Two years of dither ended today when Katharina Wagner announced Frank Castorf as director of the 2013 Wagner bicentenary Ring. Frank’s a safe pair of hands, as we said on breaking the story three months ago. He’s not as exciting as first choice, Wim Wenders, but he’ll do.

No sooner were the words Frank and Castorf out of her mouth than Katie announced a rap project, inviting teenagers to give their impressions of old man Wagner in teutonised Afro-Caribbean-MTV style. Brainless, pathetic, demeaning. Ad lib away with adjectives of your own.

I have been sent a statement by the NPR ombudsman that fudges charges of capitulation to the political right by stating that Lisa Simeone, who has been dropped by the network for taking part in an anti-capitalist demo, is not an NPR employee.  He then goes on to cite the NPR employee code:

“NPR journalists may not participate in marches and rallies involving causes or issues that NPR covers, nor should they sign petitions or otherwise lend their name to such causes, or contribute money to them.”

But, hey, Lisa’s not an employee so she was not subject to this strict code. Nor is she a journalist. She’s just an opera host. So why was Lisa dropped by NPR for taking a hike to the Occupy DC demo?

The ombudsman has taken the ostrich position.

The head teacher at the Purcell School in Bushey has resigned.

No reason was given. His deputy replaces him. Parents have been informed and a short notice was placed in the local newspaper:

Peter Crook stood down on Tuesday and Paul Elliott was installed by governors as acting headmaster at the Aldenham Road school.

What on earth is going on? No-one’s saying.

It is highly unusual for a head to resign in the middle of term and rumours have begun to circulate. A fuller statement is required from the governors if they don’t want the tabloids to come sniffing the Bushey air.

Fresh from his 40th anniversary songfest in London tonight, the indefatigable Placido Domingo flies to Moscow for tomorrow’s Bolshoi reopening.

Also on the bill are Natalie Dessay,

Angela Georghiu and Dmitri Hvorostovski.

The concert, attended by puppet-president Dmitri Medvedev (but without strongman Vladimir Putin) will be screened to crowds on the square outside and to audiences worldwide on Arte and other channels.

The Bolshoi closed in 2005. Its $800 million refit has overrun by three years.

As part of his campaign to promote safe driving, the German tourism minister Peter Ramsauer has published ‘Adagio im Auto’, a CD on which he plays soothing classical music. Ramsauer, 57, reckons that Mozart can stop accidents and save lives. Among other tracks, he plays the ‘Elvira Madigan’ movement of  Mozart’s 21st piano concerto (K467) with a Berlin Opera orchestra. Watch a clip here.

And here’s a better example of his technique in a Ch0pin etude. A bit stiff, but it’s tough getting your phrasing perfect on a TV talkshow and a poorly-tuned Yamaha.