Giuseppe di Stefano was moved to a Milan hospital from Kenya Thursday, three weeks after being attacked by armed robbers. “The retired 83-year-old tenor, famous for his duets with Maria Callas, was in critical condition prior to his departure from a hospital in Mombasa.”
Tag: 12.24.04
Pittsburgh Symphony Chief Won’t Answer Questions About Violin Deal
A report on the controversial sale of rare violins to the New Jersey Symphony raised questions about the actions of the orchestra’s then director Lawrence Tamburri. “Tamburri helped lead the effort to acquire the instruments and was singled out by several of the report’s authors for failing to properly investigate rumors that Axelrod was under investigation by federal authorities over other instrument transfers.” Now Tamburri runs the Pittsburgh Symphony, but refuses to talk about the report…
Group Portrait – Seeking Answers About Rembrandt
A new exhibition puts 17 Rembrandts together for the first time. “Loans have come from museums and private collections in the United States and abroad, including the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Louvre in Paris, the National Gallery in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. In addition to images of Christ, the Virgin Mary and the apostles, Rembrandt painted hermits and a number of the evangelists.”
Sikhs Lose In Play Controversy
Who loses in the controversy over shutting down a Sikh play in Birmingham? Britain’s Sikh community. “In a single act the community has overturned years of hard work and reverted to type as a militant tradition fixated with narrow communal interests. Doubtless the mobilisation will be seen as another nail in the coffin of freedom of speech, coming close on the heels of the murder of Dutch film-maker Theo van Gogh in the Netherlands and the proposed legislation on incitement to religious hatred. What these interpretations overlook, however, is the pioneering role of Sikhs in framing British multiculturalism, the contribution – unwittingly – of the British state in promoting the idiom of religion in public life, and the deep tensions within the Sikh community itself that have produced such a play.”
UK Close To Reducing Regional Programming Regulations
ITV will be allowed to reduce its commitment to regional programming in the UK, under proposed new broadcast rules. “The regulator argues that it must be allowed to relax some of its public service broadcasting commitments in order to survive. In return for relaxation of the rules on the number of regional shows, which tend to be little watched and comparatively expensive compared to networked programmes, ITV will be required to make more peak time drama in the regions.”
Festival Producers Howl Over New UK Fees
The UK government proposes to levy enormous new license fees for outdoor music festivals that attract more than 6000 people. “The Department for Culture, Media and Sport wants to levy fees of up to £50,000 to cover the cost of health and safety inspections.”