“When speaking with younger admirers, Mr. Rostropovich often tried to instill, by demonstration or simply by being himself — a living repository of 20th-century history — the importance of music not as a decorative appendage to a cultured life, but as an existential necessity and as a moral force capable of bringing hope and consolation to those in need.”
Tag: 04.28.07
Rostropovich – First And Last About The Music
For all his involvement with the political struggles of his era, Rostropovich remained an artist first and foremost. ‘Music is part of history, and our history has lessons that cannot be separated from our greatest music. But maybe soon, maybe finally we can feel free just to love music’.”
EU To Producers: No More Misleading Quotes
The European Union is issuing a directive that will prohibit theatre producers from printing misleading quotes to hype their shows. “The legislation, which will come into force in December, will make it illegal to extract a positive word or phrase from a theatre review if that paints a misleading picture of the article as a whole. Lawyers are already warning that producers will have to be more careful in the future when using selective quotes in publicity material.”
Henry James Argues With Himself
“All of his life as a writer, James worried about both the purity of his work and the making of money. It was as though he himself was a married couple. One part of him cared for the fullness of art, and the other part for the fullness of the cupboard. He sought both with stubborn, steadfast zeal. Sometimes when he realised that he could not achieve one without failing the other, he argued with himself. However, he seldom gave up trying to match them.”
Slava’s Larger-Than-Life Life
“Rostropovich, who died Friday in Moscow at 80, went on, of course, to become one of the most celebrated musicians of our — or any other — time. Not only were some 240 pieces written for him, but he was a major political figure. Larger than life, he was Slava to the world. But Rostropovich cannot be left out in any study of the vagaries of fame. I hope history is kind to him. His early achievements easily outweigh the musical immoderation of his over-the-top years. He left behind enough great music and music making for any lifetime.”
Jack Valenti’s Ratings Legacy
Jack Valenti, “who died on Thursday at 85, created what is officially named the Classification and Rating Administration 38 years ago in one of his first policy initiatives upon taking charge of the Motion Picture Association of America. Since then the ratings board has been accused of Star Chamber-like censorship, compared to a fussy church lady tougher on sex than violence, and perennially second-guessed in its decisions. But the system is almost certain to long survive Mr. Valenti.”
A Music Pulitzer In Other Circumstances
“I believe devoutly in the beauty and significance of jazz, and I love Ornette Coleman’s bold, innovative music. But by giving the Pulitzer Prize to a good-but-not-great album that doesn’t even pretend to meet its eligibility requirements, the board has debased the value of the music prize still further. As for the special award, why single out Coltrane now, great as he was? Why not Charlie Parker–or Louis Armstrong, for that matter? It’s hard not to wonder whether the board is trying to atone for past blunders by playing an arbitrary game of catch-up.”