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  • Earthling 1:25 pm on 18th March 2019 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: Great music teacher, Greatest Russian composers, marine composer, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, , sailor-composer, Scheherazade, teacher of Arensky, Teacher of Glazunov, Teacher of Lysenko, Teacher of Prokofiev, teacher of Stravinsky, The Five, The Mighty Handful   

    Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov 

    Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov (Born on March 18, 1844 in Tikhvin, Russia — Died on June 21, 1908 in Lyubensk, Russia) was a Russian composer and teacher known for his role in creating uniquely Russian music. He was a member of “The Five” or “The Mighty Handful”, a group of five prominent Russian composers who created nationalistic music. He is especially known for his symphonic works, such as Scheherazade.
    Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov was born in Tikhvin, Novgorod, in 1844. His younger brother Voin had been born 22 years before. His father was Andrey Rimsky-Korsakov, a governor of Volyn Province and amateur pianist. His mother Sofya Rimsky-Korsakov played the piano competently. Nikolai’s earliest musical inspiration and education came from his parents.
    As a child, Rimsky-Korsakov displayed musical talent. He composed some songs in his childhood. Nevertheless, he wanted to become a naval officer. He entered the Sea Cadet Corps in St. Petersburg in 1865. He studied music with various teachers, notably including the pianist Fyodor Kanille from 1859-60.
    Rimsky-Korsakov attended various operas and symphonic performances during this time. His teacher Kanille introduced him to the famous composer Miliy Balakirev, who in turn brought him into contact with Modest Mussorgsky, Cesar Cui, and Aleksandr Borodin. It was this group, including Rimsky-Korsakov, that later came to be known as the “The Five” or “The Mighty Handful”, a group of prominent Russian nationalist composers. Balakirev and his friends greatly influenced Rimsky-Korsakov and inspired him to move more in the direction of music.
    Rimsky-Korsakov graduated in 1862 and spent two and a half years at sea. He traveled to England, France, Italy, the USA, and more. He continued to compose during his spare time and completed his first symphony, which was published in 1865. Rimsky-Korsakov’s first symphony was conducted by Balakirev. It was highly praised and considered the first great Russian symphony. In the following years he produced several great hits, notably Sadko and Symphony No. 2.
    Due to his continual success and encouragement from his composer friends, Rimsky-Korsakov moved more in the direction of a musical career. In 1871, he became the professor of composition, orchestration, and harmony at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. The next year, he completed opera The Maid of Pskov, which was a huge success. In 1873, he became a Navy Orchestra Inspector. He held this post until 1884.
    In 1872, Rimsky-Korsakov married a pianist named Nadezhda Purgold. They had a happy marriage, performed music together, and had seven children.
    Rimsky-Korsakov suffered from creative writer’s block from 1881 to 1888. Then in 1892, he had a nervous breakdown relating to the death of his mother and one of his children, as well as the severe illness of another child, Masha, who passed away in 1893. He returned to the musical scene in 1894 and became the foremost musical figure in Russia, due to the others (Mussorgsky, Borodin, Tchaikovsky) passing away.
    During the mass unrest in Russia from 1905-1906, Rimsky-Korsakov supported some students of the St. Petersburg who had been expelled for protesting. He was thereafter fired and his music was banned for several months. After a few months of public pressure, his music was allowed again and he was given his position again.
    Rimsky-Korsakov passed away in 1908 from throat and lung disease.
    Musical Style and Legacy
    Rimsky-Korsakov is known as one of Russia’s greatest composers and a master of orchestral music. He took influence from Russian folk music and created a uniquely Russian brand of classical music along with other members of “The Five”, a group led by Miliy Balakirev.
    Rimsky-Korsakov taught several of Russia’s most famous composers. Among his pupils were Igor Stravinsky, Sergei Prokofiev, Anton Arensky, Alexander Glazunov, Nikolai Myaskovsky, Mykola Lysenko, Nikolai Sokolov.
    Early in his career, Rimsky-Korsakov was opposed to Western compositional methods. In 1870s he changed his attitude and spent three years studying Western methods, which he then incorporated into his own music and teachings.
    Article written by me for Lunyr

  • Earthling 7:07 am on 7th March 2019 Permalink | Reply
    Tags: adblocker plugins, autodelete cookies plugin for firefox, Bloody vikings, decrease productivity, , , plugin to produce misleading browser data, plugins for firefox, , protection against deanonyimzation of browser data, protection against surveillance while browsing, secure internet browsing, , temporary email address plugin, tracker blockers   

    12 Browser Plugins That Enhance Your Privacy And Security 

    “Allow active content to run only from sites you trust, and protect yourself against XSS and Clickjacking attacks, “Spectre”, “Meltdown” and other JavaScript exploits.”
    This plugin disables scripts by default, and lets you choose which ones to activate. This feature is crucial for browsing the web securely. Webpages with javascript are like computer programs– opening random webpages with javascript is almost like installing random software without an antivirus.
    This is an alternative to NoScript that is also available for Chrome.
    This is like a hardcore version of NoScript. By default it blocks all sorts of content, and only allows what you enable. You can choose the exact types of content to block and the exact web addresses, all displayed on a handy grid. Highly customizable.
    This plugin blocks trackers and also learns to detect new trackers, unlike other adblockers which only block content from a list.
    This plugin blocks ads, trackers, and malicious content. Highly configurable. May not work optimally in combination with Privacy Badger.
    This plugin ensures that webpages are always loaded with secure (encrypted) connections when possible. This feature is also an option in Ublock Origin.
    This plugin anonymizes your browser data (data about your browser and location, etc. that is sent to websites), making you less susceptible to de-anonymization.
    This plugin automatically deletes old cookies and cookies from pages that are no longer open.
    This plugin helps you browse anonymously in the physical proximity of other people. It will dim images and make every webpage look the same, so you can read anything while at work, until your boss finds out you have this plugin. It’s also useful if you find the diverse images and colors around the internet annoying.
    “Simplifies the use of temporary e-mail addresses in order to protect your real address from spam. Supports inter alia 10minutemail.com and anonbox.net.”

    Tags: freshwater inland wetlands, importance of wetlands, wetlands, wetlands and biodiversity, wetlands and human survival, wetlands and the clean water act   

    Why freshwater inland wetlands are important 

    By Carroll Colette J. Yorgey
    Freshwater inland wetlands are environmentally and ecologically important for people, animals, fish, and birds. Due to excessive development in wetlands many natural flood-control methods have been lost. It is really important that all people understand that wetlands are important to the survival of humans and all other species, and oppose any development of these important ecological land areas. Development refers to building homes in wetland areas by filling in the wetlands and putting in sewer systems and plumbing. This development building and destroying wetlands destroys the natural habitats for wildlife. It also destroys the renewal of aquifers that provide fresh drinking water to millions of people.
    What are freshwater inland wetlands?
    Inland wetlands are land areas away from coastal areas such as marshes, prairie potholes, mud flats, floodplain wetlands, wet meadows, swamps, and the summer wetland arctic tundra. Wetlands are all different and manifest differently according to the ecology of the land.
    Seasonal wetlands
    Seasonal wetlands last for only a short time each year. At this time seasonal wetlands many be underground or soggy. Seasonal wetlands may also stay dry for years and then fill up with water again. These wetlands can be distinguished by the plants growing there such as cattails, red maples, or bulrushes.
    Year-round wetlands
    Year-round wetlands are covered with water throughout the year. Year-round wetlands may be prairie potholes, bottomland hardwood swamps, or floodplain wetlands.
    Important ecological and economic roles
    Inland wetlands such as described above play important ecological and economic roles by providing food and habitats to fish, migrating birds, and other wildlife that depend on these natural areas.
    Inland wetlands improve the quality of water. Inland wetlands filter, dilute, and degrade toxic wastes, nutrients, sediments, and other pollutants. This water quality protection according to the Audubon Society is worth at least 1.6 billion dollars per year.
    The floodplain wetlands reduce flooding and erosion. Floodplain wetlands absorb stormwater and overflows from rivers, lakes, and streams; and then release it slowly, thus preventing massive flooding.  According to the Audubon Society, if people continue to destroy wetlands or destroy all the wetlands left in America, flood control costs would rise to 7.7 to 31 billion dollars per year.
    Inland wetlands play an important role in groundwater supplies, which is the primary source of water for half the US population. Globally, inland wetlands are important for carbon, nitrogen, sulfur and water cycles. Inland wetlands are important for the production of cranberry, blueberry, and rice worldwide.
    Wetlands are protected under the Clean Water Act
    Wetlands are protected under the Clean Water Act, but farmers and developers have been pressuring Congress to revise the definition of wetlands so that they can subvert the protection offered by the Clean Water Act. According to the US Army Corps of Engineers and EPA, under these new provisions at least 60 to 73 percent of US wetlands would lose protection.
    Inland wetlands are very important to the survival of humans and wildlife. They should not be destroyed for political gain or profit, but protected and allowed to continue for the sake of flood control, water quality, and a source of food and habitat for endangered wildlife.
    Additional reference:
    Miller, G. Tyler Jr., Living in the Environment, tenth edition, Wadsworth Publishing Company, 1998.
    Copyright © 2018 Carroll Colette J. Yorgey

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