La Scala

Philip Glass Symphony No. 3 and other works; Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra, Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra; Dennis Russell Davies, conductor. (Nonesuch 79581) This addition to the Glass discography should delight the composer's fans and might even make a few believers out of previously minimalism-resistant folks. Minimalism has come a long way since its early days back in the 1960s, when bare-bones melodic patterns churned at great length to rock-inspired pulsations. Glass and the other two major proponents of the minimalist style, Steve Reich and John Adams, have all been expanding the genre's horizons in recent years, adding richer textures, more elaborate melodic lines.

The old Cafe Troia space in Towson is now a new Italian restaurant named Taste Mediterranean Grille . The chef here, Luigi Palumbo, recently moved to the area with his family from his hometown in Bacoli, Naples, where he ran a restaurant named Ristorante a Ridosso ; Taste is his first venture in the United States. Most of what I know about the chef and the new restaurant comes from Rafael Coppola, a longtime fixture on the Baltimore dining scene who was brought in by the restaurant's ownership group to help Palumbo translate the Neapolitan dining experience for the American suburbs.

John Corbally, 79, first president of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and former president of the University of Illinois and Syracuse University, died of brain cancer Friday at his home in Mill Creek, Wash. He served as president of the Chicago-based MacArthur Foundation from shortly after its founding in 1979 until 1989. During his tenure, the philanthropic foundation started its famous fellowship program that became known as "genius grants," which are no-strings-attached stipends of $500,000 awarded to creative people to pursue their work.

Saving the day comes naturally to Antonello Palombi. Tosca opens at 8:15 p.m. Saturday and runs through May 13 at the Lyric Opera House, 140 W. Mount Royal Ave. $45-$127. 410-727-6000 or baltimoreopera.com.

Eadie Del Rubio,one-third of "3 Gals 3 Guitars" with her identical triplet sisters, died Monday of cancer in Los Angeles. She was believed to be in her 70s.She and her sisters, Milly and Elena, performed their music as a trio for the last 60 years, including appearances on the television shows "Ellen," "The Golden Girls," "Full House," "Married With Children" and "Pee-Wee's Playhouse."In addition to live performances, the guitar-playing siblings also produced three albums: "Jingle Belles," "3 Gals, 3 Guitars" and "Whip It."

One of this area's most prestigious concert series begins tonight at Alumni Hall as the U.S. Naval Academy's Distinguished Artist Series begins its 1993-1994 season with a performance by the young American violinist Robert McDuffie.Mr. McDuffie has performed as soloist with such ensembles as the Chicago Symphony, the Philadelphia Orchestra and the Orchestra Teatro La Scala. His recording of Leonard Bernstein's "Serenade" and William Schuman's Violin Concerto was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1990 and remains one of the most engaging recordings of American music to have been issued in recent years.

Great music will ring out in Columbia again this weekend when conductor Frances Motyca Dawson and her Columbia Pro Cantare Chorus present Johannes Brahms' A German Requiem at 8 p.m. Saturday at Jim Rouse Theatre at Wilde Lake High School in Columbia. The singers and Festival Orchestra will be joined by soprano April-Joy Gutierrez, a Metropolitan Opera Competition winner, and baritone Lester Lynch, who performs regularly at such distinguished houses as the Houston Grand Opera, the Lyric Opera of Chicago and Milan's La Scala.

Francis Valentine Dinhaupt, who was known as Frank Valentino during much of his career as an opera singer and teacher at the Peabody Conservatory, died June 14 of kidney failure at a nursing home in Fairfax, Va. He was 84.A baritone, he sang with the Metropolitan Opera for more than 20 years before teaching at Peabody from 1962 until his retirement in 1977. He lived in Severna Park during his years at Peabody, remaining there until he moved to Fairfaxabout five years ago.A native of New York City, he was reared in Denver and began studying music there.

Some 20 area restaurants will trot out their best soft-shell crab recipes for the fourth annual Soft Shell Crab Celebration. The promotion is organized by Dine Downtown. The 12-day promotion starts on May 17 and runs through May 28. Here's whose participating, with what they're offering, when they've decided: Aldo's Ristorante Italiano -- Soft-shell crabs, stone-ground wheat crust, in brown butter and remoulade sauce, served with a sweet corn fritter Alewife Brewer's Art -- Cornmeal-crusted soft shells and fried Chesapeake oysters Charleston -- Cornmeal-fried soft-shell crab, lemon brown butter, upland cress, pickled green tomato Cinghiale -- Crispy soft-shell crabs, pickled sweet peppers, capers, baby arugula, lettuce sauce Diamond Tavern -- Beer-battered soft-shell crab sandwich with lemon caper sauce and arugula; cornmeal dusted soft-shell crab with spicy chili sauce and fried basil and spinach; sauteed soft-shell crab Provencal with wilted spinach and roasted tomatoes.

Imagine a centerpiece as useful as it is eye-catching. Philadelphia potter Marge Margulies takes the image of an unfolding flower as the inspiration for nesting bowls that can be used alone as serving dishes or nestled together to create an eye-catching display. The bowls are wheel-thrown and painted with colored glazes. All pieces are dishwasher- and microwave-safe. The eight-piece Red Cabbage Rose With Bowl and Platters sells for $574. The blue 10-piece Cabbage Rose With Platter is $664 and the eight-piece Mille Feuille is $210.