He “was often Spain’s leading nominee for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Known for his humble nature, his empathy for the poor and a lifelong commitment to rural Spain and its traditions, he wrote of sheepherders, cheese-makers, blacksmiths and hunters. His characters are complex, often reflecting the cultural and political struggles that followed the Spanish Civil War.”
Tag: 03.18.10
Lauritz Melchior Heldentenor Foundation Closing (Is The Cause Lost?)
Founded by the man Daniel J. Wakin calls “the Lou Gehrig of opera” with “a set of brass lungs,” the Foundation was set up to seek out and train heroic tenors for big, tough Wagner roles like Tristan and Siegfried. But the “foundation has been inactive in recent years; its trustees are aging; the money was down to a little over a million dollars.”
Where Did The First Dogs Come From? The Ancient Near East
“Borrowing methods developed to study the genetics of human disease, researchers have concluded that dogs were probably first domesticated from wolves somewhere in the Middle East, in contrast to an earlier survey suggesting dogs originated in East Asia.”
So, Do Violent Video Games Lead To Violence Or Do They Not?
“The scientific consensus warns of a clear and present danger. A few dissenting voices – dubbed ‘deniers’ by one frustrated researcher – insist the threat is overstated. The media tends to frame the issue in inconclusive terms, leaving the public confused and somewhat skeptical.”
Gang Rape And Murder On The Ballet Stage
That would be Kenneth MacMillan’s The Judas Tree. “One woman appears within a group of construction workers … She is a beauty and sexually provocative, driving the men mad with frustration until they gang rape her. … The foreman wants her and he is the only man not to have had her, which enrages him. With a beautiful and brutal twist of her head, he breaks her neck.” See it now at Covent Garden.
More Weird Audience Behavior: Yelling At Others For Standing To Applaud
“I particularly enjoyed [Jez Butterworth’s Jerusalem], so I stood up at the end and clapped. Something often referred to as a standing ovation. A man and woman next to me also stood up, and at once provoked the blind, spitting fury of a well-dressed couple behind them who had remained seated.”
Flush With $7.5M Infusion, Art Gallery Of Ontario Cuts Staff
“[T]he Art Gallery of Ontario says it will lay off 37 employees during the construction of its new state-of-the-art learning centre. Despite promising an expansion of staff when the money came in, the AGO told part-time and occasional part-time workers this week that their jobs will be axed starting April 1, when construction begins.”
No Deal: Talks Between Detroit Symphony, Musicians End
The talks were aimed at gaining “players’ concessions as a key to stabilizing the orchestra’s finances. Battered by the recession, the DSO ran a $3.8-million deficit in 2009 and projects about a $5-million shortfall on a $30-million budget in 2010.”
Publishing’s Future, Through The Lens Of SXSW Interactive
“[D]evotees of SXSWi never hated publishing or wanted us to roll over and die: They just wanted us to repurpose. This past weekend several publishing experts suggested how that repurposing might look. While last year’s future of publishing panel met with hostility, this year the response was generally civil — a major improvement.”
With 3-D Screens Scarce, Studio Plays Bully To Get Some
“Paramount Pictures is telling theaters that if they don’t show the upcoming DreamWorks-produced [‘How to Train Your Dragon’] on a 3-D screen, then it will withhold from the theater a 2-D version of the movie to play instead, according to four theater industry executives, who asked not to be identified for fear of reprisal.” Disney and Warner Bros. are also pressuring cinemas.