This year's Pulitzer Prize for music has caused a major flap in composers' circles. Wayne Peterson received the prize for his symphonic work, "The Face of the Night, the Heart of the Dark." In choosing him, the Pulitzer board overruled the recommendation of the nominating jury, composed of prestigious composers, who had unanimously recommended controversial Chicago composer, Ralph Shapey.
Shapey's work is not popular with casual music listeners, who find it abstract, harsh and unmelodic, and often walk out on his performances. To his fans, his work is thrilling in its adventurousness and dissonance.The nominating jury, with previous Pulitzer winning composer George Perle as chairman, protested the lack of communication. They named Peterson only after being requested to make other nominations, and had no idea he would be the winner. "If anyone would have consulted us, we would have refused to revise our judgments," said Perle.
Another prominent Chicago composer and last year's Pulitzer winner, Shulamit Ran, said she was "startled" at the turn of events. "Shapey deserved to win the Pulitzer not only this time, but a long time ago," said Ran. "He's considered one of the most important composers here and elsewhere in the United States."
- A MAJORITY OF AMERICANS believe that federal tax dollars should be spent on the arts, but they think the federal government should stay out of an artist's creative business, according to a new survey commissioned by a coalition of private and public arts groups.
The poll, "Americans and the Arts VI," was recently released amid renewed efforts in Congress to curb federal arts funding.
But despite the sharp criticism directed at the National Endowment for the Arts by conservatives like Sen. Jesse Helms, R-N.C., and Republican presidential candidate Pat Buchanan, most Americans back creative freedom for artists receiving federal dollars, said pollster Louis Harris. "To put it in the vernacular, the public is saying, `Get government off the back of the artist,' " said Harris.
The survey found that 60 percent of Americans support federal funding of the arts, while 37 percent opposed it. Despite the economic recession, Harris said a majority of Americans would support an annual tax increase that was spent on the arts.
Sixty-nine percent said they would favor paying $5 more a year in taxes for art and cultural activities, while 63 percent would pay a $10 tax and 56 percent supported a $15 tax. Per capita tax dollars currently going to federal arts funding amount to $1.40 a year.
More than eight out of ten people described the arts as helpful to a child's education. Sixty-seven percent said that they believed the arts were as important as learning history or geography, 60 percent as important as math and science, and 53 percent believed the arts were on a par with learning to read and write well.