“The audience was prepared for the worst. A highly controversial German director whithout any experience in opera had been charged with putting on a new version of “Parsifal“ to open the Wagner Festival in Bayreuth. But after months of suspense, the audience left the theater on Sunday rather calmed.” Maybe it was the weak singing?
Blog
Khouri Defends Verity Of Her Book
Norma Khouri is continuing to deny that her poignant book Forbidden Love was fabricated. Her publisher defended her, saying “we spoke with her today and impressed upon her that it was imperative to provide evidence. She said she is working on it.” Meanwhile, the government of Australia is “investigating her for making false declarations in her application for an Australian residence visa.”
The Carlos Kleiber Aura
The mythologies aabout conductor are only getting bigger since his death. But Norman Lebrecht suggests that Kleiber failed to live up to his gifts. “Kleiber was a magnificently gifted conductor who chose, for reasons known only to himself, to deny himself to music. He gave very little, and then he took it away. He was the greatest non-conductor we have ever seen.”
Kurtz Wants His Property Returned
Artist Steve Kurtz, who has been under investigation by the FBI for bio-terrorism, wants the government to return property confiscated during the investigation. He is being charged with “improperly obtaining biological materials for his artwork.” “Although the majority of cases in U.S. District Court end with plea agreements, Kurtz is not interested in such an outcome. ‘There’s no discussion of that. There’s been no hint of that. We’re not interested’.”
They Don’t Teach Elvish at Juilliard
This weekend, the Pittsburgh Symphony and its resident chorus will put on a special performance of a symphony based on the Lord of the Rings film scores by Howard Shore. The show is sure to draw a crowd, but has presented some interesting challenges for the choral director, who has never before had to instruct his singers in proper Elvish and Dwarvish diction…
Philly Theater Gets A Cash Infusion
“The Philadelphia Theatre Initiative, an annual program funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts, has awarded $530,000 in grants to 12 Philadelphia-area theaters and three theater artists… The largest sums, $80,000, will go to three major Philadelphia theaters: the Arden Theatre Company, the Philadelphia Theatre Company, and the Wilma Theater.”
Toronto Film Fest Up, Montreal In Trouble
A study commissioned to review Canada’s four largest film festivals offered up some sharp criticism to Montreal’s sagging offering. “The report, which surveyed film professionals from around the world, is a preliminary step as Telefilm and SODEC review their festival funding priorities. It could lead to Montreal getting a smaller portion of the millions of dollars in government grants given each year to film festivals. The study also praised festivals in Vancouver and Atlantic Canada, which rank third and fourth after Toronto and Montreal and which also continue to grow. The most significant findings highlighted the rise of Toronto and the decline of Montreal.”
It’s Not Wickthistle, It’s Just A Plant!
Why is it that characters in modern literature always seem to have an extensive knowledge of plants, shrubs, and trees? A girl can’t turn around in a book these days without gazing upon some collection of milkweed, sopwort, and bladder campion, but honestly, who knows the names of these greenish things in the real world? Russell Smith is a bit jealous of the breadth of such characters’ knowledge, but he’s also more than a bit suspicious of the literary license being taken. “It just doesn’t make sense, unless she is a botanist or a farmer. I still think it’s just showing off.”
Bob Edwards vs. Morning Edition
When NPR unceremoniously dumped Morning Edition host Bob Edwards a few months back, the network’s execs said that they wanted to take the program in a new direction, and were confident that listener animosity towards the decision would blow over. Now they’ll have a chance to test that theory: Edwards has signed on as the new morning host for XM Satellite Radio, with a time slot that will have him going up directly against his old show in most markets.
Nissinen Gets An Extension
It’s been some time since Boston Ballet had a successful artistic director, but Mikko Nissinen is apparently fitting in nicely in the Hub. There have been some definite crises in his two years at the helm, but by and large, Nissinen has earned rave reviews from critics and the Boston arts community. This month, the company rewarded him with a new 5-year contract.