Itzhak Perlman is a great violinist. But now he’s taken up conducting – he’s principal conductor of the Detroit Symphony and he’s seeking other conducting gigs. The attraction? ”It’s the power, the sensation of power.” Then his voice turns more serious. ”The real appeal is new repertory and new musical experiences.” – Boston Globe
Tag: 08.13.00
THE TOP 50 OPERAS?
A list. – St. Louis Post-Dispatch
KING OF THE (WRITING) WORLD
- Does anyone write more than Stephen King? He cranks out projects like a man possessed. “Writing is just this great big conduit, this outflow pipe that keeps the pressure nice and even. It just pours all this [expletive] out. All the insecurities come out, all the fears – and also, it’s a great way to pass the time.” – New York Times Magazine
LIVING HISTORY
“Alicia Markova, a living legend not only of British ballet, but of 20th-century civilisation. This is the body that Matisse drew black squiggles down for his costume for her in Rouge et Noir. This skin was rubbed down by the immortal Pavlova with her personal eau de cologne. This musical mind was guided as a child by Stravinsky and Balanchine.” – The Telegraph (London)
FORBIDDEN HONOR
Chinese director Wang Shuo’s film “Baba,” which has been banned in China since it was made four years ago, has won the top prize at Switzerland’s Locarno Film Festival. Billed as a “surprise entry,” the film was unveiled at the last minute to avoid attracting unwanted attention from Chinese authorities. “No custom and passport officers will ever let the director of a banned film leave China if they know the banned film is going to play in the foreign country where the director is heading.” – BBC
- A BITTERSWEET WIN: Wang Shuo told a huge audience in Locarno that he’s thrilled his film was honored with the award, but regrets it will never be screened in his homeland. – China Times (AFP)
SAVING HISTORY
That Packard discovered and came to love classic American cinema is one of the luckiest things that ever could have happened to classic cinema. In the past 20 years, Packard, 59, has done more for film preservation than any private citizen in history, funneling millions upon millions of dollars into archives such as the Library of Congress, the University of California at Los Angeles and the George Eastman House. – San Francisco Chronicle
PLAYING TO THE RIGHT?
A longtime critic of the entertainment industry, U.S. Democratic vice presidential candidate Joseph Lieberman on Sunday accused Hollywood of corrupting the nation’s children and the culture at large. He singled out Walt Disney Co. as particularly lax morally and warned that Washington could impose “legal restrictions” if the industry doesn’t impose some of its own. “Look, I love the movies. I love music, but there is still too much violence, too much sex, too much incivility in entertainment.” – Yahoo! News (Reuters) 08/13/00
- AND BURNING BRIDGES? “Two days after Al Gore’s Lieberman announcement, a lot of people in [Hollywood] were absolutely reeling. Was Joe Lieberman one of ours or was he not? Is a milestone civil rights breakthrough worth the price of a Silver Sewer award?” – Salon 08/14/00