“All 12 tapestries designed by Raphael have been hung on the lower walls of the Sistine Chapel as part of celebrations marking the 500th anniversary of the artist’s death. … All 12, made with silk, wool and gold and silver thread, have been painstakingly restored by Vatican Museum conservationists in the last 10 years.” – Reuters
Tag: 02.17.20
Reinbert de Leeuw, Champion Of Contemporary Classical Music, Dead At 81
A conductor, pianist and composer who became the Netherlands’, and one of Europe’s, leading specialists in new classical music, de Leeuw founded what is now the Asko | Schönberg ensemble in 1974, recorded a landmark LP set of Satie’s piano works, had a remarkable late-life artistic partnership with soprano Barbara Hannigan, and worked closely with composers from Ligeti and Kurtág to Ustvolskaya and Knussen and, above all, Louis Andriessen. – Presto Classical
In Praise Of Wikipedia And What It’s Become
Today, Wikipedia is the eighth-most-visited site in the world. The English-language version recently surpassed 6 million articles and 3.5 billion words; edits materialize at a rate of 1.8 per second. But perhaps more remarkable than Wikipedia’s success is how little its reputation has changed. It was criticized as it rose, and now makes its final ascent to … muted criticism. – Wired
Six Cooper Hewitt Boardmembers Resign Over Director’s Forced Resignation
Caroline Baumann was forced to resign on Feb. 7 after an investigation by the Smithsonian’s inspector general into how Ms. Baumann procured her dress and the venue for the ceremony. It was unclear whether there were additional allegations.According to two people familiar with the Smithsonian’s decision-making, the inspector general found the appearance of a conflict of interest, but several board members said they believed the punishment was unwarranted. – The New York Times
“Save The BBC” Petition Gets 100,000 Signers In First 24 Hours
The 38 Degrees petition is a response to a report on the front page of Rupert Murdoch-owned newspaper The Sunday Times, in which sources close to prime minister Boris Johnson set out a blueprint for how the BBC should be dismantled when its current charter expires in 2027. – Deadline
While Boris Johnson Wants To ‘Massively Prune’ The BBC, Senior Tory MPs Say No
One MP called the idea an “act of cultural vandalism,” and another wrote, “”his is not a fight the BBC is picking nor a contest my party promised if we got elected. … If the BBC ends up in decline, it will be the government which will be accused by the very people we will rely on for support at the next election.” But Johnson is determined to pick the fight. – BBC