“Having eschewed the traditional model of heavy, politics-laden prose in favor of light, even lively storytelling, German authors are in the midst of a breakthrough that is propelling their work to hitherto unfound success abroad.” The factors leading to the increased popularity of German literature abroad appear to be myriad, but there is little question that the influence of the Frankfurt Book Fair has played a role, as has Oprah Winfrey’s famous book club.
Tag: 12.20.05
Golden Globe Press Organization Roiled By Suicide
The small and ultra-secretive cadre of foreign entertainment journalists behind Hollywood’s second-biggest awards ceremony has been shaken by the suicide of one of its own. “The events surrounding the suicide, which occurred four days before this year’s [Golden Globe] nominations were announced in Beverly Hills, offer a rare glimpse at the inner workings of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, which has used disciplinary procedures to protect a lucrative show that has become an important part of the Hollywood awards game.”
Boston Opera Company Scraps Plans For Free Aida
“Three years after Boston Lyric Opera staged a free production of Carmen that drew a stunning 140,000 people to the Common, the company has reluctantly shelved plans for a follow-up event, concluding that it couldn’t find enough local corporate support to underwrite the show. After wrestling with funding for months, the opera company announced yesterday that it has scrapped a free production of Aida set for September 2006. The abrupt cancellation is a sign that local arts groups are starting to feel the impact of recent corporate mergers and acquisitions, which have diminished the number of companies with home bases — and loyalty — in the region.”
Ugly Estate Battle Brewing In Edmonton
The Edmonton Symphony thought it had $1 million or more coming to it from the estate of philanthropist Stuart Davis, but a dispute over the money has erupted between the orchestra and Davis’s son, who believes that the money is rightfully his. At issue is a handwritten copy of Davis’s will, which includes multiple revisions and crossed-out sections. The pbilanthropist distrusted lawyers to the point that he refused to consult them in preparing his estate for posthumous dispersal, leading to the dispute.
Concord Buys Telarc
Cleveland-based classical recording company Telarc International has been acquired by the California-based Concord Music Group. In Telarc’s nearly 30 years of existence, it has captured 46 Grammy awards and led the way in making compact discs the new standard for recording in the 1980s. “[Telarc’s] catalog has 1,000 titles, including albums by the Cleveland Orchestra, jazz great Dave Brubeck and the South African vocal ensemble Ladysmith Black Mambazo.” The merger will not mean the end of the Telarc name, and the business will continue to operate from its suburban Cleveland home.
NACO on Zukerman: Don’t Fret, He’ll Be Back
The Zukerman announcement had a predictable effect on the orchestra world – speculation is rampant concerning the violinist/conductor’s longterm status with the National Arts Centre Orchestra. But NACO officials are taking pains to make clear that Zukerman’s unexpected “sabbatical” is not a precursor to his leaving the ensemble, and the orchestra’s managing director says that he expects to announce an extension of Zukerman’s current contract soon. “There has been some tension behind the scenes in recent seasons, as musicians have become divided about Zukerman, but [one] musician said ‘there’s been nothing really that unusual that you would think might have provoked this.'”
Government Continues To Bully Australian Opera
“The Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra cannot budget for productions because the Federal Government is refusing to reveal the results of a review of its funding and management.” The review is completed, but the government doesn’t want to give away its funding priorities in advance of next May’s budget negotiations in Parliament. Australian Opera has run significant deficits in recent years, and was forced to hire nearly an AUS$100,000 worth of extra musicians last month when new workplace regulations deemed sound levels in the orchestra pit legally unhealthy.