“Neon is the gas that has happily leant itself to the most ignoble uses,” writes Peter Conrad of the century-old gas. “Neon plays nasty games with us: it goads us to misbehave, then utters this kind of thunderous reproach.”
Author: ArtsJournal2
Streaming That Sonata Is So Easy – If You Can Only Find It
iTunes and streaming music services have never known how to deal with classical music, says Steve Smith. But Spotify, which thrilled pop music lovers when it debuted in July, offers slightly better service – and a trove of European recordings otherwise unavailable in the U.S.
Turning A Concert Hall Into Art – With Audience Help
In Iceland’s new concert hall, “the big glass wall is active and interactive, made up of the movements of people inside and outside the building, who then take more notice of one another. It is this that sets Harpa, which is in fact a glass box with wonky angles, apart from many other examples of the genre.”
Keep Subscribing: That Newspaper Could Fuel Your Car
At Tulane, a bacteria is turning newspapers into fuel. “Old editions of the Times Picayune, New Orleans’ daily newspaper, have been successfully used by the researchers to produce butanol from the cellulose in the paper.”
Bookstores Are Dying! Or Not, Says Ann Patchett
Novelist Ann Patchett goes on tour and discovers that “just because some people like their e-readers doesn’t mean we should sweep all the remaining paperbacks in a pile and strike a match. Maybe bookstores are no longer 30,000 square feet, but they are selling books.”
We’re Killing The Movies – But We Can Do Better
Mark Kermode: “This has become the shrieking refrain of 21st-century film (anti)culture – the idea that critics are just too clever for their own good, have seen too many movies to know what the average punter wants, and are therefore sorely unqualified to pass judgment on the popcorn fodder that “real” cinema-goers demand from the movies. This is baloney.”
From Principal To Teacher – New Ballet Master For Boston
Larissa Ponomarenko, who thrilled Boston audiences in both classical and modern ballets, turns her technique to teaching. “Every chapter in life or in nature ends at some point,’’ she says. “Of course, dancing onstage, nothing can compare to that.’’
Granny and Gramps Graffiti Germany – With State Support
“The stereotype of a lonely grandmother in a pink cardigan who only plays canasta is outdated. Today’s aging population came of age in a different time — they grew up with the Rolling Stones and some are ex-hippies.”
Broadway: Dark For Irene
Everything’s off on Broadway — and Off-Broadway — as Irene hits the city. But what do theatre artists do on their unplanned holidays?
European Funding Model Dying, But Attendance Up At Festivals
“State support for culture — long posited as a taxpayer’s right, like decent roads or health care — is showing distinct signs of erosion, with a move toward the American fund-raising model, which suggests that art is a luxury to be paid for by those to whom it matters.”