Tag: 04.10.06

Kakutani – A Book Critic Who’s Right But Too Judgmental?

Michiko Kakutani is a critical institution. She’s been book critic at the New York Times for 25 years. “Her main weakness is her evaluation fixation. This may seem an odd complaint—the job is called critic, after all—but in fact, whether a work is good or bad is just one of the many things to be said about it, and usually far from the most important or compelling. Kakutani doesn’t offer the stylistic flair, the wit, or the insight one gets from Kael and other first-rate critics; for her, the verdict is the only thing.”

Italy Wrestles With Artifact Theft

Italy has a huge antiquities theft problem. “In an average week, carabinieri fly helicopters over archaeological sites taking aerial photographs to reveal illegal diggings. They go on offshore dives to prevent unauthorized underwater excavations. Still other officers in their stylish black-and-red uniforms show up unannounced at antique shops, auction houses and outdoor markets, to videotape items for sale to match against the more than 2.5 million missing objects cataloged in the art squad’s vast database.”

South Bank’s Tall Order

“As the new artistic director of [London’s massive South Bank Arts Centre], Jude Kelly has become one of the most important figures in Britain’s art scene.” But Kelly faces almost innumerable challenges in her new job, not the least of which is the perennial public confusion over what exactly South Bank is, and why they should care.

Is Spacey Out Of His League At The Old Vic?

When actor Kevin Spacey took charge of London’s Old Vic, hopes were high that he would breathe new life into the place. But with the early closing of a Robert Altman-produced version of Resurrection Blues, many are saying Spacey isn’t up to the job. “While the odd flop is forgiveable, Resurrection Blues is simply the latest in a series of duff experiences at the Old Vic… If Spacey is determined to run the theatre as a commercial enterprise – and he has rejected all suggestions that he should seek subsidy – he must listen, learn and quickly realise two things: that he is the Old Vic’s biggest drawing-card, and that audiences are currently hungry for classics.”

Edinburgh Sets Early Ticket Sales Record

The Edinburgh Festival broke a house record this week, selling £200,000 worth of tickets on the first day of sales, a jump of 25% from last year. Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic, probably the most anticipated concert on the schedule, sold out almost immediately. The 2006 festival will be the final one coordinated by Brian McMaster, who has directed Ednburgh for 15 years.

Piano Does Morgan

Renzo Piano’s Morgan Library extension is a major addition, writes Nicolai Ouroussoff. “A sublime expression of the architect’s preoccupation with light, the design transforms the world of robber barons and dust-coated scholars conjured by the old Morgan into a taut architectural composition bursting with civic hope. His triumph at the site, where order is brought to a jumble of buildings collected over nearly a century, should temporarily allay complaints that New York’s cultural institutions shrink from a high level of architectural innovation.”

Why Would Anyone Want This Job?

There may not be a more demanding job in the music world than that of the opera conductor. Among the challenges: the orchestra must be kept together; the singers (who cannot hear the orchestra) must be explicitly cued, and sometimes need the words mouthed to them from the pit; the audience expects a brilliant and original interpretation, while the orchestra doesn’t want to be taken too far outside their comfort zone; egos must be massaged without appearing to suck up; oh, and everyone involved in the production will have already made up their mind about whether the maestro knows what he’s doing within thirty seconds of the start of the rehearsal, so watch those first impressions, hmm?