Give me an 'A'! Give me an 'R'! Give me a 'T'!

Is American arts journalism "shackled by civic responsibility"? Brit Norman Lebrecht argues that our critics fail to challenge artistic institutions because we have so few of them, and no one wants to be responsible for shutting down the show. He says the fiercely competetive British papers produce criticism that is more vital and daring because not only are there more symphonies and museums in London, there are more papers competing with one another.

The tone in US arts coverage is uniformly respectful, uninquiring, inherently supportive. When the boss of Covent Garden takes an early bath, British papers roll out weeks of investigation, gossip and analysis. When the head of the Met decides (or is obliged) to step down, as Joseph Volpe did some weeks ago, he does so in a friendly interview with the New York Times which does not once inquire whether Volpe quit because he's pushing 65 or because his box-office has gone dead since 9/11.

I know the tone he's talking about. And the sad thing is that unquestioned reverence will only insure the demise of these institutions as the public comes to think of classical music, painting, and theater as stale props.

Posted by harry at April 9, 2004 7:12 AM | TrackBack