Happy Birthday Korsakov: “Scheherazade ” Symphonic Suite Op.35 , great compositions/performances

Rimsky Korsakov : “Scheherazade ” Symphonic Suite Op.35

RichardHilo

Published on Dec 7, 2011

Scheherazade, Symphonic Suite, Opus 35
Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra
André Previn

quotation: H.G. Wells

There’s nothing wrong in suffering, if you suffer for a purpose. Our revolution didn’t abolish danger or death. It simply made danger and death worthwhile.

H.G. Wells (1866-1946) Discuss

today’s birthday: Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844) (Flight of the Bumble Bee, Itzhak Perlman)

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844)

Rimsky-Korsakov, a Russian composer noted for his skill in orchestration, completed his first symphony at the age of 21, while serving as a midshipman with the Imperial Russian Navy. In 1871, he became a professor at St. Petersburg Conservatory, and he taught many famous future composers, including Igor Stravinsky. As a member of a group of nationalist composers known as “The Five,” Rimsky-Korsakov aimed to write music of distinctively Russian character. What often inspired his work? More… Discuss

this day in the yesteryear: Largest Art Theft in US History (1990)

Largest Art Theft in US History (1990)

On March 18, 1990, thieves disguised as police officers broke into Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and stole 13 works of art, including paintings by Vermeer, Rembrandt, Manet, and Degas. The crime, considered the largest art theft in US history, remains unsolved. Due to the strict provisions of Gardner’s will, which stipulate that the collection remain unchanged, the paintings’ empty frames remain on display in their original locations. What group is suspected of carrying out the heist? More… Discuss

Tyne Bridge

Tyne Bridge

The Tyne Bridge is a compression arch suspended-deck bridge over the River Tyne, in northeastern England, near the site of the earliest bridge built there by the Romans. The design of the bridge was based on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which in turn derived its design from New York’s Hell Gate Bridge. The plan for the bridge was approved in 1924, and it was officially opened in 1928 by King George V. What parts of the bridge were never completed and remain unused? More… Discuss

hidtoric musical bits: , Brahms String Quartet Op. 51, No.1 in C minor , great compositions/performances

Brahms String Quartet Op. 51 No.1 in C minor

The “terse,” “tragic”^[2] String Quartet No. 1 in C minor is remarkable for its organic unity and for the harmonically sophisticated, “orchestrally inclined” outer movements that bracket its more intimate inner movements.^[1] Structurally and thematically, the first movement shows the influence of Schubert’s Quartettsatz, D. 703, also in C minor.^[2] The quartet consists of four movements:

1. Allegro (C minor)
2. Romanze: Poco adagio (A-flat major)
3. Allegretto molto moderato e comodo (F minor)
4. Allegro (C minor
   ************************************************************
   

String Quartet: Amadeus Quartet

Norbert Brainin (1st violin)
Siegmund Nissel (2nd violin)
Peter Schidlof (viola)
Martin Lovett (cello)

The Amadeus Quartet was a world famous string quartet founded in 1947.
Because of their Jewish origin, violinists Norbert Brainin, Siegmund Nissel and Peter Schidlof (later violist) were driven out of Vienna after Hitler’s Anschluss of 1938.
Brainin and Schidlof met in a British internment camp on the Isle of Man; many Jewish refugees had the misfortune of being confined by the British as “enemy aliens” upon seeking refuge in the UK. 
Brainin was released after a few months, but Schidlof remained in the camp, where he met Nissel.
Finally Schidlof and Nissel were released, and the three of them were able to study with violin teacher Max Rostal, who taught them free of charge.
It was through Rostal that they met cellist Martin Lovett, and in 1947 they formed the Brainin Quartet, which was renamed the Amadeus Quartet in 1948. [Wikipedia]
*************************************************************************
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 Johannes Brahms‘s String Quartets Nos. 1 in C minor and 2 in A minor were completed in Tutzing, Bavaria, during the summer of 1873, and published together that autumn as Opus 51. They are dedicated to his friend Theodor Billroth.

Composition

Brahms was slow in writing his first two string quartets. We know from a letter from Joseph Joachim that a C-minor quartet was in progress in 1865, but it may not have been the same work that would become Opus 51 No. 1 in 1873. Four years before publication, however, in 1869, we know for certain that the two quartets were complete enough to be played through. But the composer remained unsatisfied. Years passed. New practice runs then occurred in Munich, probably in June 1873, and Brahms ventured south of the city to the small lakeside town of Tutzing for a summer respite. There, with the Würmsee (as Lake Starnberg was then called) and the Bavarian Prealps as backdrop, he put the finishing touches on the two quartets.

He was 40 years old at the time of publication. Brahms regarded the string quartet as a particularly important genre. He reportedly destroyed some twenty string quartets before allowing the two Op. 51 quartets to be published.^[1] At least one of the quartets (No. 1 in C minor) had been complete as early as 1865 but Brahms continued to revise it for nearly a decade.^[1]

Explaining his slow progress to a publisher in 1869, Brahms wrote that as Mozart had taken “particular trouble” over the six “beautiful” Haydn Quartets, he intended to do his “very best to turn out one or two passably decent ones.”^[1] According to his friend Max Kalbeck, Brahms insisted on hearing a secret performance of the Op. 51 quartets before they were published, after which he substantially revised them.

During Brahms’s lifetime, the string quartet, like the symphony, was a genre dominated by the contributions of Ludwig van Beethoven. In choosing the key of C minor for the first of his quartets, Brahms may have been seeking to acknowledge as well as break free from Beethoven’s paralyzing influence, since Beethoven composed some of his greatest and most characteristic works in that key.^[1] (Brahms likewise chose the key of C minor for his First Symphony.)

 Structure

The “terse,” “tragic”^[2] String Quartet No. 1 in C minor is remarkable for its organic unity and for the harmonically sophisticated, “orchestrally inclined” outer movements that bracket its more intimate inner movements.^[1] Structurally and thematically, the first movement shows the influence of Schubert’s Quartettsatz, D. 703, also in C minor.^[2] The quartet consists of four movements:

1. Allegro (C minor)
2. Romanze: Poco adagio (A-flat major)
3. Allegretto molto moderato e comodo (F minor)
4. Allegro (C minor)

The String Quartet No. 2 in A minor, also highly unified thematically, is comparatively lyrical, although culminating in a dramatic and propulsive finale whose tension “derives…from a metrical conflict between theme and accompaniment.”^[3] Like Brahms’s Piano Quartet No. 1 and Violin Concerto, the A minor quartet has a final movement modeled on a Hungarian folk dance, in this case a czárdás.^[4] The quartet consists of four movements:

1. Allegro non troppo (A minor)
2. Andante moderato (A major)
3. Quasi Minuetto, moderato (A minor)
4. Finale. Allegro non assai (A minor)

With all the movements in A minor or A major, the String Quartet No. 2 is therefore homotonal. Each quartet lasts about half an hour in performance.

 

Critical reception

The Op. 51 string quartets were received “respectfully if without great enthusiasm” at their respective premieres in October and December 1873.^[5] While the quartets have enjoyed less popularity than some of Brahms’s other chamber music, they helped revitalize “the great but moribund tradition” of the string quartet that had stagnated after Beethoven and Schubert, and helped inspire the quartets of Arnold Schoenberg, Béla Bartók, and other twentieth century composers.^[5] In his famous essay “Brahms the Progressive”, Schoenberg praised the quartets for their advanced harmony and for the unprecedented completeness with which Brahms derives each movement from a tiny motif.^[6]

The Op. 51 quartets have been recorded by such ensembles as the Amadeus Quartet, Quartetto Italiano, Alban Berg Quartet, Cleveland Quartet, Tokyo Quartet, Emerson Quartet and Takács Quartet.

 

MAURICE RAVEL: LE TOMBEAU DE COUPERIN – PIERRE BOULEZ & BERLIN PHILARMONIC — 2003

ARCHIVOS BOESMI – ARTE Y CULTURA

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

This article is about the Ravel piano composition.

 

Cover of the first printed edition designed by Ravel himself

Le tombeau de Couperin is a suite for solo piano by Maurice Ravel, composed between 1914 and 1917, in six movements based on those of a traditional Baroque suite. Each movement is dedicated to the memory of a friend of the composer (or in one case, two brothers) who had died fighting in World War I. Ravel also produced an orchestral version of the work in 1919, although this omitted two of the original movements.

Composition

The movements are as follows:

I	Prélude	Vif	12/16	= 92	E minor	in memory of First Lieutenant Jacques Charlot (transcriber of Ma mère l’oye for piano solo)
II	Fugue	Allegro moderato	4/4	= 84	E minor	in memory of Second Lieutenant Jean Cruppi (to whose mother Ravel had also dedicated L’heure espagnole)
III	Forlane	Allegretto	6/8	= 96	E minor	in memory of First Lieutenant Gabriel Deluc (a Basque painter from Saint-Jean-de-Luz)
IV	Rigaudon	Assez vif	2/4	n/a	C major	in memory of Pierre and Pascal Gaudin (two brothers and childhood friends of Ravel, killed by the same shell in November 1914)
V	Menuet	Allegro moderato	3/4	= 92	G major	in memory of Jean Dreyfus (at whose home Ravel recuperated after he was demobilized)
VI	Toccata	Vif	2/4	= 144	E major	in memory of Captain Joseph de Marliave (musicologist and husband of Marguerite Long)

The first performance of the original piano version was given on 11 April 1919 by Marguerite Long, Joseph de Marliave’s widow, in the Salle Gaveau in Paris.^[3][4]

Orchestrations and transcription

House where Ravel composed Le tombeau de Couperin

 In 1919 Ravel orchestrated four movements of the work (Prélude, Forlane, Menuet and Rigaudon);^[5] this version was premiered in February 1920 by Rhené-Baton and the Pasdeloup Orchestra, and has remained one of his more popular works. Ravel transcribed many of his piano pieces for orchestra, but here he reaches the height of his orchestration skills, turning a very pianistic piece into a superb orchestral suite with very few hints of its origins. The orchestral version clarifies the harmonic language of the suite and brings sharpness to its classical dance rhythms; among the demands it places on the orchestra is the requirement for an oboe soloist of virtuosic skill, as the oboist takes the melody in the Prélude and the Menuet as well as for the pastoral C minor section of the Rigaudon, where it is accompanied by guitar-like pizzicati.^[6]

The orchestrated version is scored for two flutes (one doubling piccolo), two oboes (one doubling cor anglais), two clarinets, two bassoons, two horns, trumpet, harp, and strings.

Only a few years after Ravel’s own orchestration, Lucien Garban (working under the pseudonym of Roger Branga) produced a version of the piece for ‘small orchestra’ with a piano-conductor, consisting of the Prélude, Menuet and Rigaudon. He had previously transcribed the full suite for piano four hands in 1919.

Several other composers have since created orchestrations of those two movements which Ravel omitted, the Fugue and the Toccata. David Diamond has orchestrated the second movement Fugue, while the Hungarian pianist and conductor Zoltán Kocsis has produced his own version of both the Fugue and the Toccata. However, here, the Toccata, scored for a very large orchestra, goes far beyond the limits of Ravel’s own, small orchestra, and the Fugue is set for winds only. Another instrumentation of Fugue and Toccata by pianist Michael Round was recorded by Vladimir Ashkenazy (Exton, 2003): the score is published (as two separate titles, ‘Fugue’ and ‘Toccata’) by Edwin F. Kalmus. Round’s version of the Toccata adds percussion, requiring up to five players. Kalmus omitted the percussion parts from the published score so as to exactly match the orchestration of the rest of the suite, but these parts are available separately, directly from the orchestrator. In 2013 the British composer Kenneth Hesketh orchestrated the Fugue and Toccata for the exact orchestration of the original four-movement orchestral suite. The first performance was given by the Goettingen Symphony Orchestra conducted by Christoph Mathias Mueller. The scores are available from Schott Music, London.

Four movements (Prélude, Fugue, Menuet, and Rigaudon) have been arranged for wind quintet by American horn player Mason Jones (1919–2009).^[7] Danish composer Hans Abrahamsen has also transcribed four movements for wind quintet.,^[8] and further American composer Gunther Schuller has made a wind-quintet arrangement.^[9]

In 2013, Trevor P. Wagler re-arranged the orchestral version of four movements (Prélude, Forlane, Menuet, and Rigaudon) down to a quintet (ob/cl/vn/vcl/pft), played at Wilfrid Laurier University.^[10]

For oboe and piano, the four orchestral movements (Prélude, Fugue, Menuet and Rigaudon) have been arranged 2014 by Elena González Arias (Adliswil: Ed.Kunzelmann, 2014). ^[11] combines the essential features of both of the composer’s versions in one – the intimate character of the piano original and the tone-colour of the oboe in the orchestral transcription. A compromise was found between the two versions not only with respect to the compositional material, but also with regard to articulation and dynamics.

I stand with @ewg in opposing the chemical industry’s bill that will harm families – RT if you stand with us!

I stand with @ewg in opposing the chemical industry’s bill that will harm families – RT if you stand with us! #tsca pic.twitter.com/rrZ8P7zjeW

— erin brockovich (@ErinBrockovich) March 17, 2015

Pray the Rosary – Tuesday and Friday – The Sorrowful Mysteries – Powerful Prayers for Miracles

lovetrinity8

Published on Jun 11, 2012

Listen and pray along to The Sorrowful Mysteries and meditate on:

1. The Agony in the Garden: Contrition for our sins.
2. The Scourging at the Pillar: Mortification of our senses.
3. The Crowning with Thorns: Interior mortification.
4. The Carrying of the Cross: Patience under crosses.
5. The Crucifixion and Death of Our Lord: That we may die to ourselves.

Enjoy peace and love.

St. Patrick Prayers: St Patrick’s Breastplate (and thirteen more)

St Patrick’s Breastplate

Christ be with me, Christ within me
Christ behind me, Christ before me
Christ beside me, Christ to win me
Christ to comfort me and restore me.
Christ beneath me, Christ above me
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger
Christ in hearts of all that love me
Christ in mouth of friend or stranger.

(390-461 A.D.)

More St. Patrick Prayers

Prayer about St. Patrick A Chaplet of St Patrick Prayer for the Faithful by Saint Patrick Have Faith Love Will Find You An Irish prayer Lorica of Saint Patrick Lorica of Saint Patrick

Lorica of Saint Patrick Prayer to St. Patrick, Patron of Ireland St Patrick’s Breastplate St Patrick’s Breastplate (390-461 A.d.) St. Patrick’s Breastplate (ca. 389-461 AD.) Thanks for St. Patrick

The most kids know of St. Patrick ‘s Day is that you must wear green or you’ll get a pinch from your friends. Adults see the day as an occasion to celebrate, sometimes with green beer and other assorted alcoholic beverages. However, few really know what they are celebrating or why the holiday is so important, particularly in the Americas. 

The following 10 facts may help you to better enjoy this popular holiday.

 

Saint Patrick in blue vestments.

3/17/2014 (11 months ago)

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10. March 17th is when Patrick died.

Saint Patrick is a saint of the Catholic Church, and his holy day is the day of his death, and subsequent entrance to heaven, rather than the day of his physical birth. After spending most of his adult life converting the pagans of Ireland to Christianity, St. Patrick went to his reward on March 17, 461 AD. 

Keep the Saint in St. Patrick’s Day! Shop these remarkable Catholic products.

9. St. Patrick wasn’t Irish.

St. Patrick wasn’t Irish, and he wasn’t born in Ireland. Patrick’s parents were Roman citizens living in modern-day England, or more precisely in Scotland or Wales (scholars cannot agree on which). He was born in 385 AD. By that time, most Romans were Christians and the Christian religion was spreading rapidly across Europe.

8. St. Patrick was a slave.

At the age of 16, Patrick had the misfortune of being kidnapped by Irish raiders who took him away and sold him as a slave. He spent several years in Ireland herding sheep and learning about the people there. At the age of 22, he managed to escape. He made his way to a monastery in England where he spent 12 years growing closer to God.

7. St. Patrick used the shamrock to preach about the trinity.

Many claim the shamrock represents faith, hope, and love, or any number of other things but it was actually used by Patrick to teach the mystery of the Holy Trinity, and how three things, the Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit could be separate entities, yet one in the same. Obviously, the pagan rulers of Ireland found Patrick to be convincing because they quickly converted to Christianity.

6. Legend says St. Patrick drove all the snakes from Ireland.

According to legend, St. Patrick drove all the snakes, or in some translations, “toads,” out of Ireland. In reality, this probably did not occur, as there is no evidence that snakes have ever existed in Ireland, the climate being too cool for them to thrive. Despite that, scholars suggest that the term “snakes” may be figurative and refer to pagan religious beliefs and practices rather than reptiles or amphibians. 

 5. Patrick’s color is blue. 

The original color associated with St. Patrick is blue, not green as commonly believed. In several artworks depicting the saint, he is shown wearing blue vestments. King Henry VIII used the Irish harp in gold on a blue flag to represent the country. Since that time, and possibly before, blue has been a popular color to represent the country on flags, coats-of-arms, and even sports jerseys.

Green was associated with the country later, presumably because of the greenness of the countryside, which is so because Ireland receives plentiful rainfall. Today, the country is also referred to as the “Emerald Isle.” 

4. The Shamrock is not the symbol of Ireland. 

The shamrock is a popular Irish symbol, but it is not the symbol of Ireland. As early as the medieval period, the harp has appeared on Irish gravestones and manuscripts. However, it is certain that the harp was popular in Irish legend and culture even well before that period. 

Since the medieval period, the harp has represented the nation. King Henry VIII used the harp on coins as early as 1534. Later, the harp was used on Irish flags and Irish coats of arms. The harp was also used as a symbol of the Irish people during their long struggle for freedom. Starting in 1642 the harp appeared on flags during rebellions against English rule. When Ireland became an independent country in 1921, it adopted the harp as the national symbol. 

3. There are more Irish in the USA than Ireland.

Well, sort of. An estimated 34 million Americans have Irish ancestry. Some are pure-blood Irish, meaning they or their parents came from Ireland, but many more have mixed ancestry today. By contrast, there are 4.2 million people living in Ireland. This peculiarity has a lot to do with the troubled history of Ireland. During the potato famine in Ireland, millions of Irish left the country for the US. This diaspora of Irish continued throughout much of the 19th century. Great numbers of Irish immigrants filled factories, served as railroad laborers –and even joined the military, sometimes immediately upon stepping foot on American soil! During the US Civil War, entire regiments of troops were comprised exclusively of Irish immigrants.  It wasn’t until the economic boom of the 1990s that more Irish stayed in their native country than traveled abroad searching for better opportunities. 

2. St. Patrick’s Day in the US has a strong political history.

In the mid 19th century, the Irish faced discrimination much like that faced by African Americans. In a few rare instances, prejudice against the Irish was even more fierce! The Irish were culturally unique, Catholic, and because of deplorable conditions in Ireland, flooded into the US in large numbers. They were perceived as a potentially disloyal and were treated harshly. To combat this, the American Irish began to organize themselves politically. By the end of the 19th century, St. Patrick’s Day was a large holiday for the Irish and an occasion for them to demonstrate their collective political and social might. While the political emphasis has faded along with the discrimination, the holiday remains ever popular as an opportunity for festivity regardless of one’s cultural background.

1. St. Patrick’s was a dry holiday in Ireland until 1970.

Aside from the color green, the activity most associated with St. Patrick’s Day is drinking. However, Irish law, from 1903 to 1970, declared St. Patrick’s Day a religious observance for the entire country meaning that all pubs were shut down for the day. That meant no beer, not even the green kind, for public celebrants. The law was overturned in 1970, when St. Patrick’s was reclassified as a national holiday – allowing the taps to flow freely once again.

Bonus Fact: Your odds of finding a four-leaf clover are:

About 1 in 10,000.

—

Pope Francis: end world hunger through ‘Prayer and Action’

Saint of the Day for Tuesday, March 17th, 2015: St. Patrick

Saint of the Day for Tuesday, March 17th, 2015

St. Patrick

St. Patrick of Ireland is one of the world’s most popular saints. Apostle of Ireland, born at Kilpatrick, near Dumbarton, in Scotland, in the year 387; died at Saul, Downpatrick, Ireland, 17 … continue reading

More Saints of the Day

St. Patrick St. Ambrose of Alexandria St. Gertrude of Nivelles St. Jan Sarkander

St. Joseph of Arimathea St. Paul of Cyprus Bl. Peter Lieou

Today In History. What Happened This Day In History

A chronological timetable of historical events that occurred on this day in history. Historical facts of the day in the areas of military, politics, science, music, sports, arts, entertainment and more. Discover what happened today in history.

Today in History
March 17

1766		Britain repeals the Stamp Act.
1776		British forces evacuate from Boston to Nova Scotia.
1799		Napoleon Bonaparte and his army reach Mediterranean seaport of St. Jean d’Acra, only to find British warships ready to break his siege of the town.
1868		The first postage stamp canceling machine patent is issued.
1884		John Joseph Montgomery makes the first glider flight in Otay, Calif.
1886		Twenty African Americans are killed in the Carrollton Massacre in Mississippi.
1891		The British steamer Utopia sinks off the coast of Gibraltar.
1905		Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, niece of President Theodore Roosevelt, marries Franklin D. Roosevelt in New York.
1910		The Camp Fire Girls are founded in Lake Sebago, Maine.
1914		Russia increases the number of active duty military from 460,000 to 1,700,000.
1924		Four Douglas army aircraft leave Los Angeles for an around the world flight.
1930		Mob boss Al Capone is released from jail.
1942		The Nazis begin deporting Jews to the Belsen camp.
1944		The U.S. Eighth Air Force bombs Vienna.
1959		The Dalai Lama flees Tibet and goes to India.
1961		The United States increases military aid and technicians to Laos.
1962		The Soviet Union asks the United States to pull out of South Vietnam.
1966		A U.S. submarine locates a missing H-bomb in the Mediterranean.
1970		The Army charges 14 officers with suppression of facts in the My Lai massacre case.
1972		Nixon asks Congress to halt busing in order to achieve desegregation.
1973		Twenty are killed in Cambodia when a bomb goes off that was meant for the Cambodian President Lon Nol.
1973		First POWs are released from the “Hanoi Hilton” in Hanoi, North Vietnam.
1985		President Ronald Reagan agrees to a joint study with Canada on acid rain.
1992		White South Africans approve constitutional reforms giving legal equality to blacks.
Born on March 17
1828		Patrick R. Cleburne, Confederate general.
1832		Daniel Conway Moncure, U.S. clergyman, author, abolitionist
1846		Kate Greenway, painter and illustrator (Mother Goose).
1902		Bobby Jones, American golfer.
1919		Nat “King” Cole, American jazz pianist and singer.

– See more at: http://www.historynet.com/today-in-history#sthash.0opsdn9Y.dpuf

today’s picture: Union General William T. Sherman

Union General William T. Sherman
George N. Barnard, official photographer of the Chief Engineer’s Office, photographed Union General William T. Sherman on horseback at Federal Fort No. 7 in Atlanta, Georgia sometime between September and November 1864. After forcing General John B. Hood to abandon the munitions center of the Confederacy, Sherman remained in Atlanta, resting his war-worn men and accumulating supplies, for nearly two and a half months.

Photo: Library of Congress

– See more at: http://www.historynet.com/picture-of-the-day?podMonth=3&podDay=17&pod=GO#sthash.bgTRhxY6.dpuf

today’s holiday: Camp Fire Founders’ Day (2015)

Camp Fire Founders’ Day (2015)

The organization originally known as the Camp Fire Girls was founded on March 17, 1910, around the same time that the Boy Scout movement was getting its start in Great Britain. Now it is coeducational and is known as Camp Fire. The organization stresses self-reliance, and membership is divided into five age levels, from Sparks (pre-school) to Horizon (grades 9-12). Interaction with adults is also emphasized as a way of learning about career choices, hobbies, and other interests. Camp Fire’s founding is observed by members as part of Camp Fire Boys and Girls Birthday Week. More… Discuss

quotation: A picture is an intermediate something between a thought and a thing. Samuel Taylor Coleridge

A picture is an intermediate something between a thought and a thing.

Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834) Discuss

today’s birthday: Nat King Cole (1919?)

Nat King Cole (1919?)

Originally a jazz pianist, Nat King Cole performed in Los Angeles nightclubs with his trio in the 1930s but did not achieve commercial success until he began singing. His warm, velvety voice brought a personal touch to his ballads, and he became internationally popular for his broodingly romantic hits, such as “Unforgettable.” He went on to become one of the first African-American artists to star in a radio show and to host a network television show. How did he get the nickname “King”? More… Discuss

this day in the yesteryear: Rubber Band Patented (1845)

Rubber Band Patented (1845)

In 1845, Stephen Perry, a British inventor and businessman, patented what is now a staple office supply—the rubber band. While their intended function is to hold items together, rubber bands have been used in a number of other capacities; they can be wrapped around one another to form a bouncy ball or used as “ammunition” in rubber band guns. Though many modern rubber products are commonly made with synthetic rubber, rubber bands are still primarily manufactured using natural rubber. Why? More… Discuss

article: Pompeii

Pompeii

Pompeii was a Roman city near modern Naples, Italy, that was destroyed during the catastrophic 79 ACE volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius. As a result of the eruption, the city was buried under many feet of ash for 1,600 years before it was accidentally rediscovered. Its excavation has provided an extraordinarily detailed insight into the life of a city at the height of the Roman Empire. During the first excavation in 1860, voids discovered in the ash-layer were found to be spaces left by what? More… Discuss

Luigi Rodolfo Boccherini: Quintet for Guitar No.4 ‘Fandango’ in D major, (G.448)

vivaldi369

Published on Jan 18, 2013

Álbum: Boccherini: Fandango, Sinfonie & La Musica Notturna Di Madrid
Interpretes del álbum: Jordi Savall, Rolf Lislevand, Bruno Cocset, Manfredo Kraemer, Pablo Valetti, José da Udaeta & Le Concert des Nations
Compositor: Luigi Rodolfo Boccherini
Genero: Clásico Español
Año: 2005
Movimientos: Pastorale-Allegro Maestoso-Grave Assai: Fandango

Today In History. What Happened This Day In History

A chronological timetable of historical events that occurred on this day in history. Historical facts of the day in the areas of military, politics, science, music, sports, arts, entertainment and more. Discover what happened today in history.

37		On a trip to the Italian mainland from his home on Capreae, the emperor Tiberius dies on the Bay of Naples.
1190		The Crusades begin the massacre of Jews in York, England.
1527		The Emperor Babur defeats the Rajputs at the Battle of Kanvaha, removing the main Hindu rivals in Northern India.
1621		The first Indian appears to colonists in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
1833		Susan Hayhurst becomes the first woman to graduate from a pharmacy college.
1850		Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is published.
1865		Union troops push past Confederate blockers at the Battle of Averasborough, N.C.
1907		The British cruiser Invincible, the world’s largest, is completed at Glasgow shipyards.
1913		The 15,000-ton battleship Pennsylvania is launched at Newport News, Va.
1917		Russian Czar Nicholas II abdicates his throne.
1926		Physicist Robert H. Goddard launches the first liquid-fuel rocket.
1928		The United States plans to send 1,000 more Marines to Nicaragua.
1935		Adolf Hitler orders a German rearmament and violates the Versailles Treaty.
1939		Germany occupies the rest Czechoslovakia.
1945		Iwo Jima is declared secure by U.S. forces although small pockets of Japanese resistance still exist.
1954		CBS introduces The Morning Show hosted by Walter Cronkite to compete with NBC’s Today Show.
1964		President Lyndon B. Johnson submits a $1 billion war on poverty program to Congress.
1968		U.S. troops in Vietnam destroy a village consisting mostly of women and children, the action is remembered as the My-Lai massacre.
1984		Mozambique and South Africa sign a pact banning support for one another’s internal foes.
1985		Associated Press newsman, Terry Anderson is taken hostage in Beirut.
Born on March 16
1751		James Madison, fourth President of the United States (1809-17).
1789		George S. Ohm, German physicist.
1822		Rosa Bonheur, French painter and sculptor.
1822		John Pope, Union general in the American Civil War.
1861		Maxim Gorky, Russian dramatist
1912		Thelma Catherine Patricia Ryan Nixon, first lady to President Richard Nixon.
1926		Jerry Lewis, American comedian and film actor.

– See more at: http://www.historynet.com/today-in-history#sthash.nWxZzVUF.dpuf

today’s picture: Nicholas II, Czar of Russia

Nicholas II, Czar of Russia, was forced to sign a document of abdication on March 16, 1917, after being brought down by political unrest and widespread starvation stemming from Russia’s staggering losses in WWI. The czar, his wife Alexandra, their four daughters and son Alexis, heir to the throne, were held prisoner by the Bolsheviks for several months at Tsarskoye Selo palace near Petrograd. This photograph shows Nicholas II under guard in the park at Tsarskoye Selo. In August 1917, the family was transported to distant Siberia to prevent any attempt to restore them to the throne. In July 1918, the entire royal family was executed by local Bolsheviks.

Photo: Library of Congress

– See more at: http://www.historynet.com/picture-of-the-day#sthash.DNQhT1xd.dpuf

Saint of the Day for Monday, March 16th, 2015: St. Abban

Saint of the Day for Monday, March 16th, 2015

St. Abban

Abbot and Irish missionary. An Irish prince, Abban was the son of King Cormac of Leinster. He is listed as the nephew of St. Ibar. Abban founded many churches in the old district of Ui Cennselaigh, … continue reading

More Saints of the Day

St. Abban St. Aninus St. Dentlin St. Eusebia St. Finian Lobhar St. Finian Munnu St. Hilary

Bl. John Amias Bl. John Cacciafronte St. Julian of Antioch St. Megingaud St. Patrick of Malaga Bl. Robert Dalby

today’s holiday: St. Urho’s Day (2015)

St. Urho’s Day (2015)

St. Urho, whose name in Finnish means “hero,” is credited with banishing a plague of grasshoppers that was threatening Finland’s grape arbors. His legend in the US was popularized in the 1950s. After being celebrated as a “joke holiday” for several years in the Menahga-Sebeka area, the idea spread to other states with large Finnish populations. The actual celebrations include wearing St. Urho’s official colors—Nile Green and Royal Purple—drinking grape juice, and chanting St. Urho’s famous words, “Grasshopper, grasshopper, go away,” in Finnish. More… Discuss

quotation: Edith Wharton

In spite of illness, in spite even of the archenemy sorrow, one can remain alive long past the usual date of disintegration if one is unafraid of change, insatiable in intellectual curiosity, interested in big things, and happy in small ways.

Edith Wharton (1862-1937) Discuss

today’s birthday: Jerry Lewis (1926)

Jerry Lewis (1926)

Lewis, an entertainer known for his slapstick comedy, became popular in the 1940s through his partnership with Dean Martin. They performed together in nightclubs as well as 17 films before parting ways in 1956. Lewis then went on to direct and star in The Nutty Professor and many other movies. He left filmmaking in the 1970s to focus on supporting and fundraising for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). Who was responsible for reuniting Martin and Lewis during a 1976 MDA telethon? More… Discuss

this day in the yesteryear: Indictments Made in Iran-Contra Affair (1988)

Indictments Made in Iran-Contra Affair (1988)

In 1985, members of the US National Security Council (NSC) secretly authorized weapons sales to Iran in an attempt to secure the release of US hostages held in Lebanon by pro-Iranian militias. Part of the $48 million profit was then diverted to Nicaraguan Contra rebels, in violation of a 1984 law banning such assistance. After a Senate investigation, NSC members Oliver North and John M. Poindexter were indicted and convicted of various offenses. Why were their convictions later overturned? More… Discuss

Egyptian court hands down death sentence to Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie and 13 others, state media

Egyptian court hands down death sentence to Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Badie and 13 others, state media say http://t.co/46YI8tQZEM

— BBC Breaking News (@BBCBreaking) March 16, 2015

THE HOLY ROSARY PORTAL: ACCESS HERE OR FROM THE NEW WIDGETON THE SIDEBAR (LISTEN TO SCHUBERT’S ‘AVE MARIA’

THE HOLY ROSARY PORTAL: ACCESS AND PRAY FOR THE CHRISTIAN WORLD!

Ave Maria Hymn with Lyrics – Latin

latin audio

 

Published on Jul 23, 2013

Ave Maria hymn with lyrics. The Hail Mary sung in latin by a Catholic monk.

Latin:
Ave Maria, gratia plena,
Dominus tecum,
benedicta tu in mulieribus,
et benedictus fructus ventris tui Iesus.
Sancta Maria mater Dei,
ora pro nobis peccatoribus,
nunc, et in hora mortis nostrae.
Amen

English:
Hail Mary,
Full of Grace,
The Lord is with thee.
Blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit
of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary,
Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of death.
Amen.

Jessye Norman – Ave Maria (Schubert)

PakoChile

 

 

 

Pope Saint John Paul II: The rosary as a special ‘Prayer for World Peace’.

In the largest live telecast of its kind, Pope John Paul II leads a worldwide congregation of worshipers on five continents in a complete recitation of the rosary as a special ‘Prayer for World Peace.

this pressed for your Information: Putin says Russia was ready to activate nuclear arsenal over Crimea – LA Times

Russian President Vladimir Putin is seen being honored in this file photo from the May 9, 2014, Victory Day celebrations in Sevastopol, Crimea, home of Russia’s Black Sea fleet. (Ivan Sekretarev / Associated Press)
By Carol J. Williams contact the reporter

Russia would have activated its nuclear arsenal if necessary a year ago when its troops secured the Crimean peninsula and carried out a referendum on the strategic peninsula’s secession from Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in a documentary that aired Sunday.

Crimea anniversary

Crimean painters touch up a mural depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin in a navy uniform ahead of celebrations planned this week, a year after the March 18, 2014, annexation of Crimea. (Yuri Lashov / AFP/Getty Images)

In the report timed to Monday’s anniversary of the referendum, “Crimea: Path to the Motherland,” Putin justifies Moscow’s seizure of the Black Sea territory as necessary to protect Russians and military bases from what he described as a nationalist junta that had taken power in Kiev.

Putin accused the United States of masterminding the three-month uprising in the Ukrainian capital that ended with the ouster of Kremlin-allied President Viktor Yanukovich, who has since taken refuge in Russia.

While the documentary was clearly prerecorded, it served to project a vibrant and defiant image of the Russian president, who hasn’t been seen in public for more than a week, spurring rumors that he is sick or has been deposed in a palace coup.

Related Putin hails Crimea annexation as ‘most important milestone’

Europe

Putin hails Crimea annexation as ‘most important milestone’

The Kremlin website on Sunday also carried a message of condolence from Putin on the death of Russian writer Valentin Rasputin.

via Putin says Russia was ready to activate nuclear arsenal over Crimea – LA Times.

Antonin Dvorak: Requiem Op. 89 (Dedicate to the Christians, cowardly slaughtered by terrorists in Pakistan and elsewhere in the world!)

Antonin Dvorak: Requiem Op. 89 / Faces on Earth

hollandskgjestehus

Published on Apr 10, 2013

Antonín Dvořák composed the Requiem at the beginning of his peak creative period. The construction of the mass is not typical: the composition is divided in two basic parts, each of which begins with the original interconnection of several liturgical sequences. Likewise, Dvořák inserted between the “Sanctus” and “Agnus Dei” a lyrical movement “Pie Jesu,” created on the base of the final text of the “Dies Irae” sequence. Its basic melodic motif is created by two ascending half-tones with an incorporated very sorrowful diminished third, which begins the opus and continues in many variations as the main motif running through the entire work. Dvořák’s Requiem is a supreme opus of classicist-romantic synthesis. This composition inspired many other Czech composers, e.g. Josef Suk and Bohuslav Martinů.

This composition was performed for the first time on 9 October 1891, in Birmingham, England, conducted by the composer.

Structure Section I:
1. Introitus: Requiem aeternam
2. Graduale: Requiem aeternam
3. Sequentia: Dies irae – Tuba mirum – Quid sum miser – Recordare, Jesu pie – Confutatis maledictis

Lacrimosa Section II :
4. Offertorium: Domine Jesu Christe — Hostias
5. Sanctus – Pie Jesu
6. Agnus Dei

Recording: Czech Philharmonic orchestra, Kühn’s mixed choir, conductor Wolfgang Sawallisch; soloists: Gabriela Beňačková, Brigitte Fassbaender, Thomas Moser, Jan Hendrik Rootering.

Video and slide show photo selection made by Maarten Kroon @ Hollandsk Gjestehus in Norway. Our guesthouse website: http://www.hollandskgjestehus.com

**********************************************************************
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 

 Antonín Dvořák‘s Requiem in B-flat minor, Op. 89, B. 165, is a funeral mass for soloists, choir and orchestra, composed in 1890.

Background

Antonín Dvořák composed the Requiem at the beginning of his peak creative period. The construction of the mass is not typical: the composition is divided into two basic parts, each of which begins with the original interconnection of several liturgical sequences. Dvořák inserted between the “Sanctus” and “Agnus Dei” a lyrical “Pie Jesu” movement based on the final text of the “Dies Irae” sequence. The Requiem’s basic melodic motif is created by two ascending half-tones with an incorporated very sorrowful diminished third, which begins the piece and continues in many variations as the main motif throughout the whole work. Dvořák’s Requiem is a supreme opus of classicist–romantic synthesis. This composition inspired many other Czech composers, such as Josef Suk and Bohuslav Martinů.

This composition was performed for the first time on 9 October 1891, in Birmingham, England, with the composer conducting.

Structure

• Section I:
  • 1. Introitus: Requiem aeternam
  • 2. Graduale: Requiem aeternam
  • 3. Sequentia: Dies irae – Tuba mirum – Quid sum miser – Recordare, Jesu pie – Confutatis maledictis – Lacrimosa
• Section II :
  • 4. Offertorium: Domine Jesu Christe – Hostias
  • 5. Sanctus – Pie Jesu
  • 6. Agnus Dei

The approximate duration of the work is 95 minutes.^[1]

Orchestration

The work is scored for soprano, alto, tenor and bass soloists; SATB choir; and an orchestra of piccolo, two flutes, two oboes, English horn, two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons, contrabassoon, four horns, four trumpets, three trombones (two tenor and one bass), tuba, timpani, tam-tam, campane, organ, harp (Offertorium and Hostias only), and strings.^[1]

Selected recordings

• Antonín Dvořák: Rekviem – Czech Philharmonic Orchestra, Czech Philharmonic Chorus, conducted by Karel Ančerl, chorus master Markéta Kühnová; soloists: Maria Stader – soprano, Sieglinde Wagner – alt, Ernst Haefliger – tenor, Kim Borg – bass. Supraphon, 1959, re-edition on 2 CD 1991 (Ančerl Gold Edition no.13). This recording was awarded the “Grand Prix du disque de l´Académie Charles Cros”.
• Dvořák: Requiem for soloists, chorus and orchestra, Op. 89 – Czech Philharmonic orchestra, Kühn’s mixed choir, conductor Wolfgang Sawallisch; soloists: Gabriela Beňačková, Brigitte Fassbaender, Thomas Moser, Jan Hendrik Rootering.
• Dvořák: Requiem b-moll, op. 89 – London Symphony Orchestra, conductor István Kertesz, Ambrosian Singers choir, soloists: Pilar Lorengar, Erzsebet Komlossy, Robert Ilosfalvy, Tom Krause; published by Decca.
• Dvořák: Requiem, op. 89, New Jersey Symphony Orchestra, conductor Zdeněk Mácal, Westminster Choir, soloists: Oksana Krovytska (soprano), Wendy Hoffman (mezzo-soprano), John Aler (tenor), Gustav Beláček (bass). 1999 Delos.
• Dvořák: Requiem, op. 89, Capella Weilburgensis, conductor Doris Hagel, Kantorei der Schlosskirche Weilburg, soloists: Mechthild Bach (soprano), Stefanie Irányi (mezzo-soprano), Markus Schäfer (tenor), Klaus Mertens (bass). 2006 Profil – Edition Günter Hänssler.
• Dvořák, Requiem, Symphony No. 8, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, conductor Mariss Jansons, Wiener Singverein, soloists: Krassimira Stoyanova (soprano), Mihoko Fujimura (mezzo-soprano), Klaus Florian Vogt (tenor), Thomas Quasthoff (bass). 2010 RCO Live.

more reading

>>>>>>>>>>>>HERE<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Historic Musical Bits: Mozart Requiem Conductor Karl Bohm (Dedicate to the Christians, cowardly slaughtered by terrorists in Pakistan and elsewhere in the world!)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart:
Requiem in D minor, K 62

2:05 I. Introitus
7:34 II. Kyrie
III. Sequentia
10:16 1. Dies irae
12:09 2. Tuba mirum
16:01 3. Rex tremendae
18:22 4. Recordare
23:32 5. Confutatis
25:54 6. Lacrimosa
IV. Offertorium
29:29 1. Domine Jesu
33:22 2. Hostias
38:00 V. Sanctus
39:50 VI. Benedictus
45:30 VII. Agnus Dei
49:13 VIII. Communio

Historic Musical Bits: 

Mozart Requiem Karl Bohm (Dedicate to the Christians, cowardly slaughtered by terrorists in Pakistan and elsewhere in the world!

related reading:
– HERE  
– HERE

†Pope demands that the world stop ‘hiding’ anti-Christian persecution †| Crux

Pope demands that the world stop ‘hiding’ anti-Christian persecution

Pope demands that the world stop ‘hiding’ anti-Christian persecution

By Inés San Martín

Vatican correspondent March 15, 2015

ROME — Pope Francis on Sunday said he felt great pain over two recent bomb attacks outside Christian churches in Pakistan, and asserted that the world is “trying to hide” anti-Christian persecution.

† “These are Christian churches. Christians are persecuted, our brothers spill their blood simply because they are Christians,”† the pontiff said after his regular Sunday Angelus address.

† “I pray to the Lord that the persecution against Christians, that the world is trying to hide, comes to an end. Let there be peace!”†  Francis said.

Pope Francis has repeatedly spoken against attacks on Christians around the world. Last February, while condemning the beheading of 21 Egyptian Copts by militants of the Islamic State in Libya, the pontiff said

† “the blood of our Christian brothers and sisters is a testimony which cries out to be heard.“

† “It makes no difference whether they be Catholics, Orthodox, Copts, or Protestants,” he said. “The martyrs belong to all Christians.” †

Pakistani Taliban suicide bombers exploded themselves near two churches — one Catholic, one Protestant — in the eastern city of Lahore on Sunday as worshippers were gathered inside, killing 14 people and injuring 80, officials said, in the latest attack against religious minorities in the increasingly fractured country.

via Pope demands that the world stop ‘hiding’ anti-Christian persecution | Crux.

†Pope grieves Pakistan bombings, says † world hides Christian persecution † :: Catholic News Agency (CNA)

by Elise Harris

 

Rome, Italy, Mar 15, 2015 / 06:49 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In his Sunday Angelus address Pope Francis lamented today’s terrorist attacks against two Christian churches – one of them Catholic – in Pakistan, and prayed that such violence will stop

Rome, Italy, Mar 15, 2015 / 06:49 am (CNA/EWTN News).- In his Sunday Angelus address Pope Francis lamented today’s terrorist attacks against two Christian churches – one of them Catholic – in Pakistan, and prayed that such violence will stop.

† “With suffering, with much suffering, I have learned of today’s terrorist attacks against two churches in the city of Lahore, Pakistan, which have caused numerous deaths and injuries,”† the Pope told pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square,
March 15.

Francis noted how both of the churches targeted, only a few meters apart,† “are Christian churches, the Christians who are persecuted,” and grieved how “our brothers shed their blood solely because they are Christians.”†

via Pope grieves Pakistan bombings, says world hides Christian persecution :: Catholic News Agency (CNA).

Saint of the Day for Sunday, March 15th, 2015: St. Louise de Marillac

Saint of the Day for Sunday, March 15th, 2015

St. Louise de Marillac

Louise de Marillac was born probably at Ferrieres-en-Brie near Meux, France, on August 12, 1591. She was educated by the Dominican nuns at Poissy. She desired to become a nun but on the advice of her … continue reading

More Saints of the Day

St. Louise de Marillac St. Aristobulus Bl. Artemide Zatti St. Clement Maria Hofbauer St. Leocrita St. Mancius

St. Matrona St. Menignus St. Monaldus of Ancona St. Nicander St. Raymond of Fitero Bl. William Hart

today’s holiday: Joseph Jenkins Roberts’s Birthday (2015)

Joseph Jenkins Roberts’s Birthday (2015)

Joseph Jenkins Roberts (1809-1876), Liberia‘s first and seventh president, led the movement for an independent Liberia, established in 1848. This day (also known as J. J. Roberts Day) is also an occasion to pay homage to Liberia’s historical role as Africa’s oldest republic. In many respects, Roberts’s birthday stands apart from other holidays that recognize Liberian notables because he was a member of the established Americo-Liberian elite, a group historically criticized for wielding control over the country’s indigenous population for more than a century. More… Discuss

Blue, White and Green (Nature’s Music)

Blue, White and Green

George Bost

White clouds, blue skies, all seen through the green branches of the trees, with a background of running breeze through the fresh, green leafage…If we are lucky enough we can just let it fill us with the miracle of nature we take for granted every moment because:
There is nothing to replace it, nothing to act as its surrogate, nothing in waiting, after all this natural creation is destroyed.
Respect and preserve nature, find its meaning keep it clean, as you would your garden…It is your garden!

This insignificant video was taken under a tree along the trail at Turnbull Canyon, yesterday. Enjoy!
This is my personal video: As such it cannot be used by any for profit organization, including any TV station in the USA, or Abroad (this selection does not appear anywhere in the long list…)

today’s birthday: Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933)

Ruth Bader Ginsburg (1933)

Nicknamed the “Thurgood Marshall of women’s rights,” Ruth Bader Ginsburg graduated at the top of her class at Columbia Law School in 1959. During the 1970s, she became the first tenured female professor at Columbia, led the Women’s Rights Project, and won several important Supreme Court cases before she was appointed to the US Court of Appeals in 1980. Confirmed as a justice of the Supreme Court in 1993, she was the second woman to sit on the nation’s highest bench. Who was the first? More… Discuss

this day in the yesteryear: Beware the Ides of March (44 BCE)

Beware the Ides of March (44 BCE)

Now used as a metaphor for impending doom, the “Ides of March” was originally simply a name for March 15th. In the ancient Roman calendar, the term “ides” referred to the 15th day of the months of March, May, July, and October and the 13th of all other months. The Ides of March was a festive day dedicated to the god of Mars and often marked with a military parade. However, when Julius Caesar was assassinated on that day in 44 BCE, the phrase took on an entirely new meaning. Who killed Caesar? More… Discuss

Archie Comics

Archie Comics is an American comic-book publisher that started out as MLJ Comics in 1939. Its early titles featured generic superheroes that were innovative but failed to find popularity. In 1941, a teenage humor strip called Archie became a hit with the emerging youth culture, prompting the name change to Archie Comics. The comic varies with regard to character details and settings, but Archie is perpetually mired in a love triangle with Betty and Veronica. What is Archie’s full name? More… Discuss

Catholic Prayers: ST. PATRICK’S BREASTPLATE

ST. PATRICK’S BREASTPLATE

St. Patrick’s Breastplate is a popular prayer attributed to one of Ireland’s most beloved patron saints. According to tradition, St. Patrick wrote it in 433 A.D. for divine protection before successfully converting the Irish
King Leoghaire and his subjects from paganism to Christianity. (The term breastplate refers to a piece of armor worn in battle.)

More recent scholarship suggests its author was anonymous. In any case, this prayer certainly reflects the spirit with which St. Patrick brought our faith to Ireland! St. Patrick’s Breastplate, also known as The Lorica (the cry of the deer), was popular enough to inspire a hymn based on this text as well.

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ’s birth with His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In the predictions of prophets,
In the preaching of apostles,
In the faith of confessors,
In the innocence of holy virgins,
In the deeds of righteous men.

I arise today, through
The strength of heaven,
The light of the sun,
The radiance of the moon,
The splendor of fire,
The speed of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of the sea,
The stability of the earth,
The firmness of rock.

I arise today, through
God’s strength to pilot me,
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptation of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and near.

I summon today
All these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel and merciless power
that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man’s body and soul;
Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me an abundance of reward.

Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me,
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.

[Note that people sometimes pray a shorter version of this prayer just with these 15 lines about Christ above. The conclusion follows below.]

I arise today
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.

When St. Paul referred to putting on the “Armor of God” in his letter to the Ephesians (6:11) to fight sin and evil inclinations, he could have been thinking of prayers just like this one! We may not wear combat gear in our daily lives, but St. Patrick’s Breastplate can function as divine armor for protection against spiritual adversity.

Antonín Dvořák – Legends, Op. 59, Ingryd Thorson & Julian Thurber, piano

Antonín Dvořák – Legends, Op. 59

Wolfgang Amadé Mozart

Published on Sep 22, 2012

Ingryd Thorson & Julian Thurber, piano

Antonín Dvořák – Legends, Op. 59
1. Allegretto non troppo, quasi andantino [D minor] 3’03
2. Molto moderato [G major] 4’08
3. Allegro giusto [G minor] 4’11
4. Molto maestoso [C major] 5’30
5. Allegro giusto [A flat major] 4’16
6. Allegro con moto [C sharp minor] 4’21
7. Allegretto grazioso [A major] 2’14
8. Un poco allegretto e grazioso, quasi andantino [F major] 3’16
9. Andante con moto [D major] 2’27
10. Andante [B flat minor] 3’14

Mozart / String Quintet No. 5 in D major, K. 593 , great compositions/performances

Mozart / String Quintet No. 5 in D major, K. 593

scrymgeour34

Uploaded on Jan 3, 2012

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

String Quintet No. 5 in D major, K. 593 (1790)

00:00 – Larghetto – Allegro
10:13 – Adagio
17:36 – Menuetto (Allegretto)
22:56 – Finale (Allegro)

Violin: Arthur Grumiaux & Arpad Gérecz
Viola: Georges Janzer & Max Lesueur
Cello: Eva Czako

“The two last string quintets followed in December 1790 and April 1791, supposedly on commission from a Hungarian said to be the wholesale merchant Johann Tost of Ungarisch-Hrodisch in Moravia, himself an excellent violinist, and the bearer of the dedications of two series of quartets by Haydn of 1789 (51-56) and 1790 (57-62). Since Tost had recently become wealthy by marriage, perhaps Mozart was well paid for these two works, at least. He should have been; both bear all the earmarks of compositions intended for a connoisseur.

“The first, in D major, K. 593, begins with a Larghetto, which juxtaposes the ‘cello (Mozart has not completely forgotten the King of Prussia) and the group of higher instruments; question and answer are repeated at once on a higher step of the scale— a typical beginning for the great instrumental works of the last period (the Piano Sonata in D, K. 576, the fragments of movements for piano, K. Anh. 29 and 30, the Quartet, K. 590, etc.) and a procedure of which Beethoven took careful note, as we see in the String Quartet Op. 59, No. 2, for example. This Larghetto returns at the end of the following Allegro, and leads to a quite short, abrupt conclusion—consisting simply of the eight opening measures of the Allegro. Thus this whole Allegro itself has a somewhat groping, combinative character, with an impetuous development section in two parts, the first marchlike, the second warlike. The recapitulation achieves its effect by means of intensified polyphony. It is a very unusual movement for Mozart, being definitely introductory in character. It leads to a deeply felt Adagio, related to the slow movement of the ‘Jupiter’ Symphony, with three-part responses as in the five-part madrigals of the sixteenth century, and containing the finest polyphonic development. The Minuet is a bit Haydnish—manly, with a concluding canon as a ‘trump card’ and a ‘spiccato’ Trio. The Rondo, finally, is of the richest maturity, with its playful theme, its fugati in which ‘learnedness’ takes on wit and charm without forfeiting any of its earnestness. The beginning of the theme, originally a chromatically descending fifth, gains grace and character by means of a single stroke.” – Alfred Einstein

Painting: Self-Portrait, Anthony van Dyck

Today In History. What Happened This Day In History

A chronological timetable of historical events that occurred on this day in history. Historical facts of the day in the areas of military, politics, science, music, sports, arts, entertainment and more. Discover what happened today in history.

Today in History
March 14

1629		A Royal charter is granted to the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
1743		First American town meeting is held at Boston’s Faneuil Hall.
1757		British Admiral John Byng is executed by a firing squad on board HMS Monarch for neglect of duty.
1794		Inventor Eli Whitney receives a patent for his cotton gin.
1900		United States currency goes on the gold standard.
1903		The Senate ratifies the Hay-Herran Treaty, guaranteeing the United states the right to build a canal in Panama.
1912		An anarchist named Antonio Dalba unsuccessfully attempts to kill Italy’s King Victor Emmanuel III in Rome.
1915		The British Navy sinks the German battleship Dresden off the Chilean coast.
1918		An all-Russian Congress of Soviets ratifies a peace treaty with the Central Powers.
1923		President Warren G. Harding becomes the first U.S. President to file an income tax report.
1936		Adolf Hitler tells a crowd of 300,000 that Germany’s only judge is God and itself.
1939		The Nazis dissolve the republic of Czechoslovakia.
1943		The Germans reoccupy Kharkov in the Soviet Union.
1947		The United States signs a 99-year lease on naval bases in the Philippines.
1951		U.N. forces recapture Seoul for the second time during the Korean War.
1954		The Viet Minh launch an assault against the French Colonial Forces at Dien Bien Phu.
1964		A Dallas jury finds Jack Ruby guilty of the murder of assassin Lee Harvey Oswald.
1967		John F. Kennedy’s body is moved from a temporary grave to a permanent one in Arlington Cemetery.
1978		An Israeli force of 22,000 invades south Lebanon, hitting the PLO bases.
1990		Mikhail S. Gorbachev becomes president of the Soviet Congress.
1991		The “Birmingham Six,” imprisoned for 16 years for their alleged part in an IRA pub bombing, are set free after a court agrees that the police fabricated evidence.
Born on March 14
1804		Johann Strauss, violinist and composer.
1833		Lucy Hobbs Taylor, first woman dentist.
1854		Paul Ehrlich, German bacteriologist who received the Nobel Prize for medicine.
1864		Casey Jones, railroad engineer.
1879		Albert Einstein, German-born mathematician best known for his theories on relativity.
1934		Eugene Cernan, American astronaut, the last man on the moon.

– See more at: http://www.historynet.com/today-in-history#sthash.mjiTnDgs.dpuf

today’s picture: Germany Schaefer

Germany Schaefer
Herman A. ‘Germany’ Schaefer tries out the other side of the camera during the Washington Senators visit to play the New York Highlanders in April 1911. Shaefer, a versatile infielder and quick baserunner, played most of his career with the Detroit Tigers and the Washington Senators.

Photo: Library of Congress

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Saint of the Day for Saturday, March 14th, 2015: St. Matilda

Saint of the Day for Saturday, March 14th, 2015

St. Matilda

Matilda was the daughter of Count Dietrich of Westphalia and Reinhild of Denmark. She was also known as Mechtildis and Maud. She was raised by her grandmother, the Abbess of Eufurt convent. Matilda … continue reading

More Saints of the Day

St. Matilda Bl. Ambrose Fernandez St. Boniface Curitan St. Diaconus Bl. Dominic Jorjes

St. Eutychius Bl. Giacomo Cusmano Martyrs of Valeria St. Mathilda

today’s holiday: Sweetwater Rattlesnake Round-Up (2015)

Sweetwater Rattlesnake Round-Up (2015)

Billed “The World’s Largest Rattlesnake Round-Up,” this is one of several rattlesnake round-ups in Texas; some 30,000 spectators come to watch the goings-on. It is sponsored by the Sweetwater Jaycees, who stress the focus on safety and the benefits of the round-up. The weekend events include snake-handling demonstrations and the awarding of prizes for the biggest snake. There are also a parade, rattlesnake dances with country bands, a Miss Snake Charmer Queen contest, and a rattlesnake meat-eating contest. More than 4,000 pounds of rattlesnake meat are served each year. More… Discuss

quotation: We have all a better guide in ourselves, if we would attend to it, than any other person can be. Jane Austen

We have all a better guide in ourselves, if we would attend to it, than any other person can be.

Jane Austen (1775-1817) Discuss

today’s birthday: Albert Einstein (1879)

Albert Einstein (1879)

Einstein was an intellectual giant of the 20th century whose name has become synonymous with genius. Recognized as one of the greatest physicists of all time, Einstein made countless important contributions to physics, including his theories of relativity, which profoundly revolutionized scientific and philosophical inquiry. In 1921, he received the Nobel Prize for his work on theoretical physics. Though he sought it for decades, Einstein never discovered a unified field theory, which is what? More… Discuss