this day in the yesteryear: Soviet Union Lifts Blockade of Berlin (1949)

Soviet Union Lifts Blockade of Berlin (1949)

One of the first major crises of the Cold War, the Berlin blockade began in June 1948 during the multinational occupation of post-WWII Germany. In an attempt to force its former wartime allies—the US, the UK, and France—out of Berlin, the USSR began a blockade of all rail, road, and water traffic through East Germany to West Berlin. Rather than withdraw, the Western powers bypassed the blockade by airlifting thousands of tons of supplies into the city each day. What was Operation Little Vittles? More… Discuss

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people-places-civilizations: Gurkha

Gurkha

The Gurkha are members of a Nepali ethnic group who claim descent from the Rajputs and Brahmins of North India. They entered Nepal from the west after being driven from India and, in the early 16th century, conquered the small state of Gurkha. They then expanded eastward and established their authority over all of Nepal by the mid-18th century, although a subsequent war with the British in India brought a strong British influence to Nepal. What is the name of their famed curved knife? More… Discuss

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this embed for your enjoyment: The best drone pictures of 2014 — BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld)

The best drone pictures of 2014 http://t.co/CxsZwmLERU pic.twitter.com/GUF49TdTqa

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) December 11, 2014

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this pressed: #Hagupit in tweets and pictures – timeline of a typhoon— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld)

#Hagupit in tweets and pictures – timeline of a typhoon http://t.co/pDIG2ZjlPg pic.twitter.com/L7YK4hIoLs

— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) December 7, 2014

this day in the yesteryear: Japan’s Meiji Constitution Goes into Effect (1890)

Japan’s Meiji Constitution Goes into Effect (1890)

In the mid-19th century, Japan was forced to end its isolation by signing a series of unequal treaties that gave Western nations special privileges in Japan. The unpopular Tokugawa shogunate collapsed soon after and, in 1868, the boy emperor Meiji was “restored” to power. The Meiji constitution defined Japan as a capable, modern nation deserving of Western respect while preserving its own power. What did Ito Hirobumi, who drafted the Meiji constitution, do to prepare himself for the task? More… Discuss

this pressed: A little wisdom from someone who cares about freedom.

A little wisdom from someone who cares about freedom. Enlist with us at http://t.co/KUHT60Yh4j & repel Marxism. pic.twitter.com/GNSIAiVXia

— USFreedomArmy (@USFreedomArmy) October 23, 2014

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Beethoven – Trio for Piano, Flute and Bassoon in G, WoO 37: great compositions/performances

Beethoven – Trio for Piano, Flute and Bassoon in G, WoO 37

Classical Music11

Published on Nov 23, 2014

Trio for Piano, Flute and Bassoon in G, WoO 37. Composed by Beethoven in 1786.

Daniel Barenboim: Piano
Michel Debost: Flute
André Sennedat: Bassoon
Year of recording:1980

The Trio is in three movements:
0:00 Allegro
11:07 Adagio
17:07 Tema andante con variazioni

Visit the following link for more music by Beethoven:

http://www.lvbeethoven.com/Cedes/TheCds_ChamberMusic_Flute.html

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Eric Kleiber – Dvořák: The Wild Dove (Holoubek), Op 110, Wedding Dance: great compositions/performances

Eric Kleiber – Dvořák: The Wild Dove (Holoubek), Op 110, Wedding Dance

2ndviolinist

Recorded in 1931. Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra

Thanks to Neal for allowing me to use his excellent transfers. You can find this and many other wonderful selections and information at his website: http://nealshistorical.wordpress.com/

The Wild Dove (also known as The Wood Dove; Czech: Holoubek), Op. 110, B. 198 (1896), is the fourth orchestral poem composed by the Czech composer, Antonín Dvořák. Composed in October and November 1896, with a revision in January 1897, the premiere was given on 20 March 1898 in Brno under the baton of Leoš Janáček. The story is taken from the poem of the same name from Kytice, a collection of ballads by Karel Jaromír Erben. The four musical scenes describe the story of a woman who poisoned her husband and married another man shortly afterwards. A wild dove then sits on the grave of her dead husband and sings a sad song day after day. The wife feels guilty and commits suicide at the end by jumping and drowning in a river.

Erich Kleiber, 1890 — 1956.
The eminent Austrian conductor, Erich Kleiber (father of Carlos Kleiber), studied at the Prague Conservarory and the University of Prague.

Erich Kleiber made his debut at the Prague National Theater in 1911; Then he conducted opera in Darmstadt (1912-1919), Barmen-Elberfeld (1919-1921), Düsseldorf (1921-1922), and Mannheim (1922-1923). In 1923 he was appointed Generalmusikdirektor of the Berlin State Opera.

Erich Kleiber’s tenure was outstanding, both for the brilliant performances of the standard repertoire and for the exciting programming of contemporary works. In December 1925 he conducted the world premiere of Alban Berg‘s Wozzeck. In 1934, in protest against the Nazi government, he resigned his post and emigrated to South America. He conducted regularly at the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires from 1936 to 1949. Having first conducted at London’s Covent Garden in 1937, he returned there from 1950 to 1953. He then was appointed Generalmusikdirektor once more of the Berlin State Opera in 1954, but resigned in March 1955, before the opening of the season, because of difficulties with the Communist regime.

Erich Kleiber was renowned for his performances of the music of Mozart and L.v. Beethoven. He also composed; among his works are a Violin Concerto, Piano Concerto, orchestral variations, Capriccio for Orchestra, numerous chamber music works, piano pieces, and songs.

this day in the yesteryear: The Berlin Wall Falls 1989 NBC Coverage Pt1

The Berlin Wall Falls 1989 NBC Coverage Pt1

TooleMan87

NBC News coverage of the fall of the Berlin Wall hosted by Tom Brokaw at the Brandenburg Gate, November 1989. Part 1 of 2. The exact date of this report is most likely November 10, 1989.

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Make Music Part of Your Life Series: Beethoven Variations on “Rule Britannia”

Beethoven Variations on “Rule Britannia“

 

Make Music Part of Your Life Series: The Berlin Celebration Concert – Beethoven, Symphony No 9 Bernstein 1989

Published on Mar 30, 2013

Conducted by Leonard Bernstein, THE BERLIN CELEBRATION CONCERT is an historic performance marking the fall of the Berlin Wall. Performed on Christmas Day 1989 in the former East Berlin, the concert unites an international cast of celebrated musicians and vocalists for a moving performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.

Symphonieorchester des Bayerisches Rundfunks and members of Staatskapelle Dresden, Orchestra of the Leningrad Kirov Theatre, London Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic and Orchestre de Paris.

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Leonard Cohen Prophesies…The Future

Uploaded on Mar 3, 2011

(Lyrics below) It’s been said that even a broken clock is right twice a day. My estimate is that Leonard Cohen at least doubles that. It’s amazing how often he is able to nail profound spiritual truth — more commonly with a couplet but at times, like with this one, even three-fourths of an entire song. How I wish there were born-again Christians that could prophesy like this man!

Please note the eerily powerful pro-life allusion at song’s end.

The Future
(Music and Lyrics by Leonard Cohen)

Give me back my broken night 
my mirrored room, my secret life 
it’s lonely here, 
there’s no one left to torture 
Give me absolute control 
over every living soul 
And lie beside me, baby, 
that’s an order! 
Give me crack and anal sex 
Take the only tree that’s left 
and stuff it up the hole 
in your culture 
Give me back the Berlin wall 
give me Stalin and St Paul 
I’ve seen the future, brother: 
it is murder. 

Things are going to slide, slide in all directions 
Won’t be nothing 
Nothing you can measure anymore 
The blizzard, the blizzard of the world 
has crossed the threshold 
and it has overturned 
the order of the soul 
When they said REPENT REPENT 
I wonder what they meant 
When they said REPENT REPENT 
I wonder what they meant 
When they said REPENT REPENT 
I wonder what they meant 

You don’t know me from the wind 
you never will, you never did 
I’m the little Jew 
who wrote the Bible 
I’ve seen the nations rise and fall 
I’ve heard their stories, heard them all 
but love’s the only engine of survival 
Your servant here, he has been told 
to say it clear, to say it cold: 
It’s over, it ain’t going 
any further 
And now the wheels of heaven stop 
you feel the devil’s riding crop 
Get ready for the future: 
it is murder 

Things are going to slide … 

There’ll be the breaking of the ancient 
western code 
Your private life will suddenly explode 
There’ll be phantoms 
There’ll be fires on the road 
and the white man dancing 
You’ll see a woman 
hanging upside down 
her features covered by her fallen gown 
and all the lousy little poets 
coming round 
tryin’ to sound like Charlie Manson 
and the white man dancin’ 

Give me back the Berlin wall 
Give me Stalin and St Paul 
Give me Christ 
or give me Hiroshima 
Destroy another fetus now 
We don’t like children anyhow 
I’ve seen the future, baby: 
it is murder 

Things are going to slide … 

When they said REPENT REPENT ..

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