“The most important true thing to say is this: The greatest writer in the world died the other night in his Moscow apartment. In an English-speaking world where we apply “great” to a well-diced salad, or the barely heard news that the person we’re greeting is feeling fine, the only way to reinvest it with gravitas is to outline the many ways Solzhenitsyn earned it, while countering the falsehoods that gathered about his name.”
Tag: 08.05.08
Co-Founder Of Dallas Opera Nicola Rescigno, 92
“He conducted Maria Callas’s U.S. debut, and became one of the diva’s favourite conductors in a collaboration that spanned several years, performances and recordings. He co-founded the Dallas Opera – initially called the Dallas Civic Opera – with the late Lawrence Kelly. Rescigno became its artistic director and Callas gave the company’s inaugural concert.”
The Mysterious Case Of Charleston’s New “Arts District
The Office of Cultural Affairs sends out an email Tuesday urging recipients to show support for an “exciting development” by the Ginn Co. called “The Promenade Arts District,” but once the 75 or so representatives of the arts community get there, they learn that the Ginn Co. has never heard of such a thing.
Lang Lang @ The Olympics
“I play piano like a multimedia website. You have the pictures, you have the scores, also you have the harmonies, it’s like you’re playing with computers, but obviously with heart.”
TV Dance Shows Make Stars Of The Choreographers
“Now every network is begging for the next dance opportunity. Everywhere you look, it’s thriving and pulling in enormous numbers. Doing a show like ‘Dancing With the Stars’ is pretty much the most famous you can get as a dancer unless you’re Baryshnikov or something.”
More and More, Hollywood Embraces The “R” Rating
“More and more, they are taking chances on R-rated comedies that ratchet up the rawness, allowing the Sex and the City gal pals to strut their stuff, Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly to expose body parts in Step Brothers, or Tom Cruise to swear like a sailor.”
Russians Line Up To Pay Tribute To Solzhenitsyn
“While Muscovites lined up to honor the Nobel Laureate, four Russian soldiers in dress uniform stood at attention at the open coffin in the Russian Academy of Sciences — a telling symbol of recognition for the former exile. A large portrait of Solzhenitsyn and a Russian flag completed the backdrop.”
Ratings Down, But Top TV Actors Rake In Big Bucks
“Charlie Sheen, who plays a wealthy, womanizing bachelor on the top-rated sitcom “Two and a Half Men,” made more than any other TV actor this year with earnings of $825,000 per episode, including money from his ownership rights in the show.”
Sotheby’s profits Fall 11 Percent
“Chief Executive William Ruprecht said profit would have increased were it not for the new auction schedule. He said wealthy people with more than $100 million — who are insulated from economic woes — remain their best customers.”
How We Spend Money On Media
“The average consumer will spend $1,078 on media in 2012, up 26.6% from last year, according to the forecast based on data licensed from PQ Media. About 41% of that will go to cable and satellite TV providers, up from 39% in 2007. But more money doesn’t translate into proportionately more media usage: The typical person will spend 3,496 hours with media in 2012, up just half of 1%.”