“Who was this guy, and how did he do what he did? How is it possible that a mere human being could have created music of such unearthly beauty and emotional profundity, and apparently (though this point may be overstated) done it with such effortless facility? Mozart’s life helps a little, but not much.”
Tag: 01.23.06
People-Moving Poetry
Twenty-five buses in Pittsburgh have been covered with poems. “The poetic exteriors are the latest in the ongoing effort to make buses more visually interesting than the red-and-white affairs that transported commuters a decade ago.”
The Man Who Stole The Cellini
So who was it that stole the Cellini saltcellar from a Vienna museum? The suspect “was a funny guy. He had collected sculptures in his youth and had a feeling for them. He also ran an alarm firm and was an expert in alarm systems. He knew exactly how to steal it. He told us afterwards it [the theft] was all rather spontaneous.”
What Defines A Citizen?
“Perhaps never before in human history has so much energy been devoted to trying to establish citizenship tests to define national identity. Judging from the debates raging and the confused choices made, there is as little agreement within each country as there is between them.”
Classical Music – The Next Innovation
Composer Osvaldo Golijov is “being hailed as classical music’s Messiah,” writes Andrew Clark. “The human fire of creativity today is not necessarily where people think it is. I don’t think it lies in the classical conservatoire system. Maybe Björk will produce the next masterpiece rather than someone from classical tradition. It’s a question of relevance to the world.”
A Big Little Magazine Quits After 80 Years
The New Leader is closing after 80 years of publication. “The New Leader has a circulation of roughly 12,000, down from a peak of about 30,000 in the late 1960’s, and like most magazines of its kind, it runs at a loss – some $400,000 a year in this case. Back in the 50’s, it was said to receive occasional support from the C.I.A., but it has been more reliably sustained by contributions from, of all places, an institute financed by Tamiment, the famous Poconos resort and proving ground for the likes of Sid Caesar and Danny Kaye.”
Louisville Orchestra Musicians To Play Opera, Ballet
Musicians of the Louisville Orchestra say they’ll continue to play for the city’s opera and ballet companies through the rest of this season even if the orchestra itself goes out of business. The musicians are locked in a contract dispute with management.
Turkey Drops Charges Against Writer
A Turkish court has dropped charges against a prominent writer for “insulting Turkey” after the government declined to accept the charges. “Brussels had described the case as a litmus test of Turkey’s EU membership credentials. The European Union’s Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said the court’s decision to drop charges was “good news for freedom of expression in Turkey”. But he warned that Ankara must tackle loopholes that restrict freedom of speech in other cases.”
New Protests Against Springer Tour
Jerry Springer, The Opera is about to begin a UK national tour, but theatres are bracing for protests. “Pressure group Christian Voice, which orchestrated 55,000 complaints when the BBC screened the musical a year ago, is planning a string of demonstrations.”