“The New Orleans Opera Association’s artistic director was fired this month — for reasons that remain unclear — by the president of the board of directors, only to be reinstated a few days later by a board that refused to accept its president’s action. Before Robert Lyall’s reinstatement this past week by an overwhelming vote, one angry board member sent a letter to her colleagues denouncing those responsible for Lyall’s dismissal as “nincompoops” and canceling a $135,000 pledge for the opera’s coming season.”
Tag: 06.19.05
Does Cleveland Orchestra Deserve A Different Conductor?
The Cleveland Orchestra is playing better than ever. “Being bowled over by these musicians is nothing new, and we should never take them collectively for granted. But an orchestra and music director should be regarded as a synergistic partnership. In the case of Franz Welser-MÖst, who recently ended his third season at Severance Hall as music director, the artistic chasm has widened to the point where even critics from out of town are noting the inequality. Why do so many Welser-MÖst performances with the Cleveland Orchestra leave more than a few listeners frustrated and ambivalent? How long can an orchestra go on with a music director who seems unwilling, or unable, to bring distinctive personality to the music he leads?”
Les Paul At 90
“Over the years Les Paul has had a profound influence on music, creating enough inventions to fill a museum. A five-time Grammy winner, he’s in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the National Inventors Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame. There’s a Gibson guitar named for him, because he invented it – the Les Paul solid-body electric guitar. He’s got a legion of guitar-playing disciples.”
Philly’s Concert Bargains
High ticket prices are a big problem in the classical music business. But one organization in Philadelphia offers top stars at bottom prices. “Other cities may have more concerts and higher-concept programs, but few have such a smart selection for so little money. No decent seat at a Krystian Zimerman or Mitsuko Uchida concert in most places is available for less than $50. Play your cards right with subscription offers, and it’s $19 here. Other concerts, such as contralto Ewa Podles, are as low as $16 – if you subscribe to everything.”
Rzewski – Composer As Iconoclast
Composer Frederic Rzewski is “one of the most prominent living American composers and a prodigiously talented pianist, he is also an old-fashioned iconoclast. He’s blunt-speaking, cantankerous — focused on his art and intent on creating it with as much independence as possible from the institutions and bureaucracies that have congealed around it.”
Book, ‘im Danno – American TV Overrun By Police Shows
Why are Americans so fascinated with police shows on TV? “Last season, a third of the Top 40 shows on television were procedurals, loosely defined as programs that depict a crime each week and solve it. Most of the other top-rated programs were reality shows or comedies, with only six dramas having nothing to do with crime making the list.”
Glasgow – Capital Of Music?
The UK’s capital of pop music? Not London, but Glasgow, a city that is extraordinarily supportive of its bands. “Pick any Glasgow band and you’re likely to find that at least one member has an art-school past. The recent rise of Glasgow-based bands has moved Time magazine to declare the city one of the ‘hottest’ in Europe for its thriving, supportive music scene and proliferation of decent venues…”
Scotland to Set Up Club To Honor Artists
Scotland is setting up a new academy to honor artists. “An ‘Academy of Scotland’ is to be established to honour the most distinguished artists in Scottish culture. Under early plans, a select group of the best and brightest across the artistic spectrum will receive the new award, designed to reward excellence. The recipients are likely to receive their titles as ‘Member of the Academy of Scotland’ in a yearly ceremony held on St Andrew’s Day.”
A Regional Museum Gets An Expansion Right
The Delaware Art Museum reopens after a major expansion. “The museum has been closed for three years for a complicated renovation and expansion that not only increases its capacity by two-thirds, but also dramatically reorients the building on its 11-acre site. One of the region’s premier smaller museums, it generally specializes in American art and illustration, including major collections of work by illustrator Howard Pyle and realist painter John Sloan.”
Sonny Rollins Reinvents (Again)
Saxist Sonny Rollins is 74, and remaking his life since his wife of 47 years died in December. “There are some career decisions that I’m facing, that my wife would usually help me with. I can’t divulge what it is, but there’s one big one that some people would say `How could you turn that down?’ But you know, I turned down a lot of things in my career and I think that’s sort of been the subtext of my life — not doing everything that people want you to do for money.”