Author: Matthew Westphal

Italy And France Kiss And Make Up Over Leonardo’s 500th Anniversary

Last fall, the culture ministry of Italy’s new populist government took exception to the Louvre’s plan to assemble an unprecedented number of da Vinci’s paintings for a major quincentennial show this fall. A ministry official accused the Louvre of “[leaving] Italy on the margins of a major cultural event” when “Leonardo is Italian; he only died in France” and cancelled all loans from Italy for the event. But, after a meeting last week, differences have been ironed out and the Louvre show will proceed as planned. – Hyperallergic

Gender-Switched ‘Company’ And ‘Come From Away’ Lead Olivier Award Noms

Come From Away, a Broadway transfer about the Newfoundlanders who welcomed grounded airlines on 9/11, and director Marianne Elliott’s revival of the Sondheim musical Company with the commitment-shy lead Bobby changed to Bobbie, each received nine nods. Leading the play category with eight nods is The Inheritance, a seven-hour epic about a group of gay men in New York. Among the many notable acting nominees is Ian McKellen, who could receive a record sixth Olivier for his King Lear. – The Guardian

Did Wagner Exploit King Ludwig?

In Luchino Visconti’s magnificent four-hour film Ludwig, the king is ingeniously cast as an embodiment of the Wagnerian pariah. Is the film a credible re-enactment of history? In writing about Visconti’s mega bio-pic for the current Wagner Journal, I felt the need to narrate my own version of events. – Joe Horowitz

Michael Tilson Thomas And The Vienna Philharmonic — Weird Mismatch Or Genius Combo?

Orchestral music’s Mr. Maverick and the very avatar of Austro-German symphonic tradition are touring together, playing Mahler (on which they each have longstanding opinions and practices) and Charles Ives (which MTT says the Viennese players are really picking up). David Patrick Stearns talks with the conductor about how he and the Philharmoniker are getting on. – WQXR (New York City)

Dance Companies Have Started Sharing Programs, Commissions, And Sometimes Even Dancers

“In what seems to be a growing trend, regional companies are coming together to share stages and expand their audiences. These team-ups often go beyond split bills, with companies swapping choreographers and performing at least one joint work. While the logistics of co-presentations can be complicated — with more dancers to schedule, budgets to balance and creative visions to blend — the benefits can range from bigger box-office returns to lasting relationships for the artists.” – Dance Magazine