Vocalist.org archive


From:  Karen Mercedes <dalila@R...>
Date:  Sun Feb 16, 2003  8:49 pm
Subject:  Re: [vocalist] dead or alive

I don't think "dead or alive" is a matter of financial viability. I think
it's a matter of any kind of viability. Very few of the less "popular"
arts are self-sustaining - without grants from charitable organisations
and the government, it's likely we'd have little or no live classical
music, ballet, or opera in this country.

Here are some performing art forms I consider well and truly "dead", at
least in the West - that is, if they are undertaken at all these days,
it's in extremely rare, esoteric one-time performances:

Liturgical dance

Mystery and morality plays

Chanted poetry recitations to the lyre

New wave


Disco, on the other hand, seems to have been resurrected. Go figure.


In addition, there is one art form that is pretty much "dead" when it
comes to new examples being created - vs. old examples being revived:
operetta.



Karen Mercedes
http://www.radix.net/~dalila/index.html
________________________________
Modern methods of production have given us
the possibility of ease and security for
all; we have chosen, instead, to have over-
work for some and starvation for the others.
- Bertrand Russell, IN PRAISE OF IDLENESS




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