“We found the bottom part of the whistle; the top, which is missing, would have formed a small reservoir for water with a spout for blowing through. The warbling effect is created as the air bubbles through the water. These type whistles may have been used for sound effects in theatrical performances. In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, staged at the Curtain Theatre in the late sixteenth century, there are numerous references to bird song.”
Tag: 08.10.16
The Australian Ballet’s First Indigenous Dancer
“Ms Havelka made headlines in 2012 when she was invited to join the prestigious ballet, but behind the curtain, she had a difficult journey to the stage.”
Why It’s Important To Broadly Define Philosophy
“So which is it? Is academic philosophy in danger of withdrawing ever further into itself? Or is philosophy, in daily practice and in the academy, at a high point—accessible to more people than ever, and spilling over its disciplinary boundaries?”
The World’s Largest Collection Of Braille Music Is Finally Being Digitized
“Digitizing braille music isn’t as easy as just scanning the page. The tactile notations require multiple steps for accurate transcription, and their history of touch means the dots are sometimes smashed or otherwise unreadable.”
‘Cloud Atlas’ As Published In US Is ‘Astonishingly Different’ From UK Version
“Shortlisted for the Man Booker prize in 2004, Cloud Atlas is already complicated enough: telling the story of six interlocking lives and hopping back and forth across centuries and genres. But differences between the US and UK editions highlighted by [a professor] in a journal article published on Wednesday on the Open Library of Humanities run to 30 pages of examples.”
Serial Drama Made The Age Of Peak TV; Why Is The Genre Running Out Of Steam Now?
Matt Zoller Seitz: “Every revolution has casualties. In this one, it’s the hour-long, serialized drama that unveils its story over multiple seasons, and that fueled the so-called Golden Age of serious-minded, scripted TV; a form that, until recently, moved the needle on TV as an art form and dominated the cultural conversation. When discussing the serial drama in 2016, you can feel a sense of fatigue settling in.
Meryl Streep Explains Our Fascination With Florence Foster Jenkins
“In 1944 at the age of 76, Foster Jenkins sold out Carnegie Hall – more than 2,000 people were turned away from the door – with a recital of opera arias that she performed off key. Listen to Streep recount this history in the audio above and watch the entire interview in the video below.”
An Unknown Language Was Discovered Three Years Ago, Hiding In Plain Sight In A Big City – And Now There’s A Race To Save It
The leader of the effort to preserve Hawaiian Sign Language is being led by its last native user. But there are conflicts – cultural and personal as well as practical – making the job even more difficult.
Meet The Keeper Of Frederick Ashton’s Ballet Legacy
Carrie Seidman talks with Anthony Russell-Roberts, Ashton’s nephew and the inheritor of the rights to his works, about preserving and reviving his dances, what Ashton loved about New York, and how Sarasota, Florida became the modern-day standard-bearer for Ashton’s choreography.
Art Dealers In $2 Million Lawsuit Over Mysterious Work That May Not Yet Even Exist
“An unnamed artwork by a mysterious artist is at the center of a $2 million lawsuit against dealer David Zwirner by Old Master dealer Fabrizio Moretti via his the London company, Blue Art Limited, which accuses Zwirner of breach of contract, fraudulent concealment, and inducement.”