Martin Gayford: “At the very least, this is a product of Goya’s imaginative world; [Asensio] Julia may have taken his inspiration from his master’s work. It is still a powerful image. The works of all manner of artists, from Rubens to Jeff Koons, were actually executed by assistants anyway.”
Author: Matthew Westphal
Glass’s Akhnaten A Major Hit In Atlanta
“Friday evening, with Philip Glass’ 1984 minimalist masterpiece Akhnaten, the Atlanta Opera proved its supposedly conservative audience is willing to enter the late 20th century. It was the hottest ticket of the season, with sold out performances and great acclaim at evening’s end.”
Yahoo! Buzz Heads To TV
The new show, co-produced with Twentieth Television, “will use Yahoo!’s search engine to identify the top ten things for which people are searching at the time and then expands on those topics. Such a service already exists on Yahoo!’s home page.”
Lynyrd Skynyrd Keyboardist Billy Powell Dies At 56
Powell, who went from roadie with the band to being one of its stars, was found dead at his Florida home of an apparent heart attack, not long after he called 911 complaining of difficulty breathing.
Cleveland Critic Drops All But One Claim From Lawsuit
Donald Rosenberg, the Plain Dealer writer who was reassigned away from reviewing the Cleveland Orchestra last fall, has abandoned charges “that the newspaper defamed him, breached public policy and broke promises he had relied on,” leaving only a claim of age discrimination. (His claims against the Orchestra’s parent body remain unchanged.)
Another Miami-Dade County Arts Center With Troubles
The South Miami-Dade Cultural Center – which will have a 966-seat theater with orchestra pit, offices and an outdoor plaza, all designed by Arquitectonica – is now $2.3 million over budget and 431 days behind schedule, according to Miami-Dade County’s Inspector General.
NY City Ballet Spring Season Features Millepied Premiere, Balanchine’s Dream
“The George Balanchine ballets Coppélia and A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Peter Martins’s Romeo and Juliet will be among the highlights of the New York City Ballet’s spring season… The lineup will also include world premieres of works by Benjamin Millepied, a principal dancer with City Ballet, and Jiri Bubenicek, a principal dancer with the Dresden SemperOper Ballet.”
Despite California Museums’ Problems, Architecture/Design Depts. Are Keepin’ On
MOCA in L.A., which just survived a near-death experience, is going ahead with three planned design exhibitions on site and two installations at a satellite location. SFMOMA’s department is on “an acquisitions spree.” And the Getty Research Institute has just established an architecture/design department.
Nora Kovach, 77, First Of Famous Eastern Bloc Ballet Defectors
She was “a fiery Hungarian ballerina who caused a sensation in 1953 with Istvan Rabovsky, her ballet partner and first husband, when they became the first highly publicized dance defectors to the West from the Soviet bloc.”
Lyric Opera Of Chicago, Ever Conservative, Weathers Downturn In Good Shape
The company has had to make no changes in its schedule for this season or next, thanks to “built-in buffers against any further economic weakening.” General director William Mason, “who has been criticized for putting on ultrasafe, conservative opera seasons that avoid adventurous initiatives, may be excused for having the last laugh.”