Preservation of contemporary art is a huge concern. “High-tech art is at risk of literally fading away, leaving buyers with nothing to show for their money. Time is running out for museums, galleries and private collectors wanting to preserve their digital photography and video art, as recent research has shown that the deterioration is quicker than people realised. Institutions around the world are tackling this problem, and scientists at Basel University have been researching stability in photography since 1965.”
Tag: 08.12.03
The Legacy Of Gregory Hines
Many of today’s young dancers owe much to Gregory Hines. “If you saw Hines dance, you saw his dynamic continuation of a dance tradition inherited from legendary hoofers such as Bill ‘Bojangles’ Robinson, Honi Coles, Sandman Sims, The Nicholas Brothers and Teddy Hale, to mention a few.”
I Just Called To Hear That Pop Song…
In the UK, consumers are buying songs for the ringers of their mobile phones. The tones generate huge profits for recording companies. “An estimated £70m of ringtones will be sold in 2003 – up from £40m in 2002. Most pop hits are available to buy as mobile phone rings – as are other popular tunes such as TV themes – for between £1.50 and £3.50. Many young mobile phone-owners change their ringtones regularly to keep up with the latest songs.”
What Eschenbach Meant To Ravinia
After nine years, Christoph Eschenbach leaves as music director of the Ravinia Festival this week. “If James Levine kicked Ravinia’s international profile up several notches, Eschenbach certified it as a full-service festival – a place where young musicians and seasoned artists can strike sparks off one another, where top-level chamber music thrives, where amazing things can appear out of nowhere like the fireflies that dance among the picnickers on the lawn. He has set the spontaneous tone for a summer place where performers unwind in postlude concerts that have been known to go on well past midnight.”
Virtual Orchestra Makes Opera Debut
The Opera Company of Brooklyn staged its “Magic Flute” over the weekend with a virtual orchestra instead of live musicians. How did it sound? “The Virtual Orchestra, developed by Realtime Music Solutions, which donated the hall and its services, behaved well. It allowed for pauses and shifts in tempo, thanks to the real-time control of an assistant at the synthesizer, and its surround loudspeakers (nearly 30 of them) created a sense of space. It sounded a little thin and tinny in the overture, but it never overpowered the singers and they appeared comfortable with their high-tech partner.”
Warning Scottish Opera
The financially troubled Scottish Opera has been told that it may have to drastically scale back its operations if it wants to survive. “The company’s acclaimed run of Wagner’s Ring Cycle starts today, but observers warn the funding problems are getting so bad that it may not be able to continue in its present form.”
Plans Line Up For WTC Site
“At last month’s deadline, some 5,200 designs for the 9/11 memorial cascaded into the Lower Manhattan Development Corp., submitted by architects, artists and amateurs alike. The proposals are now being pared down by the jury–a distinguished panel that includes Maya Lin, architect of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, and Vartan Gregorian, former head of the New York Public Library. They’ll have their work cut out for them. The program for the competition is of baffling complexity…”