“Everyone has the right to think that their music is best, including the teenagers who hurry through Toronto’s Bathurst subway station to escape the classical music played through the PA system to deter them from hanging around. But only classical fans and organizations believe that the quality of their music gives it and them a natural entitlement to the lion’s share of public funding.”
Tag: 07.26.08
Chicken Little Visits The Oregon Symphony (Psst – The Sky Isn’t Falling)
A story last week in the Portland Business Journal doesn’t fit the facts, writes David Stabler. “It doesn’t jibe with the symphony’s recent turnaround. According to president Elaine Calder, ticket sales are up. Private giving is up. Overhead is down. Deficit is down. Endowment is preserved.”
Aussie Publishers Get Protective
The Australian publishing industry has stepped up its campaign against lifting restrictions on importing books that are also published in Australia, with literary agents and printers joining the campaign. “The Australian Literary Agents Association argue that an open market would undermine the industry, with books produced cheaply overseas crowding out more expensive Australian works.”
Poland Nixes Plan To Test Chopin’s Heart
“Scientists want to remove the heart for DNA tests to see if Chopin actually died from cystic fibrosis and not tuberculosis as his death certificate stated. But the government says that’s not a good reason to disturb the remains of a revered native son.”
“Extreme” Cellists At The Top Of Their Art
“Three self-styled extreme cellists have reached the peak of their art and not content with playing concerts in conventional venues, they have opted to try and climb the highest mountains in England, Scotland, Wales and the Irish Republic to raise money for charity. They have played on the rooftops of every Anglican cathedral in England and just a few days ago scaled Ben Nevis, so they know all the hazards connected to an expedition of this kind.”
The “Lowly” Art – Song-Writing
“Popular song has long since resumed its lowly status in the public imagination, a village idiot to the educated society of art and literature. That perception is based, of course, on the overwhelming audibility of the lowest common denominator. Where is the legacy Bruce Springsteen identified when he inducted Dylan into the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame 20 years ago?
Gone to ground, is the short answer.”
Who Cares About The Critics? I Like It
“No one has the right to question your love for a work of art, any more than to criticise your relationships. No, what is sad, far sadder than sitting in a room decorated with the soppy, woodland landscapes of Thomas Kinkade is to spend money and time on art for any reason but the pure passion these collectors express for their unusual objects of desire.”
Classic Movies Compete With Blockbusters, As Fans Turn To Downloads
“As cult movies attract a new audience who download more obscure films from the internet, so the marketing machine of the major studios is being called into question.”
Hollywood’s Big Pay – The Actors Who Make Money For Studios
Stars get millions for their films. Tens of millions, even. So how much do the studios earn for every dollar they invest in a star salary? A list…
Pompeii’s Dismal State
“Frescoes in the ancient Roman city, one of Italy’s most popular attractions, fade under the blistering sun or are chipped at by souvenir hunters. Mosaics endure the brunt of tens of thousands of shuffling thongs and sneakers. Teetering columns and walls are propped up by wooden and steel scaffolding. Rusty padlocks deny access to recently restored houses, and custodians seem to be few and far between.”