“Jack Romanos, the president and chief executive of Simon & Schuster, the book publishing arm of CBS, yesterday said that he would retire at the end of this year and be succeeded by Carolyn Reidy, currently president of the company’s adult publishing group. Rumors of Mr. Romanos’s retirement had been circulating in publishing circles for several months.”
Tag: 09.07.07
Abbado Ill, Cancels Performances
“Claudio Abbado, the Italian conductor, said yesterday he had canceled all engagements in the near future — including a much-anticipated visit to Carnegie Hall next month — because of poor health… Abbado, who is 74, gave no specifics about his condition but said he was following his doctors’ advice.”
Detroit Symphony Close To New Contract
“Representatives of musicians and management of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra
say they are close to finalizing a three-year contract that will avoid the first DSO strike in 20 years and ensure the season opens next week without a hitch.” The musicians are expected to agree to cuts in the first two years of the deal, but the third year should include a raise that will keep the ensemble in the top ten of American orchestra salaries.
The Pavarotti Phenomenon
Pavarotti was simultaneously a throwback and an innovator onstage, says Mark Swed, and regardless of what you thought of his career decisions, he changed the opera world forever. “The simple fact is that Pavarotti did own the stage, and when he opened his mouth, when that sound so fresh and alive and gorgeous, like nothing I have ever heard before or since, generously poured forth, there was no resisting the big, happy guy… Pavarotti was a phenomenon, and to behold it, to share in it, was wondrous.”
Montreal Opera Mopping Up The Red Ink
“The Opéra de Montréal yesterday gave itself a pat on the back, reporting that its prodigious 2006 accumulated deficit of $2 million had been trimmed to just under $700,000. This reduction was the result of staff layoffs, a season of four rather than five productions and the continued support of corporate and government funding sources. The public also responded, with an attendance rate in Salle Wilfrid Pelletier of 92 per cent and a $760,000 increase in box-office revenue.”
Thompson Won’t Find Much Support In Hollywood
With his extensive Hollywood background, could presidential candidate Fred Thompson become the first Republican to gain widespread financial support from LA’s notoriously liberal entertainment industry? Um, don’t bet on it. “The place that made the former Tennessee senator rich as an actor cannot be counted on to pour cash into his presidential run, especially if he’s going around bashing gay marriage and Roe vs. Wade. The minute he comes out strong against embryonic stem cell research — a fervent Hollywood cause — he’ll be banished from every cocktail party north of Sunset Boulevard.”
Protecting The Sibelius Brand
The name of Jean Sibelius is as powerfully marketable as names get in Finland, the composer’s home country. But “the heirs of Sibelius are facing a dilemma: the composer’s copyright protection expires in 2027, 70 years after his death,” after which his name and music could be used by anyone wanting to make a quick buck off the association. So the heirs have trademarked the Sibelius name, but that very act compels them to issue products under the name themselves, or lose the trademark.
Booker Shortlist Announced
Lloyd Jones, Nicola Barker, Mohsin Hamid, Anne Enright and Indra Sinha – all of whom are newcomers to the shortlist – are named to the Booker Prize short list. They will compete against previou winner Ian McKewan.
Fans Pay Tribute To Pavarotti In Modena
Fans of the Italian singer gathered in the streets of Modena to pay tribute. “His body is lying in state in the cathedral in Modena, in northern Italy, until his funeral on Saturday.”