It might seem an extraordinary thing that a late 19th/early 20th century French composer — and one whose music has had a history of having been dismissed for its seeming simplicity, seeming naiveté and seeming single-mindedness — resonates so effectively in our confused, upside-down world. But, then, in his strange music, his irreverent prose, his inexplicable mannerisms, his radical attitudes and his incomprehensible inconsistencies, Satie may just be what we need. – Los Angeles Times
Tag: 06.17.20
Measuring The Pandemic Effects On Pittsburgh Arts
Jill Robinson, CEO of TRG Arts, said that in North America there is an active “engine of income” from new subscription purchases and philanthropy that has limited some of the financial impact of COVID-19. – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
How I Co-Wrote An Opera About A Black Policeman’s Son Shot By Another Policeman
Tazewell Thompson, creator, with composer Jeanine Tesori, of Blue, which the Music Critics Association of North America has named best new opera of the year: “I wrote it from an obsessive need and sense of responsibility to tell an intimate story behind the numbing numbers of boys and men who are killed. But here we are now: art imitating life, life imitating art. Unfortunately, the themes in Blue have no expiration date. … Our eyes will never be free of tears.” – The New York Times
How Dallas Opera Became A Facebook Star
“Basically,” he says, “we needed to create something like ESPN or The Food Network.” You mean, I ask, you talk to chefs about the politics of food, but you don’t do the cooking? “Exactly, that was the premise.” – Art and Seek (KERA)
Relieved Yet Wary, Customers Start Returning To London’s Bookshops
This week book retailers in England have reopened to the public (with limits on how many people may be on the premises at a time) for the first time since the pandemic-induced shutdown began three months ago. Alex Marshall visited half a dozen bookstores around the capital to check on the mood. – The New York Times
Here’s The Group That Created The Google Spreadsheet Showing How Much Museum Employees Actually Make
“Founded at the end of May 2019 by a ‘nonhierarchical group of arts and museum workers who are friends and colleagues,’ Art + Museum Transparency prefers to answer questions collectively. ARTnews contacted the group to inquire about what it took to put the spreadsheet together, and the good they believe it can do.” – ARTnews
Audiences For Children’s Theater Are Quite Diverse. The Creators, Not So Much.
“A new study finds that about 80 percent of the shows presented around the country are by white writers, and 85 percent of the productions are led by white directors. Also of concern: Much of the industry’s diversity is concentrated in a small number of productions about people of color, while the shows that dominate the industry’s stages, generally adapted from children’s books and fairy tales, have overwhelmingly white creative teams.” – The New York Times
Organizers Of Woodstock 50 Sue Investors That Yanked Funding And Caused Event’s Collapse
“Woodstock 50 organizers are suing their former financial partner Dentsu Group and several of its affiliates, accusing the company of ‘destruction of the festival’ and ‘sabotage.’ … The [event, planned for last August,] was marred with a number of publicly aired setbacks and legal battles, including Dentsu and the festival legally severing ties last April, when Dentsu pulled its financial backing and also initially canceled the festival, which festival organizers argued Dentsu did not have the legal right to do.” – Rolling Stone
The Socially-Distanced Orchestra – What’s The Repertoire?
Schott/EAM, a publisher of contemporary composers, recently posted an inspiring list of works from its catalog appropriate for social distancing. Universal Edition put out an intriguing selection of opera and symphonic reductions. In a livestreamed panel discussion on Thursday, several innovative chamber orchestras will share repertory ideas. – The New York Times
Drillosophy: Using Drill Music To Teach Philosophy, And A Million Young People Sign On
“Young people who break the rules, who don’t want to conform, are natural social scientists. They’re natural philosophers, questioning what’s around them. You might not be channelling that in the right way right now – but I bet you’ve got the type of mind that we can talk to.” – BBC