“The short list for the 10 million Swedish crown ($1.54 million) prize is closely guarded and the winner is often a surprise — sometimes obscure enough to send reporters and literary scholars scurrying to reference books or the Internet.”
Tag: 10.05.07
Stolen Da Vinci Portrait Recovered
Four men have been arraigned in a Scottish court in connection with the recovery of a stolen da Vinci masterpiece in Glasgow. “The Madonna with the Yarnwinder was taken from Drumlanrig Castle, in Dumfries and Galloway, in August 2003. Police officers recovered the £30m painting at a solicitors’ office in the centre of Glasgow on Thursday.”
Wagner’s Faded Home
Richard Wagner’s Bayreuth home is a musem, albeit a faded one. “Sadly, the interesting display of dioramas showing old productions has been closed for years due to a leak. The entire museum has a faded, melancholy air.
Will The Real Roberto Alagna Please Stand Up
Alagna characterizes himself as ‘hyperactive, hyperacoustic, hypersensitive, and hyper-foolish,’ he admits to a weakness for French screen clowns such as Louis de Funès, Fernandel, and Bourvil, as well as contemporary comedians such as Élie Seimoun and Gad Elmaleh, who draw comedy from their North African Jewish upbringings. In the mausoleum-like atmosphere of the world’s opera houses, this kind of anarchic comic spirit is a rarity.”
TV Guide Reinvents Itself
“TV Guide as a brand had to change” to match the realities of the consumer marketplace, said Ian Birch, the editor in chief of TV Guide magazine. He said that some consumers and industry analysts still have an antiquated “sepia-toned perception” of the publication. “The new TV Guide is about the fans, about the passionate viewers — it’s not about somebody who looks at railway timetables,” he said.
NY Phil – Orchestra Diplomacy?
“The idea of a visit to North Korea, where the totalitarian government keeps a tight rein on the people and sharply restricts access to the outside world, began with a somewhat vague invitation in August but has taken shape in recent weeks.”
The Movies’ Classical Music Code
“As a rule, film score classical music is used as a shorthand: Handel indicates that the snobs have arrived, Mahler that someone is about to die, but not before pouting about it, and Wagner is a sure sign that big trouble’s a-brewing. This cultural semaphore system was established in the silent-film era, when no monster worth his salt would dream of making his entrance without the accompaniment of Bach’s Toccatta and Fugue in D or something equally theatrical by Liszt.”
Studies Say Classical Music Is Growing Again (Is It?)
“In the 1960s pop pushed classical music to the margins; composers seemed to accept their marginal role and wrote largely impenetrable pieces, forgetting their duty to communicate. Now pop itself is old, the Beatles are part of the canon, and composers of serious/classical/non-pop music (delete according to taste) are trying to engage again. Musical history is a continuum, and the concert hall must not be allowed to become a museum.”