Nominations are out for the Baftas (Britain’s answer to the Oscars,) and there aren’t many surprises on the shortlist. Ang Lee’s Brokeback Mountain is up for nine awards, and political thriller The Constant Gardener scored ten nominations. The other films nominated for best picture are Crash, Capote, and Good Night and Good Luck. The Baftas will be handed out on February 19.
Tag: 01.19.06
What Good Is A Plan If There’s No Cash To Back It Up?
The Scottish government is coming under increased pressure not to approve a proposed overhaul of the region’s arts funding system without also significantly increasing what it spends on the arts. “Unless the Executive can show a substantial injection of new cash, it will be ‘moving the deckchairs around on the Titanic’, said one pessimistic observer of the arts scene.”
Wilson Pickett, 64
“Known as ‘Wicked Pickett,’ he turned out a string of soul hits in the 1960s after signing a recording contract in Memphis with Atlantic.”
Baltimore Symphony Chief Quits
The controversial president of the Baltimore Symphony has resigned. James Glicker had been on the job only 18 months, and had drawn the ire of the BSO’s musicians over the appointment of Marin Alsop as music director designate. The orchestra has also been struggling with accumulating debt and disappointing subscription sales, and Glicker’s appointment as president roiled the organization from the start.
Marbles In Play?
Now that Athens is opening a museum in which it hopes to display the Elgin Marbles, will Britain consider returning its marbles? Not really. “Anyone who saw the condition of the west frieze in Athens next to the Elgin Marbles in London would immediately decide that the Marbles in London should stay there.”
Well, Someone’s Lying
The Charleston Symphony’s board president is denying that musicians were ever given a February 1 deadline to sign a new deal. The musicians maintain that the ultimatum was real, and point out that they accepted an 18% pay cut in 2003 to help the organization right its financial ship.
Glicker – A Short Tumultuous Time In Baltimore
James Glicker’s tenure running the Baltimore Symphony lasted only 18 months, and it was filled with controversy. “Glicker said he had managed to increase revenues this season and to lower ticket prices, as well as raising average capacity at concerts to 70 percent from 60. The orchestra said subscriptions increased for the first time in 15 years. ‘I’m kind of a turnaround guy. That’s what I’ve been doing” since the late 1990’s’.”
Iraq’s Plundered Art
After initial reports of looting of Iraqi art died down, so did concern. “Gradually, however, the extent of the loss and damage to Iraq’s heritage across the country became clearer. Many of the Iraq National Museum’s major pieces, too big and heavy to move, had been smashed. At Mosul, 16 bronze Assyrian door panels from the city gates of Balawat (9th century BC) had been stolen, as had cuneiform tablets from Khorsabad and Nineveh. In Baghdad, the National Library and State Archives building was burned down and the national collections of contemporary Iraqi and European art, including works by Picasso and Miró, were looted. Even more serious, perhaps, has been the damage to Iraq’s archaeology.”
Long-Lost Music Released To The Web
Universal Music is releasing 100,000 music tracks digitally. They haven’t been available for years. “Records are normally deleted once they cease to sell in sufficient numbers to justify shelf space in stores. It is also not economical for firms to produce low-selling records. No such constraints exist on the net, and both record companies and Hollywood have recognised the advantages of digital content’s “long tail” – they can market a huge back catalogue even if they sell only in small quantities.”