Tag: 05.31.06

Whither CanLit’s Greatest Champion?

One of Canada’s most venerable publishing houses, McClelland & Stewart (better known as M&S) has been the subject of plenty of rumors lately, and some observers are unhappily accusing Random House, which owns 25% of the company, of interfering in M&S’s affairs. M&S insists that its relationship with Random House is purely a matter of sharing marketing expertise, but some fear the publisher could be on the verge of abandoning its history.

Neutral Is To Internet As Objective Is To Journalism?

“Arguments over net regulations are nothing new. But they have taken on fresh urgency as the industry absorbs a wave of megamergers and the internet rapidly evolves into a high-bandwidth pipe capable of replicating — and perhaps even replacing — both traditional telephone and cable TV services.” The central argument is over something called “net neutrality,” but the term may be a bit misleading, since the internet has never been truly neutral.

Voltaire Letters Sold For 3/4 Million

“A European collector has paid $750,000 for 26 letters sent by the French philosopher Voltaire to the Russian Empress Catherine the Great. The figure is a world record for handwritten correspondence from this period, said Sotheby’s auction house. The 26 letters date from 1768-1777, when Catherine was ruler of Russia and Voltaire lived in Switzerland.”

More Than Just A Murderous Thug

“The thirteenth-century warlord Genghis Khan is best known as one of history’s most bloodthirsty rulers, and at first glance appears an unlikely subject for a Jesus Christ Superstar-type rock opera. But in his native Mongolia, a rock opera has opened that gives the medieval empire builder the Genghis Khan Superstar treatment, claiming he had a softer, more appealing side which was overlooked.”

Is Pittsburgh’s 3-Way Leadership Model Working?

When the Pittsburgh Symphony chose to forgo a traditional music director following the departure of longtime chief conductor Mariss Jansons, many in the music world wondered if the three-headed conducting team the PSO put in place could work. But three years in, the titular head of the triumvirate, Sir Andrew Davis, says it’s all working out fine. Still, he says, the arrangement does mean that it’s taken him a long time to get to know his orchestra…

Pianist Edward Aldwell, 68

“Though among the greatest Bach pianists of our time, Edward Aldwell, who died Sunday at age 68 as the result of an automotive accident, was also among the least known. While a fixture in Philadelphia concert life, thanks to his faculty position at the Curtis Institute of Music and his frequent recitals presented by the Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, he was known to a larger public only through a half-dozen prestigious recordings and occasional concerts in other major music capitals, such as New York and San Francisco… His death was the result of a freak accident on May 7.”

Brendel: Rattle Naysayers Are Full Of It

Legendary pianist Alfred Brendel has stepped up to defend Simon Rattle against recent allegations in the press that the conductor’s relationship with the Berlin Philharmonic is not living up to expectations. “Contrary to what is said by a few critics, the Berlin Philharmonic is in superlative shape. Of course it is not a carbon copy of Karajan’s or Abbado’s orchestra… I remember the times when it was chic in Germany to look down on Karajan. Likewise, a press campaign against Claudio Abbado that claimed he had failed to rejuvenate the ageing orchestra, made him start packing his bags.”

Bringing A Chicago Success Story To New Orleans

Inspired by the success of Chicago’s massive Millenium Park in drawing people to the downtown loop, a Chicago real estate investor who owns the badly damaged Hyatt Regency New Orleans is proposing to build “a 20-acre performance arts park anchored by a National Jazz Center” as the anchor of the rebuilt Crescent City. The project would cost $716 million, and “the 20,000-square-foot National Jazz Center, designed by [Pritzker Prize-winning architect Thom] Mayne, would house the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra.”