In many ways, Seattle is the perfect city for an architect looking to make his mark. Adventurous, forward-thinking, loaded with money, and possessed of a deep appreciation for the arts, the city has become known for its willingness to take chances with its public spaces and buildings. Of course, that kind of freedom can create the opportunity for spectacular failure as easily as great success, and many architects have fallen into the trap. But for Rem Koolhaas, Seattle may just be the city that revived his career.
Tag: 10.17.04
Terra Museum Prepares For Shutdown
“At 5 p.m. on Oct. 31, the Terra Museum of American Art, which has existed for almost a quarter century, will close its doors and Chicago will lose one of its cultural institutions… 50 paintings from the Terra collection and all 350 of its works on paper will go on long-term loan to the Art Institute of Chicago, where they will be shown in a new installation beginning next spring. The remaining 300 pieces will be placed in storage, shown in the Terra’s sister museum in Giverny, France or be lent for exhibitions at other institutions.”
Barenboim, First Person
Daniel Barenboim has been the subject of many rumors over the past year, with speculation rampant about his recent back injury, his supposed tendency to overcommit himself, and his decision to leave the music directorship of the Chicago Symphony in 2006. Barenboim insists that there is no more than meets the eye in any of these issues. Still, he admits frustration with the direction the CSO is taking. “I disagree with the way [the CSO brain trust], and America, in general, look at the role of music director. The symphony orchestra culture in America has changed over the last 10 years. [Subscriptions] are down because music has lost a large part of its place in American society. That’s an illness, but we are dealing with the symptoms in the wrong way.”
Music Looking For A Partner
Composers are almost always happiest when they know for whom they are writing, and when they can tailor their latest work to a specific musician’s talents, especially in the realm of vocal music, where the subtle discrepancies between voices of can make a world of difference in performance. In an effort to promote such collaborations, a new workshop has been launched by the composer John Harbison and the soprano Dawn Upshaw, bringing together young singers and composers who have never met, but who will be expected to make music together by the end of the session.
Wait, It’s Not Harassment! I’m A Writer!
Comedy is a dirty business, and for comedy writers working on a sitcom, ordinary workplace rules simply don’t apply. Or do they? A lawsuit filed by a former assistant on the TV show Friends “contends that while doing her job, which was to record anything any of the writers said, [the assistant] was subjected to her bosses’ dirty, personal and just plain weird banter, so much so that it constituted sexual harassment.” The defense being mounted is a novel one, and it could have far-reaching ramifications for the joke-writing business: the studio insists that comedy writers can’t possibly do their jobs without such inappropriate chatter.
20 Years In A Dancer’s Body
“At 41, [Alessandra] Ferri is celebrating her 20th year as a principal dancer with American Ballet Theater. How she has managed to endure the broken rhythm of rehearsal – wait, repeat, discuss – for so many years is a minor miracle, physically speaking… Her limbs are spare and muscled. Everything extra has been stripped away from her birdlike frame, and after 37 years of practice, nothing unnecessary remains. Ms. Ferri has herself noticed the purifying effects time can have on the body.”
Levine In Boston
When James Levine debuts as music director of the Boston Symphony next weekend, he will do so as arguably the most scrutinized conductor to take over a major American orchestra in the last thirty years. A master of networking and publicity, Levine is also credited with transforming the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra from a glorified pit band to one of the country’s top instrumental ensembles. Questions about his health notwithstanding, the BSO is expecting nothing less than a rebirth on the coattails of its new leader.
Assessing The Agenda
Richard Dyer sees three big tasks ahead for James Levine and his new orchestra. “The first is improving the quality of the BSO. The second is renewing and refreshing the repertoire. And the third is bringing the public along on the journey.”
The Great Beta Blocker Debate
The use of so-called “beta blocker” drugs is rampant in the classical music world, where a single mistake can be career-threatening and the tiny muscle motions needed to control a performance can be seriously affected by a sudden attack of nerves. But even in private, most professional musicians never talk about the prevalence of the drugs, for fear of admitting weakness. Still, performers and doctors alike defend the use of beta blockers, pointing out that that they are far less harmful than the alcohol and Valium that musicians of the past used to overcome nervousness.
Wynton’s Dream Realized
You can’t talk about Lincoln Center’s new jazz complex without bringing up the man who single-handedly spearheaded the drive for its construction. “For [Wynton] Marsalis, who has been artistic director of Jazz at Lincoln Center since its mid-1980s inception, this moment will represent the realization of a cherished dream: a glittering, multileveled, permanent home in the heart of Manhattan for the music to which he has sworn passionate, unwavering allegiance.”