“The Cervantes prize, the Spanish-language equivalent of the Nobel prize for literature, has been awarded to Catalan novelist Juan Marsé for a body of work focusing on the hardships of life in post-civil war Spain.” The award comes with a €125,000 ($158,500) cash prize.
Author: sbergman
Why Doesn’t The BSO Trust Its Audience?
Much has been made of Gennady Rozhdestvensky’s refusal to conduct the Boston Symphony last week after discovering that his name was in small print on a poster. But Jeremy Eichler says that the BSO has “a deeper problem of… condescending to a potential audience. If the BSO had the artistic vision to bring Rozhdestvensky to its stage, it should have had the marketing courage to stand behind its reasons for doing so.”
Giving The Music A Verbal Assist
Classical music organizations are frequently happy to let the music speak for itself, providing little or no contextual information for audiences. Andrew Adler says that approach is a mistake. “Consider how much more could have been accomplished… All it takes is a little planning and, yes, imagination.”
Indy Symphony Needs More Money In The Bank
“The Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra pulled off an impressive financial performance in its latest fiscal year, overcoming economic uncertainty to increase ticket sales and donations. But the orchestra’s small operating loss–$293,000 on $26.8 million in revenue–belies a much larger challenge: Symphony officials acknowledge their endowment is nowhere near large enough to support the city’s largest performing arts organization in the long term.”
Pasadena Looks To A Turnaround Expert
“As the Orchestras of Pasadena face up to a financial crisis that threatens their survival, all hopes are pinned on a 41-year-old whiz kid from Modesto. Paul Jan Zdunek, who is credited with putting the troubled Modesto Symphony back on a sound financial footing during his five-year stint, has been hired to do the same in Pasadena.”
La Scala Faces Yet Another Strike Threat
“La Scala’s opening night of the season, the Milanese social event that brims with VIPs, fur coats and diamonds, may be canceled for the first time in four decades as musicians protest labor contracts. The premiere is a key source of funding for Italy’s most famous theater.”
Sydney Opera House Architect Dies At 90
“Danish architect Joern Utzon who designed the Sydney Opera House has reportedly died…
Mr Utzon drew up the design for the opera house in 1957 but quit seven years before it was finished after scandals about cost blowouts and design arguments… He was awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize for the sculptural building that the jury singled out as among the most iconic buildings of the 20th century.”
Will Utzon’s Dream For Sydney Ever Be Realized?
“Joern Utzon died having overseen detailed plans for the renovation of the Opera House, but without knowing whether the $800 million needed to realise his grand vision had been secured. Without this money, the unfinished business of fixing the opera theatre’s problems with acoustics and space would put its future as a performing venue at risk.”
Why We Need Libraries
“Even as Philadelphia announces a plan to shutter 11 of its city libraries, there is more and more anecdotal evidence to indicate that libraries really matter.” From keeping senior citizens connected to the world to providing a haven for intellectually curious kids, are we making a mistake in thinking that libraries are expendable luxuries?
Giving New Life To Music Choked Off By Hate
“Its name is a footnote in history now, but the opening of Germany’s State Office for Music in January 1933 marked the effective beginning of the Nazi purge of undesirable music and musicians.” A Toronto ensemble has been revisiting the composers and music that were banned and persecuted under the Nazis.