Whenever the Christian calendar approaches a millennium, a certain set of people begin to expect the end of the world. “[Z]ealous forms of religion [spring up] – the sort of religion that thrives when people see little virtue in marrying, breeding or building up private property.” And the sort of religion of which the canny and powerful can take advantage.
Tag: 05.07.09
Reviving Klingon Opera
Fans of The Next Generation will recall that Lt. Worf was a great fan of his planet’s Gesamtkunstwerk. Now a Dutch group is using the techniques of historical performance practice research and an ancient Klingon treatise called paq’jachchcu (“the book of the perfect scream”) with the goal of “mount[ing] the first authentic performances of Klingon opera here on earth.”
Are We Down To Our Last Great Tenor?
“Ever since the Three Tenors lit up the 1990 World Cup in Rome and began counting their fortune in millions, expectations have been artificially inflated in the higher reaches of the human voice.” But who’s actually a contender now?
Making Art From The Anguish Of Africa’s Child Soldiers
“Out of interviews with former child soldiers in Uganda and the Congo, Norwegian composer Rolf Wallin and Belgian director Josse de Paauw have fashioned a gripping multimedia music theater piece, Strange News. Its North American premiere by the Chicago Chamber Musicians will take place Friday night at the Museum of Contemporary Art.”
Four-Year-Old Triple Amputee Thrives In Ballet Class
Harvey Phillips suffered meningitis as a baby and lost both lower legs and his right arm. But when he saw his big sister take ballet, he “was so determined to take part that he took to the dance floor without the aid of traditional prosthetic limbs. Now he is able to run, jump and twirl using custom-made plastic caps to protect his legs.”
Auckland Art Gallery Receives 15 Modern Treasures
“The works include significant paintings by Paul Cézanne, Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Paul Gauguin and Piet Mondrian dating from the late 19th to mid 20th centuries. The total value of the works is between $200million and $250million [NZ] and is the most significant collection gifted to any New Zealand public gallery.”
Met’s Beverly Sills Award To Bass John Relyea
“The award, which comes with a prize of $50,000, has been given annually since 2006 to singers between 25 and 40 who have appeared in featured solo roles at the Met.” Previous winners include Nathan Gunn, Joyce DiDonato and Matthew Polenzani.
Where Free Will Comes From (A Little Behind Your Ears)
“Free will resides in a place toward the back of the brain called the parietal cortex, new research suggests. When a neurosurgeon electrically jolted this region in patients undergoing surgery, they felt a desire to, say, wiggle their finger, roll their tongue or move a limb. Stronger electrical pulses convinced patients they had actually performed these movements, although their bodies remained motionless.”
Mikhail Baryshnikov, Dance Photographer
“He is one of the great ballet dancers of all time, has shown his acting chops, conquered modern dance (and continues to), and has become an impresario with the opening of the Baryshnikov Arts Center. And now he has published a book of photographs of Merce Cunningham Dance Company.”
Henry Hitchings Replaces Nicholas De Jongh At London Evening Standard
“Described by The Evening Standard as ‘one of London’s most exciting new writers’, 34-year-old Oxford graduate Hitchings is the author of The Secret Life of Words: How English Became English, which in 2008 became the first non-fiction work in six years to win the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize.”