In Europe before the 17th century, most recreation and celebration took place during the day, because the night, of course, was dark and dangerous. Then came the great advances in artificial illumination – most importantly, public street lighting.
Tag: 09.21.11
Musical Omnivores? (It Means Something Different Than What You Think It Does)
“A half-century ago, someone looking for challenging music would gravitate toward the classical repertory, while those looking for simpler, more visceral thrills would go for pop. But today, some rock music is quite complex, while certain classical pieces have become so familiar, they can be classified as easy-listening music.”
Mohammed Ghani Hikmat, Iraq’s Top Sculptor, Dead At 82
“[He] created many of Baghdad’s most famous landmarks” – including the series of crossed-sword arches and a series of statues based on The 1,001 Nights – and “led the effort to recover works of art looted from the National Museum of Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein.”
And Why Shouldn’t A War Correspondent Review Theatre?
Michael Billington: “I see nothing wrong with the principle that a war and politics writer should be appointed to judge plays. In fact, I think people are in danger of getting a little prissy about the qualifications to be a theatre critic. … I’ve come to believe that a knowledge of public affairs and life’s larger crises is also a useful attribute for a critic.”
What If Instinct Produces Better Decisions Than Reason?
“What if we make better decisions when we trust our gut instincts? While there is an extensive literature on the potential wisdom of human emotion, it’s only in the last few years that researchers have demonstrated that the emotional system (aka Type 1 thinking) might excel at complex decisions, or those involving lots of variables.”
Australian Piano Tuners Furious At Evgeny Kissin
“Local piano technicians are furious that a Briton, Peter Salisbury, has been brought out to fine-tune the Steinway pianos Kissin is playing in Brisbane and Sydney.”
Australian Musicians Protest Airline Baggage Fees And Restrictions
“The Australian Music Industry Network estimated the sector’s 65,000 musicians collectively spend anywhere between $10 million and $20m a year on domestic flights.”
Junk, Junk, Junk! TV’s Filling Up With It
“Not even the most zeitgeist-y of postmodern television futurists could possibly have predicted the hours and hours of programming – indeed whole channels – devoted to people who have too much useless stuff and to people who want useless stuff.”
Kindle Makes Library Books Available
“Library e-books are already available on Barnes & Noble’s Nook, the Sony Reader, smartphones, laptops and other devices, but never on the Kindle, whose users had long complained that they were left out.”
Colorado Symphony Musicians Put The Brakes On Deciding Concessions
Colorado Symphony musicians voted unanimously Tuesday to delay a decision on an emergency contract revision that calls for a 14 percent pay cut and a significant increase in performance time. “We felt like there was a gun to our heads the whole way just in terms of these deadlines.”