The London Philharmonic held a day-long celebration to welcome Kurt Masur, the orchestra’s new principal conductor. But the performance roster was a multi-cultural stew that had virtually nothing to do with Masur’s esthetic. “What on earth is the poor man being welcomed to? An orchestra or an agenda? A concert series suited to his musical character, or a musical re-creation of the Millennium Dome?” – The Sunday Times (UK)
Tag: 09.24.00
OH THOSE CRITICS
The Dallas Symphony recently took an extended European tour. The reviews are in, and, depending on your seat (or your publication) the critics thought it was an “indifferent,” “immaculate,” “outstanding,” or “disappointing” series of concerts. – Dallas Morning News
THE COMPLETE RECORD
It’s not so easy getting recording contracts these days, even if you’re a big star. But Turkish pianist Idil Biret has been recording a prodigious amount of music – 40 CD’s for Naxos in recent years, including three complete-works multi-disk projects about to come out. – Boston Globe
ARTS CENTER OR BERMUDA TRIANGLE?
Even in London’s current artboom, plans for redoing Southbank’s galleries and concert halls have hit yet another snag. “One famous architect after another has boldly set out to civilise its streaked concrete walkways and make sense of its flawed galleries and concert halls, only to see their schemes vanish without leaving so much as an oil slick on the Thames.” – The Observer (UK) 09/24/00
HARD PAYS FOR SOFT
The German government proposes to initiate a fee on computer hardware makers that would be used to pay those whose intellectual property is distributed digitally. – IDG.net 09/24/00
URBAN INSPIRATION
Salman Rushdie has moved to New York from London. “London did not spur his imagination. ‘I think it speaks for itself that, for somebody who lived in England for as long as I did, relatively little of my work has dealt with it.’ New York holds more promise. ‘There’s so much stuff just asking me to write it down here,’ he says.” – The Observer (UK)
MENTORING & THE ART OF CHOREOGRAPHY
Where are the mentors for today’s choreographers? Who helps midwife a dance and develop it into something finished, something unique? – Boston Herald
BLAIR CONCEDES DOME FIASCO
After repeatedly defending the Millennium Dome since it opened earlier this year, British Prime Minister Tony Blair finally concedes that the Dome is a dud. “We acknowledge that it has not been the runaway success that people had hoped for.” – The Telegraph (UK)
IN HIGH FASHION
The lines between fashion photography and art are blurring. “Those worlds are increasingly entwined: not only because museums and galleries are choosing to exhibit fashion photography, but also because contemporary artists have engaged so directly with fashion. It’s not just that you see them at fashion shows and parties wearing the latest Versace, Prada and Vivienne Westwood. Their involvement goes far beyond that.” – The Telegraph (UK)
TRYING TOO HARD TO BE HIP
The Royal Academy’s followup to “Sensation” is meant to shock. But “Apocalypse is to the Royal Academy what a pair of purple hipsters are to an aged librarian. The show wants so much to be out there, in the loop, feeling the buzz – but pretending you are out there is not the same as being out there, and the latest attempt by the Academy, founded in 1768, to pass itself off as a happening temple of modern culture shock ends up as a rather sad little show, even a pathetic one. This was obviously not the intention.” – The Sunday Times (UK)