Gasikara Kolotora sy Kolontsaina

“The Age of Rembrandt: Dutch Painting in the Metropolitan Museum of Art,” an exhibition of the museum's complete Dutch collection of 228 paintings, stretches through 12 galleries. It's a lot to take in. Here are some highlights. Holland Cotter, art critic of The New York Times, narrates. A Guide to ‘ The Age of Rembrandt’

PARIS, Sept. 17 — On Monday President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, who is increasingly faulted, even by his own government, for usurping the responsibilities of his top ministers, stepped into the role of culture minister. At a low-key ceremony he inaugurated La Cité de l’Architecture et du Patrimoine, (the City of Architecture and Heritage) in Paris, which reopened after an $114 million , decade-long makeover. “I commit myself fully to this mission, to give back the possibility of boldness to architecture,” he said in his speech. Mr. Sarkozy turned the occasion into a promotion of French architecture throughout the ages, inviting some of the world’s top architects to the museum (and to lunch at the Élysée Palace) and winning their endorsements along the way. President François Mitterrand built the glass pyramid at the Louvre, the Grande Arche de la Défense, the Bastille Opera and the François Mitterrand French National Library; Jacques Chirac created a museum devoted to African, Asian, ...

Kai Ryssdal: Five of the top 25 compact discs on Amazon.com today feature Luciano Pavarotti. He died early this morning in Italy, as you probably heard by now. Pavarotti was an opera star for 40 years. And later in his life, he helped changed the business of classical music. Fred Child hosts public radio's classical music program, "Performance Today." Hi, Fred. Child: Hello, Kai. Ryssdal: Clearly, Pavarotti was a great talent. But he was also greatly criticized, especially I guess later in life, for having kind of commercialized opera to a great extent. Do you think that's a fair charge? Does it stick? Child: You know, there was a real tough balance there. And you're right: in his prime, there was nobody better. That silky-smooth, rich sounding, incredible emotion that came through in his voice. But after about 1990, he became a mainstream superstar. And the fact is, he revelled in being a celebrity, and almost became a caricature of himself. And he sang with q...

ROME - Luciano Pavarotti, whose vibrant high C's and ebullient showmanship made him the most beloved and celebrated tenor since Caruso and one of the few opera singers to win crossover fame as a popular superstar, died Thursday. He was 71. His manager, Terri Robson, told the AP in an e-mailed statement that Pavarotti died at his home in Modena, Italy, at 5 a.m. local time. Pavarotti had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year and underwent further treatment in August. "The Maestro fought a long, tough battle against the pancreatic cancer which eventually took his life. In fitting with the approach that characterised his life and work, he remained positive until finally succumbing to the last stages of his illness," the statement said. Speaking from inside Pavarotti's home, which was guarded by police, Pavarotti's assistant Edwin Tinoco told Sky TG 24 television that Pavarotti's final days had been calm and spent at home. For serious fans, the unforced ...