“[Stephen Towns’s] Joy Cometh in the Morning series presents six painted figures, each representing a martyr from the rebellion … In Towns’s vision, each wears a noose around their necks, held in place by one raised fist, a gesture of black power.” An employee at one venue where the paintings were shown objected, “stating that she shouldn’t have to look at black faces with nooses around their necks at work.” Towns immediately withdrew the series from the show, leaving blue tape on the walls where each canvas had been. Cara Ober writes about the debate than ensued.
Tag: 09.08.17
Simon Rattle’s Plan To Remake London Music
“Five years have passed since the LSO began secret negotiations to bring the Liverpool-born conductor back to his homeland after his 16 sometimes turbulent years at the helm of the Berlin Philharmonic, and more than two since his appointment as the LSO’s music director was announced. Who would blame the orchestra for making a big fuss about his first concerts in his new job?”
A History Of Time Capsules And What They Say About Us
Slate history maven Rebecca Onion: “Over the 19th and 20th centuries, American time capsules went from containers for civic virtue, to carefully curated museums of popular culture, to catch-alls, capturing the overwhelming amount of stuff that drifts through a consumer society. Looking at the evolution of time capsule contents, it becomes clear that our ideas about which items future historians could use in order to figure out how we lived have changed drastically. But through it all, we’ve retained a touching faith in our own interestingness.”
Daniil Simkin Is Joining A Second Ballet Company
“One of the ballet world’s busiest superstars is adding another role to his resume, and it’s a big one. American Ballet Theatre principal Daniil Simkin is joining Staatsballett Berlin as a principal beginning with the 2018-2019 season. Though he will be based in Berlin, the virtuoso will maintain his position at ABT, performing with the company as often as his schedule will allow.” Here he talks with Lauren Wingenroth about how he got the job and what his plans for it are.
Which Opera Do Opera Singers Think Is The Greatest Ever Written?
BBC Music Magazine took a poll of 172 prominent singers, including the likes of Plácido Domingo, Renée Fleming, and Bryn Terfel. You’ve almost certainly heard of the top choice, but it may surprise you (meaning it’s not by Verdi, Puccini, or Wagner); it got more than twice as many votes as the runner-up. (What made us happy is that Peter Grimes made the top five.)
How A Streb Extreme Action Dancer Prepares Herself For All Those Dangerous Daredevil Feats
“When you’re performing with a whirling cinderblock or giant hamster wheel as your partner, there is no time for second-guessing your physical fitness. Fortunately, STREB EXTREME ACTION member Cassandre Joseph knows exactly what her body needs to stay safe, even when flying off 30-foot platforms. What are the five habits that prepare her to tackle anything that director Elizabeth Streb might throw her way?”
The (Very Hard) Work Of An Orchestra Librarian
“The orchestra’s librarians are responsible for obtaining the scores for each program, for making sure all of the markings are the same in all the parts, for putting the music on the stands before each performance, and for being physically present at each show in case of emergencies – even on tour. It takes about 100 hours, says Elizabeth Schnobrick, the National Symphony Orchestra’s principal librarian, to prepare the music for a single subscription program.”
Dallas Symphony Musicians Ratify New Three-Year Contract
“The deal, announced Thursday in a news release, calls for no wage increases in the first year of the contract and 2 percent base wage increases in the second and third years. The [orchestra management] also agrees to additional contributions to offset increases in health care costs.”
Fire Breaks Out At The Hermitage, And Firefighters Save Its Beloved Resident Cats
“A small fire on Friday at the State Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg raised alarms about the fate of one of its greatest treasures: the beloved Hermitage cats that protect its Old Masters from mice and have become museum mascots.”
Sotheby’s Reveals How Much The Berkshire Museum Could Make Selling Its Art
“Sotheby’s announced the price estimates for the works. The Berkshire Museum holdings will be offered at auction starting November, and will continue through 2018. The museum has said it hopes to raise some $50 million from the sale. Leading the sale is a work by Norman Rockwell that has attracted the most ire of those protesting the move.”