ArtsWatch

The main impediment to Simon Rattle becoming music director in Philadelphia, we've been told, is that he already has a job in Berlin with the orchestra world's plum.
But London's Telegraph is quoting a Berlin Philharmonic spokesman as saying Rattle's future relationship with that orchestra is up in the air.
"The orchestra and Sir Simon are in the process of negotiating," said Stefan Stahnke, a spokesman for the Philharmonic.
The musicians are slated to take a vote on the question of whether to keep Rattle in the next few days, the Telegraph reports.
The Telegraph headline says Berlin may be getting ready to oust Rattle. But what I heard a few weeks ago is that it was Rattle who asked to open talks early regarding his future in Berlin. You have to wonder whether Berlin would go music-director-less, like Vienna, since no successor is apparent.
Rattle's contract currently calls for him to stay in Berlin through 2012 - the exact time the Philadelphia Orchestra's Charles Dutoit would be leaving his post.
Philadelphia's search committee is just at the start of its process to replace Christoph Eschenbach. You can be confident, though, that if this British maestro goes on the open market, Philadelphia will pounce.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Addendum: Pamela Rosenberg, the Philharmonic's administrative chief, is resigning, Bloomberg reports today.