Baritone Thomas Allen is tired of the charges of elitism being hurled at London’s Royal Opera House. “If you want excellence, you can’t escape élitism. It’s the same with football. Cream rises to the top. Manchester United wants the best and works hard to get it. It’s nearly as expensive and impossible to get into a great football match as into an opera house.” – The Observer (UK)
Tag: 12.03.00
INDEPENDENTLY WEALTHY
So the major recording labels gutted their classical rosters and new releases slowed to a trickle. Small independent labels took up the challenge this year. Here are the Chicago Tribune’s picks for best classical recordings of 2000. – Chicago Tribune
BOCELLI’S NO BETTER:
Some critics are seeing improvement in tenor Andrea Bocelli’s singing in his new recording of “La Boheme.” Why? “Mr. Bocelli’s fans find his singing to be moving. I don’t know what they are hearing. His life story may be moving: a blind, ruddily handsome Italian of modest background takes up singing late, overcomes his timidity and achieves a dream-come-true career. But his singing is flat expressively. Phrase after phrase of Rodolfo’s music is sung with a husky, generic earnestness. Did no one discuss subtle points of interpretation with him?” – New York Times
SO MUCH FOR THE WOMEN’S MOVEMENT:
Three years ago women in rock music dominated popular music. But in the past year there’s been a backlash. ”Lilith didn’t rock. It was like, `OK, women want to go off and do women’s music.’ But how can men identify with this? Especially young men? They were accepted at Lilith, but they weren’t really welcome. And I think it’s partly responsible for what’s happening in rock now. The music is loud and rude and crude. Guys can relate, but women can’t. There’s definitely a backlash against women in the rock world.” – Boston Globe
WHY I LOVE ‘THE NUTCRACKER’
“Although it’s true that a December day without ‘Nutcracker’ would probably improve the health of thousands of artistic directors and parents, it’s also true that the ballet continues to merrily launch a thousand careers and holiday celebrations.” Notable dance figures talk about their attraction to the Christmas classic. – Los Angeles Times
PILOBOLUS AT 30
When Pilobolus debuted 30 years ago, few knew what to do with them. They stripped down movement and “spent more time clinging to one another, and disguising their bodies than doing what passed for dance – doing steps across the floor. The men had taken virtually no dance technique classes. [Moses] Pendleton didn’t even know how to point his feet, for goodness sake. But audiences loved it. And so – though more cautiously – did the critics.” – Orange County Register
ON AMERICAN CULTURAL DOMINANCE
An international summit on arts and culture hears Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien say US cultural dominance can be fought by being aware of one’s cultural roots. Many of the delegates from 60 countries dispute the message: “You can’t stop the transmission of U.S. culture, so it needs to be regulated.” – Ottawa Citizen 12/03/00
THE POLITICS OF ANONYMOUS GIFTS
These days it seems like corporate “adver-donors” want to get as much advertising out of a donation to the arts as they want to help the arts. But there are still those who support the arts out of a sense of wanting to do something worthwhile. Just why do people give anonymous gifts? – Hartford Courant 12/03/00