The History of Constantine

The History of Constantine is a series of tapestries designed by Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens and Italian artist Pietro da Cortona depicting the life of Constantine I, the first Christian emperor of Ancient Rome. In 1622, Rubens painted the first twelve oil sketches that were used as guides, and the tapestries themselves were woven in the workshop of Marc Comans and François de la Planche in the Faubourg Saint-Marcel in Paris by 1625, transforming each small sketch (perhaps two feet per side) into a sumptuous creation of wool, silk, and gold and silver threads that could easily fill a wall. An additional five designs were painted by Cortona in 1630 and woven in the atelier of Cardinal Francesco Barberini in Rome over the next decade.
Historical information.
The series was commissioned in 1622 when Rubens was in Paris discussing the paintings he was designing for the Luxembourg Palace for Marie de Médicis. Although the popular consensus has long been that the tapestries were commissioned by Louis XIII, based upon a 1626 letter by Rubens, art historians have begun to question this conclusion in recent decades. New evidence, such the fact that the designs were listed as the property of de la Planche upon his death, establishing a weak form of copyright, has muddied the issue. One theory is that Rubens only cited the king as the commissioner of the tapestries in the aforementioned letter in order to increase their perceived importance because his payment was overdue. Financial evidence strongly indicates that Rubens himself ordered the cartoons from which the tapestries would be woven at the personal expense of 500 livres, making him a primary mover behind the project.
Louis XIII's lack of investment in the project is indicated by the fact that he immediately gave the first seven tapestries completed to the papal legate Cardinal Barberini in 1625, even though Barberini was at first unwilling to accept so princely a gift. Barberini eventually acquiesced, and commissioned an additional five tapestries from Pietro da Cortona, another Baroque master who happened to be the artistic director of Barberini's newly founded atelier. He repeated only one design from the Rubens set, the apparition of the cross. Cortona also designed several smaller tapestries such as portieres and a baldachin to furnish an entire room, and painted the ceiling of the salon where they were displayed. The dossal he designed, featuring an immense golden statue of Constantine, hung behind the throne of Urban VIII, Barberini's uncle.
The life of the first Christian monarch would have special relevance for a king whose own father experienced such a notable conversion to Catholicism. While the subject matter could plausibly have been chosen by Louis XIII himself, it also may have been selected by Comans and de la Planche to appeal to him and earn Rubens a royal appointment. Rubens himself may have had a hand in deciding the theme, since his intense study of the classical era, including the acquisitions of many antiquities, made him very well suited to tackle the historical intricacies of the subject.
Rubens drew on Cardinal Cesare Baronio's "Annales Ecclesiastici" (1588–1607) for inspiration and historical detail. Baronio based his writings on the contemporary accounts of Eusebius. This third-hand information, coupled with his deep historical knowledge, enabled Rubens to craft scenes that were so accurate that Louis' inspectors lauded him for portraying so precisely "even the nails of the boots".
Rubens' designs proved highly popular and were woven several times by the Comans-La Planche workshop over the next decades, although they tended to evolve away from the originals. Cortona's tapestries were only woven once. The sole complete set remained with the Barberini collection in Rome until 1889. The tapestries were split up and passed through various hands before being reunited by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation and given to the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 1959. The sketches remain widely scattered, many of them in private hands.
Rubens' designs.
"The Marriages of Constantine and Fausta and of Constantia and Licinius".
sketch: private collection, 18.625" x 25.375" (47.3 x 64.4 cm.)
tapestry: Philadelphia, Philadelphia Museum of Art 15' 11" x 19' 11.5" (485.14 x 608.33 cm.) (all tapestries unless otherwise noted are held by the PMA)
Although the weddings depicted actually occurred six years apart, most scholars accept the anachronism as an attempt to create a stronger link between Constantine and Louis XIII, whose own marriage to Anne of Austria was a double wedding also featuring the union of his sister to Anne's brother, Philip IV of Spain. The event occurs in a temple of Jupiter and Juno, who preside in the form of statuary. The main difference between the sketch and the tapestry can be seen in the depiction of Jupiter, who wears a stern countenance and brandishes his thunderbolt in the former, quite suitable considering the conflict that would soon arise between the Constantine and Licinius. However, in the final tapestry, Jupiter wears a more beneficent mien and holds his thunderbolt less threatening, as befits the happy union between the royal houses of France and Spain.
"The Emblem of Christ Appearing to Constantine".
sketch: Philadelphia Museum of Art, 18.186" x 22.063" (46.2 x 56 cm.)
tapestry: Paris, Mobilier National
In this scene, the Chi-Rho monogram of Christ appears before Constantine in the sky at noon just prior to his battle with Maxentius. In a dream, he learns that placing this emblem on his banner assures him of triumph over Maxentius, his co-emperor. Rubens follows Eusebius quite closely, but replaces the flaming cross he described with the monogram in Lactantius' chronicle. One soldier, looking at Constantine rather than the vision, points with the labarum, or military standard, to the next scene.
"The Labarum".
sketch: private collection, 13.9" x 10.8" (35.4 x 27.5 cm.)
tapestry: Paris, Mobilier National
This episode depicts the moments just before the Battle of Milvian Bridge, as Constantine (already crowned with a victor's laurels) presents his labarum. This has been emblazoned with Christ's symbol, as he was instructed. The monogram of Rubens' usual panel maker, Michiel Vrient, is impressed on the back of the panel, along with a branded "A" that indicates the panel was prepared about 1621-22.
"The Collapse of the Milvian Bridge and the Death of Maxentius".
sketch: London, Wallace Collection, 14.5" x 25" (36.83 x 63.5 cm.)
tapestry: 15' 11" x 24' 5" (485.14 x 744.22 cm.)
This tapestry depicts Constantine's defeat of his co-emperor Maxentius in 312 at the Battle of Milvian Bridge. The stone bridge's right arch is interrupted by wooden beams, indicating that Rubens followed Baronio's suggestion that Maxentius tampered with the bridge to trap Constantine. Instead, he was hoist on his own petard when it collapsed early, sending him plummeting into the river, where the weight of his own armor drowned him. Rubens also drew heavily on his own 1615 depiction of the battle of the Greeks and the Amazons, another bridge battle.
"The Triumphant Entry of Constantine into Rome".
sketch: Indianapolis, Indianapolis Museum of Art, 19" x 25.5" (48.26 x 64.77 cm.)
tapestry: 15' 11.75" x 17' 10.313" (487.054 x 544.355 cm.)
This tapestry depicts Constantine returning to Rome in triumph after defeating his co-emperor, Maxentius. Having called upon the Christian God at Milvian Bridge, Constantine legitimized the Christian religion, offering it new status and protection. Accordingly, the Greek symbol for Christ can be seen on the imperial banner, and pagan priests are pushed aside by a personification of Roma honoring Constantine. Rubens used the Arch of Constantine as inspiration, mimicking the form and presentation of its triumphal procession relief. The semi-derelict state of the architecture may refer to the imminent rebirth of the battered city. Constantine's legitimacy is relentlessly pounded home by the heralding of Fame and Victory, as well as the presence of a lictor bearing the fasces that symbolize his authority. In transforming the work from sketch to tapestry, the composition was horizontally compressed, decreasing the gap between Constantine and Roma and so diminishing the sense of movement. Additional architectural detail and foliage were added.
"The Trophy".
sketch: private collection, 15" x 11.5" (38.1 x 29.21 cm.)
tapestry: Paris, Mobilier National
Again following Eusebius, Rubens depicts Constantine setting up a trophy of victory in Rome after his defeat of Maxentius. A winged Victory crowns him in front of a collection of implements of war. A bearded head on a pole likely is Maxentius himself, whose head was cut off and carried back to Rome on a spear according to Baronio.
"The Baptism of Constantine".
sketch: private collection, 17.75" x 22.813" (45.085 x 57.945 cm.)
tapestry: 15' 8" x 17' 10.75" (477.52 x 545.465 cm.)
In order to maintain a safe distance from the Arian Heresy condemned by the Council of Nicaea, Rubens ignored Eusebius' account for once and instead used the much later "Vita Silvestri", a medieval collection of legends. Thus, Constantine is here safely baptized by Pope Sylvester in Rome, rather than Nicomedia as actually occurred. The main difference between sketch and tapestry is the fact that the later includes Constantine's crown on a nearby cushion, a reference to a legend that a spontaneous flame appeared over the baptismal font and would not be extinguished until Constantine removed his crown.
"Constantine Investing His Son Crispus with Command of the Fleet".
sketch: Sydney, Art Gallery of New South Wales, 14.4" x 11.9" (36.576 x 30.226 cm.)
tapestry: Paris, Mobilier National
Crispus was Constantine's eldest son, borne by a concubine. Legend states that he assumed command of the imperial fleet before the campaign against Licinius, the land-based half of which is depicted in the next tapestry. The seaside setting and inclusion of Neptune plus the rudder with which he is presented, symbolizing government, add up to a clear reference to Crispus' naval command. Baronio went further, comparing the moment to God entrusting Jesus with mankind's salvation.
"Constantine Defeating Licinius".
sketch: Kansas City, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, 14.625" x 22.625" (37.15 x 57.47 cm.)
tapestry: Paris, Mobilier National
Constantine's brother-in-law and co-ruler Licinius was defeated not once but twice by Constantine for continuing to persecute Christians. This tapestry depicts the first battle, fought on land and led by Constantine himself, in a laurel wreath.
"Constantine Worshiping the True Cross".
sketch: private collection, 13.9" x 13.3" (35.306 x 33.782 cm.)
tapestry: 16' 3" x 16' 6" (495.3 x 502.92 cm.)
According to legend, Constantine's mother St. Helena discovered the true cross in Jerusalem and was rejuvenated, explaining her youthful appearance in Rubens' depiction. The tapestry differs from the sketch in the enlargement of the background architecture, apparently to give greater emphasis to the environment of the scene.
"The Founding of Constantinople".
sketch: private collection, 6.3" x 16" (16.002 x 40.64 cm.)
tapestry: 15' 10.5" x 15' 9" (483.87 x 480.06 cm.)
The building of Constantinople occurred 324-330. The eagle flying overhead with a branch of broom depicts the legend of how the emperor chose the site for his city. It was taken as a good omen since broom was used to mark the enclosure of the city. In the sketch, the workman's displayed paper is blank, but the tapestry sketches in the ground plan of the Pantheon.
"The Death of Constantine".
sketch: private collection, 13.4" x 13.2" (34.036 x 33.528 cm.)
tapestry: 16' .5" x 16' 4" (488.95 x 497.84 cm.)
Constantine's death in 337 at Nicomedia, was not in fact attended by any of his three surviving sons Constantius II, Constantine II, or Constans as depicted here. All three did inherit part of his kingdom, represented here by the orb of sovereignty being handed over by Constantine.
"The Triumph of Rome".
sketch: The Hague, Mauritshuis, 21.3" x 27.2" (54 x 69 cm.)
This thirteenth sketch was completed by Rubens, but replaced by "The Death of Constantine" when the tapestries were manufactured, having been deemed unsuitable. It is full of allegorical figures, like liberated Rome, two winged Victories, and Romulus and Remus, which is likely why it was rejected in a series focusing on real, historical elements of Constantine's life.
Cortona's designs.
Unlike Rubens, Cortona crafted both the initial sketch and the enlarged cartoon from which the tapestries were actually woven. The surviving cartoons are now held by the Corsini Gallery in Florence.
"Apparition of the Monogram of Christ".
tapestry: 16' 2" x 11' 5" (492.67 x 347.98 cm.)
This is the sole repeated incident between the two artists. When depicting the same event as Rubens, Cortona opted to display the fiery cross described by Eusebius instead of the Chi-Rho monogram.
"Constantine Fighting the Lion".
cartoon: 10' 6.375" x 8' 5.5" (320.993 x 257.81 cm.)
tapestry: 16' 5" x 9' 9" (500.38 x 297.18 cm.)
This image of a young Constantine thrusting his sword through a lion's mouth while onlookers admire is based on a legend illustrating his bravery even when a mere boy.
"Constantine Burning the Memorials".
cartoon: 10' 9.5" x 10' 4.375" (328.93 x 315.913 cm.)
tapestry: 16' 3" x 15' (495.3 x 457.2 cm.)
This tapestry illustrates the tax concessions instituted by Constantine in favor of the Christian church.
"Constantine Destroying the Idols".
cartoon: 10' 5.5" x 7' 5.313" (318.77 x 226.855 cm.)
tapestry: 16' 6" x 12' 4" (505.968 x 375.92 cm.)
During the increased efforts to quash paganism following 323, laws prohibited sacrifices to their gods and ordered their temples destroyed. Here, the violent smashing of pagan statuary is immediately followed by the placement of a statue of Jesus on the vacated pedestal.
"Campaign Against Licinius, Sea Battle".
cartoon: 10' 7.5" x 19' 7.25" (323.85 x 597.535 cm.)
tapestry: 16' 8" x 23' 4" (508 x 711.2 cm.)
This tapestry complements Rubens' by depicting the second half of the campaign against Licinius. In this second confrontation, Crispus' victory at sea cemented his father as the supreme ruler in both east and west.


Eye splice

The eye splice is a method of creating a permanent loop (an "eye") in the end of a rope by means of rope splicing.
The Flemish eye is a type of circular loop at the end of a thread. There are several techniques of creating the eye with its knot tied back to the line, rope or wire.
Techniques.
There are various splicing techniques, and relate to whether a rope is braided or plaited, whether it has a core and whether the core is made of high-performance fibers. Techniques include:
In three-strand rope.
For conventional stranded ropes, the ends of the rope are tucked (plaited) back into the standing end to form the loop. Three tucks are the minimum for natural fibers, five tucks are necessary for synthetics. Variations of this more traditional eye splice include:
The ends of the rope are first wrapped in tape or heated with a flame to prevent each end from fraying completely. The rope is untwisted for a distance equal to three times the diameter for each "tuck", e.g., for five tucks in half inch rope, undo about 7.5 inches. Wrap the rope at that point to prevent it unwinding further. Form the loop and plait the three ends back against the twist of the rope. Practice is required to keep each end to retain its twist and lie neatly. In stiff old rope or in new rope which has been tightly wound, a marlinspike or fid can facilitate opening up the strands and threading each end.
In some cases, the splice is tapered by trimming the working strands after each tuck. Also, the splice can be whipped to protect and strengthen the splice. A rope thimble can be inserted in the eye to prevent chafing if the eye is to be permanently attached to a fixture (used when attaching a rope to a chain, for example).
In eight-strand rope.
An eight-strand rope consists of two left-twisting and two right-twisting pairs. Make sure the left-twisting strands are fed below left-twisting strands, and right-twisting strands below the right-twisting ones. Work systematically with different tape colours to keep from getting lost in the mess of strands. An eight-strand square plaited rope can be used as mooring line or anchor rode.
In single braided rope.
This technique is mostly used for Dyneema ropes. The principle of a Dyneema eye is a core-to-core splice, in which a length of at least 60 times the diameter of the rope is taken back into itself. DSM advises using 60 times the diameter for coated Dyneema, and 100 times the diameter for uncoated Dyneema. For 6mm coated rope, this would mean 36 cm. Under tension the rope will pull into itself tightly, which produces a strong eye. One can pull out the eye when the rope is not under tension, unless one makes a lock-splice (also called brummel splice).
In double braided rope with polyester or nylon fiber core.
In ropes with a polyester (or nylon) core, both the core and the cover are needed for strength.
In rope with braided cover and a laid core.
Splicing a rope with a laid core is usually more complicated than double braided polyester ropes. One needs more force to take the rope back into itself because there is often less room between the core and the cover.
In rope with braided cover and parallel fibers in the core.
A rope with parallel fibers in the core often has a tight inner cover to keep the fibers together. This splice is similar to the one for double braided polyester ropes; the main difference is that one cannot take the cover back in to the core because the fibers go through the core.
Instructions are published in Splicing Modern Ropes ("a practical handbook")
In double braided rope with high-performance fiber core.
For ropes with a core of high-performance fibers (such as aramid fibers or Dyneema or Vectran) only the core determines the strength. The cover can be used optionally in the eye splice, for example, to add UV protection (for aramid fibers, such as Kevlar). Dyneema is very UV resistant and the cover is not needed. For these ropes, one could make an eye splice in the single braided core and leave the cover unused. There are ropes with an extra double layer cover; this is basically the same splice as for double braided except that the inner cover first needs to be removed over the length of the splice.
Splicing tools.
Depending on the type of splice and rope, there is a variety of tools available such as hollow fids, pulling needles and traditional splicing fids. Make sure to also have a marker, splicing tape, measuring tape and a knife or scissors at hand. Often a hammer and winch are used as well for tougher splices.
Advantages.
An inch of good splice will hold 1 ton. The eye splice has several advantages. The most notable is the permanence of the loop. An equally important advantage is the lack of stress it puts on the rope. Splices average 25-40% of rope strength decay, which is low compared to even the strongest knots. Literature and reference sources typically attribute only a 5% strength decay for a properly tied splice. Technically, a perfectly tied splice retains 100% of the original strength of the rope but in practice this is rarely the case. Destructive testing of rope in manufacturing facilities makes use of a professional and spliced eyes for connecting the rope to the testing apparatus.
Alternatives.
The bowline is a quick, practical method of forming a loop in the end of a piece of rope. However, the bowline has an awkward tendency to shake undone when not loaded. The bowline also reduces the strength of the rope at the knot to ~45% of the original unknotted strength.


Woodward Shakespeare Festival

The Woodward Shakespeare Festival is a theater company that performs three plays each summer in Fresno, California. The festival performs both Shakespearean and Non-Shakespearean productions from June to September.
Overview.
The Woodward Shakespeare Festival is a non-profit organization that has provided free local entertainment for the past ten years in Fresno, CA. The Woodward Shakespeare Festival perform their plays on an outdoor stage at Woodward Park (Fresno). The festival is funded through donations and by local sponsorship & patronage.
From 2010, the theater company has produced two Shakespeare plays each summer, until 2011 when the company expanded its season with a third play written by an author besides William Shakespeare. On average, the festival attracts more than 10,000 patrons each year.
In addition to staged performances during the summer, the Woodward Shakespeare Festival has also produced other forms of Shakespearean entertainment such as Staged Readings of various plays at the Woodward Park Library. In 2012, The Woodward Shakespeare Festival participated in the Fresno Rogue Festival, performing a comedy routine based on the bard and his work.
In 2013, the festival began a new summer youth program called, The YES Project. The program is in partnership with Fresno Pacific University and hosts local teens for a 3 1/2-week summer workshop exploring Shakespearean style and devising original material based on a Shakespeare play.
History.
In 2005, The Woodward Shakespeare festival staged its first season. The theater company was originally conceived by S. Eric Day and Brandon Weis. Christien Sweeney also joined the company and, with Day, helmed the first two seasons. In 2007, the company became an official non-profit organization in the public trust.
Tenth anniversary and 2014 season.
Marking the tenth anniversary of the festival, the upcoming season of the Woodward Shakespeare Festival will feature productions of "Macbeth," directed by Artistic Director Greg Taber, "The Taming of the Shrew," directed by Aaron Spjute, and "The Tempest" directed by Julie Ann Keller.
Critical response.
Donald Munro, a local reviewer for the Fresno Bee, has often praised the productions put on by the Woodward Shakespeare Festival. In 2007, he declared their production of "The Taming of the Shrew" to be "Audacious and bold" and added, "it doesn't outlive its welcome. It's daring, fun and perfect for an outdoor summer breeze." In 2011, Munro allotted praise for the company's production of "All My Sons" which was the company's first foray into Non-Shakespearean territory. After viewing a performance, Munro wrote in his review "There's no doubt "All My Sons" still has the power to move audiences. As I left my seat at the conclusion, I walked by three semi-stunned young men still grappling with the intensity of what they had just seen."


Estudio Destra

Estudio Destra Internationally renowned Ceramics/Pottery Workshop based in Silves, Algarve, Portugal.
Specializes in handpainted murals on tiles.
Estudio Destra was founded in the 1980s by the artist Katherine Swift (1956–2004) and the ceramicist Roger Metcalfe. They had both previously worked in the famous Porches Pottery (Olaria Algarve), founded by Katherine's father, Patrick Swift.
It is located in a 16th-century Jewish townhouse in the historic town of Silves, Algarve. Silves was once the capital of the Algarve and an important Moorish city that rivalled Lisbon. Among the very few buildings to have survived the earthquake of 1775 in Silves were the Cathedral, begun in the 13th and completed in the 15th century, and the building that today houses Estudio Destra. During the building's restoration a small indentation was noticed on the doorpost where a mezuzah — the little case containing a handwritten scripture from Deuteronomy and a fixture on
a Jewish home — once hung.
It has gone on to gain international repute and work from this studio is bought by collectors from around the world.
Estudio Destra Studio Tiles Website


Astrid Holm (painter)

Astrid Valborg Holm (1876–1937) was a Danish painter and textile artist. She was one of only two Danes who studied under Henri Matisse in Paris.
Biography.
Born on 30 October 1876 in Copenhagen, Holm was the daughter of the judicial counsellor Henrik Christian Frederik Holm and his wife Severine Jesseline Jessen. After attending Emilie Mundt and Marie Luplau's art school, she entered the Women's Art School in 1904 which would merge with the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts in 1908, from which she graduated in 1910. The same year, she became a student of Henri Matisse in Paris. Apart from Carl Forup, she was the only Dane to have been instructed by Matisse who significantly influenced the trend towards Modernism in Scandinavia. She remained in Paris until 1914, becoming a member of the Scandinavian artist colony together with Jais Nielsen and the sculptor Johannes Bjerg.
In 1920, she returned to Paris to study tapestry art at the Manufacture des Gobelins.
It was at Den Frie Udstilling that Holm first exhibited in 1913, causing quite a stir with her Modernist style but she was generally praised for her strong use of colour. She had a firm, simple style, often employing the heavy outlines which are typical of Fauvism. Her subjects included landscapes, interiors, still lifes and flower paintings.
In 1919, she founded Kunstnernes Croquisskole (the Artists Sketching School) which she headed until her death in 1937. It attracted many of the Scandinavian Modernists who visited Copenhagen. After she had learnt the art of tapestry in 1920, she established a textile design school in the Royal Academy. She turned increasingly to weaving, often in collaboration with Ebba Carstensen, creating rugs with geometric or figurative designs. In 1926, she assisted in arranging the Nordic Women Artists Exhibition (Nordiske Kvindelige Kunstneres Udstilling), working in support of better educational opportunities for female artists.
Astrid Holm died on 17 December 1937 in the Frederiksberg district of Copenhagen. She never married and had no children.


Project ALF

Project: ALF (also known as Project: ALF, Part 2) is a 1996 American made-for-television science fiction film directed by Dick Lowry which serves as a sequel to the final episode "Consider Me Gone" of the 1986–1990 sitcom "ALF". It was broadcast in the U.S. by ABC and in Canada on CHCH-TV on February 17, 1996. The film was released on DVD in 2005.
Few of the original cast members of "ALF" were featured. The only actors to appear in both the series and film were Paul Fusco (the voice and puppeteer of ALF) and Beverly Archer (who played Mrs. Byrd on the TV series and Dr. Carnage in the film). "Project: ALF" was poorly received when it aired in 1996 because of the absence of the Tanners, weak characters, and failure to give a proper conclusion to the series.
Plot.
The film begins where "ALF" had ended, with Gordon Shumway—otherwise known as ALF, short for Alien Life Form—being captured by the US Air Force's Alien Task Force while attempting to depart Earth. ALF is kept under lock and key at Edmonds Air Force Base under the orders of Colonel Milfoil (Martin Sheen), although he manages to charm his airman jailers and convert his cell into a bachelor pad. Acting on his own initiative, Milfoil plans on killing his prisoner under the guise of a beauty treatment, for which he has left a paper trail implicating his aide de camp, Lieutenant Reese (Scott Michael Campbell), setting him up as a scapegoat. They talk about ALF's relationship with the Tanner family, and the Tanners move to Iceland.
Learning of this, two Air Force scientists—Major Melissa Hill (Jensen Daggett) and Capt. Rick Mullican (William O'Leary)—help ALF escape, going to ground at a cheap motel. After ALF makes a nuisance of himself, he is ordered to go hide in the restroom, reminding him of when the Tanners would do the same. Unwilling to do without his creature comforts, ALF sneaks outside and contacts one of his former guards in an attempt to arrange a supply drop, before mistakenly entering a strip club named “Kitty Kat Lounge”, assuming from its name that it is an eating establishment that serves cats.
With both the local police and the military alerted, the three of them turn to Dexter Moyers (Miguel Ferrer), a former NASA scientist falsely discredited by the government as part of the anti-UFO conspiracy. His solution is to publicly reveal ALF's existence on global television, removing the US government's credibility and vindicating himself, but Rick grows increasingly uncomfortable with the idea. After accidentally stumbling across a computer file that hints at a deeper agenda, Rick departs during the night. The following day, he contacts a friend at Edmonds, aware that Milfoil will be monitoring the conversation and come directly to him. As predicted, he is arrested shortly after and brokers a deal, exchanging safe conduct for the three fugitives in return for revealing the impending broadcast.
Meanwhile, Melissa learns that Moyers has set up a secret auction alongside the broadcast, intending to sell the alien to the highest bidder. After she refuses to take part, he imprisons her. ALF, unaware of the betrayal, revels in being the center of attention until stage fright and the increasing hostility of his host lead ALF to lock himself in the bathroom, giving the military time to shut down the broadcast. Both Melissa and ALF are arrested, and Milfoil reneges on the deal. In doing so, he unwittingly reveals his murderous intentions on a security recording, which finds its way into the hands of Lt. Reese.
Back at Edmonds, Milfoil gloats that ALF's escape means he will be able to convince his superiors to have the alien executed openly, his hatred being revealed as seeking payback for his mother going mad as the result of an alleged alien abduction. However, Reese interrupts a meeting between Milfoil and General Stone to play the tape, revealing the Colonel's malfeasance.
A military panel authorizes promotions for the three officers involved in taking down Milfoil and apologizes to ALF, before declaring him an ambassador to Earth. The scene ends with ALF's usual self-aggrandizing behavior leaving the people on the panel to wonder if they have made the right choice.
Production.
"Project: ALF" wound up airing on ABC because NBC went back on its word that the last season of "ALF" would have one extra episode so the storyline could be resolved with a two-part finale. The first half aired, ending with a Melmacian spaceship hovering over ALF, while Alien Task Force operatives were closing in from all sides. But despite the flash of "TO BE CONTINUED", the network never allowed any more episodes and left fans furious with that decision, leaving the series on a cliffhanger for over 5 years.
Actors William O'Leary and Jensen Daggett were already working together on ABC, playing husband and wife Marty and Nancy Taylor, brother and sister-in-law to Tim "The Tool-Man" Taylor on the top-rated sitcom "Home Improvement".


Music genre

A music genre is a conventional category that identifies some pieces of music as belonging to a shared tradition or set of conventions. It is to be distinguished from "musical form" and musical style, although in practice these terms are sometimes used interchangeably.
Music can be divided into genres in varying ways, such as into popular music and art music, or religious music and secular music. The artistic nature of music means that these classifications are often subjective and controversial, and some genres may overlap.
Definitions.
In 1965, Douglass M. Green in his book "Form in Tonal Music" distinguishes between genre and form. He lists madrigal, motet, canzona, ricercar, and dance as examples of genres from the Renaissance period. To further clarify the meaning of "genre", Green writes, "Beethoven's Op. 61 and Mendelssohn's Op. 64 are identical in genre—both are violin concertos—but different in form. However, Mozart's Rondo for Piano, K. 511, and the "Agnus Dei" from his Mass, K. 317, are quite different in genre but happen to be similar in form."
In 1982, Franco Fabbri proposed a definition of musical genre that is now considered to be normative: "musical genre is a set of musical events (real or possible) whose course is governed by a definite set of socially accepted rules", where a musical event be defined as "any type of activity performed around any type of event involving sound".
A music genre or subgenre may be defined by the musical techniques, the cultural context, and the content and spirit of the themes. Geographical origin is sometimes used to identify a music genre, though a single geographical category will often include a wide variety of subgenres. Timothy Laurie argues that, since the early 1980s, "genre has graduated from being a subset of popular music studies to being an almost ubiquitous framework for constituting and evaluating musical research objects".
The term "genre" is generally defined in a similar way by many authors and musicologists, while the related term "style" has different interpretations and definitions. Some, like Peter van der Merwe, treat the terms "genre" and "style" as the same, saying that "genre" should be defined as pieces of music that share a certain style or "basic musical language." Others, such as Allan F. Moore, state that "genre" and "style" are two separate terms, and that secondary characteristics such as subject matter can also differentiate between genres.
Classification.
A "subgenre" is a subordinate within a genre. In music terms, it is a subcategory of a musical genre that adopts its basic characteristics, but also has its own set of characteristics that clearly distinguish and set it apart within the genre. A subgenre is also often being referred to as a style of the genre. The proliferation of popular music in the 20th century has led to over 1,200 definable subgenres of music.
A musical composition may be situated in the intersection of two or more genres, sharing characteristics of every parent genre and therefore belong to each genre of these at the same time, such subgenres are known as . Examples of fusion genres include jazz fusion, which is a fusion of jazz and rock music, and country rock which is a fusion of country music and rock music.
A "microgenre" is a niche genre, as well as a subcategory within major genres or their subgenres.
Categorization and emergence of new genres.
The genealogy of musical genres expresses, often in the form of a written chart, how new genres have developed under the influence of older ones. New genres can arise through the development of new forms and styles of music and also simply by creating a new categorization. Although it is conceivable to create a musical style with no relation to existing genres, new styles usually appear under the influence of pre-existing genres.
Musicologists have sometimes classified music according to a trichotomous distinction such as Philip Tagg's "axiomatic triangle consisting of 'folk', 'art' and 'popular' musics". He explains that each of these three is distinguishable from the others according to certain criteria.
Automatic recognition of genres.
Automatic methods of musical similarity detection, based on data mining and co-occurrence analysis, have been developed to classify music titles for electronic music distribution.
Glenn McDonald, the employee of The Echo Nest, music intelligence and data platform, owned by Spotify, has created a categorical perception spectrum of genres and subgenres based on "an algorithmically-generated, readability-adjusted scatter-plot of the musical genre-space, based on data tracked and analyzed for 5,315 genre-shaped distinctions by Spotify" called "Every Noise at Once."
Alternative approaches.
Alternatively, music can be assessed on the three dimensions of "arousal", "valence", and "depth". Arousal reflects physiological processes such as stimulation and relaxation (intense, forceful, abrasive, thrilling vs. gentle, calming, mellow), valence reflects emotion and mood processes (fun, happy, lively, enthusiastic, joyful vs. depressing, sad), and depth reflects cognitive processes (intelligent, sophisticated, inspiring, complex, poetic, deep, emotional, thoughtful vs. party music, danceable). These help explain why many people like similar songs from different traditionally segregated genres.
Major music genres.
Art music.
Art music primarily includes classical traditions, including both contemporary and historical classical music forms. Art music exists in many parts of the world. It emphasizes formal styles that invite technical and detailed deconstruction and criticism, and demand focused attention from the listener. In Western practice, art music is considered primarily a written musical tradition, preserved in some form of music notation rather than being transmitted orally, by rote, or in recordings, as popular and traditional music usually are. Historically, most western art music has been written down using the standard forms of music notation that evolved in Europe, beginning well before the Renaissance and reaching its maturity in the Romantic period.
The identity of a "work" or "piece" of art music is usually defined by the notated version rather than by a particular performance and is primarily associated with the composer rather than the performer (though composers may leave performers with some opportunity for interpretation or improvisation). This is so particularly in the case of western classical music. Art music may include certain forms of jazz, though some feel that jazz is primarily a form of popular music. The 1960s saw a wave of avant-garde experimentation in free jazz, represented by artists such as Ornette Coleman, Sun Ra, Albert Ayler, Archie Shepp and Don Cherry. Additionally, avant-garde rock artists such as Frank Zappa, Captain Beefheart, and The Residents released art music albums.
Popular music.
Popular music is any musical style accessible to the general public and disseminated by the mass media. Musicologist and popular music specialist Philip Tagg defined the notion in the light of sociocultural and economical aspects:
Popular music, unlike art music, is (1) conceived for mass distribution to large and often socioculturally heterogeneous groups of listeners, (2) stored and distributed in non-written form, (3) only possible in an industrial monetary economy where it becomes a commodity and (4) in capitalist societies, subject to the laws of 'free' enterprise ... it should ideally sell as much as possible.
Popular music is found on most commercial and public service radio stations, in most commercial music retailers and department stores, and movie and television soundtracks. It is noted on the " Billboard" charts and, in addition to singer-songwriters and composers, it involves music producers more than other genres do.
The distinction between classical and popular music has sometimes been blurred in marginal areas such as minimalist music and light classics. Background music for films/movies often draws on both traditions. In this respect, music is like fiction, which likewise draws a distinction between literary fiction and popular fiction that is not always precise.
Country music.
Country music, also known as country and western (or simply country) and hillbilly music, is a genre of popular music that originated in the southern United States in the early 1920s.
Electronic music.
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. Contemporary electronic music includes many varieties and ranges from experimental art music to popular forms such as electronic dance music.
Funk.
Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of soul, jazz, and rhythm and blues (R&B).
Hip hop music.
Hip Hop music, also referred to as "hip hop" or "rap music", is a genre of music that was started in the United States, specifically the South Bronx in the New York City by African-American youth from the inner cities during the 1970s. It can be broadly defined as a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted. Hip hop music derives from the hip hop culture itself, including four key elements: emceeing (MCing)/rapping, Disc jockeying (DJing) with turntablism, breakdancing and graffiti art.
Pop music.
Pop is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form during the mid-1950s in the United States and the United Kingdom. The terms popular music and pop music are often used interchangeably, although the former describes all music that is popular and includes many disparate styles.
Punk.
The aggressiveness of the musical and performative style, based on structural simplicity and the vigorous rhythms of rock'n'roll style, reinforced the challenging and provocative character, within the universe of modern music.
Reggae.
Reggae music, originating from the late 1960s Jamaica, is a genre of music that was originally used by Jamaicans to define themselves with their lifestyle and social aspects. The meaning behind reggae songs tend to be about love, faith or a higher power, and freedom. Reggae music is important to Jamaican culture as it has been used as inspiration for many third world liberation movements. Bob Marley, an artist primarily known for reggae music, was honored by Zimbabwe's 1980 Independence celebration due to his music giving inspirations to freedom fighters. The music genre of reggae is known to incorporate stylistic techniques from rhythm and blues, jazz, African, Caribbean, and other genres as well but what makes reggae unique are the vocals and lyrics. The vocals tend to be sung in Jamaican Patois, Jamaican English, and Iyaric dialects. The lyrics of reggae music usually tend to raise political awareness and on cultural perspectives.
Rock music.
Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as "rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States and the United Kingdom.
Soul music and R&B.
Soul music became a musical genre that came to include a wide variety of R&B-based music styles from the pop R&B acts at Motown Records in Detroit, such as The Temptations, Marvin Gaye and Four Tops, to "deep soul" singers such as Percy Sledge and James Carr.
Polka.
The polka is originally a Czech dance and genre of dance music familiar throughout Europe and the Americas.
Religious music.
Religious music (also sacred music) is music performed or composed for religious use or through religious influence. Gospel, spiritual, and Christian music are examples of religious music.
Traditional and folk music.
Traditional and folk music are very similar categories. Although the traditional music is a very broad category and can include several genres, it is widely accepted that traditional music encompasses folk music. According to the ICTM (International Council for Traditional Music), traditional music are songs and tunes that have been performed over a long period of time (usually several generations).
The folk music genre is classified as the music that is orally passed from one generation to another. Usually the artist is unknown, and there are several versions of the same song. The genre is transmitted by singing, listening and dancing to popular songs. This type of communication allows culture to transmit the styles (pitches and cadences) as well as the context it was developed.
Culturally transmitting folk songs maintain rich evidence about the period of history when they were created and the social class in which they developed. Some examples of the Folk Genre can be seen in the folk music of England and Turkish folk music. English folk music has developed since the medieval period and has been transmitted from that time until today. Similarly, Turkish folk music relates to all the civilizations that once passed thorough Turkey, thereby being a world reference since the east–west tensions during the Early Modern Period.
Traditional folk music usually refers to songs composed in the twentieth century, which tend to be written as universal truths and big issues of the time they were composed. Artists including Bob Dylan; Peter, Paul and Mary; James Taylor; and Leonard Cohen transformed folk music to what it is known today. Newer composers such as Ed Sheeran (pop folk) and The Lumineers (American folk) are examples of contemporary folk music, which has been recorded and adapted to the new way of listening to music (online)—unlike the traditional way of orally transmitting music.
Each country in the world, in some cases each region, district and community, has its own folk music style. The sub-divisions of folk genre are developed by each place, cultural identity and history. Because the music is developed in different places, many of the instruments are characteristic to location and population—but some are used everywhere: button or piano accordion, different types of flutes or trumpets, banjo, and ukulele. Both French and Scottish folk music use related instruments such as the fiddle, the harp and variations of bagpipes.
Psychology of music preference.
Social influences on music selection.
Since music has become more easily accessible (Spotify, iTunes, YouTube, etc.), more people have begun listening to a broader and wider range of music styles. In addition, social identity also plays a large role in music preference. Personality is a key contributor for music selection. Those who consider themselves to be a "rebels" will tend to choose heavier music styles like heavy metal or hard rock, while those who consider themselves to be more "relaxed" or "laid back" will tend to choose lighter music styles like jazz or classical music. There are five main factors that exist that underlie music preferences that are genre-free, and reflect emotional/affective responses. These five factors are:
Individual and situational influences.
Studies have shown that while women prefer more treble oriented music, men prefer to listen to bass-heavy music. A preference for bass-heavy music is sometimes paired with borderline and antisocial personalities.
Age is another strong factor that contributes to musical preference. Evidence is available that shows that music preference can change as one gets older. A Canadian study showed that adolescents show greater interest in pop music artists while adults and the elderly population prefer classic genres such as rock, opera, and jazz.


Southern Shakespeare Festival

The Southern Shakespeare Festival is an annual festival in Tallahassee, Florida. The festival's first incarnation existed from 1995 to 2000. In 2012, a group of scholars saw an opportunity to revive the free outdoor festival at the award-winning Cascades Park.
History.
The Southern Shakespeare Festival was founded by American entrepreneur Michael J Trout in November 1994 as the Florida Theater Project. In the summer of 1995, Michael Trout organized a touring company, led by David Klein. "Words...Words...Words: An Evening of Shakespeare" toured local theaters, regional high schools, and community arts centers. Trout then approached Florida State University Dean Emeritus Richard G. Fallon for his help to establish a free Shakespeare in the park festival, which Trout modeled after Joseph Papp's New York free Shakespeare-in-the-park. The Tallahassee festival and Renaissance fair ran from 1996 to 2000 as an open-air, free festival and Renaissance fair located in the downtown area behind Tallahassee's City Hall in Kleman Plaza.
The inaugural Shakespeare-in-the-park production in 1996, "A Midsummer's Nights Dream", directed by Russian director Irina Brown, drew over 30,000 spectators according to the local newspaper, the Tallahassee Democrat. It is recognized as one of the most successful free-theater festivals in Tallahassee with over 80,000 spectators and over 20,000 students benefitting from its educational programming during its 1996–2000 existence.
In 2012, the Southern Shakespeare Festival was revived thanks to Dr. Kevin Carr, Dr. Brent Griffin, and a dedicated group of Tallahassee theater artisans, most notably Laura W. Johnson, Catherine Leonard, and Lanny Thomas. The Capital City Amphitheater at Cascades Park is the new home of the revitalized festival and appropriately, its first production, which ran April 17–19, 2015, was "A Midsummer Night's Dream", directed by Lanny Thomas, and starring special guest AEA artist Jef Canter as Nick Bottom.
There was no festival in 2020.
Local government support.
The Southern Shakespeare Festival is greatly supported by local and state government organizations including the City of Tallahassee, Leon County Tourist Development Council, Council of Cultural Arts (COCA), State of Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, with strong partnerships with Florida A&M University and Tallahassee Community College.


Artistic billiards

Artistic billiards, sometimes called fantasy billiards or fantaisie classique, is a carom billiards discipline in which players compete at performing 76 preset shots of varying difficulty. Each set shot has a maximum point value assigned for perfect execution, ranging from a four-point maximum for lowest level difficulty shots, and climbing to an 11-point maximum for shots deemed highest in difficulty level. There are a total of 500 points available to a player, representing the combined value of a perfect score on all 76 shots, although not all games are played with the full shot catalogue. The governing body of the sport is the Confédération International de Billard Artistique (CIBA).
Each shot in an artistic billiards match is played from a well-defined position (in some venues within a two millimetre tolerance), and each shot must unfold in an established manner. Players are allowed three attempts at each shot. In general, the shots making up the game – even four-point shots – require a high degree of skill, devoted practice and specialized knowledge to perform. Such shots often require extremes in shot-making techniques that are not often employed in other games, such as , , precision multiple-rail , and combined with outlandish use of ().
Players may use up to twenty separate cues providing different performance functions. For example, performing massés may require a cue with a very large diameter terminus and a specialized , while jumping may require a short, with a flat (rather than rounded), very hard and also wider cue tip than a playing cue. Some shots may require the use of props such as a small placed precisely on the and around which the player is required to make the pass on a designated side "(see Figure A10 illustration)". For the most part, top artistic billiard players specialize in the game to the exclusion of all others.
World title competition first started in 1986 and required the use of ivory balls. However, this requirement was dropped in 1990. The highest score ever achieved in world competition was 374, by the Frenchman Jean Reverchon in 1992, while the highest score in competition overall is 427 set by the Belgian Walter Bax in 2006. The game is played predominantly in Western Europe, especially in France, Belgium and the Netherlands. The game employs a specialized vocabulary, chiefly derived from French words, encompassing many terms that have no analogues in other cue sports disciplines. Some examples are "coup fouetté" ("whip shot"; a type of force follow); "massé coulé" (a massé shot with follow) and "piqué" (describes either a massé shot with no english, or a shot in which the cue stick is steeply angled, but not held quite as vertical as it is in full massé).
Artistic pool.
Artistic pool trick shot competitions on pocket billiards tables, inspired by artistic billiards, began in 1993 in the US at an amateur level and in 2000 professionally and internationally, featuring fifty-six pre-set shots to attempt.


Crazy Rich Asians

Crazy Rich Asians is a satirical 2013 romantic comedy novel by Kevin Kwan. Kwan stated that his intention in writing the novel was to "introduce a contemporary Asia to a North American audience". He claimed the novel was loosely based on his own childhood in Singapore. The novel became a bestseller and was followed by two sequels, "China Rich Girlfriend" in 2015 and "Rich People Problems" in 2017. A film adaptation of the novel was released on August 15, 2018.
Plot.
The novel begins with a quote from the 14th-century Moroccan traveler Ibn Battuta:
The book is told from the perspective of five main characters: Rachel Chu, Nicholas (Nick) Young, Eleanor Young, Astrid Leong, and Edison Cheng. The story revolves around the grand wedding of Singapore's most eligible bachelor, Colin Khoo, and a fashion icon, Araminta Lee, which everyone calls the wedding of the year.
Rachel is a New York University (NYU) professor of economics, who is originally from Cupertino, California. She was raised by her single mother and leads a typical middle-class life. When her boyfriend Nick, also an NYU professor, takes her to meet his family in Singapore, she is completely unaware of what is in store for her. Although he grew up in London, Nick is a Singapore native. Unknown to anyone in New York, he not only belongs to one of the top ten wealthiest families in Asia but is possibly sole heir to his family's great fortune. Despite this wealth, he was raised to be humble and to keep a low profile. Because of his upbringing, he is confident his family will approve of his simple girlfriend, but things turn out very differently than he expects.
Eleanor Young is Nick's controlling mother who is obsessed with prestige and pride. Since Nick was born, she has allowed her mother-in-law, the Young family matriarch, to practically raise her only child, so that, when the time comes, she will leave the family fortune to him. As a result, Eleanor is not very involved in Nick's upbringing and is even separated from his father, who chooses to live and work in Australia to manage their family's businesses there. She is also very adamant that Nick marry someone from the close-knit, rich circle of her friends and plans to sabotage Nick and Rachel's relationship. She hires a private detective to gather information on Rachel's family, which she later attempts to use to drive Rachel out of Nick's life, but ultimately results in her son freezing her out of his life. Rachel is shocked when she learns who her father, Zhou Fang Min, is and leaves to stay with her friend Goh Peik Lin and her family.
Astrid Teo (née Leong) is Nick's famous cousin whose beauty is well known all across Asia. Although she maintains a positive image to her family and society, her marriage is suffering. Michael, her long-suffering husband, is a self-made young man who is looked down on because he does not come from money. Astrid discovers that he might be having an affair with someone in Hong Kong. When she confronts him, Michael admits to having an affair and leaves. With the help of her ex-fiancé Charlie Wu, Astrid confronts him again in Hong Kong where he reveals that he has, in fact, not been having an affair and has only made it seem like he had so that she would want to divorce him, being no longer able to deal with the outsider status since he married into Astrid's family. In a last-ditch effort to help save their marriage and make Astrid happy, Charlie secretly buys shares in Michael's startup company at a highly inflated price.
Edison Cheng is Nick's spoiled Hong Kong cousin who works as a banker. He is one of the few members of his clan who lives up to his birthright as a member of one of the wealthiest families in the world. He wants to impress all his friends and relatives at the wedding, but his plans fall short because of his family, particularly his younger brother Alistair who is dating Kitty Pong, a starlet of questionable background and intentions. Alistair and Kitty are briefly engaged but she leaves him for Bernard Tai, a billionaire's son, after Oliver T'Sien misleads her to believe that the Chengs are not as rich as she thought.
Rachel and Nick suffer a falling out. Nick tries to convince her to stay in the relationship with him, professing that he no longer cares about what society and his family expect from him. Rachel doesn't believe him, claiming that no matter how much they try to ignore his family's legacy, they know they may not be able to. She tells Nick that she wants her children to grow up treasured and loved by their relatives like her own family has done, not raised with a family whose primary concern is their own wealth, family legacy, and the kinds of rich people they know. Rachel breaks up with him as a result and Nick realizes she's lost to him. Depressed, he stays at Colin's house for a while. At the Goh house, Rachel calls her mother, Kerry, and they have a falling out. She demands to know why Kerry didn't tell her about Fang Min being her father. When Kerry tries to explain that he was abusive and she had to save her life, Rachel blames her for her actions and hangs up the phone.
While staying at Colin's house, Nick regrets bringing Rachel to Singapore without giving her an insight into how to deal with his wealthy family. Instead of his family liking Rachel, they successfully turn her against Nick, which leads to their eventual break up. He mentions this to Colin, along with his thoughts of letting Rachel go. However, Colin suggests that Nick fight for Rachel and do one thing to win her back. As Rachel and Peik Lin are preparing to leave to meet Fang Min, Rachel's father who is in jail, Nick stops them from leaving, revealing that he's brought something from China to her. To Rachel's anger, it's her own mother that he brought to Singapore. Annoyed with Nick for preventing her one chance of meeting her father, Rachel tells Kerry off: she doesn't want to see her again and wants her to just let her meet her father. In desperation, Kerry finally reveals the truth about her real father: it isn't Fang Min but a man nicknamed Kao Wei. Rachel decides to listen to her mother and learn about the abuse she went through with Fang Min, including how Kao Wei saved her life by helping her escape to America, where she stayed with her relatives. Upon realizing how abusive Fang Min was to Kerry, Rachel is remorseful for her earlier behavior and reconciles with her mother. Nick takes the ladies to Marina Bay Sands for Singapore Slings. Rachel reunites with Nick.
The Young, T'sien, and Shang Clan.
Shang Su Yi's father, Shang Loong Ma, started a shipping company in Beijing and then emigrated to Singapore with his multiple wives and children. Although he had six children, he only formally accepted three: Alexander (Ah Jit), Su Yi, and Alfred. Shang Loong Ma arranged for his daughter to marry Sir James Young, who was a doctor. He also arranged for Sir James' sister, Rosemary, to marry T'sien Tsay Tay. T'sien Tsay Tay's oldest daughter was then promised to Alfred. Shang Su Yi and Sir James Young had five children: Felicity, Catherine, Philip, Victoria, and Alexandra. T'sien Tsay Tay and Rosemary Young had five children as well: Mabel, Richard "Dickie", Mark, Anna May, and Clarence. Alfred Shang and Mabel T'sien had four children: Leonard, Charles, Frederick, and Cassandra. Alexander (Ah Jit) died as a young man with no heirs.
In the book, a huge amount of respect and admiration is shown to the Youngs, Shangs, and T'siens primarily due to their wealth and prestige as one of the oldest wealthy families in Singapore and Asia.
Background color applied to blood relatives. Bold name indicates a third-person point-of-view character. The book is told from the perspective of five main characters, shown in this chart. Four are related: Nicholas (Nick) Young, Eleanor Young, Astrid Leong, and Edison Cheng. The fifth is the lead character, Rachel Chu.
Development.
Before his father died of cancer in 2010, Kwan suspended his work for eighteen months to care for him, during which they would reminisce about life in Singapore. He began writing stories as a way to preserve those memories while grieving his father's death. The novel was inspired by his childhood in Singapore. Kwan first developed what became the second chapter of the book from a poem entitled "Singapore Bible Study," which he had written for a creative writing course in college. That poem describes the study group as "an excuse to gossip and show off new jewelry". After adapting that poem into a chapter of a novel, he was inspired to complete the entire story. Kwan shared an incomplete draft of the novel with an editor friend, who later complained he had ruined her Thanksgiving dinner, as she could not put the book down, delaying meal preparations. She encouraged him to engage an agent for the manuscript.
He also recognized there was a gap in the coverage of contemporary Asia in the western book market, which was publishing either historical fiction or Asian-American identity works.
Kwan stated some characters "are loosely inspired by people I know" while others are completely fictional. Tyersall Park was inspired by Kwan's paternal grandparents, with whom he lived while growing up in Singapore. He stated they had "a quiet elegance in the way they carried on with their lives, as well as a beauty to the customs and rituals we practised". The lavish decorations and clothing described in the novel were also inspired by true stories, but Kwan's editor asked him to cut some of those details, as they were hardly believable. Kwan sent the editor links to news articles to prove that "truth is stranger than fiction when it comes to details".
Reception.
The novel received positive reviews internationally from sources including "The New York Times", "The Boston Globe" and "The Independent". Janet Maslin of "The New York Times" wrote of the novel, "Mr. Kwan knows how to deliver guilty pleasures. He keeps the repartee nicely outrageous, the excess wretched and the details wickedly delectable."
Film adaptation.
A film adaptation of the 2013 novel was directed by Jon M. Chu under Warner Bros. Pictures. Filming began in April 2017. It was distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures after being released on August 15, 2018. The director of the film appears in the book as a distant cousin of Rachel Chu's.


Kolah Ghermezi

Kolah Ghermezi (, lit. "The One with the Red Hat"), also known as Red Hat, is a fictional puppet character created by Iraj Tahmasb and Hamid Jebelli along with Marzieh Mahboob and Masoud Sadeghian Boroujeni. He has appeared in various television series and a number of theatrical films. The first TV program to feature the character was a 1995 episode of the children's puppet show "Post Box" (Persian:صندوق پست). Films based on this character are the best-selling in the history of Iranian cinema. For over two decades, presence in Iranian cinema and television, Kolah Ghermezi turned from a doll to a cultural phenomenon that could find many audiences among different generations, especially those of the 1360s (1980s).
Kolah Ghermezi is an orange-skinned humanoid with a bulbous nose and a red smile. He always wears a distinctive red hat, from which he received his name, along with a blue shirt and green pants. He has two different eye colors: one blue and the other green. He was originally characterized as a schoolboy who talked so quickly that he could not be easily understood, but this trait has been lessened throughout his media appearances.
Kolah Ghermezi from 2009, along with several other dolls in the form of the Nowruz (New Year's) Show, re-launched the TV series and became the most engaging program on the holiday that year. The special Nowruz Kolah Ghermezi program continues to the present day.
Early life.
There are two narratives in the life of Kolah Ghermezi and how his character was established:
1. Television series (not widely known)
2. The movie "Kolah Ghermezi and the Cousin" considerably more widely known.
In the first narrative, the character is a shoemaker who shows up as a guest in one of the episodes of children's series "Post Box". He brings back the shoes of Mr.Morji (mis-pronounced version of "Mojri" meaning the Host of a show) which he has waxed. The character is a playful, cheerful boy who miss-pronounces almost every word in a funny way. He constantly spits as he talks as well. Ultimately he stubbornly stays in the show and fixes his presence in the program.
The second narrative which is the most widely-known among the fans is depicted in the movie "Kolah Ghermezi and the Cousin" where he lives in a small town and has just been expelled from school. After trying different jobs (such as a driving instructor!), unsuccessful in all, he hears a voice by complete accident from a TV in the showcase of a TV store while walking in a street. Mr. Mojri lives in the capital, Tehran, and hosts a TV show for kids. One of the episodes is being aired when he walks by.
Hearing the soft, kind words of the host, Kolah decides to go to Tehran and try to become his co-host. He arrives but Mr. Mojri by no means needs a co-host especially a kid who cannot even talk properly. In a moment of disappointment, "The Cousin" who is the son of his maternal aunt - neither of whom ever became actual characters) shows up and tells him a story about an ant who never quits the job when taking a heavy seed to home, even if it is heavy and if he drops it many times he tries again. With the help of The Cousin and the girlfriend of Mr. Mojri who thinks Kolah is cute and has potential they finally convince Mr. Mojri to accept him and they become close friends.
History.
Kolah Ghermezi was originally an ant, used in the show "Wagtail and the wise Hoopoe" directed by Iraj Tahmasb in 1981 along with its creator, Massoud Sadeghian Boroujeni. Sadeghian also creates puppets for Hadi and Hoda, the School of Mice, and Aleson and Waleson shows for kids.
In 1993, a few years after the Wagtail and the wise Hoopoe, this puppet was pulled out of the archives once again for the show "Jeghjeghe o Ferfere" and turned into Kolah Ghermezi by some alterations by Marzieh Mahbub.
Initially the character was only supposed to be present as a guest in the show for a small bit part as a playful boy and a student, who did not know how to speak properly and constantly misspelling words. His part was about a guest that had brought Mr. Mojri his repaired shoes which he has waxed clean, but because of the excellent reception from the audience, he became a fixed character. Even the name of the show was changed to include his name.
Subsequently, the shape of the doll and its voice changed into its current incarnation. That program led to the Post Box program the following year. Other characters were then introduced, however, even though it had other dolls such as pears, julipoli, and others, the program was a cheerful treat that, with its playfulness, defamation, and even its innocent lies, could survive and even open the door to movies. The captain, originally a guest of the program slowly became a landlord. After changing the name of the program with the start of the new period in 2009, his return to television helped bring more families and even their animals from the village to the wider family.
Return.
After years of being away he returned along with other dolls in the special program of Nowruz, in 2009. subsequently becomin the most prominent television program of that year. Since then, (except in 1389, 1395, and 1396, when the program was not made), the broadcast created great fanfare and popularity. For example, in the summer of 1391 it suddenly became commonplace that the character of the prohibited dragon has been shown, but was rejected the following year.
Some of the other characters in the series are: Mr. Hamsade (Mr. Neighbor), Famil e Dur (Far Family), Dure (Lady Far), Khanum Bozorg (Grandma), Dokhtar e Hamsaye (Neighbor Girl), Divi (Little Monster), Gabi (The Cow), Babayi (The Little Sheep), Jigar (Liver), Bebakhsid (Mr. Dear Please), Pesaramme Za (Cousin Za), Bache e Famil (Mr. Far Family's Kid) some of whom have become even more popular than Kolah Ghermezi himself.
Attributes.
Physical features.
Kolah Ghermezi is a boy or eight or nine years old who wears a blue shirt with white horizontal lines. He always has a red hat, green pants, and red boots. One of his eyes is green and the other is blue.
Personality.
Kolah Ghermezi is portrayed as a very honest and naive individual whose honesty is sometimes misinterpreted and gets him into trouble.
Apart from the changes that have been made in the puppet to this figure and its appearance over time, changes have also been made to the character of the Cricket. In addition to also having a speech impediment, he came forward and fastened himself to the sitter's head and stared at his eyes. In in the same way, when he spoke his mouth unwittingly moved as the presenter who forced him to keep away from the axe. Over time, his personality grew up, his speech impedimen gradually goes away and even his hangouts decrease.
The original puppetteer Donya Fannizadeh died on 8 January 2016 and passed away three months after the death of a cancer patient. He believed that the character in the 1390s was still the same as the 1370s, and only a more modern man. However, he believes he has made a huge difference over the past 20 years of his life. According to him, this character has grown up but has not lost his good qualities, only loing a series of behaviors that were specific to his childhood. For example, he now understands and can speak normal language, no longer needing his translator. He believed that he had learned in these years to speak well and control some of his behaviors.
He who still loves this character, like the first day of the romance, believes that despite the stability of the character of the helmet, however, due to the time and changing circumstances, given the fact that the sex of the copyrighted dialogues has been updated, he is also in the form of his eyesight to him This change is due to the fact that, in his opinion, many of those years are unknown to the child for today, and therefore, they are no longer in the form of a hijacker (the technical world of the dolls of the kolah Ghermezi of the eighth day of the 2016 died out of cancer due to Lost).
Puppet changes over time.
Marzieh Mahboob, the designer of the Pulitzer Collection, says that since it is handmade with each hand made of each sponge piece, it is natural for them to change in time and by rebuilding the doll. He denies that the capricious personality becomes larger in time, and believes that dolls will never grow bigger or older. In the opinion of this doll, a doll would be created if the child was created to last until the child's life, and if he is born, he will be old at the end of his life. However, he believes that since all the senses and emotions of the doll maker are with these dolls And some of her life has been on their hands, maybe the helmet has grown despite its seemingly unchanged, and perhaps the creators of the character in the future will bring him to Sunni, who wants to marry. Nevertheless, he insists that it is our imagination that changes him, otherwise the physics and appearance of the doll will always remain the same.
It's about the reason why the new puppets are more similar to the helmet, even the distant family with that bald head and mustache, all of them from a tribe and neighborhood who may not have a relative blood relationship, but they say they are from one Ten have come. Ten Caps
movies.
Kolah Ghermezi va Pesar Khaleh.
Kolah Ghermezi va Pesar Khaleh (Red hat and the cousin) was the first film based on the character of the Cricketers. The film was released in 1994, and in the space of about three months, the average ticket price of US$80 could reach 171 million tomans in Tehran. That is, taking into account the average ticket for 500 Toman in 2002, the price of the movie "kolah ghermezi" and "Cousin" cost about US$1 billion, and taking into account the ticket for US$10,000 in 1398, it is approximately US$40 billion, so this film can be viewed as the most popular and best-selling film in history Cinema of Iran. Therefore, it is said that this film, with inflation, is the best-selling film in the history of Iranian cinema.
Kolah Ghermezi and Sarvenaz.
Kolah Ghermezi and Sarvenaz was the second feature film based on the captcha, which was released in 2002. It is said that with an average ticket price of US$550, it managed to sell nearly US$550 million and become the bestselling movie of the year 2002
kolah Ghermezi and Bache nanneh.
kolah Ghermezi and Bache nanneh is the third feature film based on the captain's name, released on 27 August 2012. During the first two days of his opening in only 12 cinemas, he was able to sell 102 million tomans
The bullet-proof film that was released simultaneously with the movie, sold nearly 5 million in 18 cinemas on the first day, and unscrupulously sold 9 million tomans in the first day in 19 cinemas. In the same period of the same movie (the first day of the show), kolah Ghermezi and Bache nanneh sold 42 million tomans in the 9 cinemas that she sold. She was able to cross the border of 1 billion sales in 11 days after the show, and this was the only show in Tehran. And the statistics of cities were not yet clear. Many Iranian filmmakers predicted that this film would be the best-selling film of the year.
Critics' Perspectives and Reasons for Popularity.
The pre-poplice is popular among its audiences. The behind-the-scenes footage of this collection is the world-renowned Fengizadeh, the blindfold of this character. She is speaking behind the scenes with a helmet, caressing her, arranging her hair, and hanging her victims, which may seem odd to others. Fennizadeh, who was the first to introduce a hat-trick With the young child who today has reached the height of his youth, he feels more emotional, as if his child is not big, and his only temperament is more modern. He still loves a capricorner like in the 1370s and has a passion for turning it around the camera like the first days. He believes that the bullet is the strangest puppet personality that came from the very beginning without being asked to come and lasting. He says that apart from the audience's interest in the hacker, this personality is not very attractive for the program's creator, and he says that he is not only himself, but also the other producers of the program, including Iraj Tahmaseb and Hamid Jebli, who is also a survivor and is part of the program production group. He cites, for example, a quote from Iraj Tahmasb who says that this year he has a captcha when he asks him: "We need to have this program this year as well."
Many critics find it one of the reasons for the success of this collection and this character is a nostalgia. The critics say that the criticism is a generational nostalgia that has spent a significant part of his life on television, but there are critics who believe that this is not the only reason for the success of the series. Critics believe the success of this collection, if only because of memories, could never have been able to communicate well with other generations. Critics believe the continuation of a single set of success can not only be achieved by relying on nostalgia. In the opinion of these critics, the characters of this collection provide a suitable platform for the creation of social jokes and sometimes political ones. For example, a scene in the helmet, in which the auction is set up by dolls and in which the family is constantly in constant contact with the money launderers. The dollar demanded the price of its goods at the moment and in dollars.
"Criticism is a typical example of a boy who can be present in all generations," said critic Cinema Mohammad Hassan Saki, emphasizing that he's not just a character or a doll, but a cultural phenomenon. He is a mischievous, devil, lazy and lazy boy. There is no clear economic class. Features that allow him to move in between generations ... The bullet is not just a character; he's not just a doll, it's a cultural phenomenon. This can be greatly appreciated by the success and amount of its audience. "From this critic's point of view, the lifeblood is life-threatening and over time, an important point that may not be seen in other dolls, and even in itself, the presenter. The helmet is not a constant character; he has grown over time, so that he who initially could not speak properly and even drank his mouth when he spoke his mouth began to change and grew.
A journalist, Nikoo Sharifi, writes: "Perhaps the hijacker (whose replay began after more than a decade of interruption, started in Nowruz 1388), is the only television program that can be said to have the same size as the 90th program with the production and performance of Adel Ferdowsipur. The enormous amount of children and adults watching this program on TV and the Internet, and more importantly, those who just like this program from TV shows are evidence of that. "
Critics have different opinions about the reasons behind the success of this set. Mohammad Hassan Saki believes that this success is due to the proper use and updating of the prototype. He sees the relationship between the captain and the presenter according to the narrative, according to which the relationship between the mentor and the child is established between them. From his point of view, as the childbearer is misplaced and his professional masters say, the captain did not speak well especially in his early programs, and his words had to be rehearsed by the performer. From the perspective of this critic, they can be seen as an updated version of the Avestan and Black screenings. Black jokes and rejoicing over the patience and austerity of Avesta are somewhat repeated in the character of the choreographer and captain.
From the critics' point of view, the relation between the hypocrite and the presenter can also be known as a father-child relationship. As many of their children find themselves in criminals, the adults find themselves in the hands of the presenter, who is a kind, compassionate and patient father, which makes it a capricious audience not only for children, but also for adults. The relationship between these two is not the relationship between the teacher and the student, that is, the author does not advise the child and the children will accept it very soon, but the capricious and other puppet characters of this collection will not accept the words and the advice of the presenter and challenge him. The host sometimes takes greedily from the children, just like a true and true father-child relationship. From the viewpoint of these critics, although the haters do not speak politically, their words express the memories and even the sufferings of a generation. The Cinderella is a modern blessing that, in the language of humor and contemplation, tells the realities of the model of society; a symbol of Iranian humor, which is a talisman and continues to live.
However, since the beginning of the series, it has been widely criticized. Many critics accuse the program of not having expert and child professionals, which has made it possible for children to develop programs without regard to the cognitive needs of children, which, according to these critics, not only do not see this happen, but behaviors and speeches are fraught with wrong teachings. ; The speaker of the executive with dolls is full of violence, persistently defying and humiliating the children, decrees and rarely defines them. According to the critics, in this collection, children are constantly lying, playing, hiding something, doing false secret things and doing a lot of sweets, dirtying, or dying, and misunderstanding everything, making mistakes to work. (Which, in the opinion of these critics, is itself a wrong teaching to children). Other criticisms of this collection use characters from violent words and ask for large and disproportionate work with children's age, such as opening and washing and installing screens for home.
In the recent series of "Hacking", which will start and the number of characters will increase each year, the role of the active captain, whose name is the full name of the collection, has become weaker. This issue has been criticized for this collection. Nonetheless, the world's techno-scientist, fanfare fan from the beginning, believes that due to the multiplicity of characters, this is inevitable, and in any case, all puppets should be given the opportunity while the item's time is short.The personal taste of Fannizadeh about the program is to have a helmet in dual items appear against the actor, while preserving that nostalgic mood for the old audience, has a better chance of dialogue. Nevertheless, Iraj Tahmasb's view is that the "hijacker" is one of the few dolls that are present in most items, even if only a short dialogue is made.
Cultural products and presence in popular culture.
The kolah Ghermezi in Iran has become a brand that has been among children for many years as a member of the collective memory of Iranians, in addition to being in television and cinema, dolls and gadgets and toys. However, before returning to TV in 2009, it was still not a monopoly brand. This was the first time on Thursday, 18 October 2013 at the 27th Children and Youth Film Festival in Kosar Hotel of Dolls. The collection was officially unveiled.
Also, on the 15–21 October 2013, along with the children's network IRIB TV2 television series of the Iran,it was celebrating 20th birthday.
Video games.
A Running video game Based on the Kolah Ghermezi Character Titled TEHRUN 2 Was released for PC And Android.
Another Video game Based on the kolah Ghermezi Character Titled kolah Ghermezi:chocolate dreams Was developed by YC Groups and Was Released for PC In 2015.
Appearances.
Films.
Three separate films were produced based on Kolah Ghermezi and his stories.


Bandhana

Bandhana is a 1984 Indian Kannada-language romantic drama film directed by Rajendra Singh Babu, based on a novel by Usha Navaratnanram of the same name, and starring Vishnuvardhan and Suhasini.
At the 32nd National Film Awards, the film was awarded the Best Feature Film in Kannada. It also won two awards at the 1984–85 Karnataka State Film Awards; Best Actor (Vishnuvardhan) and Best Music Director (M. Ranga Rao). In addition to this, Vishnuvardhan and Suhasini won the awards for Best Actor and Best Actress categories at the South Filmfare Awards. The film is seen as a milestone in Kannada cinema. The film was remade in Tamil as "Premapasam".
Plot.
Doctor Harish (Vishnuvardhan) falls in love with his protege Nandini (Suhasini) but is too shy to express his feelings for her. When he finally musters the courage to tell her that he loves her, he finds out that she holds him in high esteem more as a Guru. She tells him she is unable to reciprocate his romantic love. Nandini marries an engineer Balu (Jai Jagadish), who is incidentally Harish's friend. Harish starts withdrawing into a shell. Marital problems crop between Nandini and Balu because of her dedication to her career as a doctor. Harish develops a heart enlargement condition which draws Nandini closer to him in the hospital. This frustrates Balu who accuses her of having an affair with Harish. When Nandini discovers that Balu has assaulted their house maid she decides to leave him. Harish tries to convince Balu that his relationship with Nandini is pure but Balu misbehaves with him. Harish saves Nandini's baby but dies because of his advanced heart condition. Nandini divorces her husband and moves on with her new born child.
Production.
When director Rajendra Singh Babu cast Vishnu for a love story like Bandhana, the industry had been skeptical, for Vishnu was known more for his action roles. But the director's faith in the actor and the way Vishnu managed the role of Dr. Harish built up reputation in the industry.
Originally actress Kalpana held the rights to the script and happened to give it to Babu on request, just before she died. In 1983 when Babu set about to make the movie, his first choice for the heroine's role was Aarati. But her date diary was full and the search for the heroine started. He happened to meet Suhasini who was acting with his sister, and immediately knew she was going to be Dr. Nandini. The negative role portrayed by Jai Jagadish was first offered to actor Ambareesh. The film was shot in several scenic locales such as Lakya Dam, Hanumanagundi Falls, Lalitha Mahal Palace, Krishnarjuna Sagar Dam, Harangi Dam and the Grand Ashok Hotel in Bangalore.
Usha Navratnaram's novel was a literary romance that dealt with the inner feelings of the lead players. Babu with his strong command of film-making techniques, effectively adapted the novel into a screenplay rich in visuals and external drama that are required for the medium of cinema. He also showed a penchant for filming on a grander scale like the Hindi movies of the time - be it the Holi song or the prominent presence of the grand piano in the wedding song.
Release.
The movie was certified on 26 July 1984 and was released on 24 August the same year. The songs of the movie were chart busters.
Reception.
The movie garnered immensely positive reviews from both critics and viewers alike. The performance of Vishnuvardhan and Suhasini received high praise while the story and direction received equally high acclaim.
The movie ran for 100 days in 18 theatres and 25 weeks in many first class theatres. The movie had a 30 weeks run in two theatres (a big record then) and completed 469 days of run in one movie hall. Bandhana was the highest grossing movie of the year and one of the highest grossing Kannada films of the 1980s.
Legacy.
In Bandhana, Vishnuvardhan played the role of a shy doctor who fails to express his love to a girl and ends up as a tragic hero by developing a fatal heart condition. The role of Dr. Harish brought him critical appreciation. The success of Bandhana was a turning point in Vishnu's career. He began acting in more family-oriented movies like Krishna Nee Begane Baro, Karunamayi, Sowbhagya Lakshmi, Suprabhatha and carved another niche among family audience. The movie also made Dr. Vishnuvardhan - Suhasini duo a much celebrated pair onscreen. Following the immense success of Bandhana they acted together in several movies like Suprabhata, Mutthina Haara and Himapaata.
The song Noorondu Nenapu from this movie was a chart buster and later inspired a 2017 movie with the song's title.
Home Media.
The video rights of the movie is shared by Sri Ganesh Video and Moser Baer. The movie was released in both DVD and VCD format.
Soundtrack.
M. Ranga Rao composed the soundtrack, and the lyrics were written by R. N. Jayagopal. The album consists of four soundtracks. The track of "Banna Nanna Olavina Banna" was based on the tune of the soundtrack "Per Qualche Dollaro In Più - Spanish Intro Opening Theme" from the 1965 movie "For a Few Dollars More".
Remake.
Bandhana was remade in Tamil as Premapasam. The tamil version released in 1985 had Sivakumar and Revathy in the lead roles. The movie was directed by K.Vijayan and had musical score by Gangai Amaran.


Enrique Diemecke

Enrique Arturo Diemecke (born July 9, 1952) is a Mexican conductor, violinist and composer. He is currently the Artistic General Director of the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires and Music Director of the Buenos Aires Philharmonic and the Flint Symphony Orchestra in Michigan, USA.
Biography.
Diemecke was born in Guanajuato, Mexico to Emilio Diemecke, a professional cellist and Carmen Diemecke (Née Rodriguez) a pianist. Diemecke is one of eight musician siblings, their father was also born into a family of musicians from Leipzig, Germany. He began to play the violin at the age of six and at the age of nine he began to play the French horn, piano and percussion. He studied at Catholic University in Washington D.C. and with Charles Bruck at the Pierre Monteux School for Advanced Conductors. He studied violin in Mexico with Henryk Szeryng. In 1983, he was selected as an Exxon Arts Endowment Conductor and began his professional conducting career at the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. He was then appointed Resident Conductor of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra.
Maestro Diemecke is a frequent guest of orchestras throughout the world, most notably the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, French National Orchestra, BBC Symphony, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, L’Orchestre de Paris, Residentie Orkest in The Hague, Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Warsaw Philharmonic, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra in Brisbane, the Russian National Orchestra, the Bogota Philharmonic, the Puerto Rico Symphony, Simon Bolivar Orchestra in Caracas, Orchestre National de Lorraine, the National Orchestra of Montpellier, the Valladolid Symphony, ORCAM Madrid, Orchestre de Isle de France, and the symphony orchestras of Baltimore, Houston, Minnesota, and Auckland.
Maestro Diemecke is an experienced conductor of opera, having served as Music Director of the Opera de Bellas Artes in Mexico City from 1984-1990, where he led more than 20 productions including "Faust, La bohème, Salome, Elektra, Ariadne auf Naxos, Der fliegende Hollander, Rigoletto, Turandot, Madama Butterfly," and "Roméo et Juliette." He has since returned as a guest conductor with new productions of "Lohengrin", "Boris Godunov", and Gluck's "Orfeo ed Euridice".
Diemecke returned to opera as he opened the 2007-2008 season of the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires with a new production of "Werther", followed by performances of Massenet's "Le Jongleur de Notre Dame" with tenor Roberto Alagna in Montpellier, which was released by Deutsche Grammophon and awarded the prestigious Grand Prix de l'Academie du Disque Lyrique. He is a regular guest of the famed Teatro Zarzuela in Madrid, and was awarded the Jean Fontaine Orpheus d’Or Gold Medal for “best vocal music recording” by France's Academy of Lyric Recordings for his recording of Donizetti's "The Exiles of Siberia" with the L’Orchestre Philharmonique de Montpellier-Languedoc-Roussillon. Maestro Diemecke was previously honored with a Gold Medal from the Academy of Lyric Recordings with the Bruno Walter Orpheus d’Or Prize for “Best Opera Conductor” for his live recording of Mascagni's "Parisina", from the Radio France Festival.
With 20 years at the helm of the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de México, Maestro Diemecke led the ensemble on a ten-city tour of the United States, culminating with a program of Latin American masterworks at New York's Carnegie Hall. He and the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de México were nominated for “Best Classical Album” for the 3rd Annual Latin Grammy Awards, for their recording of Carlos Chávez’ Violin and Piano Concertos with violinist Pablo Diemecke and pianist Jorge Federico Osorio.
He is also frequently invited to festivals such as the Lincoln Center Summer Festival, the Hollywood Bowl Festival, Wolf Trap, Autumno Musicale a Como (Italy), Europalia (Brussels), World Fair Expo Sevilla (Spain), Festival International Radio France, and the World Orchestra Festival in Moscow where he led the Bogota Philharmonic.
Maestro Diemecke is an accomplished composer and orchestral arranger, and has conducted his "Die-Sir-E", during the Mexican National Symphony Orchestra tour of the U.S. in 1999. The "Die-Sir-E" was commissioned by the Radio France Festival for the World Cup Final Concert in France in 1998. Maestro Diemecke was commissioned to write a tone poem for the Flint Symphony Orchestra, and his works "Chacona a Chávez" and Guitar Concerto have received many performances both in Europe and in the United States. During the 2001-2002 season, he gave the world premiere of his work "Camino y vision", dedicated to President Vincente Fox, with the Tulsa Philharmonic.
Recordings of the music of Revueltas, Chávez, and Moncayo for Sony/Mexico with the Orquesta Sinfónica Nacional de México have been best-sellers in Mexico, earning Maestro Diemecke and orchestra the Golden Record Award. Other releases have included the music of Villa-Lobos and Silvestre Revueltas on the Dorian label with the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela. In these recordings, as well as in his concert performance, Maestro Diemecke has earned particular renown as a pioneering advocate of the music of Chávez and Revueltas, Mexico's greatest composers, and his CD of Revueltas’ masterwork "La noche de los Mayas" has become a recording classic. Maestro Diemecke's recording with the Flint Symphony Orchestra of the 1896 version of Mahler's First Symphony (which includes the subsequently deleted “Blumine” movement) was nominated for a Grammy Award.