January 29, 2001

Metropolitan Opera Guild plans exhibition on composers, conductors and virtuosi; British Museum mounts exhibition of Rembrandt etchings organized with Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; Lincoln Center's Great Performers and PEN American Center's Spoken Word series plan event celebrating writer James Baldwin; public reading of recently discovered Chekhov stories is set for 140th anniversary of Chekhov's birth; photos (M)

Donald E Westlake article in series Writers on Writing on using pseudonym, Richard Stark, and own name; discusses regaining Stark's voice after being unable to write as Stark for years; photo (M)

Anthony Tommasini Critic's Notebook article on New York Philharmonic's search for music director to succeed Kurt Masur; questions decision to consider Lorin Maazel when orchestra needs a young dynamo; photos (M)

United States has fallen behind Europe and parts of Asia in wireless technology amid questions about whether companies offering wide range of Internet services via cellular telephone can actually make money; American companies have avoided costly investments in network capabilities that customers do not want and American consumers have sidestepped buying unneeded devices or signing contracts for possibly short-lived services, while European companies in particular face likely industry shakeout; photos (M)

On Pro Football column discusses Baltimore Ravens complete dominance over New York Giants in winning Super Bowl; photo (M)