Vampires in ‘Fledermaus’ scare off Welser-Most

Vampires in ‘Fledermaus’ scare off Welser-Most

GENEVA — Acclaimed conductor Franz Welser-Most will not take the rostrum for two scheduled billings of a vampire-inspired staging of “Die Fledermaus” at the Zurich Opera, the Swiss opera house said Wednesday. Welser-Moest, the general director in Zurich and music director of the Cleveland Orchestra, will not conduct the Johann Strauss Jr. operetta either on May 17 or June 20 because of “artistic reasons,” said spokeswoman Nadia Stefanizzi. Last month, the daily Neue Zuercher Zeitung reported that the 47-year-old Austrian was “unhappy” with the staging by his compatriot Michael Sturminger, who infused vampires and Dracula’s castle into the 19th-century Viennese operetta. Welser-Most conducted two performances March 29-30.

While Strauss’ title literally means “The Bat,” the operetta focuses on amorous intrigue at a bourgeois home, a ball and finally a Vienna jail. The bat serves only as the symbol of revenge that befalls the main character. Stefanizzi said Ralf Weikert would conduct both of the performances in Welser-Most’s place. A DVD that will go on sale still will feature Welser-Most since there was enough material from the two performances he conducted to fill out the film, she said. All other artistic projects involving the conductor and the Zurich Opera would proceed as planned, Stefanizzi said.

Ruling favors Rowling

LONDON — A court ruling in favor of Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling has set the stage for a trial on whether publication of photos taken of her young son violates his privacy. The Court of Appeal in London says children of famous parents have the same right to expect privacy as children of parents who aren’t well-known.

The ruling Wednesday sets aside an earlier finding in favor of Express Newspapers and Big Pictures, an agency that took the photos with a long telephoto lens. Rowling and her husband, Dr. Neil Murray, brought the case on behalf of their 5-year-old son David. The photos in question were taken when David was 18 months old. The judge says the case should now go to trial unless it can be settled.

Cleveland Orchestra will tour Europe

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Orchestra’s summer tour of Europe will include festivals in Austria and Switzerland and first-time appearances in Milan and Turin, Italy. The tour includes 13 performances from Aug. 17 through Sept. 3. It will take the orchestra to festivals in Salzburg, Austria, and Lucerne, Switzerland.

It will also include an August 16 symposium in Salzburg on music and the brain co-sponsored by the Cleveland Clinic research hospital. The orchestra, under the direction of Franz Welser-Most, announced the tour schedule Tuesday.

Today’s birthdays

Comedian Don Rickles is 82. Singer Toni Tennille is 68. Country singer Jack Blanchard is 66. Singer Gary Glitter is 64. Drummer Chris Frantz of Talking Heads and of Tom Tom Club is 57. Singer Philip Bailey (solo and with Earth, Wind and Fire) is 57. Country musician Billy Burnette is 55. Drummer Alex Van Halen of Van Halen is 55. Actor Stephen Furst (“St. Elsewhere,” “Animal House”) is 54. Actor David Keith is 54. Actress Melissa Gilbert is 44. Drummer Dave Rowntree of Blur is 44. Drummer Del Gray of Little Texas is 40. Singer Darren Hayes (Savage Garden) is 36. Singer Enrique Iglesias is 33. Actress Julia Whelan (“Once and Again”) is 23.