In preparation for the 250th anniversary of Johann Sebastian Bach’s death, the Nederlands Choir of the Bach Association and the Solo Ensemble Cappella Figuralis perform pieces by the composer and other members of his family (Johann Ludwig, Johann Michael, Johann Christoph and their musical forbear, plain old Johann) in an ancient and beautiful church. Hear [...]
Entries from December 2008
December 23, 2008
Swimming Pool
Mid-summer in Florence is invariably hot and sticky, and one of the best ways to cool off is to head to one of the public swimming pools. The nicest and cleanest of these is Le Pavonniere in the Cascine park, an oasis of green on the north bank of the Arno. Not great for doing [...]
December 15, 2008
Missing Voices
Janet Cardiff’s sound piece begins brilliantly. You pick up the tape from the desk and, switching it on, hear the librarian answer the phone; it was recorded in situ. A woman’s voice directs you to a book in the crime section; she reads a passage about being followed that ends with a spine-chilling scream. Next [...]
December 11, 2008
Cildo Meireles
Among the foremost Brazilian artists of his generation, Cildo Meireles has been a leading light of the ‘neo-concretist’ movement that emerged among Latin American artists in the 1970s, when the continent was pretty much wall-to-wall dictatorships. The experience of making art in conditions of repression is communicated in the most visceral, yet formally nuanced terms [...]
December 8, 2008
Les Fêtes de Nuit de Versailles
The dazzling sound and light spectacular in the gardens of Versailles attempts to recreate the spirit of the lavish court pageants given by Louis XIV. Costumed actors and dancer perform a six-act ‘entertainment’ unimaginatively described as ‘Four dreams, one reality and a final’, against a background of fireworks, music and – most importantly – Le [...]
December 4, 2008
Issey Miyake Making Things
Without doubt Japan’s most internationally celebrated designer, Issey Miyake returns home with this travelling exhibition that’s already been seen in New York. Miyake’s fascination with colour and texture shines through many of the large-scale exhibits on show here, some of which have been specially created for Tokyo. The fact that he’s showing in an art [...]
