“The Archbishop of Westminster has urged the National Gallery to give up a Renaissance masterpiece, calling it ‘a work of faith’ rather than art. Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor says that The Baptism of Christ, painted by Piero della Francesca in the 1450s should be in Westminster Cathedral. … The painting has been in the gallery’s collection since 1861.”
Author: Laura Collins Hughes
Royal Academy’s Russian Show, Nearly Scuttled, Was A Hit
“An art exhibition which was threatened by a row between the UK and Russia became one of the Royal Academy of Art’s most successful exhibitions. Almost 400,000 people visited From Russia when it opened at the London venue earlier this year. The exhibition was almost scrapped over Russian authorities’ fears the art could be seized while on British soil.”
Classical Music Improv: Not An Oxymoron!
“The art of improvisation, long dormant in classical music, is undergoing a revival in concert halls, conservatories and recording studios. A handful of performers say they’re restoring a lost tradition that stretches back to Bach, Mozart and Beethoven — composer-performers and improvisers whose impromptu creations were almost as celebrated as their written masterpieces.”
Old Masters As Old Reliables? London Sales Will Tell.
“Old masters, which are expected to weather the current market downturn better than contemporary art, are the focus of London auctions next week. The hype that caused the run-up in prices for contemporary works passed by this traditionally more stable sector.”
Disputed Mexican Art Collection Goes Into Hiding
“Somewhere a great collection of 20th-century Mexican art has been hidden. The works, by Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco and their contemporaries have been removed from a museum in Cuernavaca, about an hour south of [Mexico City], until further notice as a legal battle unfolds over the collection’s rightful ownership.”
Playwright William Gibson Dies At 94
“William Gibson, 94, a Tony Award-winning playwright best known for “The Miracle Worker,” the inspirational story of Helen Keller and her teacher, Annie Sullivan, died Nov. 25 at his home in Stockbridge, Mass. … Mr. Gibson, whose work appeared on Broadway for five decades, was known for the demanding roles he wrote for women.”
Dismal Russian Art Auctions Find Metaphor: A £10 Painting
“Christie’s International sold for 10 pounds ($15.40) an artwork earmarked to fetch 2,000 pounds at its auction of Russian art in London, summing up the mood at yesterday’s sale which missed the low forecast by almost half. Nikita Lobanov-Rostovsky’s hand shot up when [the] auctioneer … gestured toward the piece ‘Troika Leaving the Farmstead’ and asked, ‘Will anyone give me 10 pounds?'”
Troubled B’way Courts Audience Via Thanksgiving Parade
“Broadway went from ‘In the Heights’ to ‘Under the Sea’ in front of the entrance of Macy’s in New York, as the city’s beleaguered theater industry sought to sell itself to a national audience. After a grim two months in which 11 Broadway shows closed or announced their intention to close, producers looked to Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to jumpstart the survivors.”
Contract Standoff May Derail La Scala’s Opening Night
“The FIALS union, representing almost half of La Scala’s orchestra and choir members, is rejecting contracts accepted by about 90 percent of the company’s employees in October, and is seeking a bigger share of the opera house’s earnings from broadcasting. Management refuses to negotiate further.”
Gerald Schoenfeld, Broadway Titan, Dies At 84
“Gerald Schoenfeld, the longtime leader of the theatre-owning powerhouse known as the Shubert Organization and a man routinely referred to as the most powerful man on Broadway, died Nov. 25.”