My close friend’s brother is an art handler for NYC’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. He’s described to me the great care that is taken to preserve centuries-old works–the many hands artworks must pass through as they are transferred; the expertise and expense that go into restoring them; how moving and hanging requires a balance of delicacy and strength; what security entails. The monetary values of the paintings themselves immediately explain this ceremony, although I do believe that artworks retain cultural value independent of their selling prices at Sotheby’s. A ballet like Swan Lake, which was originally created in the late 19th century to Tchaikovsky’s four-act score, is a matter of similar intricacies and heft. While its value is not as clear cut and certainly less publicized than that of a single painting, those who continue to produce, perform in, and patronize various stagings of Swan Lake collectively defend its preservation. I attended Los Angeles Ballet’s production Friday evening at UCLA’s Royce Hall. The company borrowed its palatial sets and wardrobe from the Oregon Ballet; they were originally Pacific Northwest Ballet’s, dating back to 1981. Nevertheless, this particular ballet seems to be a thing of the moment. Other Swan Lakes […]
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