Tag: 08.08.07

Hitler The Musical Hypocrite? Not So Fast.

Alex Ross isn’t so sure that the discovery of Hitler’s personal record collection really proves that the Führer was a big fan of Russian music. “The fact that Hitler owned such records does not mean that he enjoyed them,” and there’s simply too much evidence that Hitler believed strongly in his own propaganda regarding the superiority of German music to draw the conclusion that he was secretly reveling in the pleasures of Tchaikovsky.

Is UK Running Out Of Money For The Arts?

Rupert Christiansen says the UK’s National Lottery is neglecting its considerable role in funding the country’s arts and culture. “The Lottery’s achievement is considerable, but, as the Cassandras prophesied when its guidelines were originally being drawn up, the problem it leaves unresolved is the dearth of cash – either from the Treasury or from ticket-buyers – to sustain the day-to-day running of [the] splendid edifices” it has built over the last decade.

Losses Continue For CDs

American record label Warner Music lost $17m in the third quarter despite several hit albums, and analysts are attributing the decline to continued consumer embrace of music downloads. “Digital revenue jumped 27% to $112m, although this was not sufficient to make up for a fall in CD sales.”

Potter Ending Costs Oddsmaker Thousands

The ending of the final Harry Potter book isn’t the slam-dunk, loose-ends-tied finish that some had hoped for, especially a certain oddsmaker who has had to pay out thousands in bets on what the ending would hold. “Fans who put their money either on Potter dying, killing himself or being killed by his nemesis Lord Voldemort all received a payout.”

Poland Rejects German Calls For Cultural Returns

“Poland has rejected calls for it to return German cultural treasures, including original manuscripts of Goethe, Beethoven, Mozart and Bach held in Polish archives since World War II, calling such demands ‘entirely groundless.’ Any mention of German claims from World War II is a sore point in Poland, which was invaded by Nazi Germany in 1939 and subjected to a brutal five-year occupation in which 6 million Polish citizens died.”

The Musical Conscience Of America?

“Dull as he pretends to be in a worn tweed jacket and conversational drone, [John] Adams has not been out of the headlines since 1987, when he became the first composer to put current affairs on the opera stage with Nixon in China… He is the artist to whom America turns to make sense of its confusions.”

Whatever Happened To Respect For The Masters?

Guy Damman says that “when Pollock is pushed out in favour of Stingel, it’s time for galleries to stop sacrificing their permanent collections for crowd-pulling temporary shows.” Specifically, Damann questions why the Whitney would push aside so much high-quality art for temporary exhibits that don’t approach the quality of its in-house collection.

Gillinson Defends Carnegie Eviction Plan

The battle between Carnegie Hall and its soon-to-be-evicted tenants seems to be genuinely paining the hall’s executive director, Clive Gillinson. But “Gillinson said the hall had explored every other option before arriving at wholesale eviction. He noted that all rent-control tenants have been promised accommodations at least as nice as their current studios, with any rent differential to be paid by the hall.”

MN Fringe Forges Ahead

The Minnesota Fringe Festival is the largest event of its kind in the US, but the fest’s new chief had her hands full this summer. Opening day coincided with the aftermath of the catastrophic collapse of an interstate highway bridge in Minneapolis, an event which mesmerized the nation (or at least the national media.) But the festival is plowing ahead, and sticking to a unique system of show selection under which even proven success stories from past years must subject themselves to a random drawing to determine who will get the chance to perform.