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World’s Oldest Flute

“German archaeologists revealed yesterday that they had discovered one of the world’s oldest musical instruments, a 35,000-year-old flute carved from the tusk of a now-extinct woolly mammoth. The flute was dug up in a cave in the Swabian mountains in south-western Germany, and pieced back together again from 31 fragments.”

The All-Beethoven Network

BBC3 Radio plans to broadcast every note Beethoven wrote. “The schedules will be cleared for a week in June, the Radio 3 airwaves will be unsullied by music by any other composer, and listeners will be treated to such little-known delights as Beethoven’s 100 or so settings of Scottish, Irish and Welsh folksongs. Over the six days and nights some of Beethoven’s works will even be heard twice. ‘There are about 100 hours of Beethoven’s music, but we are devoting 136 hours to him’.”

Iran Dams Threaten Archaeological Sites

An aggressive program of dam-building in Iran is threatening important archaeological sites. “There are currently 85 dams under construction across the country, part of a programme that the Iranian government promotes with a considerable amount of national pride. At least five dams, all in advanced stages of construction, have been identified as threatening sites of particular importance .”

Returned Looted Art Coming To Market

More and more art looted in World War II is coming to market. “Since 1996, Sotheby’s and Christie’s alone have sold a combined total of about £140 million ($252 million at today’s exchange rate) of art returned to families from museums and private collections. As more and more art, primarily looted by the Nazis as well as the Red Army, is being identified and returned, it is becoming an increasingly important source of supply for the auction houses.”

At Home With Paul Taylor

Paul Taylor’s company is clebrating 50 years this season. But Paul Taylor the man is happy to stay at home at his house on Long Island. “I had a very physical life while I was dancing, and the minute I stopped I was so glad to just be still and not hurt. I found barres and exercising extremely boring. You think I’m going to jog? Have you ever seen a jogger that looks like he’s not in pain? No, sir, not me. I don’t exercise. I do a little outdoor work, gardening, cleaning up the woods, playing with my chain saw, that kind of thing. But I’m very happy not to move anymore.”

Subito Piano – Our New “It” Architect

Renzo Piano is currently the architect of the day, with numerous high-profile projects underway. “How has Piano landed so much work in New York? The same way he’s done it all over the world—with designs that are beautifully precise but never radical. Depending on your point of view, Piano is either the most corporate avant-garde architect in the world or the most avant-garde corporate one. Increasingly, his firm is the one museums and big companies call on when they want to bridge the gap between iconic, eye-catching architecture and a quieter, more pragmatic—and more affordable—approach.”

Le Guinn: Sci-fi Channel Ruined My Books

Ursula Le Guinn hoped for the best when she sold the rights to her Earthsea books for a mini-series. But the deal quickly went bad. “When I looked over the script, I realized the producers had no understanding of what the books are about and no interest in finding out. All they intended was to use the name Earthsea, and some of the scenes from the books, in a generic McMagic movie with a meaningless plot based on sex and violence.”

Claim: Munch Paintings Damaged In Theft

A Norwegian newspaper is claiming that the Munch paintings “The Scream” and “Madonna” have been damaged after they were stolen last summer. “Sources from both the art world and criminal sources say that at least one of the paintings has been seriously damaged. Witnesses said that both paintings received very rough treatment as the thieves removed them from their frames in the course of their escape. The “Madonna” is reportedly ruined.”