“Ms. Wilson, 34, made a noteworthy debut at the Metropolitan Opera in 2014 singing the title role in Verdi’s Aida, and was nominated for a 2016 Olivier Award for her highly praised performance in Verdi’s Force of Destiny at English National Opera.”
Tag: 04.04.16
Top Posts From AJBlogs 04.04.16
Monday Recommendation: A Duke Ellington Book
Steven Brower & Mercedes Ellington: Duke Ellington: An American Composer and Icon (Rizzoli). 224 pages. $35.48 The scores of photos, illustrations and reproductions of documents make this book a valuable supplement to the growing stack … read more
AJBlog: RiffTides Published 2016-04-04
Local DC jazz apart from NEA Jazz Masters events
In Washington DC for events surrounding the investiture of vibist Gary Burton, saxophonists Pharoah Sanders and Archie Shepp, and Jazz Foundation of America‘s executive director Wendy Oxenhorn as NEA Jazz Masters, I visited a new grassroots venue that shows where the deep heart of jazz support lies. … read more
AJBlog: Jazz Beyond Jazz Published 2016-04-04
Just because: George Bernard Shaw talks about the filming of Pygmalion
George Bernard Shaw talks about the filming of Pygmalion in a 1939 British Movietone newsreel. … read more
AJBlog: About Last Night Published 2016-04-04
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A Statue Of George Orwell, Rejected At First For His Politics, To Grace BBC Smoking Area
“The BBC and the writer parted acrimoniously in 1943, when Orwell resigned after two wartime years as a talks producer in the Eastern Service, making propaganda broadcasts for India. In his resignation letter, under his real name, Eric Blair, he wrote: ‘For some time past I have been conscious that I was wasting my own time and the public money on doing work that produces no result.'”
A Hong Kong Film Banned In China Wins Asia’s Top Film Award
“Set in 2025, it depicts political gangs and persecution of local people for speaking Cantonese not Mandarin. It comes amid increasing nervousness in Hong Kong about perceived Communist Party interference in its affairs.”
No Matter How Bad The U.S. Economy Got, Museums Kept On Growing
“Museum leaders say they must expand because they want to show art forms such as performance that do not fit neatly in white-cube galleries. They also need to adapt to museums’ evolving role as community hubs—and, most importantly, they need to build to show more of their rapidly growing collections and to attract new gifts.”
Azerbaijani Author Accused Of ‘Hooliganism’ And Prevented From Traveling To Literary Festival
“Stone Dreams, which told of the massacres of Armenians by Azeris, provoked widespread protests in Azerbaijan four years ago. Aylisli’s books were burned, his title of ‘People’s Writer’ revoked, and a reward was offered to anyone who cut off his ear.”
The Art Lords Of Kabul Try To Reclaim Their City
“Because of the poor security situation, many defensive walls have sprung up around high-profile buildings in the city, and these provide the ArtLords with their canvases.”
The Queen Of Soul And Her Need For Control: The New Yorker Turns Its Eye To Aretha Franklin
“[She’s] a musical genius and a pivotal figure in the cultural history of the black freedom movement; she is also someone who has suffered countless losses, been mistreated in many ways, and at times has reactions that try the patience of her associates, creditors, family, and friends.”
The Rebel Start-up Opera Companies Taking The Met Head-On
“The Met, despite its perpetual financial struggles, shows no signs of capsizing. Though dozens of competitors have come and gone, it lumbers on, embattled but essential. What it offers—and what no pocket-sized company, however edgy, can match—is an acoustical environment commensurate with the grandeur of the form. To hear an unamplified voice surmounting a full orchestra and pinging across a large space is an elemental thrill that lies somewhere between high culture and extreme sports.”