“In Britain this summer, the weather could hardly have been more restlessly alive; a parched and blazing July has been followed by a brooding and tempestuous August. Most of us believe our climate is likely to take even more ominous turns in the future. Why, then, the increasing architectural pretence that weather is all but irrelevant, and, by implication, undesirable?”
Tag: 08.21.06
Controversial Paris Museum A Hit With The Public
Paris’ new Musee Branly has been much-maligned by critics, but it’s a hit with the public. “Even as debate continues over the museum’s novel architecture and exhibition design, word is getting out in immigrant communities throughout France that the space celebrates the patrimonies of their cultures as art. And so far, people who typically might not set foot in a museum are coming in unexpectedly large numbers.”
Great Jazz Festival… But Where’s The Jazz?
Richard Scheinin has a great time at this year’s San Jose Jazz Festival. But he entertains a nagging question: “Was the ‘Jazz’ in the title of the festival starting to take a back seat to funk, pop, soul? And looking ahead, is San Jose’s jazz festival about to morph into one more ‘jazz and pop’ festival, in which jazz is a guest at its own party? Why does it matter? Because there are a million venues for the Nevilles and Dr. John, who closed Saturday’s Main Stage events. There are, on the other hand, very few venues, a shrinking few, for jazz, which is continually pushed to the margins…”
Claim: Australian Museum’s Painting Might Have Been Nazi Loot
“A Chilean man has claimed a 17th century art work on display at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) may have been looted from his grandfather by Nazis.”
Samuel Taylor Coleridge Papers Bought
The British Library has bought an archive of papers from Samuel Coleridge Taylor’s estate. “In the nearly two centuries since Coleridge’s death, the papers have been kept by family members in the village of Ottery St. Mary in Devon, southwest England, where the creator of Kubla Khan and The Rime of the Ancient Mariner was born.”
Irish, English Singers Win Wagner Competition
Seattle Opera’s first International Wagner Competition drew eight singers from five countries and five judges from Europe and North America. “Two $15,000 prizes were awarded — some three hours after the affair started, by Speight Jenkins, general director of the company — to Miriam Murphy of Ireland and James Rutherford of England. Rutherford also won the vote of the orchestra — members of the Seattle Symphony — and the audience.”
Impending Music Glut Worries Retailers
There’s a glut of blockbuster albums about to be released in the last quarter of this year. Music sales have been down, so there should be a bump at the cash register. But “most merchants, however, feel the release schedule is so strong that some titles may get lost in the shuffle; for years now, retail executives have lamented that the majors wait until the fourth quarter to release their big projects.”
India’s Ustad Bismillah Khan, 91
“Bismillah Khan is credited with popularising the shehnai, a wind instrument which can be loosely compared to an oboe, and elevating its status in India. He had the rare distinction of performing as the Indian flag was unfurled at the historic Red Fort in Delhi to mark the country’s independence from Britain in 1947.”
Musicians Build Concert World Online
“Musicians are increasingly using the virtual world to hold live concerts, at specific times and dates, or listening lounges where their music plays when an avatar pays a visit…”
Music Publishers Attack Musicians Over Websites
“In the last few months, trade groups representing music publishers have used the threat of copyright lawsuits to shut down guitar tablature sites, where users exchange tips on how to play songs like ‘Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,’ ‘Highway to Hell’ and thousands of others.”