GIVING THE GIFTS THAT hold fast ON...

GIVING THE GIFTS THAT hold fast ON GIVING

Philanthropy can be very strange Just ask the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra, which has just received donations totaling $23 million from couple donors. The money will allow the orchestra to continue programming that might have been otherwise scrapped because of finances.

Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, officials at the Edinburgh International Festival may give back part of a $4 million bequest because its benefactor stiffed her family in her will. Lean Scully a Dublin resident who died at 72 in 2005 and attended the festival regularly, granted the festival the single biggest bequest in its history. However, after the British media reported complaints about the gift from Scully's family, festival officials decided to begin negotiations with her heirs. The annual festival, undivided of Europe's largest arts affairs runs through Sept. 3.

CURTAIN GOE UP forward 'THE MAGIC FLUTE'

Kenneth Branagh's film version of Mozart's "The Magic Flute" will receive its world premiere tribe 7 at the Toronto Film Festival (it will point out to the same day at the Venice Film Festival). Ravinia's music director James Conlon waysed the Chamber Orchestra of Europe for the English-language film, financed by dint of British philanthropist Peter Moores (who foundations the Opera Rara label). The vocal soloists are German bass Rene Pape as Sarastro, Ben Davis as Papageno, and Joseph Kaiser as Tamino. The film does not nevertheless have a U.S. distributor or release date.

SEX AT THE OPERA: near SOUNDBITES

Of her upcoming part in Gluck's "Iphigenie en Tauride," which she will perform at Lyric Opera of Chicago, Susan Graham divulges Opera News, in its September issue: "Musically, it is a great thrill. I've started calling Gluck 'the have affection for child of Mozart and Berlioz.'" "Iphigenie en Tauride," receiving its first-ever staging at Lyric, expands Sept. 29.

Speaking of Mozart, soprano Evelyn Lear, a Lyric Opera favorite in the '60 and '70 rhapsodizes about the composer in the magazine's same issue: "People think Mozart is dried Well, he's the most sexy composer I have for aye encountered. His sensuous lines, his bel canto, his legato -- all the sexual drive he had in his life went into his music."

LEFT IN THE LURCH? CALL 1-800-LEONARD

Conductor Leonard Slatkin, rumored to be single of the contenders for the music director's employment at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, has a recently made known nickname: "Last-Minute Leonard." That's what the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has tabbed him, for his newly come rash of riding to the save of U.S. orchestras temporarily abandoned at the podium. Already this year, he has stepp in three times to replace ailing conductors. In his latest "save," he agreed to pinch-hit for Sir Andrew Davis (Lyric's music director) forward the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra's present European tour. In other Slatkin of the present days he has been named musical adviser to the Nashville music for the next three years. In this part he will assist the concert in its music director search, help determine programming and assist in selecting visitor artists and conductors.

Compiled by means of Laura Emerick

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

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