The Balkan country that's becoming the new Hollywood
Have you thought about Schoenberg recently?
Good morning,
Instead of getting the Christmas carols on and having a holly jolly time, why not pop on String Quartet No.2 by Schoenberg and sink into its atonal embrace? Because it’s a deeply unsettling experience, that’s why.
In a review of Schoenberg: Why He Matters by Harvey Sachs, Anthony Tommasani (we’re getting meta here, reviewing a review) makes the case for the ‘challenging’ composer. Whilst the works of Picasso, Joyce and Elliot, which were all a bit mad and of the same era, are still revered today, most people who have experienced Schoenberg through GCSE music or other wrinkle their noses, at the mere mention of his name. There’s a lot more nodding along sagely to the others.
Ultimately, there’s something more visceral about music. A book you don’t get is boring, you can’t escape grating sounds, and chromaticism is a lot for the old ears. Great for creating an air of unease and suspense in a film, not so great for unwinding on a Saturday afternoon.
Anyway, Christmas is the most mainstream time of the year and that’s how it's meant to be enjoyed. There’s a format, let’s stick to it.
Winter kept us warm,
Hugo
Chief Tonality Officer
The Business of Stuff
The Stuff
Changyu wine company set to become the biggest in the world 🍷 - the largest producer is current Moet & Chandon (pick your pronunciation) but the Chinese producer, whose wine is sold in Selfridges has increased its value by a third in the past year. Chinese consumption of wine has increased dramatically and is set to overtake American drinkers by the end of the decade.
Metrobank to review its operating model 🏦 - it put all their chips on people wanting a branch to walk into, but post-pandemic most people have figured internet banking and so their large footprint has just become a liability. It is going to review whether it needs to open seven days a week and is likely to let up to 20% of its employees go.
Saudi’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) to buy a stake in Heathrow ✈️ - Spanish infrastructure firm Ferrovial is selling its 25% share in the airport to PIF and a private equity firm called Ardian for £2.37bn. Every time I’ve gone to T5 it's been pure chaos except when I got to go to the BA lounge, which was super exciting. The other terminals are like the olden days.
Inside the relationship between OpenAI and Microsoft 🤝 - it’s been a while since Microsoft have been at the cutting edge of technology and their positioning in the AI race is largely thanks to their investment in OpenAI. There’s a big old read in the New Yorker about how this relationship developed and the subsequent turmoil over the past couple of weeks.
Serbia is becoming a hotbed of film and television production 🇷🇸 - a heady mix of tax rebates and a growing number of professionals is drawing a lot of film production to the Balkan state. All the Glass Onion indoors shots were filmed there dontcha’ know. There has been a 39% increase in the number of people employed in film and cinema since 2019.
Messi’s jerseys are expected to sell for more than $10million ⚽ - the set of six shirts worn at the 2022 World Cup has already drawn a bid of $5.2million and doesn’t end until December 14th, so if you fancy some sweaty tops and are of a small stature then get your bids in.
The race is on to protect the world’s banana supply chain from fungi 🍌 - the Cavendish is the world’s most consumed banana due to its hardiness and ability to travel, but it is under serious threat by a fungi known as TR4. Almost 8000 acres are currently under quarantine in Colombia. A number of gene editing plans are in the works to solve the existential threat.
Waterstones CEO James Daunt is considering an IPO 📚 - the plucky bookshop seems to have survived the onslaught of the internet and Amazon, although this is quite possibly as they have filled the gap left by all the independent bookshops that have shut. They currently have 320 stores and continue to open about ten a year.
Gary Lineker is taking over everyone’s ears 👂 - 2023 has been the year of The Rest is…. The footballer’s podcasting company Goalhanger Productions claims to get 17.5m downloads a month across its stable of podcasts. It’s a lucrative business for the presenters who take home a third of the podcast revenue. The latest addition came out this week - The Rest is Entertainment with Marina Hyde and Richard Osman.
Meta to enforce a ban on AI-powered political ads 🖥️ - people are pretty anxious about the US and UK elections next year given that misinformation was pretty bad in 2016, as it was before all this AI stuff happened. Meta who have one hell of a job (and some would argue responsibility) across Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp are trying to get on the front foot by banning all AI-powered political advertising.
Quote of the week
“I always wanted to be somebody, now I realise I should have been more specific” - Lily Tomlin