Second-hand record stores – the kind die-hard vinyl collectors love – are disappearing, as more and more customers turn to the internet to find rare recordings. “The switch has taken its toll on some specialist retailers and record dealers, prompting them to turn their attentions to sites such as eBay in search of profits without the overheads. And as the appetite for downloads hits new album sales, some observers are predicting the death knell for the bigger bricks-and-mortar multiple record stores, too.”
Tag: 08.27.04
Brazil Proposes Culture As Basic Human Right
Brazil’s Minister of Culture has challenged the 35 member countries of the Organization of American States (OAS) to include culture on the list of basic policies to promote economic development and foster social inclusion. “Government policies for culture can no longer be secondary, fragile, peripheral. They represent the social and infrastructure policies of the 21st century.”
An American Conductor in Britain (A Bumpy Road)
In general American conductors have not done well with British orchestras. But why? “In Britain, one problem has been the resistance, by management and musicians alike, to the American model of the music director, which in turn is a watered-down holdover from the dictatorial maestros of yore. According to many London critics, British orchestras are adept sight readers and can rip off a plausible performance at the first rehearsal. But they apparently balk, by and large, at the hard work, directed from the podium, that would allow them to reach the exalted level of several American orchestras — or, indeed, of such self-governing Continental bands.”
Artists Mobilizing Against Bush
As the Republican convention opens in New York, “political fervor is being translated into art in mediums that range from painting and sculpture to Web art to political ephemera. At the moment, President Bush and the G. O. P. are the chief art-world targets: no one seems to have a critical word to say about the failings of the Democrats.”
Florida Classical Radio Station Cuts Music Programming
South Florida is losing some classical music radio programming. “Radio station WKAT-1360 AM, which has helped fill the void left by WTMI’s demise since 2002, has to scale back its programming because of dips in advertising revenue. The station has, on average, 100,000 listeners, and the 35-and-older demographic prefers listening to news in the mornings and music in afternoons and evenings.”
Trying To Surpass Stradivari
Some 250 years after they were made, Stradivari instruments are still unsurpassed. “Perhaps his genius really is inimitable. But the violins Stradivari made are not perfect; they can be moody; they have off-days. Modern violin-makers benefit from the knowledge brought by history and science. It may need another genius, but surely one day someone will produce instruments that not only match Stradivari’s, they supersede them.”
Booker Prize LongList
“The 22 books that made it onto the longlist were chosen from a pool of 132 entries. The most distinguishing feature of this year’s lengthy longlist, which otherwise contained few great shocks, was the number of first-time novelists featuring in it – six out of 22.”
Warning – Plot Details To Follow
Movie publicists have lately been warning critics not to reveal plot details of movies they review. “It got me wondering: were we being asked to keep quiet about not only the twists and surprises, but also about the fact there are twists and surprises in the movie? Isn’t that a bit like telling a Peanuts reader that Lucy is going to pull the football away from Charlie Brown, again? (If you didn’t know she does that, sorry.)”
The Inevitable Business Of Media Consolidation
“As the tentacles of media conglomerates reach further into many of the programs Americans watch, concern is rising that the content of shows, particularly news programming, is putting the business interests of parent companies before the public interest in getting unbiased information. The impact of “vertical integration” (which breeds cross-promotion) and other issues related to concentrated media ownership are likely to take on greater prominence this fall as an issue on the campaign trail.”
Broadway Goes Single
Last season only two one-person shows made an impression on Broadway. But this season “no fewer than six one-person shows — some of which may be termed special events or plays, depending on the administration committee’s frame of mind — have been announced.”