AcharyaChanakya/simple-wikipedia huggingface dataset:
This movie is considered the best movie of the "master of suspense" Alfred Hitchcock. It was included on the following American Film Institute lists:
The Conqueror Worm
"The Conqueror Worm" is a poem by Edgar Allan Poe. It is about human mortality and the fact that death cannot be stopped. It was first published in "Graham's Magazine" in 1843. It was incorporated into Poe's short story "Ligeia" in 1845. In the revised story, the poem is composed by Ligeia. She teaches it to the narrator during her death throes.
Weeping angels watch a play performed by "mimes, in the form of God on high", and controlled by vast formless shapes looming behind the scenes. The mimes chase a "Phantom" which they can never capture. Finally, a monstrous "crawling shape" emerges, and eats the mimes. The final curtain comes down, "a funeral pall," signaling an end to the "tragedy, 'Man'" whose only hero is "The Conqueror Worm".
Though Poe was referring to an ancient connection between worms and death, he may have been inspired by "The Proud Ladye", a poem by Spencer Wallis Cone which was reviewed in an 1840 issue of "Burton's Gentleman's Magazine". That poem contained the lines "Let him meet the conqueror worm / With his good sword by his side".
The poem plays an important symbolic role as part "Ligeia." The poem is written by Ligeia as she is dying, though it is actually recited by the narrator, her husband.
Because it emphasizes the finality of death, it calls to question Ligeia's resurrection in the story. Also, the inclusion of the bitter poem may have been meant to be ironic or a parody of the convention at the time, both in literature and in life. In the mid-19th century it was common to emphasize the sacredness of death and the beauty of dying (consider Charles Dickens's Little Johnny character in "Our Mutual Friend" and the death of Helen Burns in Charlotte Brontë's "Jane Eyre"). Instead, Ligeia speaks of fear personified in the "blood-red thing."
"The Conqueror Worm" also uses the word "evermore", which would later evolve into "nevermore" in Poe's famous poem "The Raven" in 1845.
"The Conqueror Worm" was first published as a stand-alone poem in the January 1843 issue of "Graham's Magazine". Shortly after, it was included among several other poems by Poe in the February 25 issue of the "Saturday Museum" in a feature called "The Poets & Poetry of Philadelphia: Edgar Allan Poe". It was later included in Poe's poetry collection "The Raven and Other Poems" in 1845. That same year, it was incorporated into "Ligeia" for the first time when the story was reprinted in the February 15, 1845, issue of the "New York World". "Ligeia" was again republished with "The Conqueror Worm" in the September 27, 1845, issue of "The Broadway Journal" while Poe was its editor. This was not unusual for Poe, who had also incorporated poems "The Coliseum" and "To One in Paradise" into tales.
The British horror movie "Witchfinder General" was retitled "The Conqueror Worm" for US release. It was not based on Poe's poem.
Tania Khalill
Tania Khalill (stage name Tânia Calil Padis Campos, July 8, 1977 in São Paulo) is a Brazilian actress.
Emiliano is the daughter of a pediatrician and psychologist Terezinha Campos Campos Calil (the Calil's name, she turned into Khalill), São Paulo, created in the neighborhood of Partridges, is the second of three daughters, descendants of Spaniards and Lebanese.
As a teenager he studied Brazilian Baptist College. In 2000, Tania graduated in psychology at the University Mackenzie, because his family was important to go to college, but has never practiced the craft.
Tania practiced ballet for 16 years, between 6 and 22 years, danced professionally for five in the Paulista Dance Company, formed by the classical ballet dancer Paula Castro, lived for five months in Cuba to study at the National School Ballet of Cuba, one of the most respected in the world. He also starred in advertising campaigns, although part of the casting of the Elite modeling agency, has never walked the catwalks.
To improve as a dancer, sought inspiration in the theater and found a new vocation, was increasingly embarking on the path of dramatic art, leaving the dance side. Stepped in the first seven years, representing a play Juliet in the school, decided to invest in the career of actress, studied drama for seven years, graduated from Carmina Actors School and passed the courses Beto Silveira, Theatre-Macunaíma school, also attended the course in television and theater professionals in the studio for Wolf Maya and the Theatre Workshop of Interpretation for Oswaldo Boaretto for five years. The movie made ​​the course of the Great Azevedo and Márcio Mehiel. Tania also studied speech and presentation by SENAC TV.
In 2002 premiered on television in the supporting cast of the soap opera, "Sabor da Paixão". In 2004 he participated in the show "Galera", TV Cultura, a history teacher making and interprets it the first character of their prominence, the samba Nalva Ferrari in the novel "Senhora do Destino", of Aguinaldo Silva, a role that was rumored to Scheila Carvalho and Luma de Oliveira. In 2006, Nikki Ortega lived, a heel in "Cobras & Lagartos". In 2008, participated in serious "Casos e Acasos" and "Guerra e Paz". In 2009, around the novels, playing the passionate Duda in "Caminho das Índias".
On stage, debuted in 1995 with a piece of Naum Alves. Since then he has staged works by Nelson Rodrigues, Short Comedy by Luís Fernando Veríssimo and directed by Wolf Maya, The Suitcase, by Larry Shue and directed by Isser Koriki, along with José Rubens Chachá. In 2002, he participated in SCYSD short film, a film course design at Fundação Armando Álvares Penteado (FAAP) in 2005 joined the cast of another short, The Opposite Sex, under the direction of Hudson Glauber Finally in 2009, participates in the short Innocent directed by Thiago Luciano and Bob Shultz, who was at the 13th International Film Festival Latino in Los Angeles, United States.
It was the cover of magazines: Boa Forma, Claudia, Manequim, Corpo a Corpo, among others. Sensual held for VIP magazine, with cover of the publication in September 2004, was still present in the list of one hundred sexiest women in the world in the same magazine that year was also considered one of the 25 sexiest women in the annual ranking of the journal This is People in 2004 and 2009. She refused the invitation of men's magazine Playboy to pose nude.
In 2010 Great Little attended the show, the children's musical based on the book was titled CD released by Jair Oliveira in 2009 and was nominated for a Grammy Latino in the same year. We recently debuted the piece ?, with text by Mario Viana and opposite Dalton Vigh.
In 2010 the actress involved with a children's project, launched in October, "Acampamento de Férias 2 - A Arvore da Vida", where he plays Debora. In the movie, the actress will work with Murilo Rosa and Isaiah Washington in the sci-fi "Area Q", a co-production between Brazil and the United States, which deals with the appearance of aliens in Quixadá and Quixeramobim, Ceará cities. She will live Valkyrie, a reporter at the service of self-interested superpower. The movie is directed by Gerson Sanginitto Halder Gomes and production of the recordings take place in Ceará and Los Angeles.
In 2011 was in the telenovela "Fina Estampa", playing the teacher Letícia. In 2012 interpreted the turquoise Ayla in the telenovela "Salve Jorge" of Glória Perez.
On December 10, 2005, married the singer Jair Oliveira, who in childhood was part of the group Turma do Balão Mágico, known then as Jairzinho in the church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in São Paulo, officiating a marriage that lasted four years, she met her husband when he sang in a bar in São Paulo. Jair Before, she had three boyfriends long. The couple have two daughters, Isabella, born July 10, 2007 in São Luiz hospital, and Laura born March 5, 2011 in São Luiz hospital, as well as his sister.
Hafiz Barkhurdar
Hazrat Hafiz Barkhurdar (1658–1707), was a Punjabi Sufi Jatt poet from the village of Takhat Hazara in Sargodha District in modern-day Pakistan. His shrine where he was buried stands in the village of Chitti Sheikhan in Sialkot District.
Mindless Behavior
Mindless Behavior is an American boy band. They are best known for the singles "My Girl" and "Mrs. Right", which were produced by Walter Millsap. The band was put together in Los Angeles in 2008, by Keisha Gamble, Walter Millsap (who has previously worked with Beyoncé and Timbaland) and Vincent Herbert (Lady Gaga, Toni Braxton). The band trained in dance and singing for two years before releasing anything. The members are all in their early teens. They performed "My Girl" on "The Today Show" in November 2010. Their first album, "#1 Girl", was released on September 20, 2011. It appeared on the "Billboard" 200 album chart at number 7.
Mindless Behavior toured with the Backstreet Boys, Justin Bieber and Jason Derülo. They were the opening act for Janet Jackson's 2011 tour.
This Must Be Pop says that it thinks Mindless Behavior will be future stars.
Rufous treepie
The rufous treepie ("Dendrocitta vagabunda") is a species of bird in the Corvidae (crow) family. The rufous treepie is native to the Indian Subcontinent and adjoining parts of Southeast Asia from Pakistan to Vietnam. Woodland, forest edges and gardens are the habitat of this species. It feeds on various fruits, insects and carrion.
The rufous treepie builds its nest 6−8 meters above the ground in trees. Both male and female take turns breeding and feeding the young. There are usually 3-5 eggs laid. After the young have hatched, the remain with their parents for several months. Rufous treepies form pair bonds for life.
The species was first described in 1790 by John Latham. A previous description as "Dendrocitta rufa" is not valid. It belongs to the Treepie genus "Dendrocitta" which is Southeast Asian in distribution. According to ornithologist Derek Goodwin, the rufous treepie may be closely allied to the hooded treepie ("D. frontalis"). There are eight recognized subspecies.
There are no estimates for the population of this species. It is common throughout its range, but rare in Vietnam.
The Rufous Treepie is shorter and smaller than the European magpie. The head, neck and breast are grey, although sometimes they are slightly brown. The underparts and lower back are orange-brown. The tail is a light blue color with a black tip. The bill, legs and feet are black.
RecordTV
RecordTV, formerly Rede Record, or simply Record, is a Brazilian television network, launched by Paulo Machado de Carvalho on 1953, and bought by bishop and entrepreneur Edir Macedo on 1989.
Greater Los Angeles Area
The Greater Los Angeles Area, or the Southland, is a term used for the group of metropolitan areas over five counties in the southern part of California. It includes Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County and Ventura County. It has been one of the fastest growing regions in the United States for decades. The growth started in Los Angeles County, then Orange County, and now in the Inland Empire. As of 2005, the population of the Los Angeles metropolitan area was more than 12.9 million people. In 2009 the larger five-county region had a population of over 17.6 million. It the second-largest statistical area in the country. Only the New York metropolitan area is larger.
The Greater Los Angeles area is centered on the county of Los Angeles, California. The term is defined to refer to the area from Ventura to the southern border of Orange County, and from the Pacific Ocean to the Inland Empire. The Greater Los Angeles area includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the Inland Empire, and Ventura County. The term "Greater Los Angeles" does not include San Diego and Imperial counties.
The United States Census Bureau has named the five county region as the "Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside, CA" combined statistical area. Their January 1, 2009 population estimate was 17,786,419 people. The Los Angeles metropolitan area has a total area of . The wider combined statistical area covers . More than half of this is the thinly populated eastern areas of Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
The following is a list of main cities in the Greater Los Angeles Area with estimates of their population:
Walter Chauncey Camp (April 17, 1859 – March 14, 1925) was an American football player, coach, and sports writer. He is known as the "Father of American Football".
Camp was born in New Haven, Connecticut on April 17, 1859. His parents were Leverett and Ellen Camp. He attended Hopkins Grammar School in New Haven. He went to Yale in 1876. He graduated in 1880.
Camp played college football at Yale from 1876 to 1882. He was head football coach at Yale from 1888 to 1892. He was in the first class to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1951.
Camp's football inventions include the eleven-man team and the gridiron marking of the field. He also invented the line of scrimmage and the modern point system. He invented the "All-American team" of college players. "All-American" has since become a part of American-English. In time, he began to think of American football as his private property. He did not want new additions to the game, like the forward pass.
He stayed at Yale for two more years to study medicine. He started working for a watch company in 1882. In 1888, he married Alice Graham Sumner. They had two children. In 1903, he became president of the watch company. Camp died of a heart attack on March 15, 1925 in New York City, New York, aged 65.
Jessie J
Jessica Ellen Cornish (born 27 March 1988), better known by her stage name Jessie J, is an English singer and songwriter. She was born and raised in London where she studied at the BRIT School before signing with Gut Records.
Jessie J became better known after the release of her debut single "Do It Like a Dude" which peaked at number two in the UK. She achieved her first number one in the UK, France, Ireland and New Zealand with the song "Price Tag". After those two singles, she released her debut album "Who You Are" in 2011. The album charted at number two in the UK. Other singles from the album included "Nobody's Perfect", "Who's Laughing Now" and "Who You Are" which charted within the top 20 in the UK but the release of fifth single "Domino" became international chart success, peaking at number 6 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 and becoming her second UK number one. She is the first British female artist to have six top ten singles on one album.
Jessie J has written songs for other singers such as Chris Brown and Miley Cyrus.
Jessie J is recognized for an unconventional musical and performing style. It mixes her soul voice with contemporary R&B, pop music and hip-hop influences. She has several awards and nominations. These include the 2011 Critics' Choice BRIT Award and the BBC's Sound of 2011. As of April 2012, Jessie has sold over 11 million singles and 2.5 million albums worldwide.
On 4 October 2011, Jessie said that she will be one of four coaches for new BBC program, "The Voice UK". The other coaches are will.i.am (of The Black Eyed Peas), Tom Jones and Danny O'Donoghue (of The Script).
Asked about her bisexuality in an interview on the "In Demand" radio show on 3 March 2011, Jessie J stated, "I've never denied it. Whoopie doo guys, yes, I've dated girls and I've dated boys – get over it." According to "The Guardian", Jessie J's sexuality is valuable to young teens, especially for young girls unsure of themselves because of their sexuality and identity, to feel "that this does happen and this is normal." In April 2014, Jessie J renounced her bisexuality in an interview with "Daily Mirror"'s "3am" celebrity tabloid; "For me, it was a phase. But I'm not saying bisexuality is a phase for everybody", she said.
On 12 June 2011, at the Capital Radio Summertime Ball, Jessie ruptured several tendons in her foot during rehearsals. She performed for several weeks while sitting on a gilded throne.
Pentamerone
Curling is a sport played on ice. Players slide "curling stones" on the ice towards a target, called the "house". There are two teams with four players on each team. Each team slides eight stones, this is called an "end". After an end the team with the stone closest to the centre of the house (target) scores points. The game is over after eight or ten ends. The team with the most points is the winner.
The player sliding the stone can make it turn or "curl" slowly. Two other players on the team sweep the ice in front of the stone with brooms. This is to make the stone stop in the right place.
Curling is played at the Winter Olympics.
Curling was invented in Scotland in medieval times. It was played outside in the winter because there was lots of ice. Today curling is played all over Europe and in many other countries such as Canada, the United States, Japan and South Korea.
Curling was played at the Winter Olympics for the first time in 1998.
The ice is called a "curling sheet". It is a rectangular sheet of flat ice, between 146 and 150 feet (45-46 metres) long and 14.5 to 15.5 feet (4.4-5.0 metres) wide. The house, or target, is marked at the end of the sheet by coloured rings. The rings help players to aim for the centre of the house. They are also useful to decide which stone is closest to the centre when scoring. There is also a "hack" at the end of the sheet which players push against when sliding a stone.
Curling stones are made of granite. They are heavy, weighing 38-40 pounds (17-20kg). There is a handle on the top of each stone to help slide and turn the stone. The handles are different colours for each team. The stones are usually red for one team and yellow for the other team.
Curling brooms or brushes are used to sweep the ice in front of the stone when it is sliding.
Players wear special shoes for curling. One shoe has a smooth surface for sliding on the ice and the other rough.
The purpose of the game is to score points by getting stones close to the centre of the house. Players from each team take turns to slide a stone towards the house. This is called "delivering" or "throwing" a stone. An end is completed when all stones have been delivered. There are eight stones for each team. The winner is the team with the most points after all ends have been played. There are usually eight or ten ends.
The captain of the team is called the "skip". The skip chooses how hard the stone should be delivered, the direction of delivery, and the amount of turn (curl) that the stone should be given. The skip can choose to aim the stone for the house, hit one of the other team's stones out of play, or make a stone stop before the house as a guard if their team has a stone in a good position.
The player delivering the stone starts at the hack. The skip stands at the other end of the curling sheet behind the house. The skip shows where to aim the stone. The other two players sweep the ice in front of the stone as it slides. The players take turns to deliver stones. When the skip is delivering a stone another player stands behind the house instead.
To deliver a stone the player puts one foot on the hack. The player lines up towards the skip. The stone is on the ice in front of the foot in the hack. The player then slides the stone back before sliding forwards on their other foot. The player lets go of the stone, gently turning the handle just before letting go to give the stone curl.
Then the other players can sweep the stone. Sweeping helps the stone to travel faster, and makes it curl less. The aim of sweeping is to help the stone stop in the right place.
Points are scored at when an end has finished. The team with the stone closest to the centre of the house wins the end. The team scores one point for every stone that is closer to the centre than the other team's closest stone.
Only stones that are in the house count for scoring. If it is difficult to see which stone is closest to the centre of the house there are special measuring devices to help.
Sometimes neither team scores any points, this is called a "blank end".
Drive-Thru (movie)
The Muppets (movie)
The Muppets is a 2011 American musical comedy movie. It starred Jason Segel and Amy Adams. The movie was directed by James Bobin. It was made by Walt Disney Pictures. It involves The Muppets reuniting to put on a show in order to save their theater from a businessman who wants to tear it down to drill for oil.
Bret McKenzie
Bret Peter Tarrant McKenzie (born 26 June 1976) is a New Zealand comedian, actor, musician and producer. He is best known as one half of the Grammy Award-winning comedy duo Flight of the Conchords with Jemaine Clement. For "The Muppets" (2011), he won an Academy Award for Best Original Song. He also played Lindir in Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" movie trilogy.
McKenzie was born in Wellington. He has two children with his wife, publicist Hannah Clarke.
Peter Serafinowicz
Peter Szymon Serafinowicz ( /sɛrəˈfɪnəwɪtʃ/; born 10 July 1972) is an English actor, comedian, writer, composer, voice artist, television producer and writer. He was born in Liverpool. He is married to Sarah Alexander; the couple have a son and daughter together.
Pease 1
Roller skating
Roller skating is a physical activity on roller skates. Roller skating is also a sport when the skaters form a team and compete in events such as roller hockey or roller derby. Roller skating is also performed with certain styles of music and dance steps such as Jam Skating.
The wheels on roller skates are laid out similar to a skateboard, containing a set of trucks and cushions to allow for turning.
The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a is a selection of 8 musical numbers Tchaikovsky made from "The Nutcracker" ballet for a concert performance before the St. Petersburg branch of the Musical Society on March 19, 1892. Every number was acclaimed and repeated, and the suite became an instant hit. The complete ballet was first performed on December 17, 1892. It was not a success. It did not gain any popularity until George Balanchine staged a production in New York City. The suite however was very popular in concert. It was featured in Disney's "Fantasia." "The Nutcracker Suite" should not be mistaken for the complete ballet.
The numbers chosen by Tchaikovsky for "The Nutcracker Suite" and their sequence within the suite are as follows:
Oops!... I Did It Again! is the second album released by American pop music singer Britney Spears on Jive Records.
Four singles were released from the album, the title track, "Lucky", "Stronger", and "Don't Let Me Be The Last To Know".
It also features the first song Britney had a hand in writing, titled "Dear Diary".
Jive Records
Jive Records was an American recording imprint known for rap and pop music artists and albums.
It was folded into RCA Records in 2011.
The Million Pound Drop Live
Touch My Body
"Touch My Body" is a song co-written by American singer Mariah Carey, Christopher "Tricky" Stewart, Crystal "Cri$tyle" Johnson and Terius "The-Dream" Nash for Carey's 11th studio album, "E=MC²". It is the first single off "E=MC²". The single was produced by Carey and Stewart.
Mariah talking about why she chose "Touch My Body" as the first single of the album:
-Mariah Carey
The song was chosen as the lead single of the album during a vote with producer L.A. Reid and staff in Island Records. Carey stated that the group "decided to just go with the mid-tempo and everybody kinda liked the song 'cause it's just fun and cute and sexy and sweet".
The song was transmitted digitally to radio stations on February 12 at 6:30pm ET for immediate airplay via All Access. The single went for adds on radio station playlists on February 19."Touch My Body" premiered on Chicago's hit rhythmic radio station, B96, ahead of schedule at 4:00pm.
Reviews of the song by critics were mostly good. "Blender" said that it was a "pop genius making genius pop". Bill Lamb from About.com gave "Touch My Body" 4 out of 5 stars. Newsday named it as the "Song of the Week", saying that it was her best first single on an album since "Heartbreaker".
Rolling Stone gave it 3.5 stars in its March 6, 2008 issue.
Brett Ratner is the director of the video. Ratner also directed Carey's videos for "I Still Believe", "Heartbreaker", "Thank God I Found You", "It's like That", and "We Belong Together". In an interview with AllHipHop.com, Ratner said, "Mariah is musically at the top of her game and has never looked better... This will be our 6th music video we have collaborated on and definitely the best one yet visually, as well as musically. The video for "Touch My Body" is the perfect combination of fantasy and comedy with Mariah looking more beautiful than she has ever looked, ever.". The video also stars Jack McBrayer from "30 Rock", a show that Carey is a fan of.
Carey appeared on MTV's "TRL" and BET's "106 & Park" on Wednesday, February 27, 2008, to premiere the video for "Touch My Body"; BET also played the video all day, every hour on the hour, until "106 & Park". VH1 posted a 45-second sneak peek on their blog on February 26, and subsequently posted the video in its entirety at midnight on February 27, 2008; the video was also posted on the Island Records website.
On March 5 the "Touch My Body" music video debuted at #1 on MTV's TRL countdown.
Following the song's February 12 digital transmission, after only a day's worth of airplay, "Touch My Body" entered the "Billboard" Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart at #78 the chart week of February 23, 2008. It is currently at #15 in its fourth chart week. It also debuted on airplay alone at #57 on the Billboard Hot 100 as the "Hot Shot" debut of the week, and is currently #24. It also debuted on the Canadian Hot 100 at #97 and has since risen to #59.
Ned Beatty
Ned Thomas Beatty (July 6, 1937 – June 13, 2021) was an American actor. He was born in Louisville, Kentucky. He was known for his movie work including "Nashville" (1975), "All the President's Men" (1976), "Network" (1976), "The Big Easy" (1987) and "Prelude to a Kiss" (1992).
Beatty died on June 13, 2021 in Los Angeles, aged 83.
Samson and Delilah (opera)
Samson and Delilah (Fr: "Samson et Dalila") is a three-act French opera. It is based on the story of Samson and Delilah in the Old Testament of the Bible. The words and story of the opera (the "libretto") were written by Ferdinand Lemaire. The music was written by Camille Saint-Saëns. The opera was first performed in Weimar, Germany on 2 December 1877. It was sung in German instead of French.
Saint-Saëns thought the Samson story would make a good oratorio. He was persuaded by Lemaire to write an opera on the subject instead. When the opera was completed, Saint-Saëns met some stiff opposition about staging it in France. It was considered sacrilegious to stage a work based on a Bible story. Additionally, Saint-Saëns was considered a "symphonist" rather than an opera composer. People were not interested in "Samson". Liszt staged the work in Germany. It was a hit. It was soon staged in America and in England.
Roles in the opera include Samson (tenor), Delilah (mezzo-soprano), and the High Priest of Dagon (baritone). The story tells of the enslavement of the Hebrews by the Philistines. Samson urges them to resist their masters. The High Priest of Dagon uses Delilah to destroy Samson. Musical highlights include "" and "" The opera finally played the Paris Opéra. It ranked second in popularity to Charles Gounod's "Faust".
Saint-Saëns thought the Samson and Delilah story would make a good oratorio. Oratorios were popular in the late 1860s. The city of Paris was offering a prize for a new one. Saint-Saëns asked a relative, Ferdinand Lemaire, to write the libretto. Lemaire thought the story of Samson and Delilah was better suited to an opera. He persuaded Saint-Saëns to write an opera instead of an oratorio.
Saint-Saëns was drawn to the story because it gave him the opportunity to compose a grand duet against a rising storm. He knew Rameau's take on the story from Voltaire's libretto for an opera on the subject (now lost), but Rameau's storm was a metaphor for the wrath of God. Rossini's "Otello" was nearer to what Saint-Saëns had in mind. He wrote, "I imagined a storm that would no longer be an hors-d'œuvre (a tidbit eaten before a meal) but adhere to the action and become one with it."
Saint-Saëns set to work in 1868. He wrote an aria for Delilah, a duet for Samson and Delilah, and the Prelude. He tried them out at home. Friends were not very interested. The composer put the work aside for a time. He met Liszt in Weimar, Germany about 1870. Liszt encouraged him to take up the project again. He promised Saint-Saëns he would stage the opera.
In 1873 Saint-Saëns finished the score. Pauline Viardot staged Act 2 in a garden at Croissy. The director of the Paris Opera was present. He found the opera too Wagnerian. He also thought it neglected French opera tradition. Biblical stories were not staged in France. It was considered sacrilegious. Act 1 was performed "concert style" in 1875. This means it was performed without costumes, scenery, or "acting". It was a failure.
Saint-Saëns kept working. He published the score. He wrote a dedication to Viardot. In 1877 Liszt staged the work at the Weimar Court Theatre in Germany. It was sung in German instead of French. The opera was well received. People liked it. Paris wasn't very interested, though. In 1890 the opera was staged in Rouen at composer Gabriel Faure's urging. It was staged the same year in Paris. Two years later it was finally staged at the Paris Opéra. The opera ranked second in popularity to Gounod's "Faust".
Once the opera gained favor with audiences it quickly spread outside France. The first production in America was at New Orleans in 1893. In 1894 it was staged at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. In these early days, productions were mounted in Milan, St Petersburg, and Moscow. French singers walked out on a concert performance in London in 1893. They were expected to sing in English instead of French. Biblical stories were banned from the stage in Britain. The first full production of "Samson" took place in 1909. King Edward VII of England was said to have helped get the opera staged.
Goodwin writes that Saint-Saëns's pupil and friend Gabriel Faure always said that the reason "Samson and Delilah" met with disinterest in France was the fact that the composer was viewed as a symphonistnot because the opera was based on a Biblical text. "Symphonist" was a pejorative term at the time. It was tossed about by opera and ballet fans. "Samson and Delilah" was also a departure from 19th century opera traditions. This was another reason for some to ignore it. It was a three-act opera rather than a standard five-act opera as laid down by Meyerbeer. The opera featured only three principal charactersSamson, Delilah, and the High Priestthus creating another departure from the norm.
Saint-Saëns was almost an atheist. He did not point out a moral in this opera but let the work speak for itself. He admired the operas of Verdi. He liked the oratorios of Handel and Mendelssohntwo composers whose influence is felt in the choruses of "Samson". He framed the central seduction scene with the two outer acts. In contrast with Samson (strength) and the High Priest (power), Delilah is a character of "seductive" strength and power. She wants Samson on her sidenot for lovebut for her own vanity and sexual gratification. She puts everything she has into successfully seducing him because, if she fails, her head will be on the chopping block.
In a square in Gaza, the Hebrews pray for release from slavery to the Philistines. Samson tries to lift their spirits. Abimelech taunts the Hebrews. He says his god Dagon is greater than the Hebrew god. Samson defies him. Abimelech attacks Samson with a sword. Samson disarms and kills him. The Hebrews flee. The High Priest of Dagon makes plans to use Delilah to trap Samson.
Delilah enters with the priestesses of Dagon. She flirts with Samson. She invites him to her home in Sorek. An old Hebrew warns Samson about loving Delilah. Samson prays for God's protection. Delilah and the priestesses begin to dance. Samson fights his desire for Delilah. The old Hebrew repeats his warning. As the curtain closes, Samson meets Delilah's gaze. It is clear he will join her in Sorek.
In Sorek Delilah sings about her power over Samson. The High Priest arrives. He reports that Samson and the Hebrews have destroyed the harvest. He offers gold to Delilah to trap Samson. She refuses to take the money. She wants only revenge. Delilah vows to find the secret of Samson's strength. The High Priest leaves.
Delilah considers her chances of success. Samson arrives to say farewell. He plans to lead the Hebrew revolt. Delilah tells Samson that she loves him. He admits that he loves her. They sing rapturously. Delilah wants to know the secret of his strength. Samson will not tell her. She weeps and runs into her house. Samson follows. She learns the secret of his strength. She calls to Philistine soldiers hiding nearby. They capture Samson and blind him.
Samson is chained to a mill-wheel in a dungeon. He prays for his people. They will suffer for his sin. Samson offers his life as a sacrifice. The Hebrews are heard in the distance singing sorrowfully.
The Philistines are preparing a victory celebration in the temple of Dagon. The priests and priestesses sing softly. The priests dance a wild Bacchanale. Samson enters led by a boy. He is mocked by the High Priest. Delilah taunts him. The priests try to force him to kneel before a statue of Dagon. The boy leads him to the two main pillars in the temple. Samson prays for strength. He pulls down the pillars. The temple collapses. Samson is crushed with his enemies beneath the stones.
"from Encyclopedia Americana, 2002; volume 24, pages 185-86"
Chūgoku region
The , also known as the , is one of Japan's traditional regions. The Japanese conventions of geography and history divide the nation into eight regions, including the Chūgoku region. These have been used since 1905 as basic units for description and comparison and as cultural markers.
In the late 7th century, the "San'indō" and "San'yōdō" were identified as two of the eight largest administrative areas of the Imperial system ("ritsuryo seido").
"Gokishichidō" is an ancient system of names for parts of the country, including "San'indō" and "San'yōdō". Chūgoku covers a western part of the island of Honshū in roughly the same area as the traditional "San'indō" and "San'yōdō".
In the Meiji period, the modern regional system was made by Imperial decree. Japan was divided into regions ("chihō "), including the Chūgoku region. A regional council ("chihō gyōsei kyōgisai") was headed by the governor of the most powerful prefecture in the regional grouping. The council also included regional chiefs of central government ministries.
Over time, Chūgoku has developed its own regional dialects, customs and unique traditional culture.
"We Belong Together" is a 2005 hit song by Mariah Carey off of her album "The Emancipation of Mimi". The song is available in several versions. It reached #1 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 and stayed there for 14 weeks. With the song, Carey holds the record for having the longest-running and second-longest running songs at #1 in the US (her song "One Sweet Day" with Boyz II Men stayed on top for 16 weeks).
It was also No.1 in Australia and the Netherlands. It was the best-selling song in the US of 2005 and later became "Billboard"'s Song of the Decade for the 2000s (2000–09). It won two Grammy Awards.
Vision of Love
"Vision of Love" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Mariah Carey. It was Carey's debut single and the first from her self-titled debut album. Written by Carey and Ben Margulies, "Vision of Love" was released on May 15, 1990, by Columbia Records. After being featured on Carey's demo tape for Columbia, the song was re-recorded and produced by Rhett Lawrence and Narada Michael Walden. It was Carey's first Billboard Hot 100 number one.
Credits adapted from the "Mariah Carey" linear notes.
Kansai region
The is one of Japan's traditional regions The area is also known as the or as the . The Japanese conventions of geography and history divide the nation into eight regions, including the Kansai region. These have been used since 1905 as basic units for description and comparison. and as cultural markers.
In the late 7th century, the "Kinki" region were identified as one of the eight largest administrative areas of the Imperial system ("ritsuryo seido").
"Gokishichidō" is an ancient system of names for parts of the country, including "Kinki" or "Kansai". "Kansai" covers the area around the capital city of Kyoto on the island of Honshū in roughly the same area as the traditional "Kinki".
In the Meiji period, the modern regional system was made by Imperial decree. Japan was divided into regions ("chihō "), including the Kinki region. A regional council ("chihō gyōsei kyōgisai") was headed by the governor of the most powerful prefecture in the regional grouping. The council also included regional chiefs of central government ministries.
Over time, Kansai has developed its own regional dialects, customs and unique traditional culture.
Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix
"Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix" is a mezzo-soprano aria from Camille Saint-Saëns's opera "Samson and Delilah". It is known in English as "Softly awakes my heart", or "My heart opens itself to your voice". It is sung by Delilah in act 2 as she tries to get Samson to reveal the secret of his great strength.
In the opera, Delilah is responding to Samson's words ""Dalila! Dalila! Je t'aime!"" (Delilah! Delilah! I love you!) which he repeats between the first and second verses of her aria. These interjections are omitted in recital performances or sometimes sung to the changed words ""Samson! Samson! Je t'aime!"". Samson's part in the final 22 bars of the stage aria where he joins Delilah in a duet is also omitted in a recital, although some performers, notably Marilyn Horne, have sung Samson's final words – changed as above, rising to a high B-flat. A performance takes between 5 1/2 and 6 1/2 minutes.
The aria is written in D-flat major. The verse has a time signatures of 3/4 but the refrain (""Ah! réponds"") has a time signature of 4/4. The tempo indication is "andantino" (=66) for the verse and "un poco più lento" (a little slower) for the refrain. The vocal range extends from B-flat to G-flat, with a tessitura from E-flat to E-flat.
The instrumentation calls for flute, oboe, clarinet, horns, harp and strings. All instrument lines, except the harp, make intensive use of divisi (cellos play in four divisi). The orchestral accompaniment consists mainly of reiterated notes for the first verse and of falling chromatic lines for the second verse. The refrain is accompanied by ascending broken chords.
The melismatic setting of the lyrics present a particular challenge for the performance of this aria as it requires legato singing over a wide range.
Kantō region
The is one of Japan's regions. The Japanese conventions of geography and history divide the nation into eight regions, including the Kantō region. These have been used since 1905 as basic units for description and comparison and as cultural markers.
In the late 7th century, the "Tōkaidō" region were identified as one of the eight largest administrative areas of the Imperial system ("ritsuryo seido").
"Gokishichidō" is an ancient system of names for parts of the country, including "Tōkaidō". "Kantō" covers an east-central area of the island of Honshū in roughly the same area as the traditional "Tōkaidō".
The region of Kantō covers the east-central part of the island of Honshū.
In the Meiji period, the modern regional system was made by Imperial decree. Japan was divided into regions ("chihō "), including the Kantō region. A regional council ("chihō gyōsei kyōgisai") was headed by the governor of the most powerful prefecture in the regional grouping. The council also included regional chiefs of central government ministries.
Over time, Kantō developed its own regional dialects, customs and unique traditional culture.
The region includes the Greater Tokyo Area. The Kantō covers seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa.
North and South subdivisions are sometimes used:
East and West subdivisions are sometimes used:
Inland and Coastal subdivisions are sometimes used:
The Japanese national government defines the as the Kantō region plus Yamanashi Prefecture.
Japan's national public broadcaster NHK defines the which includes Yamanashi, Nagano and Niigata Prefectures for regional programming.
Der Hölle Rache
"Der Hölle Rache kocht in meinem Herzen" () is an aria for the Queen of the Night in Mozart's opera "The Magic Flute" (). Mozart's friend Emanuel Schikaneder wrote the words. The aria is written in D minor. The voice ranges over two octaves. It is known for being difficult to perform well. Mozart's sister-in-law Josepha Hofer was the first to sing the aria on stage.
The Queen of the Night is a role for a coloratura soprano. She has two arias in the opera. The other is "Oh, tremble not, my beloved son" ("). Both arias are famous. "Hell's vengeance" is highly memorable, fast paced and menacingly grandiose.
The aria is written in D minor. It is scored for pairs of flutes, oboes, bassoons, horns, trumpets, timpani, and the string section. It is a larger orchestra than that for """. It comprises all the players from the opera as a whole, except the clarinets and trombones.
The aria is sung in act 2. It is famous for being difficult to perform well. The Queen of the Night is in a fit of rage. She gives a knife to her daughter Pamina. She tells her to kill the priest Sarastro. If she refuses, the Queen will curse her. The aria's range is two octaves, from F to F and requires a very high tessitura.
The first singer to perform the aria onstage was Mozart's sister-in-law Josepha Hofer. She was 33. Mozart wrote the two "Magic Flute" arias to showcase her voice. He was very impressed with Hofer's performance. In the fifth week of the opera's run, Mozart lay dying. He whispered to his wife Constanze on December 4, 1791: "Quiet, quiet! Hofer is just taking her top F; – now my sister-in-law is singing her second aria, "Der Hölle Rache"; how strongly she strikes and holds the B-flat: ""
The words were written (in German) by Mozart's friend Emanuel Schikaneder, who also played Papageno in the first performances.
Se vuol ballare
The cavatina "Se vuol ballare" is an aria from "The Marriage of Figaro" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The lyrics are by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It portrays Figaro's intent to foil Count Almaviva's womanizing, but can also be read as a political attack on the power-wielding nobility of the time.
The song is sung in act 1. Figaro discovers Count Almaviva intends to exercise his feudal right to sleep with Figaro's wife Susanna before they consummate their marriage. Figaro sings of how he will unravel the Count's schemes and thwart him.
Beethoven wrote a series of 12 variations on the theme of "Se vuol ballare". It bears the Number WoO 40 (=Werk ohne Opuszahl, work without opus number)
Lorenzo da Ponte
Lorenzo da Ponte (10 March 1749 – 17 August 1838) was an opera librettist and poet. He is best known for having written the libretti for three of Mozart's operas, "The Marriage of Figaro", "Don Giovanni", and "Così fan tutte".
Da Ponte was born Emanuele Conegliano to Jewish parents near Venice, Italy. He became a Christian, and took the name Lorenzo da Ponte from the bishop who baptized him. He became a priest at the church of San Luca in Venice. He took Anzoletta Bellaudi as his mistress. They ran a brothel. Da Ponte was banished from Venice for 15 years. He went to Austria where he became court librettist to Emperor Joseph II.
About 1792, da Ponte married Ann Celestine Grahl. They had four children. When Joseph II died, da Ponte lost his job. He went to London. He got into debt, and went to the United States. He ran a grocery store in Pennsylvania for a short time. He moved to New York City and opened a bookstore. He became the first professor of Italian literature at Columbia College. He produced "Don Giovanni" in New York in 1826. In 1828, da Ponte became a naturalized US citizen.
Da Ponte died in 1838 in New York. His funeral was held in New York's old St. Patrick's Cathedral. His final resting place is uncertain. All of da Ponte's libretti were adaptations of pre-existing plots, except "L'arbore di Diana" and "Così fan tutte". His adaptations are of the highest order. The Don Giovanni character was given new life in da Ponte's hands. The character is now considered the archetypical libertine.
Magnetic pendulum
Amahl and the Night Visitors is a one-act opera. The words and music were written by Gian Carlo Menotti. Menotti took inspiration from Hieronymus Bosch's "The Adoration of the Magi", a painting in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
It was the first opera written for television. Its first performance was on Christmas Eve 1951 on NBC. It was the first show in the famous "Hallmark Hall of Fame" series. About five million people watched the program. It was the largest audience to ever see an opera on television. "Amahl" was shown every year until 1966.
Menotti wanted Amahl to always be performed by a boy. He wrote, "It is the express wish of the composer that the role of Amahl should always be performed by a boy. Neither the musical nor the dramatic concept of the opera permits the substitution of a woman costumed as a child."
Amahl is a crippled shepherd boy who uses a crutch. He sees a huge star in the night sky. His mother thinks he is lying and sends him to bed. She worries that they will become beggars.
There is a knock at the door. Three kings ask for a place to rest. They are on their way to Bethlehem to find a newborn child. Amahl pesters them with many questions. Shepherds arrive to dance for the kings. The kings grow sleepy and the shepherds go home.
The room is dark and everyone is asleep. The mother tries to steal a piece of gold from the kings. She is caught by their servant. Amahl wakes and beats the servant. He falls exhausted. The kings tell the mother to keep the gold. They tell her the wonderful baby they are seeking has no need for gold because his kingdom is Heaven.
Amahl offers his crutch to this wonderful baby. He takes a few stumbling steps. A miracle has occurred. He can walk. He leaves with the kings to give his crutch to the baby himself. His mother waves good-bye.
The Medium is a two-act opera with words and music by Gian Carlo Menotti. It was commissioned by Columbia University. Its first performance was there on May 8, 1946. The opera's first professional production was presented on a double bill with Menotti's "The Telephone". This occurred at the Heckscher Theater, New York City, on February 18-20, 1947 by the Ballet Society. The Broadway production took place on May 1, 1947, at the Ethel Barrymore Theater with the same cast. In 1951, Menotti directed, with the help of filmmaker Alexander Hammid, a movie version made to resemble film noir. It starred Anna Maria Alberghetti. A live television production starring Marie Powers took place on December 12, 1948 on the TV series "Studio One".
"The medium's parlor"