“A protracted period of uncertainty is casting a pall over future film production. Just the threat of a strike has put a crimp on local production, which was cited Friday as a factor in the state’s highest unemployment rate for May in five years. Employment in the motion picture and sound recording sectors was down 4.4% from May 2007.”
Tag: 04.25.08
Columbus Symphony Musicians Reject Contract
Late Thursday, musicians rejected an offer that, beginning in 2008-09, would have slashed both wages and the length of the season — a unanimous vote that left negotiations at an impasse.
Berlin Phil Renews Rattle’s Contract
The Berlin Philharmonic has decided to extend the contract of its chief conductor, 53-year-old Simon Rattle, beyond 2012, the orchestra said in a statement.
Baryshnikov On Jerome Robbins:
“His legacy is so abruptly divided between Broadway and ballet. I really think that inviting Robbins to be an associate choreographer Balanchine knew very well his Broadway work and the level of the talent, and especially Jerry’s immense desire to work with him and admiration. Balanchine took him as an apprentice and trusted him. I think that was one of Balanchine’s great qualities as a leader. But who took from Robbins? I don’t know, I don’t know, I really do not know.”
The Piano Competition That Changed The World
It’s 50 years since Van Cliburn won the Tchaikovsky Piano Competition in Moscow. “Part of the aura of legend surrounding the first Tchaikovsky Competition emanated from the personalities involved. Shostakovich was the chairman of the competition. Revered pianist Emil Gilels was president of the piano jury. Composers Dmitri Kabalevsky and Arthur Bliss and the equally celebrated pianist Sviatoslav Richter were jurors.”
Inside Google’s Book Digitization Project
“Many libraries began digitizing books a decade ago to preserve them. Funding from Google allows the 28 libraries it’s working with to cut their digitizing costs because they don’t have to pay for scanning the books Google wants to include in Book Search. More than 1 million rare or fragile books have been digitized through the Google-Michigan partnership since it began in 2004, with an estimated 6 million to go.”
Smithsonian’s Online Shop Shuts Down
The online store handled as many as 300,000 orders a year for the Smithsonian, according to the museum. The company that ran the online operations closed its operations March 14 with only hours’ notice to the Smithsonian.
Singapore Fines TV Network For “Promoting Gay Lifestyle”
The show was a Jan 13 episode of a home decorating series called Find and Design. “It was found to have normalized and promoted a gay lifestyle. The Media Development Authority imposed a fine of S$15,000 ($11,040) and said that this was a repeat offense for Channel 5.”
Actress Sells Norman Mailer Papers To Harvard
An actress and writer who said she was Norman Mailer’s former longtime mistress has sold papers that include lengthy accounts of their sex life and hand-edited drafts of her writing to Harvard University, Mailer’s alma mater.
Simon Rattle’s Loss Of Confidence
“Rattle’s critics believe his programme has become too experimental and the orchestra, once known for its Brahms, has lost its talent for such work. A source at the BPO said a third of the orchestra were unconvinced by him, another third were said to be ‘floating voters’, and only a third were devoted to his methods.”