Whatever Happened To International Propaganda? A series of short films designed to bolster the image of the U.S. in Europe has surfaced 50 years after it was first produced. "The 25 films were long hidden from Americans because of laws, now changed, that barred the government from using tax dollars to propagandize its citizens... By turns blunt and beguiling, menacing and mawkish, the films beg an overriding question: Why, with this experience behind it, has the United States failed so conspicuously since Sept. 11 to bolster its image in another region it seeks to transform, the Middle East?" The New York Times 10/16/04
Posted: 10/17/2004 9:24 am
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The Art Of Voter Manipulation A new exhibit at New York's Parsons School of Design has taken a direct approach to combining politics and art: students were each given an actual Florida voting booth from the 2000 election debacle, and asked to express themselves in whatever way they chose. The range of results is a fascinating look at the varying ways in which young people view the modern political world: some of the works are hilarious with a twinge of bitterness, while some are simply bitter. Some are even cautiously optimistic about the future. Washington Post 10/16/04
Posted: 10/17/2004 10:27 am
Where's The Public Love For Nasher? "[Dallas's] Nasher Sculpture Center opened a year ago to nearly universal critical acclaim... Nothing has happened since to discredit those opinions. The trifecta of Renzo Piano's building, Raymond and Patsy Nasher's exemplary collection and Peter Walker's lush garden has produced a cultural attraction that actually deserves the overused acclamation 'world class.'" So why hasn't the Nasher's attendance matched its reputation? In its first year of existence, the Nasher drew 175,000 visitors, compared with 425,000 for the Dallas Museum of Art and 370,000 for Fprt Worth's Kimbell Museum. Dallas Morning News 10/15/04
Posted: 10/17/2004 9:13 am
You Just Can't Get Good Help These Days California artist Clinton Fein is used to getting flak for his blatantly political and often shocking artworks. But this past week, Fein found himself on the receiving end of a protest from an unlikely source: the printer he had hired to produce his giant prints. The online printing company Zazzle rejected two of the pieces Fein submitted, claiming that their ultra-provocative content violated their standards. Fein is accusing the company of censorship; Zazzle says it's a perfectly understandable business decision. San Francisco Chronicle 10/12/04
Posted: 10/17/2004 9:03 am
Munch Thieves May Be Identified Soon Authorities searching for Edvard Munch's stolen masterpiece, The Scream, may finally have a solid lead. The getaway car used in the robbery has been exhaustively examined, and police say that they now have knowledge of "persons with connections to criminal circles in eastern Norway" who are known to have used the car after it was seen parked on a farm last year. Aftenposten (Oslo) 10/15/04
Posted: 10/17/2004 8:05 am
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Levine In Boston When James Levine debuts as music director of the Boston Symphony next weekend, he will do so as arguably the most scrutinized conductor to take over a major American orchestra in the last thirty years. A master of networking and publicity, Levine is also credited with transforming the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra from a glorified pit band to one of the country's top instrumental ensembles. Questions about his health notwithstanding, the BSO is expecting nothing less than a rebirth on the coattails of its new leader. Boston Globe 10/17/04
Posted: 10/17/2004 11:06 am
- Yet Another NYC-Boston Rivalry Days after he debuts in Boston, James Levine will travel back to New York to put his new toy on display at Carnegie Hall, where comparisons between the quality of the BSO and the Met Opera Orchestra are sure to be made by the sharp-tongued Big Apple critics. Over the course of the season, Levine will conduct six Carnegie concerts: three with the Met, and three with Boston. It's almost as if the same guy is managing the Yankees and the Red Sox, and for classical music fans in the Northeast, it should be an interesting matchup. Boston Herald 10/07/04
Posted: 10/17/2004 11:05 am
- Assessing The Agenda Richard Dyer sees three big tasks ahead for James Levine and his new orchestra. "The first is improving the quality of the BSO. The second is renewing and refreshing the repertoire. And the third is bringing the public along on the journey." Boston Globe 10/17/04
Posted: 10/17/2004 11:00 am
The Great Beta Blocker Debate The use of so-called "beta blocker" drugs is rampant in the classical music world, where a single mistake can be career-threatening and the tiny muscle motions needed to control a performance can be seriously affected by a sudden attack of nerves. But even in private, most professional musicians never talk about the prevalence of the drugs, for fear of admitting weakness. Still, performers and doctors alike defend the use of beta blockers, pointing out that that they are far less harmful than the alcohol and Valium that musicians of the past used to overcome nervousness. The New York Times 10/17/04
Posted: 10/17/2004 10:47 am
- Previously: The Musician's Steroid? Music is probably not the first profession that springs to mind when one thinks of the problem of performance-enhancing drugs. And yet, the use of an anxiety-reducing drug called Inderal to get an increasing number of classical musicians through stressful auditions and solo performances is a hot-button issue in the industry. The drug is legal, non-habit-forming, and has no serious side effects, and yet, many musicians believe that using it amounts to a kind of cheating every bit as serious as an athlete's use of steroids. The Partial Observer 09/27/04
More Than Just The Backup Band Most classical music enthusiasts are aware that the Dallas Symphony has elevated itself over the last decade or so to a position in the top ranks of American orchestras. But toiling in the shadow of Dallas is another outstanding ensemble that usually gets mentioned in the national press only as the resident orchestra for the Van Cliburn piano competition. Once a regional chamber orchestra, the Fort Worth Symphony has thrived under the leadership of music director Miguel Harth-Bedoya, and William Littler says that the group deserves to be taken seriously in any discussion of North America's top orchestras. Toronto Star 10/16/04
Posted: 10/17/2004 10:06 am
Wynton's Dream Realized You can't talk about Lincoln Center's new jazz complex without bringing up the man who single-handedly spearheaded the drive for its construction. "For [Wynton] Marsalis, who has been artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center since its mid-1980s inception, this moment will represent the realization of a cherished dream: a glittering, multileveled, permanent home in the heart of Manhattan for the music to which he has sworn passionate, unwavering allegiance." Newsday (New York) 10/17/04
Posted: 10/17/2004 9:46 am
Ohlsson's Crosstown Doubleheader It happens to the best of us: a busy day combines with a brief brain lapse, and suddenly, you've double-booked yourself. It's a tricky situation for anyone, but when you're one of the world's most popular concert pianists, it's a major headache. Enter Garrick Ohlsson, who is scheduled to appear in both Newark and Montclair, New Jersey, this coming Friday night. Unfortunately, cancellation was not an option for either concert; fortunately, the two towns are only 12 miles apart. The solution: Montclair's concert will be pushed up by half and hour, and as soon as he is done taking his bows, Ohlsson will dash off to Newark, arriving minutes before he is scheduled to take the stage. The New York Times 10/16/04
Posted: 10/17/2004 9:42 am
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Colorado Looks To Renew Its Arts Tax Colorado's Scientific and Cultural Facilities District is the fancy name for a sales tax that has raised hundreds of millions of dollars for arts and cultural groups in the state. But the tax is up for a renewal vote this fall, and the public is likely to want tangible assurances that the money is having a positive impact. "Cultural organizations have bigger budgets and larger staffs because of the tax. And SCFD funding has helped create cooperation among groups in terms of programming (even some shared mailing lists), and more sophisticated, persistent marketing." Rocky Mountain News (Denver) 10/16/04
Posted: 10/17/2004 9:54 am
Ignoring The Arts Obviously, the arts are not the first issue that leaps to mind when one thinks of this year's U.S. presidential race. But is it really necessary for both candidates to completely ignore such issues as arts education, federal support for artists and performers, and the future of the NEA? "I suppose you could try to dismiss arts issues as a tangential topic in a campaign where war, terrorism and the economy are the driving issues. But the arts touch our lives and those of our children daily. Can you honestly say the same about gay marriage?" St. Paul Pioneer Press 10/17/04
Posted: 10/17/2004 8:26 am
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So Nice To Have Him Back Where He Belongs "Throughout most of his high-profile life, it seemed that Salvador Dalí had come from the moon, by way of the Walt Disney studios and some bar in a swank Paris hotel: art's original Space Oddity, the super salesman of Surrealism... But you only have to travel the dusty back roads well inland from the tourist havens clogging Spain's Costa Brava area north of Barcelona to come across stark evidence of the roots of so much of his imagery." Surrealism seems to be hot again in the eyes of both critics and collectors, and a reexamination of Dali's influences and impact is a natural offshoot of the revival. Toronto Star 10/16/04
Posted: 10/17/2004 10:18 am
An Agent Of Political Change "Sandy Dijsktra has been called an über agent as much for the passion she brings to her projects as for the authors she represents. Apparently her passion also extends to politics." A recent e-mail sent to all her clients announced that she will not be sending out a holiday card this year, so that she can put the money it would cost towards supporting presidential candidate John Kerry. And while it may not be a surprise that a Californian working in the arts industry would be supporting a Democrat, Dijkstra has certainly taken an unusual step, particularly for an agent who has a predilection for "recruiting authors from the ranks of journalists." Straight Up (AJ Blogs) 10/15/04
Posted: 10/17/2004 8:57 am
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The Music's Okay, But Is This Really Theater? You can't turn around these days without bumping into a theatrical production that is little more than an excuse to showcase music that was wildly popular a few decades ago. From Mama Mia to Movin' Out, Broadway is rife with such shows, and the new season will include new revues featuring the work of The Beach Boys, Elvis Presley, and Johnny Cash. "A quick look at the demographic of the theatre-going public reveals that once again — as in so many other places — the dreaded boomers have a stranglehold. It's no wonder, then, that producers will try to woo them with material from their happily remembered youth." Toronto Star 10/16/04
Posted: 10/17/2004 10:01 am
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Smithsonian Books To Shut Down Having lost $2 million over the last decade, the Smithsonian Institution is shutting down its publishing arm, causing an outcry from scholars who fear a void in the industry. Also of concern is that the dismantling of Smithsonian Books represents another step towards the bottom-line-first philosophy that has made Smithsonian chief Lawrence Small a controversial figure. Washington Post 10/16/04
Posted: 10/17/2004 10:22 am
Where Are The City Folk? The shortlist for this year's Giller Prize is once again filled with historical novels, and almost obsessed with a rural sensibility that has dominated Canadian literature over the past few years. Philip Marchand doesn't see anything wrong with that perspective, but "I still wondered if, in our literary culture, a work of fiction set in present-day Toronto was somehow regarded as a bit trivial. A good writer who carefully observed contemporary life always ended up sounding satirical, and to some people satire was Not Serious. Better to have these soulful looks at the past, at a way of life that was vanishing. That was real literature." Toronto Star 10/16/04
Posted: 10/17/2004 10:14 am
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New Year, Same Scandal Hollywood studios desperate to protect their copyrights from unscrupulous critics had been planning to send out this year's Oscar "screeners" on encrypted DVDs that can only be viewed on specially equipped players which would be distributed to Oscar voters across North America. But with awards season fast approaching, the technology is reportedly nowhere near ready, and the studios are in danger of a similar PR debacle to the one it faced last year, when the industry tried to do away with screeners altogether. The New York Times 10/16/04
Posted: 10/17/2004 9:18 am
Ratings vs. Tradition Public radio's ratings have a disturbing habit of plunging over the weekend, mainly because commuters make up a large chunk of the daily listenership. And in fact, most weekend shows on public stations fit into a distinctive mold: one-hour blocks focused on specific niche audiences, with an eye towards cultivating a narrow but loyal listenership. Minnesota Public Radio is trying to change the model with a heavily researched new program designed around short, "bite-sized" news items and features, the better to fit into the average listener's hectic weekend schedule. But an angry backlash against the show is building among industry insiders who are decrying the "Wal-Marting" of public radio. Minneapolis Star Tribune 10/17/04
Posted: 10/17/2004 8:12 am
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20 Years In A Dancer's Body "At 41, [Alessandra] Ferri is celebrating her 20th year as a principal dancer with American Ballet Theater. How she has managed to endure the broken rhythm of rehearsal - wait, repeat, discuss - for so many years is a minor miracle, physically speaking... Her limbs are spare and muscled. Everything extra has been stripped away from her birdlike frame, and after 37 years of practice, nothing unnecessary remains. Ms. Ferri has herself noticed the purifying effects time can have on the body." The New York Times 10/17/04
Posted: 10/17/2004 10:57 am
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