Downes says the “chemistry” between performers, between performers and audiences, and between all people and music explains why — during social upheaval and at times of great joy and heroism — classical music is a natural anecdote or a means of celebratory expression. “People pull out Beethoven when world events happen and they just need something beautiful.”
Tag: 02.15.16
The Kids Used To Be Rebels. Today’s Youth? Not So Much
“Their values can seem either too extreme or frighteningly bland. Or both at once: They have astoundingly authoritarian ideas about free speech, and they love bubble gum pop. They never believe exactly what we want them to believe.”
Why Hasn’t Science Been Able To Explain Morality?
“I’m talking about the failure of the social sciences to develop a satisfactory theory of ethical life. A theory that could explain why humans are constantly judging and evaluating, and why we care about other people and what they think of us. A theory that could explain something so trivial as the fact that social scientists care about data fudging.”
‘Billionaires, Bombers, And Belly Dancers’: The Long History Of Arab Characters In Western Movies
Arwa Haider goes back to the beginning – Rudolph Valentino’s Sheik and vamp Theda Bara (whose name is an anagram of ‘Arab death’) – through Back to the Future and Indiana Jones to today’s (inconsistent) improvements, especially from Arab-descended Westerners.
Putin Doesn’t Need To Censor Books – Publishers Do It For Him
Masha Gessen: “Several [Russian] publishers have inquired about buying the rights to [my] biography of Putin that has done very well in another 20 or so languages, but each time, negotiations have ended with a vague, ‘Well, you must understand,’ often followed by an even vaguer ‘Maybe some day.'”
BBC Considers Scrapping Channels Altogether
“Senior executives are understood to want a ‘content-first approach’ more similar to output from BBC children’s and sport divisions, rather than one based on how and where people watch or listen. While the BBC is dedicated to keeping its channels and stations on the air, executives believe that rapid changes in the way people consume BBC content means a new structure would be more appropriate as well as save money.”
New Insights Into How Our Brains Mark Time
“Over the last few years, a handful of researchers have compiled growing evidence that the same cells that monitor an individual’s location in space also mark the passage of time.”
World’s Largest Jazz And Blues Record Store Closes
“We had a lot of people knocking on the doors this morning. We did open at 10 and did a fair amount of business for the short time we were open. Once the deal was finalized, that’s when we had to close the doors.”
As Bad As The News Is These Days, Our World Is Better Than It Was Even A Century Ago, Let Alone A Millennium
“The 20th century marked an inflection point – the beginning of humanity’s transition from its ancient crises of ignorance to its modern crises of invention. Our science is now so penetrating, our systems are so robust, that we are mostly endangered by our own creations. … Most people around you now do not want to kill you to get your phone, torture you until you profess their religion, or prey on your credulity until you join a racist gang. Some may – but not many.”
Boston Is Trying To Figure Out How Artists Can Bring Different Thinking To City Planning
“In 16th century Europe, wealthy rulers of church and state often commissioned artists to live and work in their courts — you might say that Michelangelo was embedded in the Vatican. Today’s artists in residence may not paint the ceiling of City Hall, but they will surely contribute to Boston’s renaissance.”