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Implementation Strategies
Disease may play significant role in salmon declines
Wild sockeye salmon in Adams River, BC. Photo: Province of British Columbia (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) https://flic.kr/p/L6McUY
By: David B. Williams
Keywords: Climate change, Species and food webs, Fishes, Disease, Salmonids, Species of concern, Salish Sea Currents magazine
Few environment problems in the Salish Sea have been studied more than the steep decline in salmon populations. But one potential contributor to these declines has gained less attention. Scientists say infectious disease may play a wider role than previously understood.
Most early work on infectious disease in salmon was limited to the fish closest at hand — those bred in hatcheries. "It [infectious disease] was only a problem in cultured fish, because that's all they studied," says Kristi Miller, a biologist at Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Wild salmon were more challenging. When it came to disease, researchers usually only saw dead fish and they rarely saw juveniles, which face some of the largest mortality risks. If researchers did see live fish, the technique of sampling large schools meant that they probably missed fish that were in especially poor health.
When Miller, who studies immunogenetics and fish health, began to look more closely, her data started to show some intriguing patterns. Early findings pointed to high amounts of infectious disease in wild fish, which led her to develop molecular assays and other tools to study the problem in more depth.
The data showed that temperature was the greatest factor, with even modest increases resulting in increased abundance and prevalence of pathogens.
Instead of starting narrow with a single pathogen, Miller took a funnel approach looking at bacteria, viruses, and fungal and protistean microparasites. She then tried to hone her focus on the most important infectious agents. Her study found up to 60 pathogens in more than 27,000 wild and hatchery fish collected from freshwater rearing habitats, downstream migration, and during their first nine months of marine residency. All of Miller's work has been around Vancouver Island and up the British Columbia coast.
The data showed that temperature was the greatest factor, with even modest increases resulting in increased abundance and prevalence of pathogens. In one case, the prevalence of the microsporidian parasite, Paranucleospora theridian, went from 0-25 percent to 75-100 percent with just 0.5 standard deviation below and above average temperature. Miller's team also found that some populations of fish were more robust than others and that different temperatures had different effects.
Recently, Miller's team has developed a novel method — what they call a salmon Fit-Chip — to help further tease out the cumulative effects. Working with live fish, they identified and validated what she calls "curated biomarker panels," which can help pinpoint thermal, osmotic, and hypoxia stressors, as well as different disease states. They were able to identify more than dozen different unknown viruses and begin to see which viruses can be carried without being problematic. "What's most exciting is that we've identified a group of genes that are activated as salmon are dying. When they are activated they are highly predictive of morbidity within 48 to 72 hours," says Miller.
Her ultimate goal is two-fold: Pinpoint what stressors are present that cause higher morbidity, and then can work to mitigate the problems. "We can't change temperature or migration routes but if we can understand environmental stressors, we can identify the better places and the places to avoid," she says. That information might simply be enough to help. In places where survival rates have plummeted to less than one percent for stocks in some years, even a slight rise of two percent could take fish from the point of extinction to sustainable population.
About the author: David B. Williams is a naturalist, author, and educator whose award-winning book Too High and Too Steep: Reshaping Seattle's Topography explores the unprecedented engineering projects that shaped Seattle during the early part of the twentieth century. He is also the author of "Seattle Walks: Discovering History and Nature in the City," "The Street-Smart Naturalist: Field Notes from the City," and co-author of "Waterway: The Story of Seattle's Locks and Ship Canal." This story is adapted from David's next book - "Homewaters: Human and Natural History in Puget Sound." Williams is a curatorial associate at the Burke Museum and you can find him on Twitter at @geologywriter.
Topic editor: Joe Gaydos
EoPS: Salmonids


I'm an oldie and proud of it! I was born at the beginning of the 1950s, just as music was about to change a whole lot. And change it did! My sister, who was five and a half years older than I, introduced me to Elvis and Fabian and Sonny James and Dion and all the other rock and roll stars, and I haven't stopped loving the music since. And now I'm happy to be keeping the oldies alive on The Legend!
* Hey Baby, They're Playin' Our Song — Sunday mornings from midnight to 4:00 AM Eastern. I try to play as many of your rock and roll requests as I can in these four hours. For a lot of us, it's still Saturday night, at least when the show begins. I don't know about you, but for me, Saturday nights and rock and roll go together like love and marriage! It's your weekend all-request rock 'n' roll oldies show.
* The Listening Room — Monday evenings, beginning at 10 PM Eastern. Rock 'n' roll oldies are fabulous…but there were other kinds of music flourishing at the same time. In The Listening Room, I play just about every kind of music, including oldies. And I often present theme shows, such as songs about weather, seasons, colors, kissing, girls' and boys' names — no telling what'll be there this week!
* The Thursday Oldies Party — Thursday afternoons from 3 till 6:30 PM Eastern Why wait till Friday afternoon to start your weekend? Now you can start your weekend 24 hours ahead of everybody else if you join me for The Thursday Oldies Party. I'll play your requests, we'll play games and contests, and there'll usually be a Top Ten Countdown from between 1955 and 1975.


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IU researchers help discover new disease
Sara Buckallew • 2/9/19
Indiana University School of Medicine researchers, in collaboration with investigators from the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute (IBRI) and around the country, have discovered a new disease.
The disease, called DHPS Deficiency, is a genetic syndrome that results in a neurological disorder, which impacts brain development and function in patients. In a breakthrough study, led by investigators at Columbia University and recently published in "The American Journal of Human Genetics," IU researchers were among the large group of collaborators that characterized the disease and identified the genetic mutations that cause it.
The study involved five affected patients from four unrelated families. The patients, four of whom are children, exhibited similar symptoms, including seizures and delayed development in speech and motor skills. Prior to this study, the cause of these symptoms was unknown. That is, until medical geneticists at Columbia University identified mutations in the deoxyhypusine synthase (DHPS) gene in each study participant.
DHPS is an enzyme that produces a unique amino acid, called hypusine, which is significant to the production of the body's essential proteins. To help determine the relationship between the mutations and patients' symptoms, the team turned to Teresa Mastracci, PhD and Raghu Mirmira, MD, PhD, whose previous work with the DHPS gene puts them among the nation's foremost experts on the topic.
Teresa Mastracci, PhD
"Across the affected families, there were multiple mutations," said Mastracci, senior scientist at the IBRI Diabetes Center. "Our teams recreated those mutations to perform in vitro assays that allowed us to observe their effects on cellular behavior."
They found that the DHPS gene mutations in participants caused a reduction in DHPS enzyme activity. The study determined that this reduction leads to the clinical outcomes observed in the patients.
"It's important to acknowledge the collaborative nature of this study," said Mastracci. "Each investigator and research team brought essential expertise to the work, and our novel findings were the constellation of this collaborative effort. This is the first description of a new monogenic disease, which is incredibly impactful for the affected individuals and their families as well as for future research and treatment efforts."
For Mirmira, director the Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, this study is one of many that embody the mission of the center that he leads.
Raghu Mirmira, MD, PhD
"This is why we're here," Mirmira said. "To identify the causes and mechanisms of pediatric disease and to contribute to the development of new treatments that will heal sick kids. We demonstrated that the DHPS gene is significant and built tools to investigate it further. Now that we see how important it is to neurological development, we can begin to look for ways to help."
Both Mastracci and Mirmira said they intend to build on their existing data by developing models for in vivo analysis of DHPS Deficiency. They said that they hope their models will lead to translational opportunities that result in future treatments for affected children and their families.
Investigators who contributed to this collaborative study represent Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Indiana Biosciences Research Institute, New York University Langone Health, GeneDx, University of Calgary, Duke University Medical Center, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University and the National Institutes of Health.
Teresa Mastracci, PhD, is a senior scientist at the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute (IBRI), where she leads the Regenerative Medicine and Molecular Biology research group within the IBRI Diabetes Center. She is also an adjunct assistant professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at Indiana University School of Medicine.
Raghu Mirmira, MD, PhD, is the Eli Lilly and Company Professor of Pediatric Diabetes. He is the director of the Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases, the Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Disease, and the NIH-funded Medical Scientist Training Program at Indiana University School of Medicine.
Indiana University researcher Kentaro Yamada, PhD, research associate at the Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research, also made contributions to this study.
Sara Buckallew
Sara Buckallew works in the Dean's Office of Strategic Communications. As a communications coordinator, Sara supports internal and external communication needs for the Herman B Wells Center for Pediatric Research and the Center for Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases.
Helping cancer survivors get "back to life" after treatment with new, free wellness center
Child Development – Understanding Why We Do What We Do: The Function of Behaviors
$1.8 million NIH grant funds IU researcher's work on mobile compression device
How in the World did Indiana University School of Medicine Faculty Travel from Fort Wayne to Indianapolis in 1908?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Expenses for members of the Joint Independent Audit and Ethics Committee
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Is it just me, or did most of 2015 and 2016 consist of slightly faded, "golden hour" hipster images with a white font laid on top? Every new website homepage looked the same. And while it was an easy look for anyone buying a WordPress theme to achieve, it boasted no creativity or personality. That's ok. My team and I applaud even louder, now, some of the break-away new website design trends that follow.
Are some of these new website design trends for you? Only you can decide what reflects your brand and what doesn't. However, these trends definitely invite the faint of heart to play and take some risks with texture and shaking up the status-quo.
Now that you have some great ideas for design, remember that you still need to have the right elements in place to get people to take action on your website. If you're a newbie to web conversion or just want a refresher on how to generate leads from your website, check out our guide here.


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Click the button below to add the Snow Performance 400 POWER-MAX Water-Methanol Injection System to your wish list.


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FashionFeature
TextRena Niamh Smith
How sex changed in the 90s
From strippers in Milan to Kate Moss in Calvin Klein, '93 was the year fashion and sex were shaken up for good
In 1993, Calvin Klein sparked outrage when a naked, wet-haired, doe-eyed Kate Moss starred in his "Obsession for Men" campaign, shot by her then-boyfriend Mario Sorrenti. The same year, Moss posed topless for CK Jeans, sparking yet more debate. A girl of her type had never before been shown in this way, and the effect was electric. Redefining the lines of beauty, a bold new concept of sexy was unleashed on Generation X.
Calvin Klein notoriously traded on the intoxicating beauty of youth; over a decade earlier, a 15-year-old Brooke Shields launched CK Jeans in Richard Avedon's commercial to cries of making femme fatale of a young girl. Though Kate was four years older at the time of shooting, her waifish frame seemed yet more controversial. As the designer told People magazine, "she has this childlike, woman-like thing. It's a kind of sexiness that I think is very exciting.''
Perhaps it was a case of context over content. In 1993, fashion was becoming more and more over-sexed in the push for a glamourous, aspirational lifestyle. Designers celebrated full-blooded sex appeal, driving an aesthetic that was just as opulent as the eighties, yet more revealing, sleeker. Roberto Cavalli introduced raucous animal prints in silky-thin fabrics; Dolce and Gabbana took cue from the film stars of the fifties to riff on the subversive erotica of Catholic symbolism; the virile Medusa's head presided over a Versace empire that promoted a renaissance in punk and a return to the high jinks of kink.
Fashion was becoming more and more over-sexed in the push for a glamourous, aspirational lifestyle.
Dazed & Confused, November 1997Photography by Juergen Teller, styling by Katie Grand
Nowhere did the lines blur between fashion and new concepts of sexy than the supple thighs and honed womanhood of the supermodels who dominated catwalks of the day. To out-do the Amazonian allure of Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell et al, Karl Lagerfeld put porn star Moana Pozzi and strippers in swimwear for Fendi, causing Anna Wintour to walk out of the show in disgust. Sexiness was being bought bottle and sold through every beauty treatment, work-out regime and fashion look possible.
Kate represented something fresh. Girls of her ilk had been used by photographers in pages of Dazed & Confused and The Face since the late 1980s, the Calvin Klein campaign was the first time it had been seen by the masses. The American Family Association launched a letter-writing campaign threatening retailers with boycott the label, while bus shelters across the States were plundered for posters in full-life form. The campaign was eventually banned, but the fires of desire for this innocent beauty had been lit."I just fell in love with that picture. She was one of the first women I desired in a magazine," says shoe designer Eugene Riconneaus of the ad this month in Dazed & Confused.
In 1994, Liz Hurley flaunted her body in Versace's safety pin dress; by 2004, Tom Ford had carved out his Gucci logo in the pubic hair of his campaign models.
Kate Moss 19972
In the two decades subsequent to that shoot, taboos about the body have been rigorously hunted down and exploded in a generation obsessed with harder, faster, stronger. In 1994, Liz Hurley flaunted her body in Versace's safety pin dress; by 2004, Tom Ford had carved out his Gucci logo in the pubic hair of his campaign models. Today's runway stars resemble something much closer to the Moss look than the supers of the time. The digital revolution has seen an explosion in exposure to hardcore images; Fendi's use of strippers would hardly go down in the same way today.
Kate's rise to stardom has been credited as being part of the grunge moment of 1993, and in that way it was anti-fashion in extremis. Calvin Klein discovered Moss in her breakthrough editorial with Corinne Day in the Face, in 1988. Twenty years later, Day explained: "I didn't like Eighties fashion because it was all so fake—shoulder pads and makeup. I'd worked as a model in Italy and I always thought the models looked so much more beautiful in everyday life than in the magazines. I liked it when they were being themselves; they looked so much more relaxed and natural."
Yet in terms of our attitudes towards the body, Kate's waif look represents the flipside of the same coin of the 1993 feeling that was obsessed with physique. When Vogue came under fire for using Moss for an editorial with Day, Alexandra Shulman defended her choice: "they capture the spirit of the moment, the move away from the work ethic to a new way of dressing." Getting dressed has never been more concerned with what you do undressed.
FashionFeature93 til InfinityKate Moss1993Calvin KleinSex90s
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A passion for color
American Cinematographer
1996 Jun
Source pagination:
54-56, 58-60, 62
Bernardo Bertolucci and Darius Khondji
Stealing beauty — Bertolucci, Bernardo — Italy; France; Great Britain — 1996
France, Great Britain, and Italy
English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish
Fiction Films, France 2 Cinéma, Jeremy Thomas Productions, Recorded Picture Company, and UGC Images France SA.
Film genre(s):
Drama, Feature, and Romance
Americans -- Italy -- Tuscany -- Drama
Tuscany (Italy) -- Drama
A PDF of this document is available
Materials from the BAMPFA Film Library and Study Center's CineFiles project may be protected by U.S. copyright, and possibly other statutes, even if no copyright symbol appears. Please be advised that we are providing these materials for personal study purposes only, following sections 107 (Fair Use) and 108 (Reproduction by Libraries and Archives) of the U.S. Copyright Act; please contact the publisher to obtain permission for any other type of use.
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(Quick links: genweb.whipple.org/6490 | Whipple One-Name Study)
Daniel Whipple
BIRTH: 1703/1704, of, Glocester, Providence, Rhode Island
DEATH: 29 Dec 1789, Glocester, Providence, Rhode Island
Father: Noah B. Whipple (ABT 1667 - 10 Nov 1703)
Mother: Susannah (____ - ____)
Family 1: Mary Smith (3 Aug 1704 - ____)
MARRIAGE: 6 Nov 1726, Providence, Providence, Rhode Island
+Mercy or Marcy or Marsa Whipple (20 Jan 1726/1727 - 7 Sep 1815)
Enoch or Enock Whipple (ABT 1729 - ____)
+Jonathan Whipple (ABT 1731 - BEF 13 Apr 1805)
+Mary Whipple (ABT 1735 - 6 Dec 1823)
Sarah Whipple (19 Jun 1737 - 31 Jul 1812)
+Abigail Whipple (11 Oct 1740 - 1820)
Amy or Amey Whipple (ABT 1739 - ____)
Hope Whipple (ABT 1741 - ____)
Family 2: Widow Hawkins (____ - ____)
_____________________|__
_John Whipple _______|
|                     |                      __
|                     |_____________________|__
_Samuel Whipple _____|
|                     |                                            __
|                     |                                           |
|                     |                      _____________________|__
|                     |_Sarah ______________|
|                                           |                      __
|                                           |                     |
|                                           |_____________________|__
_Noah B. Whipple ____|
|                     |                                                                  __
|                     |                                                                 |
|                     |                                            _Andrew Harris ______|__
|                     |                                           | (.... - 1616) m 1603
|                     |                      _Thomas Harris ______|
|                     |                     | (.... - 1686) m 1636|
|                     |                     |                     |                      __
|                     |                     |                     |                     |
|                     |                     |                     |_Jane Bagley ________|__
|                     |                     |                        m 1603
|                     |_Mary Harris ________|
|                                           |                                            __
|                                           |                                           |
|                                           |                      _____________________|__
|                                           |_Elizabeth __________|
|                                              m 1636             |
|                                                                 |                      __
|                                                                 |                     |
|                                                                 |_____________________|__
|--Daniel Whipple
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|                                                                 |
|                                            _____________________|
|                                           |                     |                      __
|                                           |                     |                     |
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|                     |                     |                                            __
|                     |                     |                                           |
|                     |                     |                      _____________________|__
|                     |                     |                     |
|                     |                     |_____________________|
|                     |                                           |                      __
|                     |                                           |                     |
|                     |                                           |_____________________|__
|_Susannah ___________|
|                                                                  __
|                                            _____________________|__
|                     |                     |                      __
|                     |                     |_____________________|__
|                                            __
|                      _____________________|__
|_____________________|__
!SOURCE: Genealogies of Rhode Island Families from Rhode Island Periodicals (Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co, 1983), 2:18
!SOURCE: James N. Arnold, Vital Record of Rhode Island, 1636-1850, Vol.2, Providence, Part 1 (Providence: Narragansett Historical Pub. Co., 1892), p. 198.
!SOURCE: Genealogies of Rhode Island Families from Rhode Island Periodicals (Baltimore: Genealogical Pub. Co.), 2:23
!SOURCE: David Jillson, "Descendants of Capt. John Whipple, of Providence, R.I.," New-England Historical and Genealogical Register, 32 (1878): 405.
!PARENTS: Henry E. Whipple, in A Brief Genealogy of the Whipple Families Who Settled in Rhode Island (Providence: A. Crawford Greene, 1873), p. 58, gives Daniel's father as Thomas and Abigail (Jencks) Whipple. Both D. Jillson and Joanne Lahr-Kreischer (email hidden, in a note dated 20 Nov 1997), identify Daniel's father as Noah B. Whipple, Thomas' brother.
!BIRTH: Date given in email from Joanne Lahr-Kreischer to the Whipple Web Site, 20 Nov 1997.
!SOURCE: His will, dated 18 Mar 1788, proved 4 Feb 1790. Abstracted by Nellie M.C. Beaman in "Abstracts of Glocester, Rhode Island Wills," Rhode Island Genealogical Register, vol. 6, no. 1 (Jul 1983), p. 39.
!SOURCE: Will of grandfather Samuel Whipple, dated 9 Mar 1710/11, proved 20 Mar 1710/11, p. 181-2. Abstracted in Abstracts Providence Wills, Rhode Island Genealogical Register, vol. 12, p. 151.
!SOURCE: Reprint of the "Brown genealogy of 1851," submitted to the Whipple Website by Ian Mackie, 20 Oct 2003.
!SOURCE: Email from John Thorne (email hidden) to the Whipple Website, 21 Jun 2007. Gives death date as "exactly 29 Dec 1789 as shown in FHL microfilm #0941847, p. 132, which is the letter of administration of his will issued by the Glocester, RI town council on 5 Apr 1790. Daniel signed his will on 18 Mar 1788 and it was proved on 4 Feb 1790."
RIN 6490. Quick link to this page: https://genweb.whipple.org/6490


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» News » AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES Release Date Changed to September 17 for North America
AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES Release Date Changed to September 17 for North America
By sceditor on May 15, 2019 12:00 AM
A new release date has been announced for Spike Chunsoft's upcoming detective adventure, AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES. The game will be released on September 17 for North America.
We deeply apologize for the change, but we would like to assure the community that it was necessary to ensure the best product possible. We know our fans are eagerly anticipating this title, and we will continue to strive to meet your expectations.
AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES will be available in digital and physical formats for PlayStationⓇ4 and Nintendo Switch™ and digitally for SteamⓇ (PC).


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Ракшава () — сельская гмина (волость) в Польше, входит как административная единица в Ланьцутский повят, Подкарпатское воеводство. Население — 7210 человек (на 2004 год).

Демография
Данные по переписи 2004 года:

Сельские округа
 Конты-Ракшавске
 Ракшава
 Венглиска
 Выдже

Соседние гмины
 Гмина Чарна
 Гмина Лежайск
 Гмина Соколув-Малопольски
 Гмина Жолыня

Предприятия
 SUPRA GROUP производитель кондитерского оборудования

Ссылки
 Официальная страница

Гмины Подкарпатского воеводства

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Go Digital Programme to further support SMEs' digitalisation efforts.
SMEs, IMDA has issued an open call for pre-approved digital solutions for SMEs.
assist them in developing their digital transformation roadmap.
develop and prototype customised solutions for them.
frontier technologies" said Tan Kiat How, Chief Executive, IMDA.
the same industry to identify common digital needs for participating companies.
understand the importance of roadmap planning for business success.
Management University, and Singapore University of Social Sciences.
well as tailored workshops and courses designed for the SME community.
the barrier to grow SME's adoption of digital solution.


The cute little animals gathered around this large banner with a sentiment make for such a sweet card. Eloise used new stamps and dies from Hello Bluebird to create it. I love the idea of this large banner bringing focus to the words and adding smaller elements around it for a different type of scene.
Visit the Ella's Cards blog for a video tutorial.


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THAI Wins Skytrax Most Improved Airline and Best Airline Lounge Spa Awards 2016
Thai Airways International Public Company Limited (THAI) was presented two prestigious and coveted awards at the Skytrax 2016 World Airline Awards ceremony at the Farnborough International Airshow, as the World's Most Improved Airline and the World's Best Airline Lounge Spa Facility. THAI also placed in the top three in three categories: Best Economy Class Onboard Catering - for the quality of meals, quality of food, beverage selection, and visual presentation; Best Airline Staff Service in Asia - for staff service efficiency, friendliness and service hospitality and overall consistency; and World's Best Airport Services.
In receiving these awards, Mr. Charamporn Jotikasthira, THAI President, said, "These awards are a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone at Thai Airways International, devoting great attention to detail in providing service to passengers and having such determination to better ourselves for improved customer satisfaction. It is a testament that we are on the right path – growing and expanding sustainably to serve every customer, whom we value greatly. I am indeed very proud of THAI to have achieved this recognition."
World's Most Improved Airlines
THAI's focus is on being a full-service carrier – a carrier of choice with a touch of Thai identity building on traditional strengths of warm and hospitable service, a key differentiator and is considered the carrier's DNA. THAI has made a number of changes in product offerings and services onboard and at the airports. Since the end of 2015, route by route, THAI has been continually rolling out New Royal Silk Service for Royal Silk Class passengers. This new service concept can be herald as the icon of service. As well THAI has embarked on an operational makeover with the decommissioning of a number of older aircraft in order to offer newer product and smooth experience onboard THAI. THAI is determined to be one of the top airlines in the world in terms of products, services, and customer experience.
World's Best Airline Lounge Spa Facility
For the second consecutive year, Thai Airways International has won in the category of Best Airline Lounge Spa Facility. THAI's Royal Orchid Spa is located at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport, with the spa facility and services primarily designed for THAI Royal First Class and Royal Silk Class passengers departing on international flights operated by THAI. The range of spa services, performed by professionally-trained masseuses, for Royal First class passengers include full body oil massage, neck & shoulder or foot massage, steam rooms, sauna rooms, and shower rooms in tranquil ambience. Royal Silk Class passengers have a choice of the neck & shoulder massage or the foot massage.
World Airline Awards
Skytrax World Airlines Awards are coveted quality accolades for the world airline industry. Travelers from across the globe take part each year in the world's largest airline passenger satisfaction survey to decide the award winners. The World Airline Awards are a global benchmark of airline excellence, and widely known as the Passengers Choice Awards. The airline that achieves the highest upward rating improvement across the different survey categories is awarded as the Most Improved Airline.


Easter Liftout, 2017 - 7 Shop 1/229 Twentyfirst Street, Renmark | 8586 5174 OPEN 7 DAYS MALHI MINI SUPERMARKET Easter Hours FRIDAY 6AM TO 8PM SATURDAY 6AM TO 8PM SUNDAY 6AM TO 8PM MONDAY 6AM TO 8PM MZ0825 AUSTRALIA POST BILLS CAN BE PAID OVER THE EASTER LONG WEEKEND 	Australian Post 	SA Lotteries 	Western Union 	Paybills, Car Rego 	Home Brew Supplies 	General Grocery Lines 	Pet Food 	Bulk Breadmaking Flour & Supplies 	Indian & Asian Groceries in the Riverland MALHI Mini Supermarket will be open for all your needs over the Easter long weekend, with its shelves jam-packed full of something for everyone. The store caters for all custom- ers, selling pet food and home- brew supplies, general grocery lines and more. As an Australia Post outlet, customers can pay their bills, lodge mail, pay vehicle registra- tion, recharge mobiles and send money via Western Union during the public holidays. Looking to have an Easter adventure? Malhi's stocks fishing gear, bait and much more. Don't forget you can purchase your X-lotto and instant scratch- it tickets from the SA Lotteries outlet. Malhi and his team have offered friendly customer service and continue to do so. He is "very grateful" for the support he receives from the com- munity, and he works hard to give back to his customers. He is described by his staff as "community-minded", offering frequent donations for nothing in return. Malhi has been involved with the Renmark and Barmera Christmas pageants, supplying free water, drinks and lollies to the crowd. He is a part of the Riverland Sikh Community and has been heavily involved in past Mi Piri Games, sponsoring several teams with uniform costs and trophies. Malhi has donated goods and his time to past Harmony Day events, Father's Day at Olivewood, SA Rural Women's Gathering Riverland and other events. Later this month, Malhi will trav- el to Adelaide to donate and cook food at the 30th annual Australian Sikh Games. Visit Malhi Mini Supermarket today, open every day from 6am to 8pm and also open on public holidays. Malhi would like to thank all his existing customers for their sup- port and continued patronage. Hop to the Renmark brekkie IF you enjoy free food, free entertainment and chocolate then Renmark's free community Easter breakfast is the place to be this Saturday. Hosted by the Renmark Paringa Lutheran Church, the event will have something for everyone, and more than enough food to go around. It will feature a delicious spread of sausages, eggs on toast, bacon, hamburgers, tea, coffee, Milo and fruit juice. The event takes place on Murray Avenue next to the Renmark Club, from 7.30am to 10.30am. To keep the children enter- tained, free face painting will be available from 8am to 10am, while live music will also add to the entertainment. And there will be plenty of Easter eggs and balloons to go around. The event is hosted by the Renmark Paringa and Lutheran churches, Foodland, Charlies, Glenview Poultry Farm, local Lions and Rotary clubs, Woolworths and the Renmark Paringa Council. Something for everyone at Malhi's Balkar Singh-Malhi, Sarbjeet Kaur and Teresa Gallo can help you with all your needs over the Easter period, with the Malhi Mini Supermarket open every day from 6am to 8pm.


Merv Wilkinson bought Wildwood in 1938 with the intention of farming the land. To that end, he attended farming classes at the University of British Columbia, but when his professor understood the type of land he had, he persuaded Merv to consider studying a Scandinavian model of ecoforestry. Merv eagerly embraced this new concept and put it into practice beginning in 1945 and over the many decades he owned Wildwood. He walked the land constantly and came to know every tree and habitat. He even wrote that he considered the trees, the deer and the woodpeckers as his friends. He was a keen observer and constantly refined his practices to produce a healthier and more sustainable forest. Merv won many awards for his pioneering work in ecoforestry, including the Order of Canada and the Order of British Columbia.
The primary drivers of Merv's forest management plan were to ensure the overall health, diversity, resilience and sustainability of the forest. He harvested trees from Wildwood approximately once every five years, rather than annually, to reduce the impact on the forest. Trees to be harvested were selected on the basis of the soil, light, and density needs of the forest. Merv also considered the market log prices by species, ensuring he was maximizing the value of each cut.
Over time Merv learned to leave logs and woody debris to decompose on the forest floor, as the logs offer habitat to forest creatures and their decomposition adds nutrients for the future forest. He encouraged birds and other wildlife by leaving snags as "hotels" for cavity nesters, and areas of brush as habitat. Merv never used chemical pesticides at Wildwood; the birds that he encouraged, and the balance he maintained in his forest ecosystems, were his main form of pest control.
He retained some of the large prime trees specifically to serve as sources of seed and always depended on natural regeneration, rather than on growing and planting out tree seedlings plantation-style. He also diversified the products he derived from his forest, and had lumber milled on site that was often used in the local community. He cut Christmas trees in multi-year cycles, and also cut wood fence posts, firewood and other specialty goods.
Merv made a practice to never harvest more than the annual growth rate so as to not deplete the forest. He sometimes used an analogy of a bank account to illustrate this forestry principle, noting that if you only draw on the interest of your bank account, you never deplete your savings.
This analogy is helpful, however it does not present a complete picture of ecologically sustainable forestry. For instance, some of the forest growth must also return to the forest floor to decay and build the future forest soil. Thus, over time Merv's theories and selection methodologies evolved and EIS is proud to continue Merv's legacy of learning from the forest.
Help us protect Wildwood and provide educational programs about the forest. Your donation can have far reaching effects.


Musorgsky's musical tribute to the painter and architect Viktor Hartmann has become his most familiar work, and this recording presents the original piano version of Pictures from an Exhibition. It is an extraordinary work, combining intense demands for virtuoso technique with an inexorable momentum which keeps what is fundamentally an impressionistic work in many movements moving towards its grand climax with the 'Great Gate of Kiev' finale.
Prokofiev is one of those composers who would constantly reuse material from one work in another. However, although the Ten Pieces from Romeo and Juliet may seem at first glance to be merely a medley gleaned from the more famous ballet, it should not be forgotten that Prokofiev published the set independently and that it was first performed the year before the finished ballet, perhaps by way of an advertisement for the more challenging (financially, at least) work to follow.
Also included here is Prokofiev's Toccata, written in 1912 while he was at the St Petersburg Conservatoire. The work was possibly conceived as a movement of the Second Piano Sonata, but Prokofiev evidently decided the work was worthy of publication in its own right.
The Russian painter and architect Viktor Hartmann died suddenly in Moscow during the morning of Wednesday 23 July 1873. One of his close friends—not of long standing, for they had met but a few years before—was the composer Modest Musorgsky. In 1856, at the age of seventeen, Musorgsky, scion of a wealthy family, had joined the famous Imperial Preobrazhensky Guards as an officer cadet. Soon after joining the army, Musorgsky was to meet the twenty-three-year-old military doctor Alexander Borodin, who was attached to the same barracks, and their mutual interest in music developed into a close friendship.
Borodin later described his younger colleague as 'a dapper, aristocratic little cadet officer, rather affected and foppish, who would sit at the piano and play excerpts from Verdi's operas'. In those days, the life of a Guards officer in the Russian army was largely given over, socially at least, to drinking, gambling and almost all other forms of licentiousness. The seeds of the chronic alcoholism which claimed Musorgsky's life at the age of forty-two in 1881 were sown at this time.
Borodin also described Musorgsky as a somewhat weak character, an impression certainly not imparted by Musorgsky's music. The death of Viktor Hartmann affected Musorgsky deeply and, within two years of the loss of his friend, Musorgsky was to pay Hartmann two memorial tributes in music. The first was inspired by a large posthumous exhibition of the painter and architect's work, comprising about four hundred watercolours, drawings, sketches (some of which belonged to Musorgsky himself), architectural drawings and impressions of projected buildings and monuments, together with theatrical and costume designs. This major exhibition was held in St Petersburg a year after the death of Hartmann. The initial musical tribute by Musorgsky took the form of a suite for solo piano, affectionately and appropriately titled Pictures at an Exhibition. Each movement takes its inspiration, and title, from one of the exhibits, and occasionally the movements are linked by what Musorgsky termed a Promenade, which may possibly be a self-portrait (albeit not an extensive one) of the composer, strolling through the gallery and looking at each picture in turn. If this is indeed a self-portrait, the composer honestly portrayed himself as being hardly sylph-like, thoughtfully wandering around the exhibition in measured pace.
The Promenade theme itself, marked 'nel modo russico, senza allegrezza, ma poco sostenuto' has the aspect of Russian liturgical chant and is in irregular metre.
Hartmann's death was to inspire, indirectly, another work from Musorgsky, begun at about the same time as Pictures at an Exhibition, but completed in 1877. This is the song-cycle Songs and Dances of Death—interestingly, the song-cycle quotes directly from Pictures.
It is sometimes claimed that, although great pianists are often successful in projecting Pictures at an Exhibition, the work in its original version is not too well conceived for the piano. If this is so, and such a view is often put forward as a justification for the many orchestral (and other) versions which have been made by later composers, the fact that the work demands both a virtuoso technique and deep musical intelligence for its fullest realization is an indication of the quality of the music itself. Musorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition is, on this basis alone, clearly a work of significant importance, stature and originality—the last both in its structure and in its handling of the instrument. It remains the case that many of the effects deployed by Musorgsky that may appear to be what is termed 'unpianistic' on paper turn out to be tremendously effective in performance. Pianists who possess a transcendental technique will have but little difficulty in negotiating those passages which do not lie comfortably under the fingers. If Musorgsky's piano writing does not attempt the conventional Romantic techniques of, say, Liszt or Chopin, it is surely the case that the effects are all well imagined and heard by the composer. They are nowhere inappropriate to the piano and will be fully vindicated if the pianist knows precisely what Musorgsky intended.
One of the more obvious (but little appreciated) aspects of the underlying unity of this essentially impressionistic work is that, despite being in many movements, Pictures at an Exhibition has a strong sense of momentum that imparts a compelling additional continuity to the composition. This reaches its natural (and musical) climax as the music inexorably moves towards the magnificence of the final Great Gate of Kiev—which seems fit to burst the confines of the keyboard. A further little-appreciated feature of the score is that almost all of the material of Pictures at an Exhibition derives from the opening Promenade.
In addition, the ten 'pictures' in the work are taken from several 'types'—namely, the fantastic, the romantic, the humorous, genre pieces and the epic. These are not only contrasted within the overall grouping, but also linked by the five appearances of the Promenade and the thematic unity deriving therefrom. In the romantic Catacombae, and the concluding epic Great Gate of Kiev (a monument planned by Hartmann which was never erected), Musorgsky further unified the composition by incorporating the Promenade within the textures of those movements.
Like all great Russian composers, including Musorgsky of course, Serge Prokofiev was attracted to, and wrote for, the stage; yet—equally like all great Russian composers—we hear rather less of Prokofiev's operas and ballets in the theatre today than in the concert hall or elsewhere. In Prokofiev's case we have the composer himself to thank for making his theatre music more accessible, for he was—of all great twentieth-century composers—perhaps the most thrifty in terms of refashioning his material to various ends. In this regard, of course, he was merely following long-established custom, but Prokofiev continued this practice to a greater degree than almost any other composer.
Such a recreative approach to composition does not apply to all composers, nor to all theatre music. Prokofiev's success in this field stems, at heart, from his own creative methods. His manner of working, established early in his career, hardly varied. He would carry with him a large notebook into which he would jot all his ideas, and when he had accumulated enough material he would begin the score. Before arriving at that stage, however, the material had already gone through several refining processes. The first was that of his creative imagination—for hardly a moment elapsed when Prokofiev was not thinking about the music in question. Secondly, Prokofiev was an exceptionally gifted pianist who, even after he gave up public appearances, played the instrument daily, when he would refashion or try at the keyboard ideas about which he had been thinking, extemporizing at will. The keyboard, therefore, became a powerful tool in Prokofiev's creative process. And when it came to the scores themselves, his orchestral ones in particular, they had much of the appearance of piano reductions—often extended by the addition of extra staves when necessary. More often than not, Prokofiev's music would be first committed to paper in a way which would enable a piano reduction to be made virtually at sight, with very little 'arranging' having to be done. In addition, Prokofiev's music was essentially additive—first one idea, then another, his skill best shown in his ability in joining these elements, in fusing them coherently. In this regard, Prokofiev was a great master. Such an approach is perfect for theatre music, especially the 'classical' ballet.
Around the early part of 1934, Prokofiev was edging towards making the decision which became irrevocable for him—a permanent return to Russia after his post-Revolutionary years in the West. His previous ballets—four in total—had each received their premieres in Paris, but the Kirov Theatre in Leningrad was anxious to tempt Prokofiev with the offer of a new, large-scale work. However, the negotiations were inconclusive, and the contract for Prokofiev's fifth ballet, Romeo and Juliet, was signed with the rival Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow. The music was written, at Prokofiev's usual speed, in the summer of 1935, and the ballet was ready to go into rehearsal at the turn of the year. But an artistic bombshell was about to explode. In January 1936, Dmitri Shostakovich's successful opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk and his new ballet The Limpid Stream were fiercely denounced in two Pravda editorials, throwing the musical world into turmoil. All new productions were put in jeopardy; the Bolshoi then declared that Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet could not be danced to, and the proposed production was cancelled.
Prokofiev was disheartened, but not devastated; if he did not realize the seriousness of the official threat to art, in any event he had, quite by chance, luckily ensured his acceptance as a genuine Soviet artist by the phenomenal success of Peter and the Wolf and the suite from the film of Lieutenant Kijé. In spite of the failure to get an early production of Romeo and Juliet in Russia, Prokofiev did all he could to rescue his score—which he must have known was excellent—from oblivion. He made two orchestral suites for concert use, and a set of ten pieces for solo piano, which he published as his Opus 75. Prokofiev himself first performed the Ten Pieces from Romeo and Juliet publicly in Moscow in 1937, and this suite marked the first appearance of the Romeo and Juliet music in any form in print.
The items of the piano suite were, as we noted earlier, close to the 'original' version of the ballet music; the publication of Prokofiev's Opus 75 proved useful as a means of promoting the ballet itself, and it was in December 1938 that Romeo and Juliet was first staged, not in the USSR but in Brno, Czechoslovakia. The Russian premiere was given, curiously, not by the Bolshoi Company that had commissioned it, but by the Kirov Company, in Leningrad, in January 1940.
However, it cannot be emphasized too strongly that Prokofiev's Opus 75 has to be considered as a separate independent piano work, not as a 'second hand' score. In the piano suite, the ballet order is changed considerably, for musical reasons—we should not expect a depiction of the stage events in sequence—and the piano version differs in some material respects from the orchestral scores (the ballet score and the concert suites). Prokofiev's use of a separate opus number and his own public performance of the work in recital clearly show the importance he himself placed upon the keyboard version. But no matter in what form we hear this music, it could be by no other composer.
Prokofiev's distinctive, admirable and unforgettable genius is apparent in almost all of his first seventeen published compositions, that is to say those written during the latter half of his time as a student at the St Petersburg Conservatoire—which he attended for ten years from 1904. These include his brilliant Toccata in D minor, written in 1912 and published the following year. There is some internal evidence to suggest that the composer originally intended the Toccata to form part of his Second Piano Sonata, Op 14, composed at the same time and sharing the same tonality, but withdrew it and issued it as a separate concert piece. It appears that the first public performance of this work did not take place until 10 December 1916, given by the composer himself, in a recital that included the first performance also of his Sarcasms, five piano pieces, Op 17.
Le mercredi 23 juillet 1873, au matin, disparut subitement à Moscou Viktor Hartmann, peintre et architecte russe qui comptait parmi ses amis intimes le compositeur Modeste Moussorgski, rencontré juste quelques années auparavant. Ce dernier, issu d'une riche famille, était entré comme cadet chez les célèbres gardes impériaux de Preobrajenski en 1856, à dix-sept ans. Il devait, peu après, faire la connaissance du médecin militaire Alexandre Borodine (alors âgé de vingt-trois ans), attaché à la même caserne; leur goût commun pour la musique se mua en une étroite amitié.
Par la suite, Borodine décrivit son jeune collègue comme «un petit cadet soigné, aristocratique, plutôt affecté et dandy, qui s'asseyait au piano et jouait des extraits d'opéras de Verdi». À cette époque, la vie sociale d'un officier des gardes impériaux de l'armée russe était largement consacrée à la boisson, aux jeux et à presque toutes les autres formes de licence. Ainsi furent semées les graines de l'alcoolisme chronique qui devait emporter Moussorgski en 1881, à quarante-deux ans.
Borodine décrivit également Moussorgski comme un personnage quelque peu faible, une impression qui ne transparaît certainement pas dans ses œuvres. Profondément affecté par la perte de son ami Viktor Hartmann, Moussorgski lui rendit deux hommages musicaux dans les deux années qui suivirent sa disparition. Le premier fut inspiré par une grande exposition posthume consacrée à l'œuvre du peintre et architecte, avec quelque quatre cents aquarelles, dessins, esquisses (dont certaines appartenant à Moussorgski lui-même), dessins architecturaux et tirages de bâtiments et de monuments en projet, de même que des études pour le théâtre et des ébauches de costumes. Cette grande exposition se déroula à Saint-Pétersbourg, un an après la mort de Hartmann. Le premier hommage musical de Moussorgski revêtit la forme d'une suite pour piano solo, intitulée avec affection, et à-propos, Tableaux d'une exposition. Les mouvements, qui doivent tous leur inspiration et leur titre à l'une des pièces exposées, sont parfois reliés par ce que Moussorgski appela une Promenade, autoportrait possible (mais bref) du compositeur déambulant à travers la galerie et regardant les tableaux un à un. S'il s'agit effectivement d'un autoportrait, Moussorgski s'est honnêtement dépeint sous les traits d'un personnage guère gracile, parcourant pensivement l'exposition d'un pas mesuré.
Le thème de la Promenade, marqué «nel modo russico, senza allegrezza, ma poco sostenuto», présente l'aspect du chant liturgique russe et est sis dans une mesure irrégulière.
La mort de Hartmann fut aussi l'inspiratrice indirecte d'une autre œuvre de Moussorgski, entreprise grosso modo en même temps que Tableaux d'une exposition, mais achevée en 1877: le cycle de mélodies Chants et danses de la mort qui, fait intéressant, reprend directement Tableaux.
D'aucuns prétendent parfois que, bien que les grands pianistes parviennent souvent à rendre l'œuvre, Tableaux d'une exposition n'est pas, dans sa version originale, très bien conçue pour le piano. S'il en est ainsi—et pareille opinion est souvent avancée pour justifier les nombreuses versions orchestrales (et autres) de compositeurs ultérieurs—, la technique virtuose et la profonde intelligence musicale nécessaires à l'entière réalisation de cette pièce sont le signe de la qualité intrinsèque de la musique. Sur cette seule base, Tableaux d'une exposition est, de toute évidence, une œuvre d'une importance, d'une stature et d'une originalité (dans sa structure comme dans son traitement de l'instrument) majeures. Reste que nombre des effets déployés par Moussorgski, qui peuvent sembler «non pianistiques» sur le papier, se révèlent terriblement efficaces à l'interprétation. Les pianistes doués d'une technique transcendantale n'auront guère de peine à négocier ces passages malaisés. Si l'écriture pianistique de Moussorgski n'essaie pas les techniques romantiques conventionnelles d'un Liszt ou d'un Chopin, chaque effet est assurément bien imaginé et entendu par le compositeur. Aucun n'est inadapté au piano et tous seront pleinement défendus si le pianiste connait précisément les intentions de Moussorgski.
L'un des aspects les plus manifestes (mais peu pris en compte) de l'unité sous-jacente de cette œuvre fondamentalement impressionniste est que ses nombreux mouvements n'excluent pas un fort sentiment d'élan, source d'un irrésistible supplément de continuité. L'ensemble atteint son apogée naturel (et musical) à mesure que la musique se meut inexorablement vers la magnificence de la Grande porte de Kiev finale—qui semble prête à faire éclater les limites du clavier. Autre trait mésestimé de la partition: la quasi-totalité de son matériau provient de la Promenade initiale.
De plus, les dix «tableaux» de l'œuvre empruntent à différents «genres», à savoir les genres fantastique, romantique et humoristique, les pièces de caractère et le genre épique. Bien que mis en contraste à l'intérieur du regroupement global, ils sont liés par les cinq apparitions de la Promenade et par l'unité thématique qui en dérive. Ainsi, Moussorgski unifia davantage la composition en incorporant la Promenade aux textures du romantique Catacombes et de l'épique Grande porte de Kiev (un monument conçu par Hartmann, mais qui ne vit jamais le jour) conclusive.
À l'instar de tous les grands compositeurs russes (Moussorgski y compris, bien sûr), Serge Prokofiev fut attiré par la scène, pour laquelle il écrivit d'ailleurs; cependant, ses opéras et ses ballets—comme ceux de tous les grands compositeurs russes—demeurent plutôt moins entendus au théâtre que dans les salles de concert, ou autre part. Nous devons remercier Prokofiev d'avoir rendu sa musique de théâtre plus accessible, lui qui fut peut-être le plus florissant de tous les grands compositeurs du XXe siècle en termes de refonte de son matériau à diverses fins. Certes, il ne fit que suivre une tradition établie depuis longtemps, mais il le fit bien davantage que presque tous les autres compositeurs.
Une telle approche de recréation compositionnelle ne s'applique ni à tous les compositeurs, ni à toutes les musiques de théâtre. Le succès de Prokofiev en la matière résulte, au fond, de ses propres méthodes de création. Établie tôt dans sa carrière, sa manière de travailler varia peu: il portait sur lui un grand carnet dans lequel il notait toutes ses idées, commençant la partition dès qu'il avait accumulé assez de matériau. Mais, avant d'arriver à cette étape, le matériau avait déjà subi plusieurs épurements. Le premier était celui de l'imagination créatrice du compositeur, qui ne restait guère un instant sans penser à la musique en question. Prokofiev était, de surcroît, un pianiste exceptionnellement doué, qui continua à jouer du piano tous les jours—même après avoir renoncé à toute apparition publique—pour reforger ou essayer les idées pianistiques auxquelles il avait pensé, improvisant à volonté. Le clavier devint ainsi un outil puissant dans son processus créateur, et ses partitions, surtout ses partitions orchestrales, ressemblèrent beaucoup à des réductions pour piano—souvent prolongées, lorsque nécessaire, par l'adjonction de portées supplémentaires. Prokofiev commençait généralement par coucher sa musique sur le papier, de manière à pouvoir exécuter une réduction pour piano presque à vue, avec très peu d'«arrangements». De plus, sa musique fonctionnait essentiellement par ajout—d'abord une idée, puis une autre, la maîtrise du compositeur ressortant le mieux dans sa capacité à joindre ces éléments en les fusionnant avec cohérence. Prokofiev fut, à cet égard, un grand maître. Une telle approche est parfaite pour la musique de théâtre, en particulier pour le ballet «classique».
Au début de 1934, Prokofiev s'achemina vers une décision irrévocable: son retour permanent en Russie, après ses années postrévolutionnaires passées en Occident. Les premières de ses quatre précédents ballets avaient toutes été données à Paris, mais le Kirov de Leningrad s'empressa d'attirer Prokofiev avec une proposition d'œuvre nouvelle, à grande échelle. Mais les négociations n'aboutirent pas et Prokofiev signa le contrat pour son cinquième ballet, Roméo et Juliette, avec le Bolchoï de Moscou, rival. Il écrivit la musique à sa vitesse habituelle, durant l'été 1935, et le ballet fut prêt à être répété au tournant de l'année. Mais une bombe artistique était sur le point d'exploser: en janvier 1936, l'opéra à succès de Dimitri Chostakovitch, Lady Macbeth de Mzensk et son nouveau ballet Le Ruisseau clair furent férocement condamnés dans deux éditoriaux de la Pravda, mettant le monde musical en émoi et toutes les nouvelles productions en péril; de fait, le Bolchoï déclara que le Roméo et Juliette de Prokofiev ne pourrait être dansé et annula le projet.
Prokofiev fut découragé, mais non anéanti; s'il ne réalisa jamais la gravité de la menace officielle sur l'art, il s'était assuré, absolument par hasard, sa reconnaissance en tant qu'artiste soviétique authentique grâce au succès phénoménal de Pierre et le loup et de la suite extraite du film Lieutenant Kijé. Ne parvenant pas à obtenir une première production de Roméo et Juliette en Russie, il fit tout ce qui était en son pouvoir pour sauver sa partition—qu'il devait savoir excellente—de l'oubli. Il réalisa ainsi, outre deux suites orchestrales de concert, un corpus de dix pièces pour piano solo, publié sous le numéro d'opus 75. Il donna lui-même la première exécution publique des Dix Pièces de Roméo et Juliette à Moscou, en 1937, et cette suite marqua la première apparition de la musique de Roméo et Juliette sous forme imprimée.
Les pièces de la suite pour piano furent, comme nous l'avons déjà noté, proches de la version «originale» de la musique de ballet; la publication de l'op. 75 de Prokofiev se révéla un utile moyen de promotion du ballet lui-même et Roméo et Juliette fut monté pour la première fois en décembre 1938, non en U.R.S.S. mais en Tchécoslovaquie, à Brno. Curieusement, la première russe fut donnée non par le Bolchoï, commanditaire de l'œuvre, mais par le Kirov de Léningrad, en janvier 1940.
Cependant, l'on n'insistera jamais assez sur le fait que l'op. 75 de Prokofiev doit être considéré comme une œuvre pour piano indépendante et distincte, et non comme une partition de «seconde main». La suite pour piano change considérablement l'ordre du ballet pour des raisons musicales—nous ne devons pas nous attendre à une peinture des événements scéniques dans l'ordre—et la version pour piano diffère, à certains égards matériels, des partitions orchestrales (la partition de ballet et les suites de concert). L'usage d'un numéro d'opus distinct, ajouté au fait que Prokofiev interpréta la Suite en récital, montre clairement l'importance que le compositeur accordait à la version pour clavier. Mais peu importe la forme sous laquelle nous entendons cette musique, elle ne saurait être d'un autre compositeur.
Le génie particulier, admirable et inoubliable de Prokofiev est manifeste dans presque toutes ses dix-sept premières compositions publiées, à savoir celles écrites dans la seconde moitié de ses études au Conservatoire de Saint-Pétersbourg—dont il suivit les cours pendant dix ans à partir de 1904. Ces pièces comprennent sa brillante Toccata en ré mineur, composée en 1912 et publiée en 1913. Quelques éléments internes suggèrent que Prokofiev la conçut initialement comme une partie de sa Seconde sonate pour piano, op. 14, composée à la même époque, dans la même tonalité; mais il se ravisa et la publia comme une pièce de concert indépendante. Le compositeur interpréta lui-même la première publique de cette œuvre, qui ne se déroula pas avant le 10 décembre 1916, lors d'un récital incluant aussi la première de ses Sarcasmes, cinq pièces pour piano, op. 17.
Der Russische Maler und Architekt Viktor Hartmann verstarb völlig unerwartet in Moskau am Morgen des 23. Juli 1873. Einer seiner engsten Freunde war der Komponist Modest Mussorgsky—allerdings noch nicht lange, da sie sich erst wenige Jahre zuvor kennenlernten. Im Jahre 1856 ging Mussorgsky, Sohn einer wohlhabenden Familie, im Alter von siebzehn Jahren als Offizierskadett zur berühmten Imperialen Preobrajensky Garde. Kurz nachdem Mussorgsky zur Armee ging, machte er Bekanntschaft mit dem dreiundzwanzigjährigen Militärarzt Alexander Borodin, der in der selben Kaserne tätig war. Durch ihr gemeinsames Interesse an der Musik entwickelte sich eine enge Freundschaft.
Zu einem späteren Zeitpunkt beschrieb Borodin seinen jüngeren Kollegen als einen "gepflegten, aristokratischen kleinen Offiziersanwärter, ziemlich affektiert und geckenhaft, der am Klavier saß und Stücke aus Verdis Opern spielte". Damals war das gesellschaftliche Leben von Gardeoffizieren der russischen Armee gekennzeichnet vom Trinken, Glücksspiel und allen möglichen anderen Formen der Unmoral. Der chronische Alkoholismus, an dem Mussorgsky 1881 im Alter von 42 Jahren starb, hatte seinen Ursprung wohl zu jener Zeit.
Borodin beschrieb Mussorgsky auch als eine etwas schwache Person, ein Eindruck der gewiß nicht von Mussorgskys Musik herrührte. Der Tod Viktor Hartmanns traf Mussorgsky schwer—in den beiden Jahren nach dem Verlust seines Freundes ehrte er ihn mit zwei musikalischen Hommagen. Das erste Werk wurde durch eine posthume Ausstellung über das Schaffen dieses Malers und Architekten angeregt. Dort waren rund vierhundert Aquarelle, Zeichnungen, Skizzen (einige davon waren in Mussorgskys Besitz), architektonische Zeichnungen und Impressionen geplanter Bauwerke und Monumente, sowie Theater- und Kostümentwürfe zu sehen. Diese große Ausstellung fand ein Jahr nach dem Tode Hartmanns in Sankt Petersburg statt. Mussorgskys erste musikalische Hommage nahm die Form einer Suite für Soloklavier an und erhielt den liebevollen und passenden Titel Bilder einer Ausstellung. Jeder einzelne Satz bezieht seine Inspiration und seinen Titel aus einem der Exponate, und zeitweise sind die Sätze durch etwas verbunden, was Mussorgsky als Promenade bezeichnete und möglicherweise eine Selbstdarstellung des Komponisten verkörpert (wenn auch keine ausführliche), der durch die Galerien schlendert und nach und nach die Bilder betrachtet. Wenn es sich dabei in der Tat um eine Selbstdarstellung handeln sollte, so porträtierte sich Mussorgsky ganz ehrlich als jemanden, der sich kaum wie eine Sylphe, sondern nachdenklich und in angemessenem Tempo durch die Ausstellung treiben läßt.
Das Thema der Promenade selbst ist als "nel modo russico, senza allegrezza, ma poco sostenuto" gekennzeichnet, hat die Erscheinung eines russischen Liturgiegesangs und verfügt über ein unregelmäßiges Metrum.
Der Tod Hartmanns regte indirekt noch ein weiteres Werk Mussorgskys an, das er in etwa zur selben Zeit wie Bilder einer Ausstellung begann, aber erst 1877 fertigstellte. Dabei handelt es sich um den Liederzyklus Lieder und Tänze des Todes—interessanterweise bezieht sich der Liederzyklus direkt auf die Bilder einer Ausstellung.
Wenn auch große Pianisten die Bilder einer Ausstellung oft mit Erfolg vortragen, so hört man doch gelegentlich die Meinung, daß das Werk in seiner ursprünglichen Fassung eigentlich nicht für das Klavier bestimmt war. Falls dies so sein sollte—diese Ansicht wird oft als Rechtfertigung für viele Orchester- und sonstige Versionen späterer Komponisten verwendet—so ist die Tatsache, daß dieses Werk zur vollständigen Realisierung sowohl nach einer virtuosen Technik als auch nach einer tiefen musikalischen Intelligenz verlangt, ein Merkmal für die Qualität der Musik. Mussorgskys Bilder einer Ausstellung ist alleine auf dieser Grundlage ganz unbestritten ein Werk von enormer Bedeutung, Format und Originalität—sowohl im Aufbau als auch im Umgang mit den Instrumenten. Viele der von Mussorgsky eingesetzten Effekte, die auf dem Papier vielleicht als "unpianistisch" erscheinen mögen, erweisen sich bei der Aufführung als äußerst wirkungsvoll. Pianisten mit transzendentaler Technik werden bei der Meisterung dieser Passagen mit ihrem unbequemen Fingerspiel nur wenig Mühe haben. Wenn auch Mussorgsky bei seinen Klavierkompositionen nicht den Versuch unternimmt, die herkömmlichen Techniken der Romantik eines, sagen wir mal, Liszt oder Chopin nachzuahmen, so ist es ganz sicher der Fall, daß der Komponist jegliche Effekte genau vor Augen hatte und hörte. An keiner Stelle sind sie für das Klavier unangebracht; erst durch einen Pianisten, der genau versteht, was Mussorgsky beabsichtigte, werden sie völlig gerechtfertigt.
Ein viel augenfälliger (wenn auch kaum gewürdigter) Aspekt der grundlegenden Einheit dieses dem Wesen nach impressionistischen Werkes ist das starke Gefühl der Dynamik über das Bilder einer Ausstellung verfügt, welches der Komposition, trotz der Vielzahl der Sätze, eine zusätzliche, zwingende Kontinuität verleiht. Ihren natürlichen (und musikalischen) Höhepunkt erreicht die Komposition, indem sich die Musik unaufhaltsam auf den glanzvollen Abschluß mit dem Großen Tor von Kiew hinzubewegt—welcher im Stande zu sein scheint, die Einschränkungen der Tastatur zu durchbrechen. Ein weiteres, ebenso wenig geschätztes Merkmal der Partitur ist die Tatsache, daß nahezu das gesamte Material der Bilder einer Ausstellung ihren Ursprung in der Promenade zu Beginn hat.
Zudem verkörpern die zehn "Bilder" dieses Werkes verschiedene "Typen"—nämlich das Phantastische, das Romantische, das Humorvolle, Genrestücke sowie das Epos. Diese bilden nicht nur in der Gesamtzusammenstellung untereinander einen Kontrast, sondern sind des weiteren durch das fünffache Auftauchen der Promenade und der daraus resultierenden thematischen Einheit miteinander verbunden. Mit den romantischen Katakomben und dem abschließenden Epos Großes Tor von Kiew (einem von Hartmann geplanten, aber nie errichteten Bauwerk) gibt Mussorgsky der Komposition durch die Miteinbeziehung der Promenade in das Gefüge jener Sätze etwas zusätzlich Einendes.
Serge Prokofjew hatte, wie alle bedeutenden russischen Komponisten (darunter selbstverständlich auch Mussorgsky), eine Vorliebe für die Bühne, für die er auch schrieb, und dennoch hören wir heute Prokofjews Opern und Ballette nicht gerade häufig im Theater, sondern vielmehr in Konzerthallen und anderenorts—ähnlich ergeht es auch allen anderen großen russischen Komponisten. Im Falle Prokofjews sind wir dem Komponisten zu Dank verpflichtet dafür, daß er seine Theatermusik etwas zugänglicher gestaltete, denn bei ihm handelte es sich wohl—unter allen bedeutenden Komponisten des zwanzigsten Jahrhunderts—um den sparsamsten hinsichtlich endloser Umgestaltungen seiner Kompositionen zu ständig neuen Versionen. Diesbezüglich folgte Prokofjew freilich bloß einem längst gefestigten Brauch, jedoch in einem weitaus höherem Maße als quasi jeder andere Komponist.
Eine so entspannte Vorgehensweise beim Komponieren findet man nicht bei allen Komponisten—ebensowenig bei allen Theatermusiken. Prokofjews Erfolg auf diesem Gebiet rührt, ganz im Inneren, von seiner eigenen Kreativität her. Von seiner schon früh im Leben gefestigten Arbeitsweise wich er kaum ab. Er hatte stets einen großen Notizblock bei sich, in dem er seine Ideen festhielt, und sobald er genügend Material zusammengetragen hatte, begann er mit der Partitur. Bevor dieses Material allerdings auf die Bühne gelangte, war es bereits etlichen Nachbesserungen unterzogen worden. Zunächst einmal war da seine kreative Phantasie—denn kaum ein Augenblick verstrich, in dem Prokofjew nicht mit den Gedanken bei der entsprechenden Musik war. Und zweitens handelte es sich bei Prokofjew um einen außerordentlich begnadeten Pianisten, der selbst nachdem er nicht mehr öffentlich auftrat, noch täglich Klavier spielte und dabei stets die Stücke auf der Tastatur umgestaltete, neue Ideen ausprobierte und nach Belieben improvisierte. Die Tastatur wurde daher für Prokofjew zu einem ausdrucksvollen Mittel in seiner kreativen Entwicklung. Und die Partituren selbst, insbesondere jene für Orchester, erinnerten oft an verkürzte Fassungen für Klavier—die, falls nötig, oft noch durch das Hinzufügen zusätzlicher Notensysteme ausgedehnt wurden. In vielen Fällen wurde Prokofjews Musik zunächst in einer Form zu Papier gebracht, in der verkürzte Fassungen für Klavier quasi aus dem Stegreif gemacht werden konnten, ohne dabei viel "arrangieren" zu müssen. Hinzu kommt, daß Prokofjews Musik im wesentlichen aufeinander aufbaute—zunächst eine Idee, dann eine weitere; sein Können zeigte sich vor allem in seiner Fähigkeit, verschiedene Elemente miteinander zu verbinden, sie zusammenhängend verschmelzen zu lassen. Darin war Prokofjew wahrlich ein Meister. Diese Technik ist wie geschaffen für Theatermusik, insbesondere für das "klassische" Ballett.
Anfang 1934 traf Prokofjew eine etwas zögerliche Entscheidung, die sich für ihn als unumkehrbar herausstellen sollte—und zwar, daß er nach seinen postrevolutionären Jahren im Westen für immer nach Rußland zurückkehren werde. Seine bisherigen Ballette—vier an der Zahl—wurden alle in Paris uraufgeführt, doch nun war das Kirov-Theater in Leningrad darum bemüht, Prokofjew für ein großes, neues Werk zu engagieren. Die Verhandlungen verliefen allerdings ergebnislos, so daß der Auftrag für Prokofjews fünftes Ballett Romeo und Julia mit dem rivalisierenden Bolschoi-Theater in Moskau unterzeichnet wurde. Prokofjew schrieb die Musik dazu im Sommer 1935 im für ihn üblichen Tempo, und schon zur darauffolgenden Jahreswende begann man mit den Proben fürs Ballett. Doch bald schon sollte in künstlerischer Hinsicht eine Bombe einschlagen. Im Januar 1936 wurden Dmitri Schostakowitschs erfolgreiche Oper Lady Macbeth von Mzensk sowie sein neues Ballett Der klare Bach in zwei Leitartikeln der Prawda aufs heftigste gebrandmarkt, was die Musikwelt in helle Aufruhr versetzte. Alle neuen Produktionen standen nun auf des Messers Schneide. Schließlich erklärte das Bolschoi Prokofjews Romeo und Julia als "nicht tanzbar", die geplante Produktion wurde somit gestrichen.
Prokofjew war entmutigt, aber nicht verzweifelt. Wenn er sich auch nicht vollends über die Schwere der Bedrohung der Kunst durch die Staatsmacht im klaren war, so hatte er dennoch, eher durch Glück und Zufall, durch den phänomenalen Erfolg von Peter und der Wolf und der Suite aus dem Film Leutnant Kijé als echter Sowjetkünstler Anerkennung gefunden. Und obwohl es in Rußland nicht zu einer frühen Aufführung von Romeo und Julia kam, so setzte Prokofjew alles nur mögliche daran, um seine Partitur—von deren Großartigkeit er wohl überzeugt war—vor einem Fall in die Vergessenheit zu bewahren. Er schrieb zwei Orchestersuiten zur Konzertverwendung sowie eine Serie aus zehn Stücken für das Soloklavier, die er als sein Opus 75 veröffentlichte. Prokofjew präsentierte die Zehn Stücke aus Romeo und Julia erstmals 1937 in Moskau; diese Suite war zugleich die allererste gedruckte Fassung der Romeo und Julia-Musik.
Die Elemente der Pianosuite waren, wie bereits erwähnt wurde, nah an der "Original"-Fassung der Ballettmusik. Wie sich herausstellte, erwies sich die Veröffentlichung von Prokofjews Opus 75 als geeignetes Mittel, um das Ballett selbst publik zu machen; im Dezember 1938 wurde Romeo und Julia schließlich zum ersten Mal aufgeführt, und zwar nicht in der UdSSR, sondern im tschechischen Brünn. Die russische Erstaufführung gab merkwürdigerweise nicht das Bolschoi, das ja der Auftraggeber war, sondern im Januar 1940 die Leningrader Kirov-Gesellschaft.
Man kann es jedoch nicht deutlich genug hervorheben, daß Prokofjews Opus 75 als völlig eigenständiges und unabhängiges Klavierwerk zu betrachten ist, und nicht nur als eine Partitur aus "zweiter Hand". Bei der Pianosuite gibt es aus musikalischen Gründen eine wesentliche Änderung der Ballettanordnung (man sollte hier keine aufreihende Darstellung der Bühnengeschehnisse erwarten); die Klavierfassung unterscheidet sich von den Orchesterpartituren (Ballettpartitur und Konzertsuiten) hinsichtlich des verwendeten Materials. Die Tatsache, daß Prokofjew eine eigene Opusnummer verwendete und die Suite persönlich im Rahmen eines Konzertes vortrug, unterstreicht ganz klar die Bedeutung, die er der Klavierfassung beimaß. Doch ganz gleich in welcher Version wir die Musik hören, sie könnte von keinem anderen Komponisten sein.
Prokofjews einzigartige, bewundernswerte und unvergeßliche Schöpferkraft findet man in nahezu all seinen ersten siebzehn veröffentlichten Kompositionen; gemeint sind damit jene, die er während der zweiten Hälfte seines Studiums am Sankt Petersburger Konservatorium schuf, das er ab 1904 zehn Jahre besuchte. Darunter fällt auch seine 1912 geschriebene und im darauffolgenden Jahr veröffentlichte, brillante Toccata in d-Moll. Es gibt im Inneren Hinweise darauf, daß der Komponist ursprünglich beabsichtigte, die Toccata als Bestandteil in seine Zweite Klaviersonate, Op. 14, aufzunehmen, die er zur gleichen Zeit komponierte und die über die selbe Tonalität verfügt. Er nahm sie schließlich wieder heraus und veröffentlichte sie als separates Konzertstück. Die erste öffentliche Präsentation dieses Werkes gab es erst am 10. Dezember 1916, als es Prokofjew selbst im Rahmen eines Konzertes spielte, in dem er auch seine Sarkasmen, fünf Klavierstücke, Op. 17, zum ersten Mal vortrug.


Rarely if ever has a collaboration between artist and muse yielded such rich cinematic treasure.
Master director Akira Kurosawa and his favorite actor Toshiro Mifune worked together on sixteen films in as many years. Most of these titles achieve a very high level of quality and hold up beautifully, while a few are truly brilliant.
When the young director first spotted his future star at an audition shortly after the end of the Second War, the would-be actor was flailing around in a fit of intensity that took Kurosawa aback.
Never one to be unduly impressed by histrionic actors, Kurosawa could not get Mifune's wild performance out of his head. So he hired him for the movie that would establish his own reputation as an up-and-coming director, "Drunken Angel" (1948).
Two years later, "Rashomon," their third outing together, opened to lukewarm reviews. Then someone thought to enter it in the Venice Film Festival, where against all odds it won top prize.
"Rashomon" became an international sensation virtually overnight, winning an Oscar as the outstanding foreign film of 1951. More importantly, it opened up the Japanese film market to the rest of the world. Kurosawa would quickly become the most recognized Japanese director outside Japan, and Mifune the most recognized face.
Kurosawa and Mifune would build on their success over the next fifteen years, alternating between period samurai features and modern-day titles. Their final collaboration was on 1965's "Red Beard" where lingering tensions between these two very strong men would finally erupt.
An estrangement of nearly three decades followed. While Mifune's career held, he realized that his best work was behind him. Kurosawa, meanwhile, went into a slump that precipitated a suicide attempt in 1971. Fortunately, he rebounded and would come back to make several more films, including his late epic, "Ran" (1985).
The two men had no contact until they both attended the funeral of "Godzilla" director Ishiro Honda in 1993. There, they embraced tearfully, perhaps sensing this might be their last opportunity to reconcile. Both men would pass away within a year of each other: first, Mifune on Christmas Eve, 1997, then his mentor the following September.
Of course, the enduring work they did together will never die. It was a match made in...Japan.
Dark, atmospheric drama concerns an alcoholic doctor who treats tubercular gangster Matsunaga (Mifune) at his seedy clinic. The two men gradually develop a bond, but even the well-meaning doctor can't help his volatile patient when Matsunaga's old boss gets out of jail.
Japanese noir features Mifune as a rookie cop who loses his gun to a pickpocket on a crowded bus. He ultimately discovers the gun was used in a homicide, compounding his guilt and urgency to nab the culprit. Soon we recognize there's only a thin line separating the vengeful detective from his quarry.
Dreamlike film concerns the shifting, subjective nature of memory. A thief (Mifune) confronts a couple on horseback in the woods — the man is killed, the wife raped. Yet the recollections of the thief and the other witnesses to the crime differ markedly, creating doubt as to what really happened.
A group of townspeople in feudal Japan are terrorized by bandits who come every year to steal their rice crop. Desperate, they hire a team of samurai to train and protect them when the next assault happens. Mifune plays a loudmouth braggart who nevertheless is very good with a sword.
Here Mifune plays a warrior returning from battle who encounters an old female mystic. She predicts his unlikely rise to power, and when her prophesy starts to come true, the warrior and his wife decide to hasten the process. Kurosawa's adaptation of "Macbeth" fires on all cylinders.
During a feudal war, two bumbling peasants help a noble samurai (Mifune) and the silent young woman in his charge get past enemy lines with a large cache of gold. This diverting adventure tale features a leavening dose of humor, and became George Lucas's inspiration for "Star Wars"!
In this tense, modern day variation on "Hamlet," Mifune plays an executive who weds the boss's daughter. But is he marrying for love? We gradually discover that he carries a longstanding grudge against his father-in-law. Though fond of his wife, vengeance is what really drives him.
Mifune is Sanjuro, a samurai for hire who secretly cuts a deal with both warring sides in a village, then sits back to observe all the chaos while the residents cower behind closed doors. This darkly amusing tale of manipulation was remade by Sergio Leone as "A Fistful of Dollars," with Clint Eastwood.
In this entertaining sequel to "Yojimbo," the uncouth but fearless Sanjuro (Mifune again) helps an aspiring samurai and eight of his pals save the young man's uncle, a high government official who's been arrested on trumped-up charges. Mifune has lots of fun here — and so do we.
Mifune plays the head of a successful shoe company forced to deal with kidnappers who mistakenly abduct his chauffeur's son rather than his own. At first reluctant to pay, he soon realizes he must do all he can to save this child's life. Kurosawa adapted this gripping story from an Ed McBain novel!


text:
Predictions for an Unwritten Future
The months since September 11th have been unsettling for our nation. The twin specters of war and economic recession weigh heavily on the national consciousness. The Middle East conflict intensifies, with no peaceful end in sight. Government intervention- in the economy, in the private affairs of citizens, and in the internal affairs of foreign nations- has accelerated. Federal spending is growing wildly, and annual deficits will be larger than expected in the coming years. Despite any rhetoric otherwise, tax cuts are off the table in this new era of war funding and unchallenged government growth. As one prominent Washington Democrat put it, "The era of limited government is over."
This rapid growth in the size and power of the federal government will have very serious consequences for America if the trend is not reversed. Freedom and prosperity cannot coexist with socialism and endless war. Yet socialism and endless war are exactly what most in Washington are promoting.
If we continue on our current path, I predict the following consequences for our republic:
ABROAD:
Peace, of sorts, will come to the Middle East but will be short-lived. There will be big promises of more U.S. money and weapons for Israel and those Arab countries allied with the United States. American troops, of course, will be used to monitor the "peace."
U.S. taxpayers will pay to rebuild Palestine- both the West Bank and Gaza- as well as Afghanistan. U.S. taxpayers paid to bomb these areas, so we will be expected to rebuild them.
The Karzai government will fail, and the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan eventually will end.
In time, an oil boycott will be imposed- with oil prices soaring to historic highs.
Current Israeli-American policies will harden the resolve of Arab/Muslim nations in their efforts to avenge the humiliation of the Palestinians. Muslim nations that in the past fought against each will become allies, at least temporarily. Some of our moderate Arab allies will be overthrown by Islamic fundamentalists.
Some European countries will provide clandestine support for the Muslim countries and their anti-Israel pursuits.
The United States- with Tony Blair as head cheerleader- will attack Iraq without proper congressional authority; and a major war, the largest since World War II, will result.
Political leaders and high-ranking military officials from Middle Eastern nations will be hauled into and tried before the International Criminal Court for war crimes. The Arab world, along with some European leaders, will call for the prosecution of Ariel Sharon by the ICC. American military and political leaders will not be tried by the ICC, although many of our enemies in the U.N. will advocate such prosecutions. The vicious debate will set the stage for wider politically-motivated revenge prosecutions of western leaders by the ICC in the future.
China- ironically assisted by American aid- will align herself with the Arab nations and openly sell them weapons.
China, India, Russia, and Pakistan will take advantage of the chaos for the purpose of grabbing land, resources, and strategic advantages they have sought for years in central Asia.
AT HOME:
An international dollar crisis will dramatically boost interest rates in the United States.
Price inflation and a major economic downturn will decimate the U.S. Treasury.
Inflationary Federal Reserve policies will accelerate, with massive credit creation worsening the dollar crisis. Gold will be seen as an alternative to paper money as it returns to its historic monetary role.
Erosion of civil liberties will continue as our government responds to fears of terrorist acts by making generous use of unconstitutional powers obtained through the Patriot Act.
The draft will be reinstated, causing domestic turmoil and resentment.
Congress and the President will shift radically toward expanding the size and scope of the federal government. This will satisfy both the liberals and conservatives. Military and police powers will grow, satisfying conservatives. The welfare state, both domestic and international, will expand, satisfying the liberals. Both sides will endorse military adventurism overseas.
This is the most important of my predictions: policy changes could prevent all of the previous predictions from happening. I hope and pray that Congress will prove me wrong and work to save our republic. The actions Congress takes now will determine whether America can return to an era of peace and prosperity in the foreseeable future.


Boko Haram has persistently defied all attempts by the Nigerian government to stop the violent spread of its activities from the northern part of the country, and sectarian violence and attacks have assumed new and dangerous dimensions in Africa's most populous state. Nigerians are currently experiencing an era characterized by intensive military operations similar to those previously launched against Niger Delta militants, and an uncertain mood is prevailing which some have compared to the state of affairs during the Nigerian civil war.
Military regiments of the Joint Task Force (JTF) have been deployed across areas considered to be the country's "geographies of terror," from the cities of Maiduguri to Jos, and from Kano to Damaturu, the extent of which is reflected in unprecedented security expenditure figures rising to nearly a quarter of the national budget for 2012. In spite of these efforts, the first half of 2012 has seen a rise in the incidence of Boko Haram attacks. While armed action cannot be totally discounted, its utility as a single tactic has proved futile and has underscored the need for the Nigerian government to unify under a common goal and intensify its efforts at dialogue and mediation.
The excessive militarization of some states in northern Nigeria has resulted in a tense martial atmosphere and a concomitant increase in cases of armed brutalization, civilian intimidation, and human rights violations by members of the Joint Task Force. This situation has inadvertently amplified the level of state-directed grievance among affected citizens, as well as an unfortunate provocation of local sympathies for Boko Haram's cause. The predominant use of force by the Nigerian government is inherently problematic, and would only work successfully if there is a simultaneous application of other approaches such as mediation, particularly because of the dangerous permutation of ideological, political, and economic issues involved.
The degree to which mediation can be a useful tool in the Nigerian situation depends upon a number of complex factors suggested by analysts such as Jacob Bercovitch. These include: the nature of the issue, the mediators involved, the context, and the parties to the conflict.
Mediation may not rank among the top most preferred contrivances that can be used to engage local non-state actors who seek to violently overhaul the Nigerian secular state system. Nevertheless, in light of the impasse between the Nigerian government and Boko Haram, mediation techniques can certainly offer a potentially useful opportunity in aspects where the unidirectional approach of military force has fallen short. This therefore calls for a strategically imaginative role to be played by the Goodluck Jonathan-led government in Nigeria.
Fatality rates have soared in the last three years (2009-2012) in comparison with the first seven years (2002-2008) of Boko Haram's existence. Since the sect's major uprising of July 2009, over 1,000 individuals have been killed. In light of the present circumstances, it is clear that the government's conventional military approach does not match the hit-and-run guerrilla tactics of Boko Haram. Furthermore, within the last year, the scope of targets attacked by Boko Haram has widened to include not just state security institutions and Christian organizations and churches, but also the media and higher education. The violent momentum of Boko Haram's activities have also increased from attacks on a few states to a wider range of other states in northern Nigeria, and this has been accompanied by threats to extend aggression to the southern part of the country.
Despite the reported splintering of Boko Haram, the core group itself has since been expressing a level of interest in reaching out to the Nigerian government as reflected in a series of mediation attempts. The first mediation attempt between the government of Nigeria and Boko Haram took place in September 2011 when a meeting was facilitated between former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo and Babakura Fugu, the brother-in-law of the late Boko Haram leader, Mohammed Yusuf in Maiduguri, Borno state. This peaceful development was in fact supported by an ethnic northerner, a renowned human rights activist and national president of the Civil Rights Congress (CRC), Mallam Shehu Sani, who is also known for his consistent expression of optimism about successful talks between the Nigerian government and Boko Haram.
However, what was supposed to be the first step in a series of peaceful meetings was unfortunately cut short by the mysterious assassination of one of the parties, Babakura Fugu. His murder, which occurred a few days after initial talks, is highly indicative of sinister interests that seek to stop any efforts aimed at achieving a resolution to the crisis through mediatory means. It has been reported that Babakura Fugu was killed by a Boko Haram member. However, this conflicts with the declaration of the leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, who actually condemned the killing of Fugu. In fact, following Fugu's death last year, Boko Haram denied responsibility for his death. And according to the sect's antecedents and style, Boko Haram usually (and unreservedly) claims responsibility for any attack they launch.
In March 2012, another crucial opportunity for mediation emerged when Boko Haram voluntarily chose the president of the Supreme Council for Sharia in Nigeria, Sheik Ahmed Datti, as their mediator with the Nigerian government. A renowned medical doctor from northern Nigeria, Sheik Ahmed Datti unfortunately later withdrew from further talks, citing claims that the government handled the process with inadequate discretion expressed through premature release of information to the press. If the breakdown of dialogue was a consequence of discussions receiving untimely media attention is anything to learn from, subsequent mediation attempts should transpire within a framework that is devoid of undue media interference, and with a view to public disclosure only when talks have reached a mature stage of progress.
Later in June, there was the case of Boko Haram's disapproval of Sheikh Dahiru Usman Bauchi, a prominent Islamic scholar who declared before the press that he was facilitating talks between the sect and the Nigerian government. While this mediatory attempt crashed before even taking off properly, it should not be viewed as an expression of the sect's absolute rejection of dialogue. Rather it is once again indicative of the group's preference for certain individuals.
More recently, in August 2012, secret talks were once again reported to have taken place between Boko Haram's deputy leader Abu Mohammed and Nigeria's Vice President Namadi Sambo, along with other key government officials in Saudi Arabia. While tangible results of this round of talks are yet to be confirmed, the current state of national insecurity evidently underscores the imperative for the Nigerian government to intensify efforts towards mediation.
However, what remains significant is the fact that these attempts at mediation have not been achieved any substantial success. This is because there is a dearth of sincere political will and lack of cohesion with regard to actors in the Nigerian government. This problem was clearly reflected in the telling statements of President Jonathan himself on January 9, 2012 when he underscored that Boko Haram had sympathizers and members within the executive, legislative and judicial arms of his government. Mediation has thus failed on previous occasions because this lack of accord and absence of a unified coalition of entities on the side of the government has created room for fifth columnists to exploit official cracks, which have sabotaged mediation efforts.
There are always challenges to contend with in any mediation process, and indeed there are difficulties in identifying the appropriate Boko Haram representatives to negotiate with. Nevertheless, in the current circumstances and in spite of reported splinters, Boko Haram leadership is also known to have a history of being willing to talk with the government through certain individuals.
If genuine dialogue is to occur, parties to the discussions, and in particular the Nigerian government, must act based on a common vision of the problem and towards an integrated goal conceived to be achievable. However, this factor has been missing. Mediation with Boko Haram is certainly possible, as long as the intervening third party enjoys the full support of a single-minded and proactive Nigerian government, as well as the trust of Boko Haram leadership. While efforts are intensified towards seeking out mutually credible interlocutors, governors of the 19 northern states under the auspices of the Northern States Governors' Forum (NSGF) must also feed into this process by tapping into their knowledge of local actors and conditions within their troubled spheres.
There is the risk that mediation could set a precedent where local sectarian actors can in the future exploit the margin to wage violence against the state and its citizens. The ethno-religious nature of Nigeria predisposes the state to such tendencies. Nonetheless, what is paramount is the adoption of appropriate measures that can manage and address these types of crises effectively. Also, the mediatory approach does not advocate for a political compromise of Section 10 of the Nigerian Constitution, which forbids the creation of a state religion in the country. While the government's Joint Task Force continues to battle with Boko Haram's foot soldiers, many innocent lives are being taken, valuable resources are being exhausted, and innumerable suicide-ready conscripts are incessantly being swayed into the ranks of Boko Haram.


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