“In his five years with the Berlin Philharmonic, Simon Rattle has grappled with conservative critics and the language barrier… What he is attempting is to have it both ways: to open Berlin up as an orchestra in terms of its repertoire and its relationship with the city, and develop the ensemble as the definitive orchestra in the core German tradition. It’s not something you can do in five years, or even 10: it’s a project that could last Rattle the rest of his musical life.”
Author: sbergman
Kids Tuning In To Classical
Classical music’s constantly predicted death may be limited to the baby boom generation, if radio listening numbers coming out of the UK are to be believed. According to reports, Classic FM is seeing large numbers of kids under 15 tuning to their station.
Pops Brawl Started Over Talking
The fistfight that erupted at the Boston Pops this week has made headlines all over the world, and now comes word that the fracas erupted after one concertgoer began tapping another in an effort to get him to stop talking during the music. The talker proceeded to coldcock the complainer.
Muti To Headline Lebanon Summer Fest
“Italian conductor Riccardo Muti is to launch a season of summer festivals in Lebanon that were scrapped last year because of the Israel-Hezbollah war… Last year, all four festivals were cancelled after Israel launched on July 12 a massive military offensive. The Israeli onslaught destroyed much of Lebanon’s infrastructure and sent foreigners fleeing from the country which had been expecting a record year in tourism revenues.”
O’Connor Letters To Finally Be Unsealed
“In an event highly anticipated by [Flannery] O’Connor scholars and fans, her nearly 300 letters to [close friend Betty Hester] will be opened to the public Saturday at Emory University, where, at Hester’s request, they have been kept under seal for 20 years. The archive is expected to reveal much about the nature of their relationship, as well as O’Connor’s attitudes about subjects from civil rights to homosexuality.”
SF Ballet To Celebrate 75
San Francisco Ballet has unveiled plans for its 75th anniversary season, and the year will include no fewer than ten world premieres, as well as “an international tribute to the company with visits by the New York City Ballet, the National Ballet of Canada and Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo.”
Munch Painting Returned After 60 Years
“Austria yesterday returned a painting by Edvard Munch, called Summer Night on the Beach, to Marina Fistoulari-Mahler, the granddaughter of composer Gustav Mahler, ending a 60-year legal battle.”
Another Day, Another Smithsonian Scandal
The Smithsonian has been ordered to reinstate a fired whistle-blower, after a federal panel determined that he had been dismissed in retaliation for going public with information about the misuse of museum facilities.The allegations were later substantiated by the Smithsonian’s inspector general.
Hard To Believe Canadians Didn’t Want To Watch It
“A war of words has erupted between the American producer and the Canadian distributor of Karla after the controversial feature film about [infamous Canadian torturer/murderer] Karla Homolka failed to turn a profit at the box office and had its DVD release delayed by more than a year because of resistance from video distributors.”
Final Proof That Too Much TV Is Bad For You?
“A new study finds a strong correlation between high levels of television watching and learning problems in teenagers. The survey, which followed 700 families for 19 years, is being seen as a major revelation in what has often been a contentious debate.”