The businessman who abruptly quit as president of the La Scala orchestra Monday has said he was disgusted with the opera house’s unions. “Fedele Confalonieri, chairman of the Mediaset media conglomerate, also said the company might withdraw its financing of the orchestra. In an interview at Mediaset’s Rome offices, Mr. Confalonieri said the company had paid at least $700,000 a year for Sunday-morning concert broadcasts on one of its channels.”
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La Scala As An Opera (Conductors And Villains And Critics, Oh My!)
The mess at La Scala with Riccardo Muti is worthy of an opera plot. To wit: “The town square at dusk: Muti, hair shorn, is to be executed. “There is only one way to work with Muti: his way,” sings Norman Lebrecht as he knits beside the guillotine. “The relationship between Muti and the orchestra is sick,” sings a musician. “Only death can cure this illness.” Meli and Confalonieri rush to try to free their hero, but are cut down by scythe-wielding peasants; Mrs Muti throws herself off the battlements; Franco Zeffirelli and Norman Lebrecht sing of their triumph; the chorus of La Scala hum the opening bars of On the Town. Before he is executed, Muti utters the immortal words – “I should have taken that bloody job with the New York Philharmonic.” He dies. Curtain.”
London’s Painting Boom
Contemporary painting is hot in London right now. “The popularity of painting often coincides with boom periods of art buying – the last time people spoke of painting as being “big”, for instance, was during the 1980s. New collectors, in particular, attracted to a buoyant art market, tend to go for paintings. Their ease of display, combined with their historical legacy and their aura of originality and uniqueness, means that paintings are unrivalled not as works of art, but as commodities. Perhaps the best way to view the current status of painting, then, is not so much as an artistic phenomenon, but as an economic one.”
NJ Symphony Defers Instrument Loan
“The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra has deferred payment on part of a $9.18 million loan it took out in 2003 to purchase a collection of 30 rare Italian stringed instruments. The state Economic Development Authority yesterday granted the orchestra’s request to pay only interest on the loan for nine months, beginning next month. In exchange, the orchestra agreed to a lien on $366,000 of its endowment fund.”
Is Hong Kong Culture Misfiring?
Hong Kong is trying to be a cultural hub. But are the government’s efforts to develop the city’s creative sector backfiring? Some critics say the state investment in culture lacks a long-range plan…
Russian Theatre Cranks Up The Heat
“Back in bad old Soviet times, the Kirov Ballet and the Moscow Circus seemed to be the only representatives of Russian culture on Western radar screens. But in the 15 years since the Iron Curtain was unhooked from the rigging and stored backstage, dozens of Russian theater companies have traveled around the globe, and much of the globe has rolled its way across Russia’s stages.”
Tricia Brown’s Computer Collaboration
“In an innovative fusion of modern dance and high technology, Tricia Brown is collaborating with a computer on “how long does the subject linger on the edge of the volume …,” a 30-minute work for seven dancers and animated graphics. Ms. Brown has choreographed the dance. And the computer, driven by an artist-designed artificial-intelligence software program that responds instantly to the dancers’ movements, draws graphics that are projected on a transparent screen in front of the stage.”
Entertainment Companies Sue College Kids For Downloading On Superfast Internet
The music and movie industries are suing hundreds of college students who have been using the Internet 2 to download movies and music. “The i2hub software is a peer-to-peer, file-sharing application developed for “student collaboration” on Internet2, according to the software’s website. “I2hub is the conduit in which students across the globe connect to share ideas, collaborate and form social networks in a real-time environment never before achieved,” the site says.”
Will Luxury Seating Lure People Back To Movie Theatres?
Movie ticket sales have been down the last few years, and theatre owners are trying to figure out ways to lure people back. One idea? Luxury seating and pampering. “Some of its theaters offer first-class seats that are sectioned off and reserved inside the traditional theater and allow those customers to order snacks from their seats. The more exclusive Loews Club at a theater in West Homestead, Pa., offers free coat check, lounge chairs to watch the show and a restaurant.”
“Millionaire” Tops World TV Charts
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire is the world’s most popular TV show, seen in 106 countries. “The trend in format TV – programmes bought and copied wholesale for different countries – is now worth £1.6bn each year, a report shows. The Weakest Link is the second most popular show, selling to 98 countries, followed by Pop Idol in 30 markets.”