Christopher Hawthorne: “[The] high-powered private competition … essentially produced six versions of a steel-framed box. … Diller Scofidio prevailed by focusing its design attention not on sculptural form but on a smart if showy conceptual clash between public and private visions of L.A. culture.”
Tag: 08.24.10
The Broad Collection: What the Museum Means For LA
Christopher Knight: “[Virtually every American single-collection museum] follows in the wake of a ravenous period in which a larger social philosophy of ‘greed is good’ takes hold. … Regardless of philanthropic motive, the Broad Collection – like the Huntington, the Frick and most of the other great private art institutions before it – is also Gilded Age residue.”
George David Weiss, 89, Songwriter of Standards
“Among his most famous numbers were ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love,’ recorded by Elvis Presley; ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight,’ recorded by the Tokens; and ‘What a Wonderful World,’ recorded by Louis Armstrong.”
Michael Clark Has 78 Amateurs Dancing Around the Turbine Hall
When he brought his company to the Tate Modern for a residency, he “decided to get the public involved. … [W]ould-be dancers were invited to apply on a first-come-first-served basis. The only stipulation was that they should not have been trained, and be available for rehearsals.”
Opera-and-Concerts-at-the-Movies: Good Thing or Bad Thing?
“As opera houses and orchestras simulcast their performances into movie theatres across the country, critics charge that it’s turning classical music into a cheap reality show. Fans say it’s as addictive as popcorn.” Tim Page and Drew McManus debate the matter on the air.
Oakland Ballet Names New Director
“Graham Lustig, former artistic director of American Repertory Ballet in New Brunswick, has been named artistic director of the Oakland Ballet in California. The troupe [is] known for its ground-breaking Diaghilev-era revivals.”
Losing a Literary Prize While Everyone’s Watching
Rick Gekoski: “I had a shocking impulse to shout out ‘Wait! Stop! You’ve read the wrong name!’ as Ms Weston stepped forward gracefully and modestly claimed her prize. I took a long slug of my glass of wine, clapped appreciatively, and began to calculate how long I had to stay after her speech, and whether it was right of me to have stopped smoking.”
How Many Musicians Does the US Military Have?
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates: “[Former Secretary of State] Condi Rice used to say, ‘We have more people in military bands than they have in the Foreign Service.’ She was not far wrong.”
What Could Save New Orleans? The Creative Class, Of Course!
“In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans has been rebounding slowly. Five years after the disaster, researchers suggest that the city promote its entertainment industry as a development strategy.”
Where Hendrix Meets Handel
“[An] exhibition at London’s Handel House Museum [is] marking the 40th anniversary of Hendrix’s death. Composer George Frideric Handel lived and died in 25 Brook Street while, 200 years later, Hendrix lived and died next door in number 23, now used as administrative offices for the museum.”