Paul Daniel’s reign at English national Opera has not been a happy one, writes Rupert Christiansen. “Insiders reported that his relationship with the orchestra never really coalesced. Daniel has a Blairish desire to be thought a cool kind of a guy, but fiddlers and flautists are not so easily fooled, and Daniel never earned the respect that another of his predecessors, Mark Elder (a far steelier character), had commanded as music director in the 1980s. But this is less than half the story…”
Blog
WTC Memorial Being Compromised
It’s official – plans for anything having to do with whatever replaces the World Trade Center are a big compromised mess. “Bit by bit, elements of Michael Arad’s original design for the World Trade Center Memorial have been whittled away, whether because of logistical realities at ground zero (the memorial will be built above PATH train tracks), client demands (the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation is calling the shots), the many other interests involved (the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which owns the site; victims’ families; downtown residents) or the assorted architectural cooks (three other firms).”
Tate Modern And London’s Artworld Dominance
What has Tate Modern meant to London in its five years? “Today London is acknowledged to be the centre of the art world, a role that once belonged to Paris and then New York. No other city comes near us for the number and quality of its exhibitions, contemporary art galleries, and important young artists. Maybe all that isn’t entirely due to the existence of Tate Modern, but a lot of it is.”
Warhol Portrait Of Liz Sells For $12 Mil
An Andy Warhol portrait of Elizabeth Taylor has been sold in New York for $12.6 million. “The painting, which was made from a publicity photo in the year Taylor starred in the Cleopatra, just exceeded its pre-sale estimate of $9-12m. The portrait had been owned by the same person since 1965 and was bought by English diamond mogul Laurence Graff.”
BBC Workers Vote To Strike – Will Attempt To Shut Down Broadcaster
Workers at the BBC have voted to stage a strike to protest plans to cut 3,780 jobs. “Members of the Bectu and NUJ unions have voted in favour of a walk-out – probably a 12- or 24-hour stoppage between mid-May and early June. The BBC is expected to try to minimise disruption but unions said they want ‘black screens and dead air’.”
Minneapolis Company Wins Regional Tony
“Theatre de la Jeune Lune, the inventive theater troupe conceived in Paris in 1978 before moving permanently to Minneapolis in 1985, has won this year’s Tony Award for best regional theater. The award, announced Tuesday in New York City, honors a company’s general artistic excellence and achievement. It comes with a $25,000 purse and will be presented June 5 at the Tony ceremonies.”
King Tut In The Scanner
Thanks to computer scanning technology, we’ve now got a pretty good idea what King Tut looked like. “Three teams of scientists have created the first facial reconstructions of King Tutankhamun based on CT scans of his mummy. The images are strikingly similar both to each other and to ancient portraits of the boy pharaoh, including his depiction on the famed golden mask he wore into the crypt.”
The Googlization Of Books – Europe’s Not Happy
Why are the French so ticked off that Google plans to digitize libraries? “To some, the outcry smacked of just another case of misplaced Gallic pride; after all, Google plans to include French and other non-English books in its literary database. But a rapid response from bureaucrats in The Hague has sent a signal that the whole continent now sees Google as a threat. Last week, four months after Google’s announcement, the European Commission, which represents 25 countries, pledged 96 million euros to digitize all of the books from more than 20 of Europe’s most pre-eminent libraries before America gets there first.”
Ben Mordecai, 61
“Benjamin Mordecai, associate dean of the Yale School of Drama, prolific commercial theatrical producer and nurturer of playwright August Wilson’s 10-play cycle, died Sunday of cancer at the Yale. Wilson acknowledged his debt to his producer and friend, who helped develop the regional theater circuit where Wilson worked on his plays as they made their way to New York. Wilson said there were only two constants in the 10 plays: himself and Mordecai.”
NY Mag Fires John Simon
New York Magazine has fired longtime theatre critic John Simon. “Jeremy McCarter, theatre critic for the New York Sun, was named as Simon’s replacement. McCarter’s first review for New York will appear June 1. Simon is known equally for his considerable erudition, his longevity as a critic (he is 79) and his vituperative style. His stinging reviews—particularly his sometimes vicious appraisals of performers’ physical appearances—have periodically raised calls in the theatre community for his removal.”