“Globalization, it turns out, has only intensified, not diminished, cultural differences among nations. The forces of nationalism love to exploit culture because it’s symbolic, economically potent and couches identity politics in a legal context that tends to pit David against Goliath.”
Tag: 10.25.09
The Celebrity Book Problem
The problem is that the best-seller lists are now so dominated by memoirs and novels “written” by celebrities that genuine talent is being squeezed out, and once the publishers have paid the enormous advances — £1  million not being unusual — there is little left in the pot for those struggling novelists whose work has some literary merit.
The Cellphone Symphony
“A musician and his team have trained 1,000 cellphones to deliver 2,000 text messages in about 40 seconds that sound like Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture – complete with bass drums and crashing cymbals at the end.”
London Theatre, Digital And Online
“The productions — filmed live in front of audiences over two or three performances, on between 5 and 11 remote-controlled, hi-definition cameras embedded in the staging — will be offered as downloads priced at £8.99 (a bit more than $14.50).”
Worldwide “Thriller” Dance Record
“It’s estimated about 20,000 people in more than 200 locations in 37 countries around the world participated in the dance which occurred Saturday night or Sunday morning depending on where you were.”
Book Critic Quits Over “Sadistic Misogyny”
“Authors must be free to write and publishers to publish. But critics must be free to say when they have had enough. So however many more outpourings of sadistic misogyny are crammed on to the bandwagon, no more will be reviewed by me.”
MoMA’s New Version Of “Permanent”
“Galleries that once changed only when works were loaned out are now subject to frequent renewal. For the first time, media other than painting and sculpture appear frequently throughout the Barr galleries. Artists who never quite made it into official “schools” are getting more play, and schools that the museum once passed up are getting pride of place.”
New Excitement For Major American Orchestras
“The classical music field is abuzz about the new music directors on opposite American coasts, although buzz hardly begins to describe the scene in Los Angeles since the arrival of Mr. Dudamel, a boyish Venezuelan with charisma to burn. The city is swept up in Dudamania.”
London’s Second-Most Influential Theatre?
“Aside from the National Theater the Donmar has become the most influential and productive theater in London, despite its diminutive size. Tucked away on a cobbled street off the Seven Dials, the former warehouse once used for ripening bananas contains about 250 seats.”
Can Christopher Wheeldon’s Dance Company Survive?
“As Morphoses prepares to open its third season at City Center on Thursday, Mr. Wheeldon is facing a crucial moment in which the viability of his venture seems highly uncertain. His contracts with the Vail International Dance Festival and City Center in New York will end this season, and renewals must be negotiated. In the current economic climate fund-raising possibilities could hardly look more dire.”