title: Sher Bahadur Deuba

text: He has been elected to the Pratinidhi Sabha from Dadeldhura 1 in 1991, 1994, 1999, and 2017 on a Nepali Congress ticket. He won from Dadeldhura 1 in both the 2008 and 2013 Constituent Assembly elections. He contested and won from two constituencies in the 2008 CA election and gave up his Kanchanpur 4 seat. Only the top two candidates are shown below.


title: Mike Starr (actor)

text: Mike Starr is an American character actor. Tall and burly with a deep voice, Starr often performs as mobsters, police officers, blue-collar workers or tough guys. He was a regular cast member on "The Young and the Restless" and "Ed", and made appearances in the films "Dumb and Dumber" and "Billy Bathgate".


title: Mike Starr (actor)

text: Michael Starr was born in Queens, New York, and grew up in Flushing. He is of Irish and Polish descent.


title: Mike Starr (actor)

text: Starr has featured in notable films such as "Goodfellas", "The Bodyguard", "Ed Wood", "Miller's Crossing", "Jersey Girl", "Cabin Boy", "Dumb and Dumber", "The Last Dragon" and "The Ice Harvest".


title: Shogakukan

text: Shogakukan founded Shueisha, which also founded Hakusensha. These are three separate companies, but are together called the Hitotsubashi Group, one of the largest publishing groups in Japan. Shogakukan is headquartered in the Shogakukan Building in Hitotsubashi, part of Kanda, Chiyoda, Tokyo, near the Jimbocho book district. The corporation also has the other two companies located in the same ward.


title: Shogakukan

text: Shogakukan, along with Shueisha, owns Viz Media, which publishes manga from both companies in the United States.


title: Shogakukan

text: Shogakukan's licensing arm in North America was ShoPro Entertainment; it was merged into Viz Media in 2005.


title: Shogakukan

text: Shogakukan's production arm is Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions (previously Shogakukan Productions Co., Ltd.)


title: Shogakukan

text: In March 2010 it was announced that Shogakukan would partner with the American comics publisher Fantagraphics to issue a line of manga to be edited by Rachel Thorn.


title: Shogakukan

text: In Europe, manga from Shōgakukan and Shūeisha are published by local publishers such like Pika Édition, Ki-oon, Kana and Kazé for the French market, and Kazé, Carlsen, Egmont and Tokyopop for the German market. Shogakukan, Shueisha and ShoPro have made a joint venture named Viz Media Europe. Viz Media Europe bought in 2009 the French Kazé Group whose activities are mainly publishing manga and home video for the French and German market.


title: Shogakukan

text: The company has a wholly owned subsidiary, Shogakukan Asia, headquartered in Singapore. Besides producing popular titles in English such as "Detective Conan", "Pokémon" and "Future Card Buddyfight", the company also partners with local creators such as Johnny Lau to publish comic series for distribution in Southeast Asia.


title: Shogakukan

text: Shogakukan has awards for amateur manga artists who want to become professional. It allows people to either send in their manga by mail or bring it in to an editor.


title: Shogakukan

text: On February 15, 2018, "CoroCoro Comic" (aka "Gekkan Corocoro Comic"), a children's magazine published by Shogakukan published its March issue with a cartoon making fun of Genghis Khan, the founder of the Mongol Empire. The comic depicted a mischievous boy drawing juvenile things on pictures of famous people, such as a dog's face on a picture of Albert Einstein. Genghis Khan was depicted with a crude rendering of male genitalia on his forehead. Initially after some backlash, Shogakukan offered an apology addressed to the Mongolian Embassy in Tokyo on February 23, but it failed to mollify reactions by the Mongolians in Japan who regard Genghis Khan a national hero.


title: Shogakukan

text: On February 26, Mongolians and citizens from China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region residing in Japan sent a formal letter of protest to Shogakukan and a group of approximately 90 demonstrators protested in front of Shogakukan Inc.'s headquarters. Major bookselling chains, Kinokuniya, Miraiya and Kumazawa pulled the publication off its shelves after the Mongolian Embassy of Tokyo filed an official complaint with the Japanese Foreign Ministry. In March 2018, Shogakukan issued a further public apology, announced a national recall of the magazine and offered reimbursement to magazine goers. CoroCoro Comic's website also published an apology by Asumi Yoshino, author of the serialized manga, "Yarisugi!!! Itazura-kun", which contained the controversial cartoon drawing.


title: Shogakukan

text: Shogakukan produces (or makes part of the production of) anime based on their mangas, mostly through their subsidiary Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions.


title: Pardes (1997 film)

text: Pardes () is a 1997 Indian Hindi-language musical drama film directed, produced, and co-written by Subhash Ghai. Distributed by Mukta Arts, it stars Shah Rukh Khan, and newcomers Mahima Chaudhry and Apurva Agnihotri in lead roles, with Alok Nath, Amrish Puri and Himani Shivpuri in supporting roles. The film was shot at various locations in the United States (Los Angeles, Las Vegas), Canada (British Columbia, including Vancouver) and India (Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh, including Agra).


title: Pardes (1997 film)

text: "Pardes" theatrically released in India on 8 August 1997. It received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, with praise for its soundtrack and Khan, Chaudhry, and Agnihotri's performances; however its story and screenplay received criticism. It grossed over worldwide, emerging as a commercial success, and was the fourth highest-grossing Bollywood film of 1997, behind "Dil To Pagal Hai" (also starring Khan), "Border", and "Ishq".


title: Pardes (1997 film)

text: At the 43rd Filmfare Awards, "Pardes" received 12 nominations, including Best Film, Best Director (Ghai) and Best Actress (Chaudhry), and won 3 awards – Best Female Debut (Chaudhry), Best Female Playback Singer (Alka Yagnik for "Meri Mehbooba") and Best Screenplay (Ghai).


title: Pardes (1997 film)

text: The film was remade in Telugu as "Pelli Kanuka" (1998) starring Jagapati Babu, Lakshmi & Banumathi Ramakrishna. It was released on the eve of celebration of 50th anniversary of the Indian independence.


title: Pardes (1997 film)

text: Arjun is the foster son of Kishorilal, a wealthy NRI who harbours affection for his home-country, India. On a trip to meet his friend in India, Kishorilal comes in contact with his friend's daughter, Ganga. He is impressed by her culture and values, and decides to arrange her marriage with his real son, Rajiv.


title: Pardes (1997 film)

text: Arjun is tasked to prepare Ganga's family to receive Rajiv when he arrives. Arjun sets about "westernizing" the household, but is resisted by Ganga and her siblings. Their clash brings them together, and Arjun and Ganga become friends. Rajiv visits the village in a month's time, and is subjected to alien Indian customs and traditions. With help from Arjun, he soon begins to understand Indian culture and becomes attracted to Ganga.


title: Pardes (1997 film)

text: Rajiv and Ganga agree to their arranged marriage, and fly off together to the US after being engaged in India. Ganga lives with the Kishorilal household while preparations are made for a grand wedding. During this time, she faces hostilities from Kishorilal's family, who have long left India and its values behind, having fully embraced American culture. Ganga believes Rajiv is different from his family, but is soon exposed to his indulgent lifestyle, his brattish behaviour and secrets of his past relationships. Having grown up in a conservative family in India, she reacts negatively to this new information and lashes out at Arjun, accusing him of painting a false picture of Rajiv before their engagement.


title: Pardes (1997 film)

text: Arjun's continued friendship with Ganga is noticed by Kishorilal's family, and they relocate him within the country so he cannot interfere in Rajiv's relationship. On a trip to Las Vegas, Rajiv and Ganga end up fighting in their hotel room over the former's insistence to have sex before marriage. Rajiv ends up attempting assault on Ganga, who fights him off and escapes. Arjun finds her in a distressed state at a train station, and flies her back to the safety of her family in India.


title: Pardes (1997 film)

text: Back in the village, Ganga's family are falsely led to believe that Arjun and Ganga have eloped. Rajiv shows up in the country, and hires goons to take revenge on Arjun. Arjun is left a bloody mess, but fights back for Ganga's sake. His fistfight with Rajiv turns violent, but they are interrupted by Kishorilal. Kishorilal demands an explanation from Arjun for his actions, who confesses that he has fallen in love with Ganga but acted only with an intent to protect her (and not elope with her). Ganga, meanwhile, has also realized her love for Arjun. She exposes Rajiv to her family for his actions in Vegas. Kishorilal is disgusted and orders Rajiv back to the US. Ganga and Arjun return to the US and get married. They live out a happy married life together.


title: Pardes (1997 film)

text: The soundtrack was composed by Nadeem-Shravan and the lyrics were penned by Anand Bakshi. For their work, Nadeem-Shravan received a Filmfare Award for Best Music Director nomination and won a Screen Award for Best Music Director. This was the only album where K.S. Chithra sung a Hindi song for Nadeem-Shravan.


title: Pardes (1997 film)

text: Ghai wanted A. R. Rahman to compose the music of this film, but he was too expensive and didn't fit the budget of the film. However, they collaborated on Ghai's next, "Taal" (1999).


title: Pardes (1997 film)

text: "Planet Bollywood" started their review by saying, "The music of "Pardes" is one of Nadeem-Shravan's best ever."


title: Pardes (1997 film)

text: "Pardes" grossed in India and () overseas, for a worldwide total of (), against its budget. It had a worldwide opening weekend of , and grossed in its first week. It is the 4th-highest-grossing film of 1997 worldwide.


title: Pardes (1997 film)

text: It opened on Friday, August 8, 1997, across 210 screens, and earned nett on its opening day. It grossed nett in its opening weekend, and had a first week of nett. The film earned a total of nett, and was declared a "super-hit" by "Box Office India". It is the 4th highest-grossing film of 1997 in India.


title: Pardes (1997 film)

text: It earned ( in 1997) outside India. Overseas, it is the 2nd highest-grossing film of 1997 after "Dil To Pagal Hai", which grossed ( in 1997).


title: Pardes (1997 film)

text: "Pardes" received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics. Praise was given to the music and the cast's performances; however the story and screenplay of the film received criticism.


title: Pardes (1997 film)

text: In their book, "New Cosmopolitanisms: South Asians in the US", Gita Rajan and Shailja Sharma view the film as a dichotomous depiction of the good NRI versus bad NRI, with Khan depicting the good immigrant, who assists the rowdy Indian American playboy Rajiv (Apurva Agnihotri), the bad. Khan's character of Arjun is perceived as a metaphor for cosmopolitanism or Indian cultural nationalism in the wider sense, in direct contrast to Rajiv who represents wealthy Westernization and all its negative vices and connotations.


title: Owen Campbell (actor)

text: Owen Campbell (born 1994) is an American actor. He played the lead roles in the films "As You Are" (2016) and "Super Dark Times" (2017). On television, he played Jared Connors in "The Americans".


title: Owen Campbell (actor)

text: Campbell was born to father Don Campbell. He grew up in Brooklyn and attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School.


title: Aldo Moro

text: Aldo Romeo Luigi Moro (; 23 September 1916 – 9 May 1978) was an Italian statesman and a prominent member of the Christian Democracy (DC). He served as prime minister of Italy from December 1963 to June 1968 and then from November 1974 to July 1976.


title: Aldo Moro

text: Moro also served as Minister of Foreign Affairs from May 1969 to July 1972 and again from July 1973 to November 1974. During his ministry, he implemented a pro-Arab policy. Moreover, he was appointed Minister of Justice and of Public Education during the 1950s. From March 1959 until January 1964, Moro served as secretary of the Christian Democracy. On 16 March 1978 he was kidnapped by the far-left armed group Red Brigades and killed after 55 days of captivity.


title: Aldo Moro

text: He was one of Italy's longest-serving post-war prime ministers, leading the country for more than six years. An intellectual and a patient mediator, especially in the internal life of his own party, during his rule, Moro implemented a series of social and economic reforms which deeply modernized the country. Due to his accommodation with the communist leader Enrico Berlinguer, known as the Historic Compromise, Moro is widely considered one of the most prominent fathers of modern Italian centre-left and one of the greatest and most popular leaders in the history of the Italian Republic.


title: Aldo Moro

text: Aldo Moro was born in 1916 in Maglie, near Lecce, in the Apulia region, into a family from Ugento. His father, Renato Moro, was a school inspector, while his mother, Fida Sticchi, was a teacher. At the age of 4, he moved with his family to Milan, but they soon moved back to Apulia, where he gained a classical high school degree at Archita lyceum in Taranto. In 1934, his family moved to Bari, where he studied law at the local University, graduating in 1939. After graduation, he became a professor of philosophy of law and colonial policy (1941) and of criminal law (1942), at the University of Bari.


title: Aldo Moro

text: In 1935, he joined the Italian Catholic Federation of University Students (FUCI) of Bari. In 1939, under the approval of Giovanni Battista Montini, the future Pope Paul VI, whom he had befriended, Moro was chosen as president of the association; he kept the post until 1942 when he was forced to fight in the World War II and was succeeded by Giulio Andreotti, who at the time was a law student from Rome. During his university years, Italy was ruled by the fascist regime of Benito Mussolini, and Moro took part in students competitions known as Lictors of Culture and Art organised by local fascist students' organisation, the University Fascist Groups. In 1943, along with other Catholic students, he founded the periodical "La Rassegna", which was published until 1945.


title: Aldo Moro

text: In July 1943, Moro contributed, along with Mario Ferrari Aggradi, Paolo Emilio Taviani, Guido Gonella, Giuseppe Capograssi, Ferruccio Pergolesi, Vittore Branca, Giorgio La Pira, Giuseppe Medici and Andreotti, to the creation of the Code of Camaldoli, a document planning of economic policy drawn up by members of the Italian Catholic forces. The Code served as inspiration and guideline for economic policy of the future Christian democrats.


title: Aldo Moro

text: In 1945, he married Eleonora Chiavarelli (1915–2010), with whom he had four children: Maria Fida (born 1946), Agnese (1952), Anna, and Giovanni (1958). In 1963 Moro was transferred to La Sapienza University of Rome, as a professor of the institutions of law and criminal procedure.


title: Aldo Moro

text: Aldo Moro developed his interest in politics between 1943 and 1945. Initially, he seemed to be very interested in the social-democratic component of the Italian Socialist Party (PSI), but then he started cooperating with other Christian democratic politicians in opposition to the fascist regime. During these years he met Alcide De Gasperi, Mario Scelba, Giovanni Gronchi and Amintore Fanfani. On 19 March 1943 the group reunited in the house of Giuseppe Spataro officially formed the Christian Democracy (DC). In the DC, he joined the left-wing faction led by Giuseppe Dossetti, of whom he became a close ally. In 1945 he became director of the magazine "Studium" and president of the Graduated Movement of the Catholic Action (AC), a widespread Roman Catholic lay association.


title: Aldo Moro

text: In 1946, he was appointed vice-president of the Christian Democracy and elected member of the Constitutional Assembly, where he took part in the work to redact the Italian Constitution. Moro run for the constituency of Bari–Foggia, where he received nearly 28,000 votes.


title: Aldo Moro

text: In 1948, he was elected with 63,000 votes to the newly formed Chamber of Deputies and appointed Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs in the De Gasperi V Cabinet, from 23 May 1948 to 27 January 1950.


title: Aldo Moro

text: After Dossetti's retirement in 1952, Moro founded, along with Antonio Segni, Emilio Colombo and Mariano Rumor, the Democratic Initiative faction, led by his old friend Fanfani.


title: Aldo Moro

text: In 1953, Moro was re-elected to the Chamber of Deputies, where he held the position of chairman of the DC parliamentary group. In 1955, was appointed as Minister of Grace and Justice in the cabinet led by Antonio Segni. In the following year he resulted among the most voted during the party's congress.


title: Aldo Moro

text: In May 1957, the Italian Socialist Democratic Party (PSDI) withdrew its support to the government and on 6 May, Segni resigned. On 20 May, Adone Zoli was sworn in as the new head of government and Moro was appointed Minister of Education However, after the 1958 general election, Zoli resigned and, on 1 July 1958, Fanfani was sworn in as new Prime Minister at the head of a coalition government with the PSDI, and case-by-case support by the Italian Republican Party (PRI). Moro was confirmed as the head of Italian education and remained in office until February 1959. During his tenure, he introduced the study of civic education in schools.


title: Aldo Moro

text: In March 1959, after Fanfani's resignation as Prime Minister, a new congress was called. The leaders of the Democratic Initiative faction reunited themselves in the convent of Dorothea of Caesarea, where they abandoned the leftist policies promoted by Fanfani and founded the "Dorotei" (Dorotheans) faction. In the party's national council, Moro was elected Secretary of DC and was then confirmed in the October's congress held in Florence.


title: Aldo Moro

text: After the brief right-wing government led by Fernando Tambroni in 1960, supported by the decisive votes of the neo-fascist Italian Social Movement (MSI), the renovated alliance between Moro as secretary and Fanfani as Prime Minister led the subsequent National Congress, held in Naples in 1962, to approve with a large majority a line of collaboration with the Italian Socialist Party (PSI).


title: Aldo Moro

text: The 1963 general election was characterized by a lack of consensus for the DC; in fact, the election was held after the launch of the centre-left formula by the Christian Democracy, a coalition based upon the alliance with the Socialists, which had left their alignment with the Soviet Union. Some rightist electors abandoned the DC for the Italian Liberal Party (PLI), which was asking for a centre-right government and received votes also from the quarrelsome monarchist area. Moro refused the office of Prime Minister, preferring to provisionally maintain his more influential post at the head of the party. However the Christian Democrats decided to replace the incumbent premier, Fanfani, with a provisional administration led by impartial President of the Chamber, Giovanni Leone; but, when the congress of the PSI in autumn authorized a full engagement of the party into the government, Leone resigned and Moro became the new Prime Minister.


title: Aldo Moro

text: Aldo Moro's government was unevenly supported by the DC, but also by the Italian Socialist Party, along with the minor Italian Republican Party and Italian Democratic Socialist Party. The coalition was also known as Organic Centre-left and was characterized by consociationalist and social corporatist tendencies.


title: Aldo Moro

text: During Moro's premiership, a wide range of social reforms was carried out. The 1967 Bridge Law ("Legge Ponte") introduced urgent housing provisions as part of an envisioned reform of the entire sector, such as the introduction of minimum standards for housing and the environment. A reform, promulgated on 14 December 1963, introduced an annual allowance for university students with income below a given level. Another law, promulgated on 10 March 1968, introduced voluntary public pre-elementary education for children aged three to five years. While a bill, approved on 21 July 1965, extended the program of social security.


title: Aldo Moro

text: Moreover, the legal minimum wage was raised, all current pensions were revalued, seniority pensions were introduced (after 35 years of contributions workers could retire even before attaining pensionable age), and within the Social Security National Institute (INPS), a Social Fund ("Fondo Sociale") was established, ensuring to all members pensioners a basic uniform pension largely financed by the state, known as the "social pension". A law, approved on 22 July 1966, extended social security insurance to small traders, while the law of 22 July 1966 extended health insurance to retired traders. Another important reform was implemented with a bill, approved on 29 May 1967, which extended compulsory health insurance to retired farmers, tenant farmers, and sharecroppers, and extended health insurance to the unemployed in receipt of unemployment benefits. Moreover, a law of 5 November 1968 extended family allowances to the unemployed who received unemployment benefits.


title: Aldo Moro

text: During his premiership, Moro had to face the outcome of one of the most tragic events in Italian republican history, the Vajont Dam disaster. On 9 October 1963, a few weeks before his oath as Prime Minister, a landslide occurred on Monte Toc, in the province of Pordenone. The landslide caused a megatsunami in the artificial lake in which 50 million cubic metres of water overtopped the dam in a wave of , leading to the complete destruction of several villages and towns, and 1,917 deaths.


title: Aldo Moro

text: In the previous months, the Adriatic Society of Electricity (SADE) and the Italian government, which both owned the dam, dismissed evidence and concealed reports describing the geological instability of Monte Toc on the southern side of the basin and other early warning signs reported prior to the disaster.


title: Aldo Moro

text: Immediately after the disaster, government and local authorities insisted on attributing the tragedy to an unexpected and unavoidable natural event. However, numerous warnings, signs of danger, and negative appraisals had been disregarded in the previous months and the eventual attempt to safely control the landslide into the lake by lowering its level came when the landslide was almost imminent and was too late to prevent it. The communist newspaper "L'Unità" was the first to denounce the actions of management and government. The DC accused the PCI of political profiteering from the tragedy, promising to bring justice to the people killed in the disaster.


title: Aldo Moro

text: Differently from his predecessor, Giovanni Leone, who even became the head of SADE's team of lawyers, Moro acted strongly to condemn the managers of the society, immediately dismissing the administrative officials who had supervised the construction of the dam.


title: Aldo Moro

text: On 25 June 1964, the government was beaten on the budget law for the Italian Ministry of Education concerning the financing of private education, and on the same day Moro resigned. The moderate Christian Democratic President of Italy, Antonio Segni, during the presidential consultations for the formation of a new cabinet, asked the socialist leader Pietro Nenni to exit from the government majority.


title: Aldo Moro

text: On 16 July, Segni sent the Carabinieri general, Giovanni De Lorenzo, to a meeting of representatives of DC, to deliver a message in case the negotiations around the formation of a new centre-left government would fail. According to some historians, De Lorenzo reported that President Segni was ready to give a subsequent mandate to the President of the Senate Cesare Merzagora, asking him of forming a "president's government", composed by all the conservative forces in the Parliament. Moro, on the other hand, managed to form another centre-left majority. During the negotiations, Nenni had accepted the downsizing of his reform programs and, on 17 July, Moro went to the Quirinal Palace, with the acceptance of the assignment and the list of ministers of his second government.


title: Aldo Moro

text: In August 1964, President Segni had a serious cerebral hemorrhage and resigned after a few months. In December presidential election, Moro and his majority tried to elect a leftist politician at the Quirinal Palace. On the twenty-first round of voting, the leader of the PSDI and former President of the Constituent Assembly Giuseppe Saragat was elected president with 646 votes out of 963. Saragat was the first left-wing politician to become President of the Republic.


title: Aldo Moro

text: Despite the opposition by Segni and other prominent rightist Christian Democrats, the centre-left coalition, the first one for the Italian post-war political life, stayed in power for nearly five years, until the 1968 general election, which was characterised by a defeat for DC's centre-left allies. The socialists and the social democrats run in a joint list named Unified Socialist Party (PSU), which however lost many votes compared to the previous election, while the communists gained ground, achieving 30% of votes in the Senate. The PSI and PSDI decided to exit from the government and Saragat appointed Giovanni Leone at the head of the a new cabinet, composed only by Christian Democracy's members.


title: Aldo Moro

text: In the 1968 DC congress, Moro yielded the secretariat and passed to internal opposition. On 5 August 1969, he was appointed Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs by Prime Minister Mariano Rumor, a position that he also held under the premierships of Emilio Colombo and Giulio Andreotti.


title: Aldo Moro

text: During his ministry, Moro continued the pro-Arab policy of his predecessor Fanfani. He forced Yasser Arafat to promise not to carry out terrorist attacks in Italian territory, with a commitment that was known as the "Moro pact".


title: Aldo Moro

text: The existence of this pact and its validity was confirmed by Bassam Abu Sharif, a long-time leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). Interviewed by the Italian newspaper "Corriere della Sera", he confirmed the existence of an agreement between Italy and the Popular Front thanks to which, the PFLP could "transport weapons and explosives, guaranteeing immunity from attacks in return". Abu Sharif also declared:" I personally followed the negotiations for the agreement. Aldo Moro was a great man, a true patriot, who wanted to save Italy some headaches, but I never met him. We discussed the details with an admiral and agents of the Italian secret service. The agreement was defined and since then we have always respected it; we were allowed to organize small transits, passages, and purely Palestinian operations, without involving Italians. After the deal, every time I came to Rome, two cars were waiting for me to protect myself. For our part, we also guaranteed to avoid embarrassment to your country, that is attacks which started directly from the Italian soil." This version was confirmed also by former President of Italy Francesco Cossiga, who stated that Moro was the real and only creator of the pact.


title: Aldo Moro

text: Moro also had to cope with the difficult situation which erupted following the coup of Muammar Gaddafi in Libya, a very important country for Italian interests not only for colonial ties, but also for its energy resources and the presence of about 20,000 Italians.


title: Aldo Moro

text: In 1971, Amintore Fanfani was proposed as Christian Democracy's candidate for the Presidency of the Republic. However his candidacy was weakened by the divisions within his own party and the candidacy of the socialist Francesco De Martino, who received votes from PCI, PSI and some PSDI members.


title: Aldo Moro

text: Fanfani retired after several unsuccessful ballots and Moro was then proposed as a candidate by the left-wing faction; however the right-wing strongly opposed him and the moderate conservative Christian Democrats Giovanni Leone was slightly preferred to him. At the twenty third round Leone was finally elected with a centre-right majority, with 518 votes out of 996, including those of the neo-fascist Italian Social Movement (MSI).


title: Aldo Moro

text: On 4 August 1974, a bomb exploded on the Italicus Express, killing 12 people and injuring 48. The train was travelling from Rome to Munich; having left Florence about 45 minutes earlier, it was approaching the end of the long San Benedetto Val di Sambro tunnel under the Apennines. The bomb had been placed in the fifth passenger car of the train and exploded at 01:23, while the train was reaching the end of the tunnel. The effects of the explosion and subsequent fire would have been even more terrible if the train had remained inside the tunnel.


title: Aldo Moro

text: According to what Moro's daughter, Maria Fida, stated in 2004, Moro should have been on board, but a few minutes before departure he was joined by some officials of the Ministry who made him get off to sign some important documents. According to some reconstructions, Aldo Moro would have been the real target of the attack.


title: Aldo Moro

text: In October 1974, Rumor resigned as Prime Minister after failing to come to an agreement on how to deal with rising economic inflation. In November, President Leone gave Moro the task of forming a new cabinet; he was sworn in on 23 November, at the head a cabinet composed by DC and PRI, externally supported by PSI and PSDI.


title: Aldo Moro

text: Even during his second term as Prime Minister, the government implemented a series of important social reforms. A law, approved on 9 June 1975, increased the number of occupational diseases and extended the duration of linked insurance and benefit; while a bill, approved on 3 June 1975, introduced various improvements for pensioners. Moreover, the multiplying coefficient was raised to 2% and it was applied to average earnings of the best 3 years in the last 10 years of work and automatic annual adjustment of minimum pensions. A law of 27 December 1975 implemented "ad hoc" upgradings of cash benefits for certain diseases.


title: Aldo Moro

text: During his premiership, Moro signed the Osimo Treaty with Yugoslavia, defining the official partition of the Free Territory of Trieste. The port city of Trieste with a narrow coastal strip to the north west (Zone A) was given to Italy; a portion of the north-western part of the Istrian peninsula (Zone B) was given to Yugoslavia.


title: Aldo Moro

text: The Italian government was harshly criticized for signing the treaty, particularly for the secretive way in which negotiations were carried out, skipping the traditional diplomatic channels. Italian nationalists of the MSI rejected the idea of giving up Istria, since Istria had been an ancient "Italian" region together with the Venetian region ("Venetia et Histria"). Furthermore, Istria had belonged to Italy for 25 years between World War I and the end of World War II, and the west coast of Istria had long had a sizeable Italian minority population.<ref name="Valussi/Ressmann"></ref>


title: Aldo Moro

text: Some nationalist politicians called for the prosecution of Moro and his Foreign Affairs Minister, Rumor, for the crime of treason, as stated in Article 241 of the Italian Criminal Code, which mandated a life sentence for anybody found guilty of aiding and abetting a foreign power to exert its sovereignty on the national territory.


title: Aldo Moro

text: Despite the tensions within the government's majority, the close relations between Moro and the communist leader, Enrico Berlinguer, guaranteed a certain stability to Moro's governments, allowing them a capacity to act that went beyond the premises that had seen them born.


title: Aldo Moro

text: The fourth Moro government, with Ugo La Malfa as Deputy Prime Minister, started the first dialogue with the PCI, with the aim of beginning a new phase to strengthen the Italian democratic system. However, in 1976 the PSI secretary, Francesco De Martino, withdrew the external support to the government and Moro was forced to resign.


title: Aldo Moro

text: After the 1976 general election, the PCI gained a historic 34% votes and Moro became a vocal supporter of the necessity of starting a dialogue between DC and PCI. Moro's main aim was to widen the democratic base of the government, including the PCI in the parliamentary majority: the cabinets should have been able to represent a larger number of voters and parties. According to him, the DC should have been as the centre of a coalition system based on the principles of consociative democracy. This process was known as Historic Compromise.


title: Aldo Moro

text: Between 1976 and 1977, Berlinguer's PCI broke with the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, implementing, with Spanish and French communist parties, a new political ideology known as Eurocommunism. Such a move made eventual cooperation more acceptable for Christian democratic voters, and the two parties began an intense parliamentary debate, in a moment of deep social crises.


title: Aldo Moro

text: In 1977, Moro was personally involved in international disputes. He strongly defended his long-time friend, Mariano Rumor, during the parliamentary debate on the Lockheed scandal, and some journalists reported that he might have been involved in the bribery too. The allegation, with the aim of politically destroying Moro and avoiding the risk of a DC–PCI–PSI cabinet, failed when Moro was cleared on 3 March 1978, 13 days before his kidnapping.


title: Aldo Moro

text: The early-1978 proposal by Moro of starting a cabinet composed by Christian democrats and socialists, externally supported by the communists was strongly opposed by both superpowers. The United States feared that the cooperation between PCI and DC might have allowed the communists to gain information on strategic NATO military plans and installations. Moreover, the participation in the government of the communists in a Western country would have represented a cultural failure for the USA. On the other hand, the Soviets considered the potential participation by the Italian Communist Party in a cabinet as a form of emancipation from Moscow and rapprochement to the Americans.


title: Aldo Moro

text: On 16 March 1978, on Via Fani, in Rome, a unit of the militant far-left organisation known as Red Brigades (BR) blocked the two-car convoy which was carrying Moro and kidnapped him, murdering his five bodyguards. On the day of his kidnapping, Moro was on his way to a session of the Chamber of Deputies, where a discussion was to take place regarding a vote of confidence for a new government led by Giulio Andreotti that would have, for the first time, the support of the Communist Party. It was to be the first implementation of Moro's strategic political vision.


title: Aldo Moro

text: In the following days, trade unions called for a general strike, while security forces made hundreds of raids in Rome, Milan, Turin, and other cities searching for Moro's location. After a few days, even Pope Paul VI, a close friend of Moro's, intervened, offering himself in exchange for Aldo Moro.


title: Aldo Moro

text: The Red Brigades proposed exchanging Moro's life for the freedom of several prisoners. There has been speculation that during his detention that many knew where he was hidden. The government immediately took a hard-line position: the "State must not bend to terrorist demands". However, this position was openly criticised by prominent Christian Democracy party members such as Amintore Fanfani and Giovanni Leone, who at the time was serving as President of Italy.


title: Aldo Moro

text: On 2 April Romano Prodi, Mario Baldassarri, and Alberto Clò, three professors of the University of Bologna, passed on a tip about a safe-house where the Red Brigades might have been holding Moro. Prodi claimed he had been given the tip by the founders of the Christian Democrats, from beyond a grave in a séance and a Ouija board, which gave the names of Viterbo, Bolsena and Gradoli.


title: Aldo Moro

text: During the investigation of Moro's kidnapping, some members of law enforcement and of the secret services advocated for the use of torture against terrorists, but prominent military-like General Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa was against this. Dalla Chiesa once stated: "Italy can survive the loss of Aldo Moro, but it would not survive the introduction of torture."


title: Aldo Moro

text: During his kidnapping, Moro wrote several letters to the leaders of the Christian Democrats and to Pope Paul VI. Some of those letters, including one that was very critical of Giulio Andreotti, were kept secret for more than a decade and published only in the early 1990s.


title: Aldo Moro

text: In his letters, Moro said that the state's primary focus should be saving lives and that the government should comply with his kidnappers' demands. Most of the DC's leaders argued that the letters did not express Moro's genuine wishes, claiming they were written under duress, and thus refused all negotiations. This position was in stark contrast to the requests of Moro's family. In his appeal to the terrorists, Pope Paul VI asked them to release Moro "without conditions".


title: Aldo Moro

text: When it became clear that the government did not want to negotiate, the Red Brigades had a "people's trial", in which Moro was found guilty and sentenced to death. Then they sent a last demand to the Italian authorities, stating that if 16 Red Brigades prisoners were not released, Moro would be killed. The Italian authorities responded with a large-scale manhunt, which was unsuccessful.


title: Aldo Moro

text: On 9 May 1978, the terrorists placed Moro in a car and told him to cover himself with a blanket, saying that they were going to transport him to another location. After Moro was covered they shot him ten times. According to the official reconstruction after a series of trials, the killer was Mario Moretti. Moro's body was left in the trunk of a red Renault 4 on Via Michelangelo Caetani towards the Tiber River near the Roman Ghetto.


title: Aldo Moro

text: After the recovery of Moro's body, the Minister of the Interior, Francesco Cossiga, resigned. Pope Paul VI personally officiated in Moro's funeral mass.


title: Aldo Moro

text: In 2005, Sergio Flamigni, a leftist politician and writer, who had served on a parliamentary inquiry on the Moro case, suggested the involvement of the Operation Gladio network directed by NATO. He asserted that Gladio had manipulated Moretti as a way to take over the BR to effect a strategy of tension aimed at creating popular demand for a new, right-wing law-and-order regime.


title: Aldo Moro

text: In 2006, Steve Pieczenik was interviewed by Emmanuel Amara in his documentary film "Les derniers jours d'Aldo Moro" ("The Last Days of Aldo Moro"). In the interview, Pieczenik, an expert on international terrorism and negotiating strategies who had been brought to Italy as a consultant to Interior Minister Francesco Cossiga's Crisis Committee, stated that: "We had to sacrifice Aldo Moro to maintain the stability of Italy".


title: Aldo Moro

text: Pieczenik maintained that the U.S. had had to "instrumentalize the Red Brigades". According to him, the decision to have Moro killed was taken during the fourth week of his detention, when Moro was thought to be revealing state secrets in his letters, namely, the existence of Gladio. In another interview, Cossiga, the former interior minister, revealed that the Crisis Committee had also leaked a false statement attributed to the Red Brigades that Moro was already dead. This was intended to communicate to the kidnappers that further negotiations would be useless, since the government had written Moro off.


title: Aldo Moro

text: As a Christian democrat with social democratic tendencies, Moro is widely considered one of the ideological fathers of modern Italian centre-left. During all his political life, he implemented numerous reforms which deeply changed Italian social life; along with his long-time friend and, at the same time, opponent, Amintore Fanfani, he was the protagonist of a long-standing political phase, which brought the social conservative DC towards more leftist politics, through a cooperation with the Italian Socialist Party first, and the Italian Communist Party later.


title: Aldo Moro

text: Due to his reformist stances but also for his tragic death, Moro has often been compared to John F. Kennedy and Olof Palme.


title: Aldo Moro

text: According to media reports on 26 September 2012, the Holy See has received a file on beatification for Moro; this is the first step to become a saint in the Roman Catholic Church. In April 2015, it was reported that the process of beatification might be suspended or closed following the recent controversies. The postulator stated the process would continue when the discrepancies were cleared up. The halting of proceedings was due to Antonio Mennini, the priest who heard his last confession, being allowed to provide a statement to a tribunal in regards to Moro's kidnapping and confession. Following this, the beatification process was resumed.


title: Aldo Moro

text: A number of films have portrayed the events of Moro's kidnapping and murder with varying degrees of fictionalization including the following:


title: Niki Taylor

text: Taylor was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Ken and Barbara Taylor, a highway patrol lieutenant and a photographer, respectively. She was raised in Pembroke Pines, Florida, and attended Cooper City High School. She has an older sister, Joelle, and had a younger sister, Krissy (1978–1995).


title: Niki Taylor

text: When she was 13, Taylor signed with Irene Marie Models in South Florida. There she met photographer Jean Renard, who later became her manager. She subsequently won a Fresh Faces contest in New York City and a $500,000 modeling contract. Taylor's first magazine cover was an issue of "Seventeen" (August 1989) at 14. The following year, at 15, she was photographed for the cover of "Vogue", becoming the second youngest person to appear on the cover of the magazine, after Brooke Shields.


title: Niki Taylor

text: In 1991, at the age of just 16, Taylor became the youngest person ever to be featured as one of "People" magazine's Most Beautiful People, wearing a bright-orange one-piece bathing suit with long lime-green gloves in the photo spread which accompanied the article, taken on a Miami beach. The following year, Taylor became the first spokesmodel younger than 18 to sign a major contract with CoverGirl, and she became a feature in their national advertising campaign. Some of her other ad campaigns have been for Thierry Mugler, Escada, Liz Claiborne, Jean Paul Gaultier, Versace, Versus, Anne Klein, L'Oréal, Gap, Lee Jeans, and Pantene. Taylor remains the only person to simultaneously have six enormous billboards in NYC's Times Square, three of which displayed her image continuously throughout the entire year.


title: Niki Taylor

text: In May 1996, Taylor appeared on the covers of the six major American women's fashion and fitness magazines in the same month: "Allure", "Vogue", "ELLE", "Marie Claire", "Self", and "Shape." A first in history, this was named the 'Niki Six'. She appeared in the 1997 and 1998 editions of the "Sports Illustrated" Swimsuit Issue, and was the cover-model of the 1998 "Sports Illustrated" swimsuit calendar. "Sports Illustrated" released three video segments of her photo shoots, for the years 1997, 1998 and 1999. The 1997 segment was with one other model, Naomi Campbell, the 1998 segment was with two other models, and the 1999 segment was dedicated to Taylor alone.


title: Niki Taylor

text: In September 2016, Taylor began a modeling comeback which has seen her return to the top tier of industry again, shooting covers, editorials and features for major magazines including "Paper", "Flaunt", British "Vogue", "Harper's Bazaar", and American "Vogue". She has been shot for Marc Jacobs, Jennifer Fisher.


title: Niki Taylor

text: In September 2017, Taylor was a fixture in the fashion and mainstream press, her personal style earning her best dressed titles in "Vanity Fair", "Vogue", "Hello!" magazine, and "WWD".


title: Niki Taylor

text: Outside of modeling, Taylor was once an interviewer for segments of the syndicated program "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous". She also covered events for NBC and guest-hosted MTV's "Fashionably Loud".


title: Niki Taylor

text: In the fall of 2005, Taylor launched her first fragrance, "Begin by Niki Taylor." She also founded the Begin Foundation for the Advancement of Women in Business. In 2007, Taylor introduced the finalists on friend and co-CoverGirl spokesmodel Tyra Banks's talkshow. Taylor and male model Tyson Beckford co-hosted the new Bravo series "Make Me a Supermodel". It premiered on January 10, 2008. Although the show was renewed for a second season, Taylor did not return as co-host since she was pregnant during the filming of the second season.


title: Niki Taylor

text: Taylor became a contestant on the fourth edition of "The Celebrity Apprentice" on March 6, 2011. In the first task, Taylor was considered the star performer by her team, and was even rewarded $35,000 for her charity (American Red Cross) because of her efforts. On March 20, she became the third person to be fired. Taylor had been the project manager for her team's third task, and when they lost, she took accountability for their defeat, and did not even choose two people to come with her to the boardroom, wishing to not instigate any conflict within her team. Donald Trump commented how he had a lot of respect for Taylor to take responsibility for the loss, but he still fired her. She returned for the May 1, 2011, episode to help the Men's Team, Team Backbone, in a Hair Show Task.


title: Niki Taylor

text: A few months after graduating from high school in the spring of 1993, Taylor met former Miami Hooters linebacker Matt Martinez during a coin-toss at an arena football game in Miami. Three months later, in January 1994, they eloped to Las Vegas. On July 19, 1994, a 4-months-pregnant Taylor married Martinez in a more traditional wedding ceremony in McCammon, Idaho. In December 1994, the couple had twin sons, Jake and Hunter. Less than two years later, Taylor and Martinez divorced.


title: Niki Taylor

text: In October 2006, Taylor became engaged to NASCAR driver Burney Lamar after just three dates. They met at an autograph session in January 2006. Their wedding was on December 27, 2006, at the Grande Colonial Hotel in La Jolla, California. Instead of gifts, the couple asked for donations to be sent to Victory Junction Gang Camp, a camp for chronically ill children in North Carolina.


title: Niki Taylor

text: Taylor and Lamar's first child together, daughter Ciel Taylor Lamar, was born on March 4, 2009, one day before Taylor's 34th birthday. Taylor lives with her husband, daughter and sons in a French colonial house on in Brentwood, Tennessee. On November 16, 2011, Taylor gave birth to her second child with Lamar, a son named Rex Harrison Lamar.


title: Niki Taylor

text: Taylor has returned to a high-profile life and career again, appearing at major fashion events and New York Fashion Week shows, both with friends and also with her family.


title: Niki Taylor

text: On April 29, 2001, Taylor was critically injured in a car accident in Atlanta, Georgia. The driver, her then boyfriend Chad Renegar, was attempting to answer his cell phone when he lost control of the car and smashed into a utility pole. Taylor was wearing her automatic shoulder belt at the time, and she was not thrown from the vehicle. However, she suffered severe internal injuries, including a collapsed lung and serious liver damage, and two steel rods had to be implanted in her back to hold her spine together. The accident left her unconscious and in a coma for six weeks and then bedridden for an additional month. She was treated at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta and had approximately 56 operations and substantial physical therapy.


Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg ("Guillaume Jean Joseph Marie"; born 11 November 1981), is the heir apparent to the crown of Luxembourg since his father's accession in 2000.


title: Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg

text: Prince Guillaume was born on 11 November 1981 at the Grand Duchess Charlotte Maternity Hospital in Luxembourg City and is the eldest child of Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg and his wife, Cuban-born Grand Duchess Maria Teresa. His godparents are Princess Marie Astrid of Luxembourg and Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg. Guillaume has four younger siblings: Prince Félix, Prince Louis, Princess Alexandra and Prince Sébastien.


text: Guillaume's education includes Lycée Robert-Schumann in Luxembourg; Swiss boarding schools the Institut Le Rosey and the Collège Alpin International Beau Soleil where he finished the French baccalaureate in 2001; and Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, Camberley, England. He began his higher education studies in the United Kingdom where he studied at University College, Durham and Brunel University, both in England. In 2006 he entered in Fribourg, Switzerland, where he spent a year studying philosophy and anthropology. He later studied letters and political science at the Institut Albert-le-Grand in Angers, receiving his bachelor's degree with honors in 2009. His degree was issued by Université d'Angers, as a result of a partnership agreement between the two schools. From 2018 until 2019, Prince Guillaume attended a postgraduate training at the Royal College of Defence Studies (RCDS) in London.


text: The Hereditary Grand Duke completed internships at the Belgian Chemical Union in 2003, at the Deutsche Bank in London in 2004, and at the Spanish branch of ArcelorMittal in 2005. Sworn in December 2002 as an officer in the Luxembourg Army, Prince Guillaume holds the rank of Colonel.


text: Guillaume has been heir apparent to the crown of Luxembourg since his father's accession in 2000. If he succeeds to the grand ducal throne, he will reign as Guillaume V (English: William V).


text: Guillaume became the honorary chairman of the Board of Economic Development of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, an agency for economic promotion and development, in March 2001. He has also been a member of the Council of State since 24 June 2005. He attended the Millennium Conference at the United Nations headquarters in New York City in 2005. Prince Guillaume also worked at the European Commission and the Permanent Representation of Luxembourg to the European Union in Brussels in 2012.


text: The Hereditary Grand Duke is patron of the Luxembourg Cycling Sport Federation, Youth Hostels Central, National Association of Road Victims, Chamber Orchestra of Luxembourg, Youth Harmony Orchestra of the European Union, as well as to Young Entrepreneurs Luxembourg and Special Olympics Luxembourg Associations.


text: During the summer of 1997, Guillaume participated as a member of Luxembourg Scout Movement in a humanitarian camp in Nepal. He was involved in a reforestation project and other actions for the benefit of less fortunate communities. In 2017, the Hereditary Grand Duke joined the board of directors of the World Scout Foundation to support the development of scouting around the world.


text: In 1999, he participated in a charitable mission in Aguascalientes to provide the educational and social assistance to young people in one of the most deprived areas in Mexico. After having chaired the Kräizbierg Foundation, which works for people with disabilities, for more than 10 years (2000–2011), the Hereditary Grand Duke accepted the title of honorary president in March 2011.


text: Since 18 January 2016, the Hereditary Grand Duke has been a member of the board of directors of "Europäische Stiftung Kaiserdom zu Speyer" Foundation. He is also a member of the board of directors of the "Fondation du Grand-Duc et de la Grande-Duchesse".


text: On 2 July 2021, Prince Guillaume, with his wife and son, inaugurated the Ettelbruck Agricultural Fair 2021. On 12 July, he and his family visited Luxembourg nursing homes to meet elderly people and ensure their well-being during COVID-19 pandemic. At each of their visits, the couple expressed their gratitude to the staff of the nursing homes for the efforts made in maintaining a warm environment around the residents, throughout the pandemic.


text: At the occasion of his 30th birthday, he gave interviews during which stated that he was in a relationship with a "dear miss" that had been going strong for more than a year but insisted that they need some more time to evaluate their possible future. On 26 April 2012, the court announced the engagement of the Hereditary Grand Duke to the Belgian Countess Stéphanie de Lannoy. The civil wedding took place on Friday, 19 October 2012; the religious wedding took place on Saturday, 20 October 2012 at the Notre-Dame Cathedral.


text: Guillaume and Stéphanie have a son, named Prince Charles, born on 10 May 2020 at Grand Duchess Charlotte Maternity Hospital in Luxembourg. He is second in the line of succession to the throne of Luxembourg. In September 2022, it was announced that the couple was expecting their second child, with the birth due in April 2023.


text: Guillaume is interested in music and sports; he plays the piano and enjoys football, swimming and volleyball. He speaks Luxembourgish, French, German, Spanish and English. He regularly represents his parents in many foreign activities.


text: His style and title in full is: His Royal Highness Prince Guillaume Jean Joseph Marie, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, Hereditary Prince of Nassau, Prince of Bourbon-Parma.


title: Little Ivies

text: The Little Ivies are an unofficial group of small, academically competitive private liberal arts colleges in the Northeastern United States. The term Little Ivy derives from these schools' small student bodies, standards of academic excellence, associated historic social prestige, and highly selective admissions comparable to the Ivy League. According to "Bloomberg", the Little Ivies are also known for their large financial endowments, both absolutely and relative to their size.


title: Little Ivies

text: The term is generally and most associated with the colleges of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), with select schools from the Liberty League, Patriot League and the Centennial Conference. The term, however, was in active circulation to depict the original "Little Ivy" schools as schools and not merely athletic rivals at least as early as 1955. The New York Times quotes the President of Swarthmore College saying at the time, "We not only have the Ivy League, and the pretty clearly understood though seldom mentioned gradations within the Ivy League, but we have the Little Ivy League, and the jockeying for position within that."


title: Little Ivies

text: Among the Little Ivies are the "Little Three", a term used by Amherst College, Wesleyan University and Williams College, and "Maine Big Three", a term used by Colby College, Bates College and Bowdoin College. The term is inspired by the "Big Three" Ivy League athletic rivalry between Harvard, Princeton, and Yale.


title: Little Ivies

text: Amherst College, Wesleyan University and Williams College joined Bowdoin College to found the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) in 1971 along with Bates College, Colby College, Hamilton College, Middlebury College, Tufts University, and Trinity College. Connecticut College joined in 1977.


title: Scholastic Corporation

text: Scholastic Corporation () is an American multinational publishing, education, and media company that publishes and distributes books, comics, and educational materials for schools, parents, and children. Products are distributed via retail and online sales and through schools via reading clubs and book fairs. Clifford the Big Red Dog, a character created by Norman Bridwell in 1963, serves as the company's official mascot.


title: Scholastic Corporation

text: Scholastic was founded in 1920 by Maurice R. Robinson near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to be a publisher of youth magazines. The first publication was "The Western Pennsylvania Scholastic". It covered high school sports and social activities; the four-page magazine debuted on October 22, 1920, and was distributed in 50 high schools. In the 1940s, Scholastic entered the book club business. In the 1960s, international publishing locations were added in England (1964), New Zealand (1964), and Sydney (1968). Also in the 1960s, Scholastic entered the book publishing business. In the 1970s, Scholastic created its TV entertainment division.


title: Scholastic Corporation

text: From 1975 until his death in 2021, Richard Robinson, who was the son of the corporation's founder, served as CEO and president.


title: Scholastic Corporation

text: In February 2012, Scholastic bought Weekly Reader Publishing from Reader's Digest Association, and announced in July that year that it planned to discontinue separate issues of "Weekly Reader" magazines after more than a century of publication, and co-branded the magazines as "Scholastic News/Weekly Reader".


title: Scholastic Corporation

text: The business has three segments: Children Book Publishing & Distribution (Trade, Book Clubs, and Book Fairs), Education, and International. Scholastic holds the perpetual US publishing rights to the "Harry Potter" and "Hunger Games" book series. Scholastic is the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books and print and digital educational materials for pre-K to grade 12.


title: Scholastic Corporation

text: In addition to "Harry Potter" and "The Hunger Games", the company is known for its school book clubs and book fairs, classroom magazines such as "Scholastic News" and "Science World", and popular book series: "Clifford the Big Red Dog", "Goosebumps", "The Magic School Bus", "Captain Underpants", "Animorphs", "The Baby-Sitters Club", and "I Spy".


title: Scholastic Corporation

text: Scholastic also publishes instructional reading and writing programs, and offers professional learning and consultancy services for school improvement. Clifford the Big Red Dog serves as the official mascot of Scholastic.


title: Scholastic Corporation

text: Founded in 1923 by Maurice R. Robinson, The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, administered by the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, is a competition which recognizes talented young artists and writers from across the United States.


title: Scholastic Corporation

text: Children's Press (spelled from 1945 to 1996). Founded in 1945 and originally headquartered in 1224 West Van Buren Street, Chicago, Illinois until its acquisition by Grolier in 1995, this press published various publications such as the Rookie Read-About series, A True Book series, Young People's series ("Young People's Animal Encyclopedia" by Maurice Burton, "Young People's Science Encyclopedia" and "Young People's Science Dictionary" by the staff of National College of Education (now National Louis University), "Young People's Illustrated Encyclopedia", and "Young People's World") and also has a secondary imprint, Franklin Watts. It had a slogan "Childrens Books Are Important", with the heptagram with a slogan encircling it served as the press' alternate logo from 1945 to 1970.


title: Scholastic Corporation

text: In 1995, Children's Press became a division of Grolier, moving from its original headquarters in Chicago to Danbury, Connecticut. It became an imprint of Scholastic Corporation five years later in 2000.


title: Scholastic Corporation

text: In 2005, Scholastic developed FASTT Math with Tom Snyder to help students with their proficiency with math skills, specifically being multiplication, division, addition, and subtraction through a series of games and memorization quizzes gauging the student's progress.


title: Scholastic Corporation

text: Scholastic Entertainment (formerly Scholastic Productions and Scholastic Media) is a corporate division


title: Scholastic Corporation

text: It covers "all forms of media and consumer products, and is four main groups – Productions, Marketing & Consumer Products, Interactive, and Audio." Weston Woods is its production studio, acquired in 1996, as was Soup2Nuts from 2001 to 2015 before shutting down.


title: Scholastic Corporation

text: Television adaptations such as "Clifford the Big Red Dog", "Clifford's Puppy Days", "Maya & Miguel", "WordGirl", "Animorphs", "The Magic School Bus", "Goosebumps", "His Dark Materials", "Puppy Place", and feature films such as "The Indian in the Cupboard", "Tuck Everlasting", "Clifford's Really Big Movie", "The Golden Compass", "Goosebumps", "", "", "Mortal Engines", "Clifford the Big Red Dog", and "The Bad Guys". It will produce "Smile", "Voyagers!", "My Secret Identity", "Charles in Charge", and the upcoming film "Trunks."


title: Scholastic Corporation

text: In 1985, Scholastic Productions teamed up with Karl-Lorimar Home Video, a home video unit of Lorimar Productions, to form the line Scholastic-Lorimar Home Video, whereas Scholastic would produce made-for-video programming, and became a best-selling video line for kids, and the pact expired for two years, whereas Scholastic would team up with leading independent family video distributor and a label of International Video Entertainment, Family Home Entertainment, to distribute made-for-video programming for the next three years.


title: Scholastic Corporation

text: Scholastic book clubs are offered at schools in many countries. Typically, teachers administer the program to the students in their own classes, but in some cases, the program is administered by a central contact for the entire school. Within Scholastic, Reading Clubs is a separate unit (compared to, e.g., Education). Reading clubs are arranged by age/grade. "Book club operators" receive ""Classroom Funds"" redeemable only for "Scholastic Corporation" products.


title: Scholastic Corporation

text: Scholastic Parents Media publishes the "Scholastic Parent & Child" magazine. The group also specializes in online advertising sales and custom programs designed for parents with children aged 0–6.


title: Scholastic Corporation

text: In July 2005, Scholastic determined that certain leases previously accounted for as operating leases should have been accounted for as capital leases. The cumulative effect, if recorded in the current year, would be material. As a result, it decided to restate its financial statements.


title: Scholastic Corporation

text: A significant number of titles carried are based on media tie-ins and are considered lacking in literary and artistic merit by some critics.


title: Max George

text: Maximillian Albert George (born 6 September 1988) is an English singer, best known as the lead singer of the boy band The Wanted.


title: Max George

text: George started his career as a footballer, playing for Preston North End. After an injury ended his football career, he decided to pursue a music career. George made his singing debut with the band Avenue. After the group disbanded in 2009, George joined the newly formed band, The Wanted. In 2014, following The Wanted's success in the United States, he landed his first acting role in the sixth season of the American television series "Glee" in the role of Clint, the leader of "Vocal Adrenaline".


title: Max George

text: George joined the four-piece boy band Avenue in 2005. After applying to "The X Factor" in 2006, the band auditioned for the third series of the competition singing an a cappella version of the Will Young song, "Leave Right Now". They were mentored by Louis Walsh after completing the bootcamp and judges' house portion. Making it to the final 12, the band then signed a management contract with the series. After it was discovered they were already under contract with another management firm, they were disqualified from the show. Following the disqualification, they were signed to the Crown Music Management recording label and were awarded an album deal with Island Records.


title: Max George

text: In 2008, Avenue released their debut single, "Last Goodbye" and George appeared naked on the magazine cover of AXM. The single peaked when charting at number 50 on the UK Singles Chart and their plans to go on tour were cancelled. The group disbanded in 2009.


title: Max George

text: In 2009, a mass audition was held by Jayne Collins to form a boy band, after successfully launching Parade and The Saturdays. George auditioned and was selected as one of five members, along with Nathan Sykes, Siva Kaneswaran, Tom Parker and Jay McGuiness out of the thousands of others who auditioned. The band was formed and together they worked on their debut album before finding a perfect name for their band, The Wanted. Their debut album "All Time Low" was released on 25 July 2010, debuted at number one on the UK Singles Chart. Their second single, "Heart Vacancy" was released on 17 October 2010. The song hit number two on the UK Singles Chart, and at number 18 in Ireland. Their third single, "Lose My Mind" was released on 26 December 2010. The song peaked number 19 on the UK Singles Chart, and peaked at number 30 in Ireland. In 2011, the single was released in Germany and in 2012, in the United States. In 2013, in support of a crossover appeal to the American music market, the group starred in their own reality series on E!. The series, "The Wanted Life" only aired for one season.


title: Max George

text: The band announced their decision to break in January 2014. Max, as a member of the band has sold over 12 million records worldwide.


title: Max George

text: In January 2014, George revealed in an interview that he was signed as a solo artist by Scooter Braun. On 3 July 2018 he released his first solo single "Barcelona". The song has more than 4.5 million streams on Spotify. On 24 May 2019 he released his second single "Better On Me".


title: Max George

text: In June 2013, George was named as the new face and spokesmodel for Buffalo denim's fall line. He starred in the campaign opposite Sports illustrated swimsuit model, Hannah Davis. In November 2013, he did an underwear campaign for Buffalo again.


title: Max George

text: George is signed with Creative Artists Agency since 2013. In June 2014, George revealed his decision to enroll in elocution classes, to help improve his pursuit of an acting career. In September 2014, it was confirmed that he had joined the cast of "Glee" in the role of Clint, after Mark Salling shared a photo of him on Twitter hanging out with Max on the set of the final season of the US comedy drama. He made his first on screen appearance on 9 January 2015.


title: Max George

text: On 2 February 2015, it was announced that George had joined the cast of Bear Grylls' TV survival series titled "". The show is about eight celebrities pushed to the limit by Grylls. The team will be making their dangerous journey through the jungle, where they will be competing for 12-day survival mission.


title: Max George

text: On 1 September 2020, it was announced that George would be taking part in the eighteenth series of "Strictly Come Dancing". He was partnered with Australian dancer Dianne Buswell.


title: Max George

text: On 7 July 2021, it was announced that George would be joining Hits Radio, presenting Friday Night Hits, every Friday from 7-10pm across the Hits Radio Network. His first show was on 9 July 2021.


title: Max George

text: George was in a relationship with actress Michelle Keegan from December 2010. The couple became engaged in June 2011, but ended their relationship the following year. In 2013, he began dating Sports Illustrated model Nina Agdal. They split in February 2014. In October 2014, he confirmed being in a relationship with Miss Oklahoma contestant Carrie Baker. In September 2022, it was revealed that he is dating Maisie Smith.


title: O-T Fagbenle

text: Olatunde Olateju Olaolorun "O-T" Fagbenle (Yoruba: "Ọlátúndé Ọlátẹ́jú Ọláọlọ́run Fágbénlé"; born 22 January 1981) is an Emmy-nominated English actor, writer, and director. He has appeared in several films, stage, and television productions. Fagbenle is best known for his role as Luke in "The Handmaid’s Tale" (2017–2022) and his portrayal of Barack Obama in "The First Lady" (2022).


title: O-T Fagbenle

text: Born in London to a Yoruba Nigerian father, journalist Tunde Fagbenle, and a White British/English mother, Ally Bedford, Fagbenle was raised by his mother and lived in Nigeria, Spain, and the UK as a child. He started learning the alto saxophone and within a year joined the South Coast Jazz Band, which toured the Edinburgh Festival. In the UK he performed as a musician in big bands at the Wembley Arena and the Royal Albert Hall.


title: O-T Fagbenle

text: His name "Olatunde" means literally "Honour returns" or "Honour is restored" in Yoruba. This may be in the abstract or literal sense. His last name, Fagbenle, or "Fágbénlé" in Yoruba, means "Ifa [the Yoruba oracle] makes me triumph," indicating that Fagbenle's paternal ancestors were worshippers of the Ifa religion. His middle name, Olateju means, "honor is clear," and his other middle name, "Olaolorun," means "the wealth/honor of God."


title: O-T Fagbenle

text: His younger brothers include actor and film producer Luti Fagbenle, and video director and producer Daps. His sister is a WNBA player and Olympian Temi Fagbenle.


title: O-T Fagbenle

text: He started acting at the age of 14 for the Ritual Theatre Arts and was given the lead role in an adaptation of William Shakespeare's "Macbeth", performing at international venues and at central London's Bloomsbury Theatre. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts and graduated early to make his graduate debut at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester in "Les Blancs" in 2001. Fagbenle originated the role of "Perry" in the Royal Court's production of the award-winning production of "Fallout".


title: O-T Fagbenle

text: Fagbenle continued his Shakespearean roles by performing in "Romeo and Juliet" as Mercutio in a national tour culminating at the Hong Kong Arts Festival in 2004. "The Evening Telegraph" said of his performance, "O-T Fagbenle achieves the impossible by almost overshadowing the young lovers with his inspired performance of Mercutio".


title: O-T Fagbenle

text: Fagbenle was soon offered his first all-out lead. Outstanding reviews preceded a M.E.N. Theatre Award for best actor in a leading role for his portrayal of a man claiming to be Sidney Poitier's son in John Guare's award-winning play "Six Degrees of Separation".


title: O-T Fagbenle

text: In 2008, Fagbenle flew to Paris with the theatre director Peter Brook to help workshop and develop Brook's international production of "Tierno Bokar".


title: O-T Fagbenle

text: After John W. Bubbles in the original opera and Sammy Davis Jr. in the film, Fagbenle played the role of Sportin' Life in Sir Trevor Nunn's production of "Porgy and Bess - The Musical" at the Savoy Theatre in the West End of London. Fagbenle received outstanding reviews. "Variety" magazine's review remarked 'There are moments everything takes wing as a musical, mostly whenever Fagbenle's splendidly serpentine, easeful Sportin' Life is around. Light on his feet, his every moment is poised and polished.'


title: O-T Fagbenle

text: In 2012 in London, England, Fagbenle took on the role of Slupianek in "The Conquest of the South Pole" at the Arcola and Rose Theatres. Again Fagbenle won critical acclaim across the board for his performance, with TimeOut, The British Theatre Guide, Spoonfed, Whatsonstage.com, and industry-standard 'The Stage' all praising his performance. Fagbenle went on to be panel nominated for 'Best Male Performance at the prestigious Off West End Awards.


title: O-T Fagbenle

text: It was announced by The Royal National Theatre that Fagbenle would be cast as the lead in their 2016 production of the play "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom". Fagbenle led his cast to win the Olivier Award for best revival. BBC's Radio 4 said of his performance "Mesmeric - almost impossible to take your eyes off him." "I wanna see him again and again and again." "Rips your guts out."


title: O-T Fagbenle

text: In 2006, Fagbenle appeared as Joe in the feature film "Breaking and Entering" with Jude Law and Juliette Binoche. He portrayed Sean, an American television star, opposite Michelle Pfeiffer and Paul Rudd, in Amy Heckerling's 2007 "I Could Never Be Your Woman".


title: O-T Fagbenle

text: Fagbenle starred in "Little Miss Jocelyn" from 2004 to 2006, as various characters in season one and as Mrs. Omwokwopopo's dead husband in season two. In 2006, Fagbenle starred in a BBC sitcom called "Grownups" and also appeared in the British TV series "Agatha Christie's Marple". In 2008–2009, Fagbenle starred in two dramas for the BBC, including the role of Walter Tull in "Walter's War", a biopic of the first mixed-heritage officer in the British Army, in which he again garnered outstanding international reviews.


title: O-T Fagbenle

text: In 2009, Fagbenle played the role of Topher Kiefer in the ITV series, "FM", and in January 2010 Fagbenle took a leading role as Chris in the BBC One show "Material Girl", starring Dervla Kirwan and Lenora Crichlow. He then had a continuing role in both three-episode installments of the 2010 "Thorne" television series with David Morrissey in the titular role, which were adapted from two Mark Billingham novels, "Sleepyhead" (episodes 1–2, also starring Natascha McElhone) and "Scaredy Cat" (episodes 4–6, also starring Sandra Oh), all directed by Stephen Hopkins. After his "Material Girl" performance, he went on to be cast in the 2011 American romantic comedy "Double Wedding". Fagbenle also appeared as 'Mark Lightfoot' in episode six of the first season of "Death in Paradise" in that same year.


title: O-T Fagbenle

text: In 2012, after taking some time to "do some theatre and develop [his] writing projects", Fagbenle accepted a lead role in the 2013 BBC comedy "Quick Cuts" alongside actress and "Smack the Pony" star Doon Mackichan. Fagbenle played "Other Dave" in the 2008, two-part "Doctor Who" story, "Silence in the Library" and "Forest of the Dead". That same year, he starred in the first season of HBO's original drama "Looking", where played Frank, a sweet-hearted Ohio musician with troubles from a live-in partner (reprising the role in season 2). BBC Drama cast Fagbenle in the lead role of their criminal drama "The Interceptor", which began filming in London in April 2014; in 2015 he was won the MViSA awards for best male actor for his performance in that work.


title: O-T Fagbenle

text: After appearing in the second season of HBO's "Looking", Fagbenle was cast as the lead in American crime writer Harlan Coben's original drama series "The Five" which first aired in April 2016 on Sky 1 in the United Kingdom. On 14 November 2016 he appeared in a BBC2 adaptation of Zadie Smith's novel "NW". In 2017, he began the role of Luke Bankole in Hulu's screen adaption of Margaret Atwood's novel "The Handmaid's Tale", for which he has received multiple nominations for Screen Actors Guild awards.


title: O-T Fagbenle

text: On 16 August 2021, it was announced that Fagbenle has joined the cast of Apple TV+ limited series WeCrashed in a recurring role as Cameron Lautner.


title: O-T Fagbenle

text: For several months in 2004 he took the part of Kwame in the BBC World Service radio soap opera "Westway".


title: O-T Fagbenle

text: He has performed multiple times for the BBC including the lead role in "Six Degrees of Separation", playing Marvin Gaye in a biopic, and two roles in the BBC Radio adaptation of "The Color Purple", which went on to win the Sony Radio Academy Awards for Drama in 2009.


title: O-T Fagbenle

text: Fagbenle made history when he became the first person to write, direct, compose, star and executive produce the opening episode of a TV series on a major US network with his show "Maxxx" (Hulu).


title: O-T Fagbenle

text: In 2021 Deadline reported that following the success of "Maxxx" "The multi-hyphenate currently has drama, comedy and non-scripted content in development."


title: O-T Fagbenle

text: Fagbenle's debut short film "Moth" won Best Sci-fi Horror at the London Film Festival The film, which was a metaphor for the effect of mentally ill parenting on children, was also made a part of a number of film festivals including the official selection at the Los Angeles Screamfest Film Festival, New York City Horror Film Festival, Austin Film Festival.


title: O-T Fagbenle

text: After a being awarded a fund by the Nigerian high commission/TRSE to write and direct a teaser for his movie idea, Fagbenle was commissioned by Bafta-nominated Lutimedia to develop "Big Bad Blood", a teen comedy television series.


title: O-T Fagbenle

text: Along with a starring actor credit, Fagbenle composed the music and penned the lyrics for several songs for the NBC drama "Quarterlife", created by Marshall Herskovitz and Oscar-winner Ed Zwick.


title: O-T Fagbenle

text: In 2011 Fagbenle co-wrote the song "Storm" for Grammy nominated artist Tyga on his "Black Thoughts Vol. 2" mixtape and received over 8 million hits on worldstarhiphop.com. The song features vocalist Stefano Moses, a long-time musical collaborator with Fagbenle.


title: O-T Fagbenle

text: Fagbenle was the recipient of an Outstanding Achievement Award at the 13th African Film Awards. In 2012, Fagbenle was nominated for Best Male Performance at the Off West End Awards for his 'charismatic' portrayal of Slupianek in "The Conquest of the South Pole".


title: O-T Fagbenle

text: Fagbenle was awarded Best Actor in a Leading Role at the M.E.N. awards for his performance in "Six Degrees of Separation". In 2015, Fagbenle was nominated for "Best Male Performance on TV" by the Screen Nation Awards for his performance as Frank on HBO's "Looking".


title: O-T Fagbenle

text: In 2015, Fagbenle was nominated and awarded by the MViSA awards for BEST MALE ACTOR for his performance in "The Interceptor".


title: O-T Fagbenle

text: In 2016, Fagbenle and the cast of "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom" at the Royal National Theatre led the production to an Olivier Award, the most prestigious honour in British Theatre.


title: O-T Fagbenle

text: In 2018, Fagbenle collected "The Handmaid's Tale"'s International BAFTA Award. In 2019, Fagbenle received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for his role on "The Handmaid's Tale".


title: O-T Fagbenle

text: In 2021 O-T Fagbenle received an Emmy Award nomination for his performance on the Hulu series "The Handmaid's Tale". For four seasons, he has played Luke, who is the husband of June Osborne played by Elizabeth Moss.


title: O-T Fagbenle

text: In 2021 O-T Fagbenle was nominated for best comedy performance at the Royal Television Society Awards for the comedy "Maxxx", which he also wrote and produced.


title: O-T Fagbenle

text: In 2021 "Maxxx" received a nomination for Best Scripted Comedy at the National Comedy Awards celebrating the UK's most brilliant comedy content and creators. He was also individually nominated for best comedy actor.


title: O-T Fagbenle

text: In 2021 O-T Fagbenle was nominated for Outstanding Comedy Actor and "Maxxx" was nominated for Best Scripted Comedy Series at the National Comedy Awards launched by Channel 4.


title: Tristan und Isolde

text: Tristan und Isolde ("Tristan and Isolde"), WWV 90, is an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner to a German libretto by the composer, based largely on the 12th-century romance Tristan and Iseult by Gottfried von Strassburg. It was composed between 1857 and 1859 and premiered at the Königliches Hoftheater und Nationaltheater in Munich on 10 June 1865 with Hans von Bülow conducting. Wagner referred to the work not as an opera, but called it "" (literally "a drama", "a plot", or "an action").


title: Tristan und Isolde

text: Wagner's composition of "Tristan und Isolde" was inspired by the philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer (particularly "The World as Will and Representation"), as well as by Wagner's affair with Mathilde Wesendonck. Widely acknowledged as a pinnacle of the operatic repertoire, "Tristan" was notable for Wagner's unprecedented use of chromaticism, tonal ambiguity, orchestral colour, and harmonic suspension.


title: Tristan und Isolde

text: The opera was enormously influential among Western classical composers and provided direct inspiration to composers such as Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss, Alban Berg, Arnold Schoenberg, and Benjamin Britten. Other composers like Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, and Igor Stravinsky formulated their styles in contrast to Wagner's musical legacy. Many see "Tristan" as a milestone on the move away from common practice harmony and tonality and consider that it lays the groundwork for the direction of classical music in the 20th century. Both Wagner's libretto style and music were also profoundly influential on the symbolist poets of the late 19th century and early 20th century.


title: Tristan und Isolde

text: Wagner was forced to abandon his position as conductor of the Dresden Opera in 1849, as there was a warrant posted for his arrest for his participation in the unsuccessful May Revolution. He left his wife, Minna, in Dresden, and fled to Zürich. There, in 1852, he met the wealthy silk trader Otto Wesendonck. Wesendonck became a supporter of Wagner and bankrolled the composer for several years. Wesendonck's wife, Mathilde, became enamoured of the composer. Though Wagner was working on his epic "Der Ring des Nibelungen", he found himself intrigued by the legend of Tristan and Isolde.


title: Tristan und Isolde

text: The re-discovery of medieval Germanic poetry, including Gottfried von Strassburg's version of , the "Nibelungenlied" and Wolfram von Eschenbach's "Parzival", left a large impact on the German Romantic movements during the mid-19th century. The story of Tristan and Isolde is a quintessential romance of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Several versions of the story exist, the earliest dating to the middle of the 12th century. Gottfried's version, part of the "courtly" branch of the legend, had a huge influence on later German literature.


title: Tristan und Isolde

text: According to his autobiography, "Mein Leben", Wagner decided to dramatise the Tristan legend after his friend, Karl Ritter, attempted to do so, writing that:


title: Tristan und Isolde

text: He had, in fact, made a point of giving prominence to the lighter phases of the romance, whereas it was its all-pervading tragedy that impressed me so deeply that I felt convinced it should stand out in bold relief, regardless of minor details.


title: Tristan und Isolde

text: This influence, together with his discovery of the philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer in October 1854, led Wagner to find himself in a "serious mood created by Schopenhauer, which was trying to find ecstatic expression. It was some such mood that inspired the conception of a "Tristan und Isolde"."


title: Tristan und Isolde

text: Wagner wrote of his preoccupations with Schopenhauer and "Tristan" in a letter to Franz Liszt (16 December 1854): Never in my life having enjoyed the true happiness of love I shall erect a memorial to this loveliest of all dreams in which, from the first to the last, love shall, for once, find utter repletion. I have devised in my mind a "Tristan und Isolde", the simplest, yet most full-blooded musical conception imaginable, and with the ‘black flag’ that waves at the end I shall cover myself over – to die.


title: Tristan und Isolde

text: By the end of 1854, Wagner had sketched out all three acts of an opera on the Tristan theme, based on Gottfried von Strassburg's telling of the story. While the earliest extant sketches date from December 1856, it was not until August 1857 that Wagner began devoting his attention entirely to the opera, putting aside the composition of "Siegfried" to do so. On 20 August he began the prose sketch for the opera, and the libretto (or "poem", as Wagner preferred to call it) was completed by 18 September. Wagner, at this time, had moved into a cottage built in the grounds of Wesendonck's villa, where, during his work on "Tristan und Isolde", he became passionately involved with Mathilde Wesendonck. Whether or not this relationship was platonic remains uncertain. One evening in September of that year, Wagner read the finished poem of "Tristan" to an audience including his wife, Minna, his current muse, Mathilde, and his future mistress (and later wife), Cosima von Bülow.


title: Tristan und Isolde

text: By October 1857, Wagner had begun the composition sketch of the first act. During November, however, he set five of Mathilde's poems to music known today as the "Wesendonck Lieder". This was an unusual move by Wagner, who almost never set to music poetic texts other than his own. Wagner described two of the songs – "Im Treibhaus" and "Träume" – as "Studies for Tristan und Isolde": "Träume" uses a motif that forms the love duet in Act II of "Tristan", while "Im Treibhaus" introduces a theme that later became the prelude to Act III. But Wagner resolved to write "Tristan" only after he had secured a publishing deal with the Leipzig-based firm Breitkopf & Härtel, in January 1858. From this point on, Wagner finished each act and sent it off for engraving before he started on the next – a remarkable feat given the unprecedented length and complexity of the score.


title: Tristan und Isolde

text: In April 1858 Wagner's wife Minna intercepted a note from Wagner to Mathilde and, despite Wagner's protests that she was putting a "vulgar interpretation" on the note, she accused first Wagner and then Mathilde of unfaithfulness. After enduring much misery, Wagner persuaded Minna, who had a heart condition, to rest at a spa while Otto Wesendonck took Mathilde to Italy. It was during the absence of the two women that Wagner began the composition sketch of the second act of "Tristan". However, Minna's return in July 1858 did not clear the air, and on 17 August, Wagner was forced to leave both Minna and Mathilde and move to Venice.


title: Tristan und Isolde

text: Wagner would later describe his last days in Zurich as "a veritable Hell". Minna wrote to Mathilde before departing for Dresden: I must tell you with a bleeding heart that you have succeeded in separating my husband from me after nearly twenty-two years of marriage. May this noble deed contribute to your peace of mind, to your happiness.


title: Tristan und Isolde

text: Wagner finished the second act of "Tristan" during his eight-month exile in Venice, where he lived in the Palazzo Giustinian. In March 1859, fearing extradition to Saxony, where he was still considered a fugitive, Wagner moved to Lucerne where he composed the last act, completing it in August 1859.


title: Tristan und Isolde

text: "Tristan und Isolde" proved to be a difficult opera to stage, and Wagner considered various possibilities for the venue. In 1857 he was invited by a representative of Pedro II, Emperor of Brazil, to stage his operas in Rio de Janeiro (in Italian, the language of the Imperial Opera); he told Liszt he was considering settling in Rio, and that that city would be given the honour of premiering "Tristan". Wagner sent the Emperor bound copies of his earlier operas in expression of his interest, but nothing more came of the plan. He then proposed that the premiere take place in Strasbourg, following interest in the project shown by the Grand Duchess of Baden. Again, the project failed to eventuate. His thoughts then turned to Paris, the centre of the operatic world in the middle of the 19th century. However, after a disastrous staging of "Tannhäuser" at the Paris Opéra, Wagner offered the work to the Karlsruhe opera in 1861.


title: Tristan und Isolde

text: When Wagner visited the Vienna Court Opera to rehearse possible singers for this production, the management at Vienna suggested staging the opera there. Originally, the tenor Alois Ander was employed to sing the part of Tristan, but later proved incapable of learning the role. Parallel attempts to stage the opera in Dresden, Weimar and Prague failed. Despite over 70 rehearsals between 1862 and 1864, "Tristan und Isolde" was unable to be staged in Vienna, winning the opera a reputation as unperformable.


title: Tristan und Isolde

text: It was only after King Ludwig II of Bavaria became a sponsor of Wagner (he granted the composer a generous stipend, and supported Wagner's artistic endeavours in other ways) that enough resources could be found to mount the premiere of "Tristan und Isolde". Hans von Bülow was chosen to conduct the production at the Nationaltheater in Munich, despite the fact that Wagner was having an affair with his wife, Cosima von Bülow. Even then, the planned premiere on 15 May 1865 had to be postponed until the Isolde, Malvina Schnorr von Carolsfeld, had recovered from hoarseness. The work finally premiered on 10 June 1865, with Malvina's husband Ludwig partnering her as Tristan.


title: Tristan und Isolde

text: On 21 July 1865, having sung the role only four times, Ludwig died suddenly – prompting speculation that the exertion involved in singing the part of Tristan had killed him. (The stress of performing "Tristan" has also claimed the lives of conductors Felix Mottl in 1911 and Joseph Keilberth in 1968. Both men died after collapsing while conducting the second act of the opera.) Malvina sank into a deep depression over her husband's death, and never sang again, although she lived for another 38 years.


title: Tristan und Isolde

text: For some years thereafter, the only performers of the roles were another husband–wife team, Heinrich Vogl and Therese Vogl.


title: Tristan und Isolde

text: The next production of "Tristan" was in Weimar in 1874. Wagner himself supervised another production of "Tristan" in Berlin in March 1876, but the opera was only performed in his own theatre at the Bayreuth Festival after his death; Cosima Wagner, his widow, oversaw this in 1886, a production that was widely acclaimed.


title: Tristan und Isolde

text: The first production outside of Germany was given at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London in 1882; Tristan was performed by Hermann Winkelmann, who later that year sang the title role of "Parsifal" at Bayreuth. It was conducted by Hans Richter, who also conducted the first Covent Garden production two years later. Winkelmann was also the first Vienna Tristan, in 1883. The first American performance was held at the Metropolitan Opera in December 1886, conducted by Anton Seidl.


title: Tristan und Isolde

text: The score of "Tristan und Isolde" has often been cited as a landmark in the development of Western music. Throughout the opera, Wagner uses a remarkable range of orchestral colour, harmony, and polyphony, doing so with a freedom rarely found in his earlier operas. The very first chord in the piece, the "Tristan chord", is of great significance in the move away from traditional tonal harmony as it resolves to another dissonant chord:


title: Tristan und Isolde

text: The opera is noted for its numerous expansions of harmonic practice; for instance, one significant innovation is the frequent use of two consecutive chords containing tritones (diminished fifth or augmented fourth), neither of which is a diminished seventh chord (F–B, bar 2; E–A-sharp, bar 3). "Tristan und Isolde" is also notable for its use of harmonic suspension – a device used by a composer to create musical tension by exposing the listener to a series of prolonged unfinished cadences, thereby inspiring a desire and expectation on the part of the listener for musical resolution. While suspension is a common compositional device (in use since before the Renaissance), Wagner was one of the first composers to employ harmonic suspension over the course of an entire work. The cadences first introduced in the prelude are not resolved until the finale of Act III, and, on a number of occasions throughout the opera, Wagner primes the audience for a musical climax with a series of chords building in tension – only to deliberately defer the anticipated resolution. One particular example of this technique occurs at the end of the love duet in Act II ("Wie sie fassen, wie sie lassen...") where Tristan and Isolde gradually build up to a musical climax, only to have the expected resolution destroyed by the dissonant interruption of Kurwenal ("Rette Dich, Tristan!"). The deferred resolution is frequently interpreted as symbolising both physical sexual release and spiritual release via suicide – the long-awaited completion of this cadence series arrives only in the final "Liebestod" ("Love-Death"), during which the musical resolution (at "In des Welt-Atems wehendem All") coincides with the moment of Isolde's death.


title: Tristan und Isolde

text: The tonality of "Tristan" was to prove immensely influential in western Classical music. Wagner's use of musical colour also influenced the development of film music. Bernard Herrmann's score for Alfred Hitchcock's classic, "Vertigo", is heavily reminiscent of the "Liebestod", most evidently in the resurrection scene. The Liebestod was incorporated in Luis Buñuel's Surrealist film "L'Age d'Or". Not all composers, however, reacted favourably: Claude Debussy's piano piece "Golliwog's Cakewalk" mockingly quotes the opening of the opera in a distorted form, instructing the passage to be played ". However, Debussy was highly influenced by Wagner and was particularly fond of "Tristan." Frequent moments of "Tristan"-inspired tonality mark Debussy's early compositions.


title: Tristan und Isolde

text: Isolde, promised to King Marke in marriage, and her handmaid, Brangäne, are quartered aboard Tristan's ship being transported to the king's lands in Cornwall. The opera opens with the voice of a young sailor singing of a "wild Irish maid" ("Westwärts schweift der Blick"), which Isolde construes to be a mocking reference to herself. In a furious outburst, she wishes the seas to rise up and sink the ship, killing herself and all on board ("Erwache mir wieder, kühne Gewalt"). Her scorn and rage are directed particularly at Tristan, the knight responsible for taking her to Marke, and Isolde sends Brangäne to command Tristan to appear before her ("Befehlen liess' dem Eigenholde"). Tristan, however, refuses Brangäne's request, claiming that his place is at the helm. His henchman, Kurwenal, answers more brusquely, saying that Isolde is in no position to command Tristan and reminds Brangäne that Isolde's previous fiancé, Morold, was killed by Tristan ("Herr Morold zog zu Meere her").


title: Tristan und Isolde

text: Brangäne returns to Isolde to relate these events, and Isolde, in what is termed the "narrative and curse", sadly tells her of how, following the death of Morold, she happened upon a stranger who called himself Tantris. Tantris was found mortally wounded in a barge ("von einem Kahn, der klein und arm") and Isolde used her healing powers to restore him to health. She discovered during Tantris' recovery, however, that he was actually Tristan, the murderer of her fiancé. Isolde attempted to kill the man with his own sword as he lay helpless before her. However, Tristan looked not at the sword that would kill him or the hand that wielded the sword, but into her eyes ("Er sah' mir in die Augen"). His gaze pierced her heart and she was unable to slay him. Tristan was allowed to leave with the promise never to come back, but he later returned with the intention of marrying Isolde to his uncle, King Marke. Isolde, furious at Tristan's betrayal, insists that he drink atonement to her, and from her medicine chest produces a vial to make the drink. Brangäne is shocked to see that it is a lethal poison.


title: Tristan und Isolde

text: Kurwenal appears in the women's quarters ("Auf auf! Ihr Frauen!") and announces that the voyage is coming to an end. Isolde warns Kurwenal that she will not appear before the King if Tristan does not come before her as she had previously ordered and drink atonement to her. When Tristan arrives, Isolde reproaches him about his conduct and tells him that he owes her his life and how his actions have undermined her honour, since she blessed Morold's weapons before battle and therefore she swore revenge. Tristan first offers his sword but Isolde refuses; they must drink atonement. Brangäne brings in the potion that will seal their pardon; Tristan knows that it may kill him, since he knows Isolde's magic powers ("Wohl kenn' ich Irlands Königin"). The journey almost at its end, Tristan drinks and Isolde takes half the potion for herself. The potion seems to work, but instead of death, it brings relentless love ("Tristan!" "Isolde!"). Kurwenal, who announces the imminent arrival on board of King Marke, interrupts their rapture. Isolde asks Brangäne which potion she prepared and Brangäne replies, as the sailors hail the arrival of King Marke, that it was not poison; rather, she has substituted a love potion in order to save Isolde from herself.


title: Tristan und Isolde

text: King Marke leads a hunting party out into the night, leaving Isolde and Brangäne alone in the castle, who both stand beside a burning brazier. Isolde, listening to the hunting horns, believes several times that the hunting party is far enough away to warrant the extinguishing of the brazier – the prearranged signal for Tristan to join her ("Nicht Hörnerschall tönt so hold"). Brangäne warns Isolde that Melot, one of King Marke's knights, has seen the amorous looks exchanged between Tristan and Isolde and suspects their passion ("Ein Einz'ger war's, ich achtet' es wohl"). Isolde, however, believes Melot to be Tristan's most loyal friend, and, in a frenzy of desire, extinguishes the flames. Brangäne retires to the ramparts to keep watch as Tristan arrives.