An Italian culture ministry lawyer says talks between his government and the Metropolitan Museum on disputed artifacts have soured. ” ‘I’m very worried,’ said Maurizio Fiorilli, a ministry lawyer involved in the talks, saying the Met’s lawyers are demanding excessive proof that the objects were stolen. The Met said it doesn’t see any snag in the talks and expects to send Italy a proposal for a settlement next week.”
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Video Artist Paik Nam-june, 74
“Paik completed degrees in music and aesthetics in Japan before pursuing graduate work in philosophy. Some of his experiments were in radio and television, and he is thought to have coined the terms ‘information superhighway’ and ‘the future is now’.”
Behind The Scenes Of Oprah’s Frey Prosecution
Oprah’s takedown of James Frey last week on live television was a moment of high TV drama. Oprah was angry. And yet, there were questions about why she waited so long. “After the lights went down, Oprah said goodbye to Talese with a warm embrace. Publishers, who owe so much to Oprah, are hoping she’ll remember her show’s second credo: learn how to forgive.”
The People Without Music
“Research has shown that some people, termed ‘amusic’, can neither produce nor perceive music. It isn’t a problem of the ears – they can understand other sounds perfectly well – but when it comes to music, all tunes sound the same. It’s no surprise, then, that music, which tends to move in small steps, is literally ‘lost’ on them. Though most amusia sufferers find listening to music pointless, some even find it annoying and unpleasant.”
Detroit Museum Takes Disputed Painting Out Of Storage
The Detroit Institute of Art has filed suit to keep a disputed Van Gogh painting that a family claims was stolen from them by the Nazis in World War II. “In the wake of the publicity surrounding the controversy, the museum took ‘The Diggers’ out of storage late in the day Thursday so weekend museumgoers could see it.”
The Bard Parlor Game
Shakespeare fans’ favorite parlor game seems to be trying to prove (or disprove) who the Bard really was (or wasn’t). “Neurologists tell us that our brains are hard-wired to find patterns and causation – even when they’re not there. At different levels of scholarship and skill, these books reshape new research and old chestnuts to draw their cases. But they show us nothing definitive.” And is it really that important, anyway?
African American Museum To Have A Home On national Mall
A new African American history museum will be built on a site in the capitol’s Mall. “The five-acre site has belonged to the government since 1791 and was endorsed by both the major plans for downtown Washington, the L’Enfant Plan of 1791 and the McMillian Plan of 1901, as an suitable place for a building. It was considered as a location for the State Department and the World War II memorial.”
Barenboim Out Of Hospital
Daniel Barenboim has been released from the hospital in Berlin. The Staatsoper opera house said Barenboim had been suffering from “a disturbance of his sense of balance,” which doctors were able to treat.
SF Symphony, Musicians Agree On Contract
The San Francisco Symphony and its musicians have reached an agreement on a new contract. “The 103 musicians have been working without a contract since Nov. 26. Last week the musicians threatened to call off the China tour — the orchestra’s first ever to the mainland — but by week’s end there had been enough progress that they agreed to let the tour go forward as planned.”
Famed Boys Choir To Get The Boot?
This week, the renowned Boys Choir of Harlem might lose its home. “After occupying space in a public school on Madison Avenue and 127th Street rent-free for the last 13 years, the nonprofit is facing eviction Tuesday unless its leaders and city officials come up with a last-minute resolution. The situation has angered and alarmed parents who say their children have thrived in the program, and has deeply upset the young choralists, who have taken to the streets with signs protesting the looming displacement.”