Armchair culture for all tastes
OPERA
New York's Met Opera is internationally recognised as one of the world's best performing arts centres.
It is temporarily closed but it is offering free streaming of its past performances featuring famous divas and tenors who have graced the Met stage.To view the schedule of performances, just head to their website. www. metopera.org
The Opéra National de Paris also has some opera and ballet on video which can be watchd for free. www.operadeparis.fr COMEDY
The Stand Edinburgh streamed some live comedy (without an audience) on their YouTube channel, although it is not clear whether that can continue. Keep an eye on their website for any information www.thestand.co.uk MUSIC TO YOUR EARS
The Rotterdam Philharmonic has recorded Beethoven’s 9th Symphony (Ode to Joy) and broadcast it on their YouTube channel. It looks as though they used Zoom - which is everyone’s new favourite app - and it is just brilliant. Well worth a listen. We do hope that the RSNO rise to the challenge.
www.youtube/3eXT60rbBVk
MUSEUMS AND ART GALLERIES There are 2,500 museums which you can visit without leaving home. The virtual tours will no doubt be a welcome alternative to flipping through the TV channels (although we have some ideas on that too).
artsandculture.google.com is the web address you need to access these delights across the world. We have three suggestions for you:
The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fé is one of my absolute favourites. She is one of the most important 20th century artists with the dramatic flowers and
New Mexico landscapes featuring alongside images of bones and skulls against the desert sky.
O’Keeffe married her art dealer, Alfred Stieglitz, who was also a renowned photographer. They left the skyscrapers of New York behind (which she also painted) to live in New Mexico where she died aged 98 in 1986.
National Palace Museum Taipei allows you to ‘walk’ through their vast collection. Find the Jadeite Cabbage which is one of their most important exhibits as well as the meat-shaped stone (yes honestly it looks like a piece of meat!)
“At first glance, the meat-shaped piece of stone looks like a luscious, mouth-watering piece of Dongpo pork. Made from banded jasper, it is a naturally occurring stone that accumulates in layers over many years.” Also do explore the Ju Ware - ceramic bowls and cups which date from the Northern Song dynasty in the late 11th century.
The Scottish National Portrait Gallery is also online for you to enjoy. There is a wonderful photograph of skating on Duddingston Loch by John Patrick dating from 1900. And of course there are several photographs by pioneers David Octavius Hill and Robert Adamson from 1845. Funnily enough little has changed at The Scott Monument since then.
The National Museum of Scotland
At NMS they have a selection of online games to entertain children and a playlist from their YouTube channel which features stories from their collection. They suggest taking a look at their blog where the curators (who really do know everything) and collection services teams write about the exhibitions and objects on display in Chambers Street. nms.ac.uk
We can only imagine that by this time the Tyrannosaurs are actually ruling the roost at the museum . . .