Washington Concert Opera, an unusual company dedicated to presenting rarely heard gems of the operatic literature, is on the verge of financial collapse, and will “have to be restructured, hugely” if it is to survive, according to its board president. WCO ran a $200,000 deficit on an overall budget of $500,000 last season, and the board is unwilling to go into debt to keep the company singing.
Blog
Lawsuit Threatens L.A. Exhibit
“In a legal challenge that aims to block an upcoming show at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the grandson of a Russian aristocrat is arguing that 25 of the artworks — including paintings by Cezanne, Degas, Matisse, Picasso and Van Gogh — are stolen goods, looted from his family by Lenin’s Bolshevik government in 1918 and later passed to Moscow’s State Pushkin Museum.” The lawsuit is a new tactic in a larger battle by the family of the Russian collector who owned the pieces to force legal recognition of the Bolshevik seizure. LACMA officials, presumably caught by surprise, aren’t commenting just yet.
Staring Down Cultural Extinction
“If someone suggested to a room full of people that 100 years from now, half of all the world’s flora and fauna would no longer exist, it’s likely that at least a few of them would be worried enough to so do something. They might donate a few dollars to the World Wildlife Fund, or maybe go so far as to sit atop a redwood that was about to be cut down. But what would the reaction be if someone suggested that half the world’s cultures and languages would no longer exist?” Two someones are suggesting exactly that, and they’re convinced that they can do something about it, too.
Gatenby Resignation Raises Questions
When Greg Gatenby abruptly resigned from the directorship of Toronto’s International Festival of Authors earlier this week, speculation raged about what bizarre set of behind-the-scenes circumstances could have led to the departure of such a popular figure from one of Canada’s most high-profile literary organizations. The full story still isn’t known, and may never be, but the often-frosty relationship between Gatenby and Harbourfront Centre chief William Boyle seems to be at the center of the story.
A Backstage Drama Worthy Of A Novel
“The dramatic parting of Harbourfront Centre and Greg Gatenby, announced Monday, was preceded by months of wrangling, intrigue and attempted fixes. Gatenby and Harbourfront officials are saying nothing, but based on the testimony of other players, the breakdown of the relationship emerges as a tale full of ultimatums, threats, end runs and cameo appearances by well-known personalities.”
Conlon: Americans Haven’t Learned How To Listen To Classical Music
James Conlon is the poster boy for the talented American conductor who has to go to Europe for his talent to be recognized. But with his appointment to the directorship of Ravinia, the summer festival of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Conlon is coming home at last, and sounds excited to be here. But he believes that there is much “missionary work” to be done before American audiences will be capable of digging their minds into a classical concert the way, say, German audiences do. “To them, music is not simply an entertainment or an aural sensation. They listen, they think, they feel, they question. I think we need several more generations of classical music lovers in America before we get to that point.”
Libeskind, Silverstein Agree To Team Up On Ground Zero Rebuild
Ground Zero will be rebuilt with oversight from an apparently tenuous partnership between architect Daniel Libeskind and developer Larry Silverstein. Still, for New York officials, any partnership is better than the uncertainty that has been dogging the project. “The agreement… came during an eight-hour negotiating session that stretched from Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday morning… The impasse centered on how much influence Mr. Libeskind would have on the design of the first office building to go up at the site, the 1,776-foot tower that will define the rebuilt trade center’s presence on the Lower Manhattan skyline.”
New York Phil Suddenly Unsure About Carnegie Merger
The New York Philharmonic’s merger with Carnegie Hall was supposed to be a done deal, with both sides thrilled with all aspects of the new partnership. But the Phil may be balking at the prospect of pooling its assets with Carnegie permanently, and orchestra officials are now openly talking about the possibility of merely becoming a tenant of Carnegie. “The very nature of this evaluation suggests that at least some board members have serious concerns about combining the two organizations. Indeed, the Philharmonic has been pulling back from its characterization of the merger ever since it was announced on June 1 as a fait accompli.”
Wait ‘Til the Musicians’ Union Hears About This!
An Australian opera singer claims to have invented a computerized orchestra which can follow a conductor’s beat, making it the perfect alternative to a live pit orchestra for ballets and operas. Critics and musicians are predictably dismissive of the cyber-orchestra, which basically involves one guy with a laptop following a conductor with his mouse, but small ballet and opera companies which can’t afford to hire full orchestras are excited to try it out.
Florida Phil Rescue Effort Sputtering
Musicians and supporters of the nearly-dead Florida Philharmonic have been scrambling to put together the funding necessary to save their orchestra or, at the very least, give it some financial breathing room until a more permanent fiscal plan can be realized. But after starting strong, the rescue mission has stalled badly, and its organizers admit that they’re running out of time. By the end of this week, the orchestra’s board, which many musicians have accused of running the organization into the ground, may decide to convert the company’s bankruptcy filing from Chapter 11 to Chapter 7, which would mean a final, permanent shutdown.