“The canon is antithetical to everything the New York art world has been about for the past 40 years, during which we went from being the center of the art world to being one of many centers.” But if there were a select group of artworks chosen to define the whole of the New York art experience over the past 40 years, what would make the cut?
Tag: 04.07.08
A Spurned Ballerina Returns To London
Viviana Durante was once the darling of London’s ballet scene, until an ugly backstage row led to her vanishing from the Royal Ballet. “Since leaving the Royal she has danced with American Ballet Theatre, in Dresden, in Italy and – most of the time – in Japan.” Now she’s back on a London stage for the first time in nearly a decade.
The Heston We’ve Forgotten
“Charlton Heston, who has died at the age of 83, became known for his reactionary views on gun ownership as much as his film roles. But it wasn’t always that way… There was once a younger Charlton Heston who threw his fame and good looks behind the civil rights movement, and other causes that required courage and conviction.”
August Wilson’s Clean Slate
More than any other playwright, August Wilson made it his life’s work to chronicle the black experience in America, and he did it from a completely fresh perspective. “Wilson was not much influenced or inhibited by the canon of western theatre, for the simple reason that he had not read or seen any of it.”
The Evolution Of Laurie Anderson (And Her Audience)
“With million-selling albums and countless tours under her belt, Laurie Anderson is often still regarded as the kooky, spiky-haired queen of 1980s pop experimentalism, guaranteed to provide a little social comment but never to spark actual outrage.” So even she was taken aback when her latest project sparked walkouts and catcalls in Boston.
So Pavarotti Faked It. Will Anyone Care?
The international press is aflame with the news that Luciano Pavarotti and his backing orchestra were faking in a performance at the Turin Olympics. “How will history judge him for lip-synching? Luckily, it already has for similar behavior in a 1992 concert in Modena, Italy. It rated a sentence in his New York Times obituary, while others didn’t mention it at all.”
A Streetcar Named Disaster
Late last week, a Toronto Symphony violinist stepped onto a streetcar, and as the doors closed, realized that he’d left his violin behind on the street. By the time he managed to get back to the stop, ten minutes later, the instrument, a gift from the musician’s mother, was gone. He’s cruising pawn shops and offering a reward for the violin’s safe return.
Lang Composition Wins Pulitzer (Over Bob Dylan)
“David Lang’s The Little Match Girl Passion has been awarded the 2008 Pulitzer Prize in Music. The award, for distinguished musical composition by an American that has had its first performance or recording in the United States during the year, comes with a $10,000 cash prize. In addition, a Special Citation was awarded to Bob Dylan for his profound impact on popular music and American culture.”
Tracy Letts, Junot Diaz Among Pulitzer Winners
The 2008 Pulitzer Prize winners are …
Why Orchestral Movie Scores Aren’t Classical Music
“Can film music ever be construed as ‘classical’? According to the Classic FM Hall of Fame 2008 – which lists amongst its line-up of ‘Top Contemporary Composers’ the names Shore, Williams, Zimmer and someone called Badelt – it certainly can. … Whether a piece is classical or not has nothing to do with the forces involved, but with the way in which it is intended to be listened to. “