Norman Lebrecht: "Bernstein was music director for a record 11 years. His successors were doomed by comparison. Pierre Boulez was too ascetic, Zubin Mehta superficial, Kurt Masur heavy weather, Lorin Maazel boring, Alan Gilbert half-baked and Jaap Van Zweden an accounting error." - The Critic
"After spending more than 20 years in public behind shiny, opaque robot-style helmets as half of the pathbreaking dance-music duo Daft Punk, Thomas Bangalter was ready to be seen without barriers." - The New York Times
Said artistic director Rob Melrose in his announcement calling off Derek Walcott's adaptation of Homer's Odyssey, "We knew going into this production the scope was difficult, and we thought it was appropriately resourced, … (but) it is impossible to bring this production to completion." - Houston Chronicle
"The union … has been bargaining with The Broadway League, which represents industry producers, presenters and general managers, since mid-January to create a new touring contract. Now, Actors' Equity has authorized … a strike on all Broadway national tours" if negotiations remain stalled. - The Hollywood Reporter
To avoid a charge that could have sent him to prison for up to 30 years, Mihcael Rohana — who did the deed at Philadelphia's Franklin Institute in 2017 — will plead guilty to interstate trafficking, which carries a maximum two-year sentence. - KYW (Philadelphia)
"A federal judge in Austin, Tex., has found that a library board in Llano County likely infringed the constitutional rights of readers in the community by unilaterally removing books it deemed inappropriate." - Publishers Weekly
"After all of the effort to get the barriers up, the future challenge will be finding ways to keep them down. Venice is already using MOSE more than expected. … Its incessant deployment, experts warn, could render Venice's lagoon a fetid swamp choked by noxious algae." - The New York Times
"Movie theater giant Cineworld … said it still expects to emerge from its Chapter 11 cases during the first half of 2023, even though the process could delay this beyond the first half." - The Hollywood Reporter
As revelations emerged in recent weeks that the estates of several revered literary figures are altering portions of well-known works, the questions of whether, and how, classics should be updated to conform to current sensibilities have divided readers and the literary world. - The New York Times
While acknowledging “there are clear benefits to broadcasters” from the use of deepfake technology such as the potential to increase audience engagement, the regulator warned networks to be vigilant in the growing area of “Synthetic Media,” which encompasses deepfakes. - Deadline
Less familiar is the true story of how a prototype created in 1984 by a software engineer for the Soviet Union’s Academy of Sciences ended up reaching millions of players across the world. - The New York Times
Disney and other studios have been criticized by lawmakers for self-censorship of movies as a way of gaining entry into the Chinese marketplace. - Deadline
The creative industries remain fundamentally white spaces. The latest 2020/21 report found that the diverse workforce in its national portfolio of organisations was 14%. This is compared to the English working-age population, which is 17% Black, Asian and ethnically diverse. - The Conversation
In the early 1960s, Lynne Desroches-Noblecourt’s friendships and grit proved essential to the success of her career’s crowning achievement: the seemingly quixotic campaign to save from destruction the temples, sculptures and artifacts at Abu Simbel, near Egypt’s border with Sudan. - Washington Post
China, with its legions of concertgoers and skepticism of Western ideals, has emerged as an attractive market for Russian artists aligned with Mr. Putin. - The New York Times
