dave Whalin had previously ruled that the threat wasn’t protected [speech] merely because it appeared in a poem, saying it wouldn’t have mattered if Spencer ‘carved the message into a stone sculpture’ or ‘cross-stitched it on a pillow.'”