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Arts notes

Music Web site powers down

The classical music Web site andante.com folded Wednesday, five years after it was launched with much ballyhoo by French lawyer and entrepreneur Alain Coblence, who reportedly invested $5-million in the site. Andante offered news, features, reviews, interviews and a "virtual music library," and it put out some excellent CDs of historic performances. But it was sold to Naive records in 2003, and its activities had dwindled down to nothing.

OAKLAND BALLET FOLDS: The Oakland Ballet is closing after 40 years because of weak ticket sales and the loss of its venue. "This is very sad for us in the city of Oakland," said Linda Crayton, acting president of the Oakland Ballet board of trustees. The city announced in December that it is closing the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center, home of the Calvin Simmons Theater, where the ballet performs.

FAMED CONDUCTOR TAKING TIME OFF: Seiji Ozawa has canceled his remaining performances with the Vienna State Opera this season after being hospitalized with a bronchial infection and shingles that affected his vision. He was hospitalized in Japan last week, Mark Volpe, the opera's managing director, said in a statement. He has been released and is at home in Japan, following his doctor's instructions to rest for several months, Volpe said.

Performing arts critic John Fleming, musicalamerica.com and the Associated Press contributed to this report.

[Last modified February 2, 2006, 09:57:50]