Stanley Crouch’s last column in JazzTimes was blunt. In it he “accuses white critics of elevating white musicians ‘far beyond their abilities’ to ‘make themselves feel more comfortable about . . . evaluating an art from which they feel substantially alienated.’ Crouch also claims that white writers, who were born in ‘middle-class china shops,’ ensure ‘the destruction of the Negro aesthetic’ by advancing musicians who can’t swing at the expense of those who can.” And with that, the magazine fired Crouch…
Tag: 05.13.03
More Arts Cuts In San Jose
Last year the city of San Jose cut its arts funding 19 percent. This year there’s another 24 percent cut coming. In a city with struggling arts organizations, the news is discouraging.
Concerns For Stolen Cellini Sculpture
The saltcellar stolen from the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna over the weekend was crafted by the great Renaissance sculptor and metalworker Benvenuto Cellini in the 1540s. It was called by some the “Mona Lisa” of sculpture to give a sense of its importance, and is said to be worth $57 million. “It was extremely fragile. It wasn’t cast in solid gold, but hammered into its delicate shape. I think if it comes back it will reappear all in pieces or as a ruin. The whole thing happened in less than one minute; in such a hurry [I can’t imagine] that a piece of this fragility could survive.”
After Orchestra Fails – Can Miami Support Ambitious Arts Plans?
After the Florida Philharmonic collapse, arts watchers in south Florida are wondering whether the region can support a new $263 million performing arts center, currently under construction. “The issue, arts experts say, is whether the South Florida arts donor base is too narrow: too heavy on the elderly, substantially but not wholly Jewish crowd, often from the Northeast, and too light on young professionals, local Hispanics and wealthy, part-time residents from South America.”
After Growing, Latin Music Sales Down
Until this year, Latin music sales had been growing in the US. Now it’s flatlinedor declining, just like the rest of the music industry. “All these economic problems – with the Internet, with radio – minimize the company’s efforts. The No. 1 effect is you don’t launch so many artists, or as many new artists. You have to lower your production budgets. Everything has to come down to the reality of the marketplace.”
All The Hits – Picked Scientifically
Get the feeling that Top 40 songs are sounding more and more alike? Here might be one reason: computers. “Hit Song Science is a high-tech music analysis system that compares new songs to a massive database of chart-topping singles and predicts hit potential based on shared attributes. In other words, the more your song has in common with Usher’s ‘U Don’t Have To Call’ or Santana’s ‘Smooth,’ the better your prospects for stardom. All five of the major record companies – BMG, EMI, Sony, Universal and Warner Bros. – are using the service.”
Plenty Of Blame For Florida Philharmonic Failure
So the Florida Philharmonic has slipped under the waves, the latest American orchestra casualty. “Blame for the philharmonic’s misfortunes can certainly be spread around. Uninspired, unmotivated, unprepared, unrealistic and sometimes simply petty administrators and board members would surely get their share; some myopic musicians who fanned adversarial labor relations over the years wouldn’t escape, either. (It’s not surprising that a disillusioned Judd departed a few seasons ago.) Ultimately, though, it’s the well-oiled in the community that have to take the heat, the folks who could have stepped up to the plate way back when the first deficits appeared. The arts don’t come cheap.”
“Hairspray” Dominates Tony Noms
As expected, the musical “Hairspray” dominated Tony Award nominations Monday, “named in 13 categories that included best musical, best original score and best costumes. ‘Movin’ Out,’ Twyla Tharp’s dance show set to the music of Billy Joel, received 10 nominations, including one for best musical, even though it has no words and only one singer. In the straight-play category a revival of Eugene O’Neill’s ‘Long Day’s Journey Into Night,’ which opened last week, received seven nominations, including one for Vanessa Redgrave, her first.”
Australian Artists Looking For Big Government Funding Increase
Australia’s artists are waiting for the government budget on Tuesday. Eight months ago, a report on Australia’s visual arts and craft industry “urged the country’s governments to cough up another $15 million a year to help the sector survive. The Federal Government was asked to contribute $9 million of that amount, with the states and territories providing the rest.” Tuesday artists will know if the request has been answered…
Can The Guggenheim Really Be Global If It’s Not In Antarctica?
Even in the face of financial setbacks, the Guggenheim presses on with expansion. Latest addition was Rio, announced a few weeks ago. Where will it stop? How about Antarctica? “Two ice-walled galleries will display the last 10 artworks from the permanent collection of the Guggenheim, the rest having been gradually sold off to cover debt service and other costs associated with the museum’s 18-year expansion program. ‘We cannot be a truly Global Guggenheim until we have a foothold on each continent,’ observed Mr. Krens at last week’s Guggenheim Summit in New York, attended by the directors of the Guggenheims Venice, Berlin, Bilbao, Rio, Taichung, Nairobi and Perth.”