MISSING ART LIST

Right after World War II a list of claims for missing works of art by Old Masters and pioneers of modernism such as Degas, Renoir, Tintoretto and Tiepolo was made. But the list was “hidden away in government archives for half a century, frustrating efforts by a dying generation of Holocaust survivors and the art world to track down thousands of paintings and sculptures. Now a lack of funding and bureaucratic mishaps could again consign those documents to an obscure shelf in the National Archives.” – Chicago Tribune

MODERN PRESERVATION

“An opportunity has arisen to examine the issue of solidarity among architects today. An international group of architects is dedicated to conserving modern buildings and studying the ideas embodied by them. Who’s against preserving buildings and studying history? But Docomomo is beginning to change the landscape of American architecture. It is forging a bond between two groups that up to now have been opposed: historic preservationists and enthusiasts of modernism.” – New York Times

NAKED VERDI

The English National Opera dramatizes Verdi’s “Requiem.” Okay, but stripping off clothes to reveal all on the stage? “Nudity in opera is nothing new (Maria Ewing stripped off as Salome in 1988) but a naked mum-to-be is a first, I think. It was a strange context for such a familiar image.” – The Independent (UK)

JOHN ELIOT GARDINER AXED

Deutsche Grammophon has canceled its recording contract with John Eliot Gardiner. This just as Gardiner finishes recording “his remarkable series of 200 cantatas in a year-long ‘pilgrimage’ to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Bach’s death. Sales of expensive new classical performances are plummeting, and the major corporations are cancelling contracts with all but the most bankable and attractive of celebrity performers.” – The Independent (UK)

NEW DIRECTOR FOR COVENT GARDEN

Tony Hall, the head of news and current affairs at the BBC, is expected to be named the new head of London’s Royal Opera House. “The choice of Mr Hall signals a change of direction for the ROH. For the first time they have gone for a chief with no experience in opera or ballet, of running an arts venue, or with an arts background at all. But Mr Hall, an opera lover, is a proven administrator, in charge of 2,500 people at the BBC.” – The Independent (UK)

STILL JUST A KID

Charlotte Church may be selling a ton of recordings and making a fortune, but she’s still a kid:” I suppose, yeah. I’m not evil. I’m not that much of a devil. (Turning to mother) Am I acting a little more devilish as I get older, Mum? She says sometimes. There’s a lot she doesn’t know.” San Francisco Chronicle