Yup, there are about two dozen home-grown festivals, most official and some not, each year. A visual, musical, cognitive, gastronomic treat!
Cheers, Lawry On Jul 8, 2012, at 8:06 PM, pete wrote: > > > Ah, Telluride, home of the Telluride Bluegrass festival, which > this year went by a couple of weeks ago. The place where Bela Fleck, > Jerry Douglas and a band of colleagues cooked up the synthesis of > jazz and bluegrass > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strength_in_Numbers_%28band%29 > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telluride_Sessions > > and basically knocked open a whole new genre of music. I love > "Lochs of Dread". ...And they were there this year, as the > "Telluride House Band" http://www.bluegrass.com/telluride/lineup.html > > -Pete > > > > On Sun, 8 Jul 2012, de Bivort Lawrence wrote: > >> >> Thanks. The town -- a village, really -- is Telluride. >> >> http://sheridanoperahouse.com/ >> >> Cheers, >> Lawry >> >> >> On Jul 8, 2012, at 11:22 AM, Ray Harrell wrote: >> >>> Absolutely. Is it Central City? >>> >>> REH >>> >>> From: [email protected] >>> [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of de Bivort >>> Lawrence >>> Sent: Sunday, July 08, 2012 4:34 AM >>> To: RE-DESIGNING WORK, INCOME DISTRIBUTION, EDUCATION >>> Subject: Re: [Futurework] It all depends upon what you pursue as your >>> personal values. One says Gold, the other says Opera. >>> >>> Hi, Ray, >>> >>> Many, many thanks for this powerful analysis and poignant evocation of arts >>> in America. It helps me understand much about some things that have >>> puzzled me. >>> >>> I will shortly be living full-time in a very small and old mining town that >>> still has (revived) a vibrant opera theater. In its heyday, in attracted >>> all the great opera performers, which has always delighted but surprised >>> me. Now, I understand the phenomenon better. >>> >>> This small mining town nearly went belly-up when the mines shut down, but >>> beginning in the very early 70s revived with an influx form all over the >>> country of hippies, libertarians, communards, and intellectuals decided to >>> call it home. A robust arts sprung up, and is the foundation for a robust >>> political life, and cutting edge economic and technological investigations >>> and innovations. Wealth is being used actively to fund the artistic roles >>> you describe. >>> >>> Many thanks. I recognize this as an urgent call for action. >>> >>> To begin with, may I send this to the person who runs our opera theater >>> foundation? >>> >>> Cheers, >>> Lawry >>> >>> >>> On Jul 8, 2012, at 3:32 AM, Ray Harrell wrote: >>> >>> >>> In order to have discursivity in a language, I chose to use the word model >>> to describe what the human constructs and to use the word system to >>> represent what is "out there" that the human attempts to describe. This is >>> still an oversimplified version of things. John Warfield >>> >>> >>> >>> by Ray Evans Harrell copyright 2009 >>> >>> ARTISTIC ASSERTIONS >>> >>> For Papa John Warfield >>> >>> If: >>> we believe >>> we need to return >>> to a holistic human potential >>> in order to live >>> in the Information Economy >>> and that it must be based: >>> >>> >>> In the psycho-physical-intellectual >>> potentialities of the body, >>> and >>> in the saliency >>> of the environment we create >>> that will in turn create us; >>> >>> >>> Then: >>> >>> >>> The processes for >>> developing those potentialities >>> must be >>> the perceptions, (&) >>> the aesthetic communication >>> of the child. >>> >>> >>> Aesthetic discrimination >>> must grow the child's >>> physical/intellectual instrument >>> through developing and performing the Arts >>> that flow from every >>> perceptual category. >>> >>> >>> We must provide a central nexus, >>> an American Arts Center >>> within a Magic Circle of Technique >>> that organizes and evolves >>> perceptual development >>> in each community. >>> >>> >>> >>> BASED UPON: >>> >>> >>> PREPARATION >>> (instruction and practice) >>> >>> >>> PERFORMANCE >>> (audience dialogue) >>> >>> >>> REFLECTION >>> (critical judgment) >>> >>> >>> TEACHING >>> (sharing the knowledge with another student) >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> A MAGIC CIRCLE AMERICAN ARTS CENTER >>> should do these things: >>> >>> >>> Perform for and exhibit in the community. >>> Educate artists and amateurs. >>> Develop new works in all mediums. >>> Manage business strategy for innovation >>> and capital for future work. >>> Network in the community >>> in all cultural areas >>> for community and individual growth >>> and community prosperity. >>> Network regionally >>> and nationally >>> for economic efficiency. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> "IS THERE AN ARTISTIC PRECEDENT >>> FOR SUCH A CENTER?" >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> In the baroque era >>> it was the medium >>> of "opera" >>> an Italian term from >>> "service" >>> that created such >>> an *Artistic University. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> "WHY IS OPERA >>> THE BEST EQUIPPED >>> TO HANDLE >>> THIS ARTISTIC PROJECT?" >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> "IS NOT THIS ELITIST MEDIUM >>> THE PROPERTY OF THE ENTITLED, >>> AND THE SYMBOL OF >>> MONETARY FRIVOLITY >>> AND ECONOMIC SQUANDERING?" >>> >>> >>> >>> Not Historically. >>> >>> >>> Such a story is an invention >>> of an American economic class, >>> having little of significance >>> to do with Artistic History >>> or International Culture. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> "IF OPERA ISN'T AN ELITIST MEDIUM, THEN WHAT IS IT?" >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> It is the medium >>> that joins >>> all of the arts >>> in a work of theater. >>> >>> >>> >>> It is a "work" >>> ("opera", Italian word with roots in "service") >>> that involves the elements >>> of all artistic mediums >>> in creative ways >>> for the purpose of >>> community growth, >>> fulfillment >>> and pleasure. >>> >>> >>> It involves all of the principles of the elements of: >>> >>> >>> Music >>> Literature >>> Drama >>> Singing >>> Social and Artistic Dance >>> Improvisation >>> Physical and Musical Ensemble >>> Circus >>> Painting and Sculpture >>> Architecture >>> Lighting design >>> Audience Response >>> Company business >>> Individual and Company discipline >>> >>> >>> In all of the linguistic >>> >>> modes of society >>> from the Polite >>> to the Familiar >>> to the Vulgar, >>> the fertilizer >>> from which >>> springs all >>> creativity. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> "WHY HASN'T >>> AMERICA DEVELOPED >>> A MAGIC CIRCLE AMERICAN ARTS CENTER >>> BEFORE NOW?" >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> Actually there were an estimated >>> >>> 44,000 >>> >>> Opera Centers across America >>> before the Market boom-bust cycle >>> facilitated the crash >>> of those centers in 1929. >>> >>> >>> American business's response >>> was not to renew live performance >>> with it's requisite development >>> of community and individual excellence. >>> >>> Instead they used the catastrophe to promote >>> an economically productive mass entertainment >>> through cheap technology, >>> sold as "up to date" and "progressive." >>> In actuality the assumption of "better" >>> was a killer assumption >>> that killed America's developmental Arts >>> for the average American. >>> >>> Electrical amplification technology >>> provided the "coup de grace" >>> by making virtuosic technical development >>> in singing and acting superfluous. >>> >>> What arose was a new "naturalism" >>> evolved with a more casual and contracted energy >>> that reduced the generosity of both movement and sound >>> and ultimately the generosity of spirit. >>> >>> American Art became trapped >>> >>> in a frame that neither grew >>> >>> nor resonated, >>> >>> nor filled the theater's circle of attention. >>> >>> Resonance, >>> >>> the glory of the Opera House, >>> >>> became "harsh" to the new ears, >>> >>> "forced", "aggressive" and "unreal." >>> >>> Vocal Technique became "unnatural." >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> The lost focus of America's energy in the Arts >>> gave birth to a sociological alienation >>> >>> from the development of their psyches, >>> >>> their bodies and >>> >>> their spirits, >>> >>> >>> >>> The resultant desensitization >>> and impotence of the human body >>> aligned with aggression and allowed >>> >>> only a "competitive situation" >>> >>> a fight or an orgy. >>> >>> >>> As was said in Oklahoma: >>> "It's either hug 'um and kiss 'um >>> or >>> "Shoot 'um and kill 'um." >>> And still is today. >>> >>> It was the marketplace model >>> with it's ritual combat and invisible hand, >>> or actual warfare to prove one's self in battle. >>> >>> Create a product and destroy it >>> >>> thus creating the need immediately >>> >>> for another product. >>> >>> >>> Thus was the 20th century born >>> and in 1914 it began with a >>> War to end all Wars. >>> >>> >>> High personal ebullient energies >>> that before were considered friendly, >>> were replaced >>> with "cooling out". >>> >>> "Coolness under fire." >>> >>> >>> >>> A lack of feeling, empathy and sensitivity >>> >>> to the three Fires >>> >>> of growth, >>> >>> of harmony, >>> >>> of balance and acceptance, >>> >>> was controlled by >>> >>> >>> "chilling." >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> "Coolness" >>> >>> became a >>> frigid, tight, contracted experience >>> in American Art and then in society. >>> >>> Both Art and Society were >>> >>> encased in a ritual casualness >>> >>> as rigid as any pomp and majesty >>> >>> but with less personal power. >>> >>> >>> >>> Vulnerability, insecurity >>> >>> and >>> >>> a vague unknowable fear >>> >>> became the sensitive tools >>> >>> of both actor and lover. >>> >>> >>> 1929 >>> >>> saw the ancient taste for >>> >>> technical mastery, ritual process, >>> >>> quality of life and equal entitlement >>> relegated to the elite economic class >>> in an increasingly stratified society. >>> >>> >>> >>> "BUT WHY HAVE I NEVER HEARD OF THESE >>> AMERICAN OPERA CENTERS >>> BEFORE NOW?" >>> >>> >>> Because they were not called Opera Centers >>> at the time, they were called >>> "Opera Houses" and were locally run >>> with only a few networks. >>> >>> >>> Multi-use Houses were considered illegitimate, >>> since they didn't follow the "High Art" model >>> propagated by the new >>> >>> American Industrial Aristocracy. >>> >>> >>> "BUT DID THESE OPERA HOUSES >>> REALLY PERFORM OPERA >>> AND IF SO HOW DOES THAT COMPARE >>> TO THE PRESENT?" >>> >>> >>> Today >>> America has >>> 119* >>> Professional Opera Companies >>> >>> (*Opera America). >>> >>> Today >>> 22% of America's >>> Professional opera houses have >>> 6 or less performances a year >>> >>> >>> Today >>> 43% of American >>> Professional opera houses >>> have less than 15 performances a year. >>> >>> Per Capita >>> they perform >>> 18.8 performances >>> per year. >>> >>> The per capita income >>> for all opera personnel is $22,893 >>> less by $17,000 than an average >>> New York Church organist and >>> $47,102 less than a starting >>> Cantorial salary >>> >>> in a New York Synagogue. >>> >>> >>> 1900 >>> >>> Of the estimated 44,000 >>> Opera Houses in America >>> many had seasons longer >>> than America's major houses today. >>> >>> >>> If each Opera house in 1900 >>> performed one opera a year >>> they would have performed >>> 44,000 operas a year. >>> >>> >>> If the ratios are the same >>> in number of performances >>> from 1900 vs. 2006 >>> and the 44,000 >>> had per capita performances of 18.8 >>> (like 2006) >>> then there were 827,200 >>> operatic performances in 1900 in the US. >>> >>> >>> The population of America >>> in 1900 >>> was 76,212,168. >>> Less that one third of today's population. >>> >>> >>> With a minimum cast of twenty >>> and probably double that, >>> and less than a third of today's customers >>> there were sixteen and a half million jobs >>> for musical artists in 1900. >>> >>> >>> Of course it was much more >>> in the America at the end >>> of the Frontier days and >>> the beginning of modern society. >>> >>> The best of >>> >>> "American" operatic culture today >>> is the Metropolitan Opera >>> with 11 Italian operas, >>> 3 French, >>> 9 German, >>> 3 Russian, >>> 1 Czeck, >>> 1 English translated Czeck Opera >>> No American Music. >>> >>> In New York City there is one major orchestra >>> >>> and two opera house orchestras. >>> >>> In London there are ten times as many >>> >>> major orchestras as in New York. >>> >>> >>> >>> In Germany, after World War II >>> >>> (to defeat the Russians in the Cold War,) >>> >>> the American OSS and CIA >>> >>> funded the current orchestras, opera houses >>> >>> and a major contemporary music festival. >>> >>> >>> >>> At the same time in America >>> >>> There was no National public funding at all >>> >>> for complex culture >>> >>> or virtuosic Art. >>> >>> Today >>> >>> >>> >>> "Opera America" >>> (the professional opera association) >>> lists 166 composers >>> with works in progress in America. >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> Where will these wonderful >>> composers speaking >>> for the soul of America >>> be heard? >>> >>> >>> >>> In China >>> (a non-western culture) >>> the government supports >>> with salaries and education >>> 100 composers >>> chosen from all of china >>> the best are performed >>> at >>> the Metropolitan Opera >>> >>> >>> This year >>> >>> >>> >>> America's major vocal composer >>> >>> Ned Rorem >>> >>> will debut his new opera "Our Town" >>> in New York City >>> >>> At a school sung by students. >>> >>> >>> >>> While across the plaza are >>> >>> new works funded by >>> >>> The People's Republic of China >>> >>> and >>> >>> Old works sung in Russian >>> >>> by the artists trained and developed >>> >>> in the Soviet Union. >>> >>> >>> The Arts have recently led the way >>> >>> in downsizing, outsourcing >>> >>> and the hiring of recent immigrants. >>> >>> But it was not always that way. >>> >>> >>> >>> World War II >>> >>> Was a bonanza for American Art >>> >>> and produced a whole generation >>> >>> of great American Artists >>> >>> because the foreign artists were >>> >>> not available. >>> >>> >>> >>> After the catastrophe of 1929 >>> >>> only the horror of World War II >>> >>> and the death camps >>> >>> kept America away from their >>> >>> foreign artists. >>> >>> But it was not always that way. >>> >>> . >>> >>> . >>> >>> . >>> >>> In 1900 there were 1,300 opera houses >>> >>> in the farm state of Iowa. >>> >>> >>> >>> "BUT HOW DID WE ACHIEVE THIS EARLY ARTISTIC SOCIETY?" >>> (Charles Ives called it an "artistic paradise".) >>> >>> >>> It came >>> with the cultural sophistication >>> of the immigrant peasants >>> of the Aristocracy in Europe and >>> the strong psycho-physical >>> tendencies of American Indians. >>> >>> >>> The Aristocrats >>> valued >>> educated >>> servants. >>> >>> >>> The same was true >>> of the house slaves >>> in Louisiana >>> who had a place >>> at the Opera >>> for them to sit. >>> >>> >>> They were the servants >>> who were public >>> and >>> represented their owners >>> and employers. >>> >>> >>> Just because the peasants >>> were tailors and workmen >>> does not mean >>> that they weren't knowledgeable >>> about the theater, opera, literature >>> and the latest technology. >>> >>> >>> American Indians were >>> trained in the perceptual arts >>> from birth >>> as a matter of spirituality. >>> They created Art like they breathed. >>> >>> >>> >>> The first American Indian >>> >>> to sing at the Metropolitan Opera >>> >>> was >>> >>> in the 1920s. >>> >>> >>> Indians, peasants and slaves >>> were the workers >>> and workers >>> are always smarter >>> than they are given credit. >>> >>> >>> At least they were >>> until American society >>> evolved into the 20th century, >>> the century of death. >>> >>> >>> In the 1860s >>> miners in Colorado revolted >>> when cheated out of a portion >>> of La Sonnambula they threatened >>> to shoot the producers. >>> >>> >>> But it was to be the overly intellectual >>> visually dominant >>> literacy bound and >>> technologically addicted >>> who were the winners >>> in the battle for the 20th century >>> >>> >>> Hundreds of millions of people >>> died in the modern world >>> of the 20th century, >>> without shame and >>> with little notice. >>> >>> >>> Bodies flowed >>> in the rivers of the world >>> like logs, >>> gathering in the foam >>> at the bottoms of water falls >>> in a grotesque naturalness. >>> >>> >>> Between 1940 and 45, >>> 90 million people died >>> in the flowering of the new >>> entitlement on the death >>> of the Aristocracy. >>> >>> >>> Ten years later in Oklahoma, >>> in the backwater >>> parts of America, >>> the roughnecks and miners >>> still maintained the old >>> dream of Truth and Beauty >>> lost in the cold new world >>> of endless war. >>> >>> >>> That was the tradition >>> that I learned as a child. >>> >>> In the Quapaw Nation >>> My Master's teacher >>> trained at Juilliard at the feet of >>> Leopold Godowsky, >>> Ernest Hutcheson and >>> Karl Friedberg. >>> >>> >>> >>> Ray Evans Harrell 2005 rev. 2009 >>> >>> *Artistic University: A termed coined, by Johann Mattheson, the Baroque >>> composer/theorition and teacher of Handel, as a description of the new >>> "Operatic Form" that came from the Florentine group that gave us Opera, >>> Astronomy and modern Acoustics >>> >>> REH >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Futurework mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> https://lists.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> Futurework mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> https://lists.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework >> >> > _______________________________________________ > Futurework mailing list > [email protected] > https://lists.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework _______________________________________________ Futurework mailing list [email protected] https://lists.uwaterloo.ca/mailman/listinfo/futurework
