“Simon Rattle conducted a rehearsal of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra on Tuesday for the first time since a large fire two weeks ago at the orchestra’s home… The roof [of the Philharmonie, which was damaged in the fire,] has now been temporarily repaired and will be fully restored by the end of the year.”
Month: June 2008
Babylon Ruins Threatened By Coalition Forces
As American troops invaded Iraq in 2003, one of the places they chose to erect a military base was within the ancient city of Babylon, and archaeologists say that significant damage has been done to the 5,000-year-old ruins in the five years since. “Leading archaeologists… have launched efforts to protect the site from further damage and resume archaeological research.”
Vandals Prepare To Face The Road Less Traveled By
“Call it poetic justice: More than two dozen young people who broke into Robert Frost’s former home for a beer party and trashed the place are being required to take classes in his poetry as part of their punishment.”
Big Cuts Coming At Borders
“Borders Group Inc. says it is cutting nearly 275 corporate positions as part of a plan announced last week by the nation’s second-largest bookseller to reduce annual expenses by $120 million… The cuts represent about 20 percent of its corporate jobs, but less than 1 percent of its total work force.”
Industry Has A Sharp Eye On Kindle’s Growth
Is the eBook finally on the public radar in a significant way? The early sales stats for Amazon’s Kindle reader would seem to indicate that it is. “Publishers are certainly beginning to take note of the Kindle’s rise, and of the implications of this with respect to Amazon’s monopoly on the distribution of ebooks.”
Boozing In The Wings: The Unspoken Scandal
“Substance abuse among concert musicians has been going on for decades but has been kept under wraps… Between 25 and 30 per cent of musicians regularly take tablets or alcohol to combat performance anxiety,” according to one expert. So how widespread is the problem, and are there solutions?
Mimi Gates’ Seattle Legacy
“During her tenure, SAM’s endowment grew from $24.5 million to $113 million, and membership increased from 23,000 to 40,000. SAM now attracts more than a million visitors a year, which is more than a tenfold increase since she joined the museum. She also opened the museum’s first conservation studio. Besides last year’s debut of the sculpture park on reclaimed industrial land, SAM reopened downtown with 70 percent more exhibition space and the potential to continue growing eight floors into the future.”
At The Livent Trial: Accountant Alleges Coverup
“A former Livent accountant insists that theatre impresario Garth Drabinsky ordered him and newly hired finance executive to make sure outside auditors checking the company’s books for a U.S. buyer didn’t find any evidence of fraud.”
Dubai Sets Itself As A Music Center (For A Price)
“The music boom fits in with the Dubai ruler’s ambitious plans to make the city attractive for the rich and famous, and to fuel mass tourism. Glitzy top-level sports, like March’s Dubai Tennis Championship, are another factor. Artists who perform in Dubai expect to earn ‘twice as much’ as they do in the United States or Europe.”
Muti In Chicago: “Judge Me By The Music”
“Before an election, a politician will make a lot of promises — ‘I will do this, I will do that, I will reduce taxes.’ A musician is judged not by the words or the promises, but by the facts of the music that he makes.”