The descendants of Richard Wagner are generally reluctant to discuss their familial links to Adold Hitler and the Third Reich. But then, there’s Gottfried Wagner. “Gottfried became ashamed of being both German and a Wagner,” and has no problem explaining why.
Tag: 04.09.08
How To Recycle A Church
“Selexyz Dominicanen – a store created from a merger between [a Maastricht bookseller] and the Dutch Selexyz bookshop chain – is housed in the thrilling setting of a 13th-century Dominican church… Church and bookshop look as if they might have been made for one another.”
RSNO May Not Finish Hall Renovation On Time
“Scotland’s national orchestra yesterday admitted it was having to prepare a Plan B’ should the late-running redevelopment work at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh mean the removal of its vital winter season from the venue.” The orchestra has delayed ticket sales for next season until the construction timetable is solidified.
Now Playing: The Evolution Of Broadway
Three revivals playing on Broadway this season illustrate a unique age in which musicals went from light entertainment to serious theatre. “In this Darwinized musicology, Hammerstein’s avowed disciple Sondheim ranks as the natural culmination; Rodgers and Hammerstein themselves are viewed as the glorious moment just before Sondheim, when the musical first stood upright.”
Record Store Inherits Classical Collection For The Ages
A tiny record store in Devon, England, has received an unexpected donation of more than 4000 LP records, covering “a near-comprehensive record of four decades’ worth of recorded classical music… The music spans the ages, from Mozart and Haydn to Stravinsky and Ligeti.”
World Premiere Canceled For Being Too Loud
The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra has canceled the premiere of a new work by Dror Feiler after orchestra members said that it was simply too loud to even contemplate performing. “The 20-minute composition starts with the rattle of machine-gun fire and gets louder.”