Broadway producers are trying an unusual tactic in their battle with musicians over the set minimum number of musicians required to be included in every show. Ordinarily, in these disputes, the front office talks about fiscal responsibility, and the musicians counter with talk of artistic integrity. But in this case, the producers claim that the musicians’ position is artistically indefensible, and that minimums, as they are known, are unfair to the composer of a show’s score, and to the entire creative team. It’s an innovative approach, but unfortunately, some rather high-profile Broadway composers are already refuting the claims.
Tag: 02.19.03
Another High-Tech Mag Goes Belly-Up
“Citing economic woes in the technology sector, Multi-Vision Publishing Inc. announced yesterday that Shift magazine, the Canadian journal of digital culture, would cease publication. Just over two years ago, MVP was the proverbial white knight that saved Shift when it acquired the magazine out of bankruptcy… The decade-old publication had ceased production once before and, on another occasion, was saved by employees who agreed to buy it.”
Houston Musicians Get Some Support
As the Houston Symphony Society continues to battle with its musicians over a plan to make up deficits by cutting orchestra personnel, slashing salaries, and cutting weeks from the season, the musicians have picked up some unexpected support from the executive director of the orchestra’s summer facility. In an editorial, David Gottlieb describes the orchestra’s board as being far too enamored of its own role in the organization, and writes that “the musicians have done all that has been asked of them, and they’ve asked for the opportunity to do more… To suggest that the musicians have been intransigent or uncooperative is absurd, insulting and not supported by the facts.”
Cynical Critics vs. Thin-Skinned Artists
One of the most frequent complaints artists make about critics is that they always get the last word, and rarely have to face the people they tear down in print. Critic Russell Smith recently had a chance to buck that trend, facing off against nearly a hundred angry Toronto artists whom he has offended in some way or other. In Smith’s view, the problem is that too many artists simply believe they ought to be immune to all outside assessment. “It was interesting that none of my interlocutors wanted to attack any other newspapers for their art coverage – because most newspapers don’t cover visual art at all. I honestly think that some of my critics prefer that.”
Staff Cuts Coming At Detroit Museum
“The Detroit Institute of Arts could announce staff layoffs as early as Thursday as the economic shock waves rippling through Michigan arrive at the doorstep of the state’s premier cultural museum… Though the museum – with an annual $40-million budget – reported no deficit for last year and projected none for the ongoing fiscal period, some employees were reminded of the dire cuts in 1991.That was the year state arts funds were eliminated, resulting in 84 layoffs and a reduction of hours.”
Looking For Money In Unusual Places
“Product placement has long been a tradition in movies, but as performing arts organizations scramble for funding in a tight economy, will Hamlet be next to hold a Coke can onstage?” That’s just one idea being looked at by arts groups facing severe cuts from the budget knives of cash-strapped states. It seems to be a fact that public arts funding is going away, at least temporarily, for many smaller organizations, and administrators are looking at everything from product placement to individual sponsorship of productions to make up the difference.
Come Hear The Propaganda!
Just over a decade ago, no one in America would have dared mount a festival of music by Soviet composers who were compelled to write inane Socialist Realist glorifications of Josef Stalin and the Party. The backlash would have been tremendous. Now, with the Soviet Union more than ten years dead, its history is more easily examined without the bluster of American righteousness, and Vladimir Ashkenazy is seizing the moment. Ashkenazy is at Carnegie Hall this week, mounting a festival of music dedicated to works composed under duress by Soviet composers.
Recording Companies Want Access To Student Computers
Big recording companies have petitioned the Australian federal court to “allow their computer experts to scan all computers at the University of Melbourne for sound files and email accounts, so they can gather evidence of claimed widespread breaches of copyright.”
Paris Museums Moving Art
Paris museums have begun moving about 100,000 works of art from underground storage rooms. “The decision to move this art to an undisclosed location north of Paris followed the floods that swept Central Europe last summer, damaging museums and other cultural institutions, notably in Dresden, Germany, and in Prague. Although French art collections were not seriously affected by the 1910 floods, the French government concluded that Paris museums were more vulnerable today.”
Unfunding Scottish Music
The Scottish Arts Council has come under fire for its funding intentions. But not much noticed was a decision to remove funding for two organizations that have been essential to the cause of new music in Scotland. How does this serve the cause of Scottish culture?