ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT REPORTS FROM THE TIMES, NEWS SERVICES AND THE NATION’S PRESS.

MUSIC

Rattle Agrees to 10-Year Contract in Berlin

Conductor Simon Rattle signed a 10-year contract with the Berlin Philharmonic on Wednesday after the cash-strapped city reassured the British star about the funding and independence of the orchestra.

Rattle will start in Berlin next year, replacing retiring conductor Claudio Abbado, who took over the orchestra in 1989 after Herbert von Karajan died. The signing, postponed for a week because of the terrorist attacks in the United States, occurred a day after star conductor Daniel Barenboim agreed to stay on as artistic director of Berlin’s venerable Staatsoper opera house.

New West Symphony Scraps Opening

Saying he does not believe it would be prudent to travel to California this weekend, “given the current state of instability in our country,” pianist Van Cliburn has canceled his appearance at the opening of the New West Symphony in Thousand Oaks on Saturday--and the organizers have in turn canceled the event.

“In light of [Cliburn’s decision], we felt that the best plan was to cancel the entire evening and work to reschedule it at a later date,” said Betsy Chess, New West Symphony executive director. Tickets to Saturday’s event will be honored on the new date, as yet unspecified.

Brahms’ ‘Requiem’ to Replace Orchestra’s Gala

The New York Philharmonic Orchestra is substituting its planned opening-night gala at Lincoln Center tonight with a memorial concert. It will be televised on KCET-TV at 10 p.m. on “Live From Lincoln Center.”

Kurt Masur will conduct the performance of Brahms’ “A German Requiem,” featuring soprano Heidi Grant Murphy and baritone Thomas Hampson.

POP/ROCK

‘Come Together’ Concert Rescheduled

“Come Together,” a concert of big-name singers performing the music of John Lennon that was scheduled in New York tonight, has been rescheduled and reconfigured in the wake of last week’s attacks.

The event will still take place at Radio City Music Hall and will still include, among others, Alanis Morissette, Moby, Shelby Lynne, the Stone Temple Pilots and Lou Reed. But the date has been moved to Oct. 2, and the concert will now be telecast that night on TNT instead of taped for showing on Oct. 9, as originally planned.

In addition, the concert will benefit relief organizations in New York City and several anti-violence organizations.

QUICK TAKES

“Nightline” has indefinitely postponed the remaining four parts of its series on the Congo, which were to have run Sept. 11 through 14, as well as “A Matter of Choice?,” a five-part series about gay life in America.... Britney Spears says she will donate $1 of every ticket sold on her 31-concert North American tour this fall to the children of New York City police officers and firefighters killed in the World Trade Center attack. And a spokeswoman for Jim Carrey says the actor will be donating $1 million to the families of attack victims .... KCET-TV will be one of six PBS stations hosting a two-hour “National Conversation” at 8 tonight, featuring experts on a variety of topics discussing how Americans can cope with the tragedy of last week and deal with the challenges that lie ahead.... The Museum of Television & Radio in Beverly Hills has postponed Friday’s screening of “Friendly Fire” and its annual gala on Oct. 7.