Tag: 11.27.06

CanCon vs. HiDef

Canadian cable companies are hiking rates in an effort to recoup some of the cost associated with converting to high-definition. But some are questioning the increases, pointing out that the same companies that are asking Canadians to subsidize their tech upgrades have become increasingly uninterested in supporting Canadian-produced content.

A Rebirth In Old East Berlin

When the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, the stark contrast between East and West was starkly apparent, and reunification did nothing to immediately alleviate the unequal division of resources, especially when it came to the city’s museums. But years of renovation and refurbishment finally have East Berlin’s Museum Island beginning to glitter like the jewel it once was.

New Drawing of Stonehenge Unearthed

An important early sketch of Stonehenge has been discovered in a 15th-century manuscript in northern France. “The little sketch is a bird’s eye view of the stones, and shows the great trilithons, the biggest stones in the monument, each made of two pillars capped with a third stone lintel, which stand in a horseshoe in the centre of the circle. Only three are now standing, but the drawing… suggests that in the 15th century four of the original five survived.”

McEwen: I’m No Plagiarist

Bestselling author Ian McEwen was accused this past weekend of copying the work of another writer in his novel, Atonement. But McEwen says that he only drew on historical record as background for certain scenes, and he further points out that he acknowledged the author he is accused of stealing from in his book, and says that he has been crediting her with filling in gaps in his knowledge at speaking engagements ever since Atonement was released.

Of Course, They’ll All Merge Next Year Anyway

That the new online video craze sparked by YouTube would have an impact on popular culture has been obvious for some time. What that impact will be is a bit harder to assess. But early indications are that what’s good for online video purveyors isn’t necessarily good for traditional broadcasters: a new study says that “43% of Britons who watch video from the internet or on a mobile device at least once a week said they watched less normal TV as a result.”

A Thoroughly Modern Diva Of The Old School

The classic opera diva is not very much in evidence these days, but one woman is still very much upholding the grand tradition of Soprano As Center Of The Universe: Renee Fleming. “First and foremost her own voice has settled into a place where its opulence and bloom and sheer seductiveness can thrive – namely in the hothouse of late romanticism… Her critics will tell you that she is mannered, that she indulges style at the expense of sense, and sound at the expense of words. There are elements of truth in all of this. But would such accusations of self-indulgence have been levelled at her ‘golden age’ predecessors? Not on your life.”

Stretching Beethoven

There are a lot of opinions on the proper way to perform Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, especially when it comes to tempo. Recordings of the piece often differ in length by several minutes, in fact. But it’s a fair bet that Beethoven never conceived of a performance of his groundbreaking work that would last 24 hours, take place in a grimy bar beneath one of Vienna’s great concert halls, and play to an ever-revolving sequence of curious listeners who stop in to catch a few beats before moving on. Grotesque? Maybe. But Mark Swed says that the experience was well worth it.

You Want My Money? Show Me What You’ll Do With It.

When news broke late last week that the Charleston (SC) Symphony was perilously close to bankruptcy, it sparked a lot of questions about just how high the orchestra’s costs really are. As it turns out, the CSO is something of a bargain compared to larger U.S. orchestras – the music director makes only $85,000 a year, and the musicians pull down just $21,000. Still, some local arts supporters wish the organizations they support would make greater efforts towards fiscal transparency.