“Along with Montgomery County government, the citizens’ group was fighting to keep one of the world’s premier collections of Impressionist art from moving to Philadelphia despite what Albert C. Barnes ordered in his will before he died in 1951.”
Tag: 06.18.08
Royal Ballet Responds To Ross Stretton’s Charges From The Greave
“This story is very sad, but it has so much wrong in it that I think we have to be careful with what’s been reported here. Maybe Ross was sick, maybe he was confused, it’s hard to know what he actually said.”
Why Sleep Shapes Brains
“One large study suggests that REM (rapid eye movement) sleep – during which the brain is highly active – may play a key role in intelligence. The REM phase – can improve people’s ability to remember what they have learned in the day by about 15%. In other species, the evidence is less clear cut…”
Earliest Computer Music Recording Discovered
It was made in 1951. “The recording captures one of the earliest computers to use short term random access memory playing God Save the King, Baa Baa Black Sheep and a short piece of Glenn Miller’s In The Mood.”
Classical Recording’s Potemkin Village
“One look at this week’s charts and you’d be tempted to think that all is well in the classical dovecote and the doomsayers have got it wrong again. But check the bottom line and the gloom is unconfined. Insiders at Universal, which released [chart-topper Hilary] Hahn on the Deutsche Grammophon label, tell me she is selling no more than 500 CDs a week in the world’s biggest market.”
Is Black Radio Dying?
“Black radio was an eloquent voice that opened the gateway to other voices. Without that, we don’t have access to information. We don’t hear about the war. We don’t hear independent artists.”
What Does It Mean To “Watch TV” Anymore?
” ‘Watching television’ is a term full of assumptions that, after a half-century, are increasingly suspect. For one thing, just what does ‘television’ mean now? The ‘watching’ part is also open to debate.”
Mixed Reviews For Deborah Voigt’s Return To Covent Garden
“Most couldn’t escape at least nodding to the controversy that flared when Voigt was denied the title role for being too fat and the dramatic transformation that cut the singer down to size.”
Wondering Why Sondheim Was A No-Show At The Tonys?
“Broadway was a little surprised that Stephen Sondheim didn’t show up Sunday night to claim his Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement. Setting aside the fact that the award is a nice capper to a legendary career, two of Sondheim’s musicals – “Sunday in the Park With George” and “Gypsy” – were nominated for Best Revival.”
Worldwide Music Sales Plummet To Lowest Level Since 1985
“The equivalent of 1.86 billion albums were sold last year, down 11 per cent from 2.09 billion, according to figures published yesterday by worldwide music representative company IFPI.”