“In short, if English should lose its surprisingly small profane vocabulary set through overusage, we would be forced to invent new obscenities. That would be no easy task, given the polished perfection of what biology, time and chance has already bequeathed us.”
Tag: 08.13.16
A New Opera Company Run By And For Mid-Career Singers
“The Victory Hall Opera, in Charlottesville, which will open this month with three performances of a new chamber production of a stripped-down Rosenkavalier, was conceived and set up – and is run – by a group of mid-career singers who found themselves, after some years of high-level professional experience, wondering whether opera might offer them more artistic freedom than they were finding on the standard professional circuit.”
Wait, The God Of The Ancient Hebrews Wasn’t Male?
“In fact, the Hebrew Bible, when read in its original language, offers a highly elastic view of gender. And I do mean highly elastic: In Genesis 3:12, Eve is referred to as ‘he.’ In Genesis 9:21, after the flood, Noah repairs to ‘her’ tent. Genesis 24:16 refers to Rebecca as a ‘young man.’ And Genesis 1:27 refers to Adam as ‘them.’ … Why would the Bible do this? These aren’t typos.” Rabbi Mark Sameth explains his theory.
Why Are We Fascinated By Really Bad Singing?
This is one of the opportunities that “bad” music can permit us: a mini-liberation from the usual bounds of taste. There is only listening, perhaps in an unusually pure form.
Canada’s Trade Imbalance In Arts Leaders
“When I wrote last week about the worrying trend in Canadian arts to always give the top jobs to foreigners – there have been five examples in 15 months, including the leaders of the Royal Ontario Museum, the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Shaw Festival – the community howled in agreement. I had clearly struck a nerve with Canadian directors, curators and arts administrators who feel they face limited opportunities for advancement at home. But the labour market for artistic directors and culture-sector CEOs is global, and some asked if Canada was not sending abroad as many leaders as it imports.”
Was Alec Baldwin Duped Into Buying The Wrong Painting?
Mr. Baldwin said that something about the painting always gave him unease. The colors weren’t quite the same. It smelled, somehow, new. In fact, he said, just a few months ago he discovered that he had not bought the painting he pined for. Instead, he said, for reasons that remain disputed, Ms. Boone sent him another version of the painting. He claims she passed it off as the original.
London Bookshops Unplug From Internet And Readers Cheer
“A crop of bookshops is rebelling against frenzied online engagement and is creating environments where the real-life, internet-free book browse is the most effective way to expand your social and professional networks. And in countering the internet overload, some stores are proving to be among London’s hottest hangouts.”
What’s Up With The Art Wrapping The Rio Olympics’ Aquatic Venue? [VIDEO]
The artist, Adriana Varejao: “It’s like you can create a new order from disorder. You can try to harmonize the chaos.”
The Iraqi Youth Orchestra And Their Scottish Conductor
“This language barrier in the orchestra – which was about 50-50 – meant we had to bring in a highly-skilled translation team so that communication was fluent and fluid and people felt confident that people weren’t saying bad things about them.”
Women In The United Arab Emirates Are Taking On That Country’s Sexist Theatre Practices
“Male playwrights naturally veer towards telling male-centric stories, with women given supporting roles. So for women to have the same opportunities, we need to see more women turning to writing and telling stories that expose a woman’s perspective on life and things that matter to them.”