So the Metropolitan Opera’s radio broadcasts are endangered. That is sad news, writes John Rockwell. But along with the many benefits the broadcasts have produced, they have also distorted Americans’ sense of (and taste for) opera. Onne might suggest that “millions of American opera lovers have been tilted toward a perception of opera as a voice-driven auditory experience. For them, the best stage production is imaginary: it doesn’t so much adhere to the intentions of the composer as remain neutrally compatible with a listener’s own made-up stage pictures. And in the comfortable confines of the home or the car, the music is usually heard without libretto or titles, as a sensual experience in melody, harmony and a foreign tongue.”
Tag: 06.01.03
Body Of Work – Photographer Jailed For Pictures Of Dead People
In Ohio, Thomas Condon “photographed corpses juxtaposed with various objects signifying the cycle of life and death. Some of the confiscated negatives were mysteriously leaked to the local press, inciting a public furor as relatives of the deceased and local pundits denounced Mr. Condon’s project as ‘sick’ and ‘repulsive’. Despite support from civil libertarian groups like the National Coalition Against Censorship, Mr. Condon was convicted and imprisoned from April to August 2002, after which he was released pending appeal. Now a state appeals court has affirmed his conviction, meaning he may face another 13 months in jail.”
Florida Orchestra In The Red
The Florida Orchestra (Tampa) is projecting a $600,000 deficit when its books close later this month. “The orchestra, with a budget of $8.5-million, launched a campaign in April to raise $500,000 to match a grant of $500,000 from anonymous donors for a total of $1-million. The campaign has been a success.”