The 2018-19 season got off to a very successful start on Friday 5th October in Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor.
A good turn-out greeted the Aquarelle Guitar Quartet (still vividly remembered from their previous visit to Dolgellau in 2005), and their sparkling performance did not disappoint.
One striking feature of this very accomplished ensemble is the equal prominence of all four members (Michael Baker, Vasilis Bessas, James Jervis and Rory Russell) – virtuosity is apparent across the board, and it was pleasurable not knowing which player would have the lead or tune from one piece to the next.
Full use was made in the second half of the guitar's potential as a percussion instrument, in dances such as Pajduska (Macedonia) and La Muerte del Angel (from Astor Piazzolla, father of the tango). More meditative and hypnotic on the other hand was The Swan 'L243' by Catriona McKay, a Scottish harpist who created the piece after sailing as crew member/musician on 'The Swan' in the 1999 Cutty Sark tall ships race. James Jervis introduced a new sonority into De Usuahia a la Quiaca, theme tune to the film 'Motorcycle Diaries', by playing on a charango – this one of wood, not the traditional armadillo shell!
A closing encore was insisted on, and the audience left with a spring in their step to the beguiling rhythms of Django Reinhardt's Minor Swing (arr. Mike Baker) adopted as theme tune for the 2000 film 'Chocolat'.
Heartfelt thanks to the Southall Trust for generous support towards this memorable concert.
Some really nice guitar playing sure to please all tastes!
I am certainly not an expert on classical guitar playing but I do like listening to it going back to my father's collection of vinyl examples of Andres Segovia and having my own modest collection of 'LP's of solo guitar with or without orchestra. The guitar quartet is a genre that has been around for a while but seems to be experiencing renewed popularity.
I was not familiar with the Aquarelle Quartet until receiving this disc but these guys are very impressive!
The Aquarelle is Michael Baker, Vasilis Bessas, James Jervis and Rory Russell. They have made several recordings featuring everything from guitar 'standards' to some very tasteful transcriptions and new works written by the members of the quartet and by other composers for them.
In that latter category, this album features three premiere recordings: Welsh Dance No. 2 by Dalwyn Henshall, Flippen/Soon or Never by Carl Mikael Marin and the "Punch Brothers" and an Elegy by John Brunning.
Like everything on this very pleasant and engaging album, these are all very interesting works.
Henshall's Welsh Dance No. 2 has some quite complex rhythms and dense but ethereal harmonic structures which reflect a bit on the composer's studies with Einojuhani Rautavaara. The brief Elegy by Brunning is too brief for me; it is a simply beautiful little work that I wished meandered on for a bit more.
As I said, speaking as someone who admittedly knows not that much about guitar, I enjoyed this album a great deal. The members of the Aquarelle Quartet are very talented and the playing is so tight and so symbiotic it sounds almost as one 'mega-guitar' in places. I am sure that everyone would find something to enjoy in this album. Highly recommended!
Michael Baker, Vasilis Bessas, James Jervis, and Rory Russell met at the Royal Northern College of Music in the United Kingdom in 1999 and formed the Aquarelle Quartet. Since then they have performed throughout Europe and in Asia.
Aspects contains some of the music from around the globe they have been playing and premieres two new pieces, Carl Mikael Marin and Punch Brothers' Flippen/Soon or Never and John Bruning's Elegy. With its fast rhythms, American composer Andrew York's Quiccan demonstrates Aquarelle's clarity of articulation. The Quartet's ability to play fast music clearly is also evident in their arrangement of the overture (Sinfonia) to Rossini's L'Italiana in Algeri.
I was particularly fascinated by their ability to crescendo with as many fine gradations as an orchestra.
Anglo-Welsh composer Dalwyn Henshall's liquid sounding Welsh Dance No. 2, written for harp, seems to reflect the sun on the banks of a river when played by the guitar quartet. Argentine composer Alberto Ginastera wrote three Argentine Dances in 1937. The Danza del viejo boyero (Dance of the Old Herdsman) was originally written so that the pianist's right hand would only play white notes and the left hand only black notes. Aquarelle plays an arrangement by Brazilian guitarist João Luiz Rezende that combines the bitonal herdsman's dance with the melodies of the Danza de la moza donosa (Dance of the Beautiful Maiden) and the dissonant drama of the Danza del gaucho matrero (Dance of the Arrogant Cowboy). Carlos Rafael Rivera, an American folkloric music essayist who has explored the Afro-Cuban genre, says he derived the title Cumba-Quin from the sounds conga drums make when playing against the claves in Cuban Rumba style. With its catchy rhythms and easy melody, it is one of the most accessible pieces on this disc.
According to the CD booklet, California-based composer David Pritchard's Stairs is meant to take the listener on an emotional musical journey, one step at a time. Some steps go up and some go down, perhaps to a cool Pacific Ocean shore where the incoming tide invades the beach's white sands. Australian composer Philip Houghton writes of three type of opals. "Black Opal" is strong, solid, and rhythmic. "Water Opal" is transparent and lets the viewer see bright blues and greens through the stone. Houghton's piece has clear and firm textures but they are occasionally broken up by rhythmic interjections. "White Opal" has its own sudden flashes of color and they appear whenever a beam of light hits the stone. Much of the land "down under" is still in its natural state and, like the unfettered opals; its natural beauty can suddenly burst forth. Chris Thile's Bluegrass band, Punch Brothers, originally played Flippen, a piece actually written by Swedish violinist Mikael Marin for his band, Väsen. [Mike Baker] arranged it for guitar quartet using the Punch Brothers song Soon or Never as a middle, slow movement surrounded with the fast tempos and rollicking sounds of Flippen.
Following that song is John Brunning's Elegy, a mood-changing, modestly complex finale. Its delightful music charms the ear with memories evoking happy times.
Chandos's sound is impeccable and each of the four guitars has a specific space in front of the listener. Connoisseurs of modern guitar music will want to own Aquarelle's Aspects.
What a purely beautiful performance! This will be my fifth review of the Aquarelle Quartet (J/A 2009, N/D 2010, N/D 2012, MJ 2014), and it again confirms their quality, in the same league as the LAGQ. Their range of expression, beauty of phrasing, and pure virtuosity are a pure delight.
The second plus here is the program, which is varied and immensely satisfying. I had only heard the York before (well, also the Rossini, but not as a guitar quartet), and I've got another list of new material to perform with my quartet. York's 'Quiccan' (no mention of the title—a play on Wiccan?) bursts with energy—you need outstanding ensemble coordination for this work, but that's no problem here. I've encountered several transcriptions for guitar ensemble of Rossini (and Mozart) overtures, many from the 19th Century. This one works quite well—I never missed the orchestra. And the transcription of Ginastera's dances sounds like it was conceived for guitar originally rather than piano.
My greatest enjoyment came from their slow works—Dalwyn Henshall's 'Welsh Dance 2', John Brunning's 'Elegy', and the slow movement of Philip Houghton's Opals. These all went straight to the heart—so lovely.
And for sheer fun, you can't help but enjoy the Celtic-inspired medley of 'Flippen' and 'Soon or Never', taken from a pair of bluegrass ensembles. One was led by mandolinist Chris Thile (he's just taken over for public radio's Garrison Keillor on A Prairie Home Companion). So get this!
As the Aquarelle Guitar Quartet point out in their booklet-note: 'As four individuals with differing musical tastes, we have sought, over the years, to present to one another music from different genres that has inspired us…"Aspects" is therefore essentially a reflection of our career to date – a presentation of different aspects of the music that we love and that we perform in our concerts.' They add that it is 'both retrospective and prospective', with favourites they've been performing for years rubbing shoulders with brand new works that will form part of future concert programmes.
You could say that this superb UK guitar quartet's latest release starts with a bang and ends with a whisper, with former LA Guitar Quartet member Andrew York's nervy blaze of tone streams and syncopations Quiccan opening the programme and John Brunning's sweetly lachrymose Elegy for four guitars, commissioned for this album, bringing it to a gentle close. In between are works which together form a stylistically and dynamically rich offering, the perfect microcosm of which is Australian composer Phillip Houghton's three-movement Opals, which is by turns adamantine, muscular, soft, sparkling, primal and fizzing with showers of aural sparks. There is wit and humour (Rossini); sobriety and reflection (Henshall); rough-hewn sophistication (Ginastera); punchy bluegrass (Marin/Punch Brothers); an explosive percussiveness (Rivera); and much else besides.
All is performed with that same customary blend of high-octane virtuosity, relaxed lyricism, tonal richness and perfection of ensemble which has made the Aquarelle Guitar Quartet not merely one of the world's leading guitar ensembles but, for sheer imagination and musicality, equal to the finest string quartet going.
It is always a pleasure to be able to write about the Aquarelle quartet and its arrangements of pieces for 4 guitars. In this new album, there are some wonderful surprises, for example a piece by a member of the LAGQ quartet: Quiccan, where one can see the group's mastery of the technical abilities this piece requires.
The classical virtuosity of the group shows in the arrangement of the famous overture L'italiana in Algeri, a piece which always makes one smile to realise that our Rossini is more current than one thinks; sometimes a change in timbre is all that is needed.
There are equally beautiful interpretations of Danzas Argentinas op.2 by Ginastera, followed by a breathtaking Cumba-Quin by Carlos Rafael Rivera.
To finish, there is a series of American pieces, each one more beautiful than the next: a taste of jazz in Stairs by David Pritchard, the kaleidoscope of colours in Opals by Phillip Houghton and the bluegrass of the Punch Brothers. The recording closes with the sentimental revelation of Elegy, a work by John Brunning composed for the group at the request of one of the musicians: Vasilis Bessas.
A beautiful new CD by Chandos, superbly recorded as ever, and a source of pleasure for all lovers of good music.
Mike Baker, Vasilis Bessas, James Jervis and Rory Russell are four British musicians who showed incredible class. Not only did they present a very rich programme, but also a high level of technical ability. These music college friends have been playing together for sixteen years. Their Aquarelle Guitar Quartet seized the attention of the audience in Gliwice, to the extent that the spectators refused to let the musicians leave the hall.
This year's 16th edition of the International Gliwice Guitar Festival was, like the ones in previous years, a very successful event. To say that this event is influential across the whole country would not be an understatement. Many world-famous guitarists visited Gliwice (and so Poland as well) for the first time and will definitely remember the warm welcome that they received for a very long time. When Gerard Drozd, the man who came up with the idea for the festival and its Artistic Director, began to build up the first programme for the event 16 years ago, he dreamed for this musical experiment (as he once referred to the festival in an interview) to become a regular event in the cultural life of the city. And his wish came true. The event is now a prestigious guitar festival, which has been rated as outstanding by both performers and critics alike, but most importantly, by the audience itself.
The concert on Sunday deserved similar praise. The heroes of the evening chose a repertoire full of pieces which were melodious and pleasant to listen to. They also included some contemporary music, which was surprisingly easy on the ears, but more on that later. The Aquarelle Guitar Quartet is one of the most famous British chamber groups. It is famous for its own arrangements of music from all over the world, ranging from the Renaissance, to contemporary compositions. They perform enthusiastically and give many concerts, not only organising masterclasses for soloists or chamber groups, but also giving educational recitals to a large audience. In 2009, the group signed with the British record company Chandos Records and have since recorded four albums: "Dances", "Spirit of Brazil", "Final Cut" and "Cuatro". Pieces from, for example, "Final Cut" were included in the programme of the concert in Gliwice.
In the first part of the concert, the group presented three pieces: "Grand Solo" (Fernando Sorr), "La Vega" (Isaac Albeniz) and "Quiccan" (Andrew York). "La Vega" by Albeniz was a particularly surprising, yet interesting piece. This famous and extraordinarily prolific Spanish composer and pianist lived in Paris for many years and was good friends with Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel, as well as other French composers. They would often exchange ideas and present their initial sketches for new works to each other in the Parisian parlours, hence why Albeniz is treated as a co-creator of the French Impressionist movement. However it was not long until his compositions were forgotten and it is only recently that works such as "La Vega" or "Cantos de Espana" (or the now famous "Asturias") are returning to concert hall repertoire. What's more, Albeniz liked the transcriptions of his pieces for guitar so much, that he would often write that he preferred the guitar versions to the original ones.
The second part of the concert was filled with film music, with arrangements by the Aquarelle Guitar Quartet, like for instance the theme music from the film "Frida". James Jervis used the charango for [Motorcycle Diaries]. This small Peruvian string instrument resembles a mandolin, but its soundboard was originally made from the shell of an armadillo. Of course the soundboards are now crafted from high quality wood.
The concert ended with a magnificent musical surprise: "Folias" by Ian Krouse, a piece lasting over fifteen minutes focused around the motif of the folia, an old Portuguese dance. This composition was very elaborate, multidimensional but also very difficult technically. The final performance of the group, as could be expected, was rewarded with great applause, of a truly immense scale.
Ambitious transcriptions and compositions, realized with total virtuosity, a broad range of sound, and imaginative interpretations— this was a real pleasure.
I've reviewed three previous releases of the Aquarelle Quartet—Michael Baker, Vasilis Bessas, James Jervis, and Rory Russell—with enthusiasm (J/A 2009, N/D 2010, N/D 2012). This one is every bit as fine, if not their best yet. Ambitious transcriptions and compositions, realized with total virtuosity, a broad range of sound, and imaginative interpretations— this was a real pleasure.
Sor's Grand Solo is, in fact a solo, arranged for quartet by David Roe. He has added some extra parts, mostly decorative scales and a few counterlines, to make the transition to a larger ensemble meaningful. It's all in the right style, other than the fact that there is almost no repertory for guitar quartet before Los Romeros in the 1960s, and it sounds like a lot of fun to play.
Also arranged by Roe is La Vega. This is perhaps Albeniz's greatest single composition— every bit as fine (and grander in scale) as any one movement of Iberia. I've long wanted to arrange the work for guitar quartet, and now I'll hope that Roe publishes this. This won't replace Alicia de Larrocha's magnificent performance of the piano original, but it is a treasure to have it in the repertory.
Capriccio Espagnol? Really? Well, yes, and it works. Arranged by Bill Kanengiser for the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, it's the sort of piece that you wouldn't even think about doing unless you had an ensemble with the virtuosity and imagination of the LAGQ. There are few such ensembles around, but the Aquarelle is one of them. I loved the performance and never missed the orchestra. That's high praise.
Ian Krouse's Folias, his fourth guitar quartet, was also written for, and recorded by, the LAGQ. It's as ambitious as the Rimsky-Korsakoff, but written for guitar quartet originally. It's a big, sprawling canvas, with 27 variations and a coda; and styles ranging from minimalist to non-tonal passages to big romantic restatements of the old melody that's been used for variations for centuries. This is another work that is terribly demanding, but the Aquarelle's engaged performance makes the journey seem inevitable. As in the Rimsky, their performance is every bit as fine as the LAGQ's.
Aquarelle's guitars are the perfect medium with which to pay justice to the music of Europe's most colorful nation.
On this recording, the members of the Aquarelle Guitar Quartet—Michael Baker, Vasilis Bessas, James Jervis, and Rory Russell—play music about Spain and Spanish culture. Some pieces are by Spanish composers such as Fernando Sór (1778–1839) and Isaac Albéniz (1860–1909), others are by composers from other countries who loved native Spanish music and wrote about Spain.
The opening work is Sor's Grand Solo, and the Quartet plays most skillfully in a delightful arrangement by Brazilian guitarist Sergio Assad that gives an individual part to each player.
The best-known piece on this disc is Capriccio Espagnol or, as originally titled, Capriccio on Spanish Themes, by Rimsky-Korsakov. The composer scored it for strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion, so cutting it down to four guitars while maintaining the sound picture heard in the full orchestral setting was a monumental job.
Surprisingly, when we listen to the quartet we hear almost all of the sonorities we would expect to hear in the tonally flamboyant orchestral version. Even the percussion is there, whether it is beaten on the guitar with an open hand or with fingernails that sound like castanets. Aquarelle's guitars are the perfect medium with which to pay justice to the music of Europe's most colorful nation.
Beginning with a festive dance from Asturia that celebrates the sunrise, the Capriccio continues with variations before it returns to the original theme. Rimsky-Korsakov called its fourth movement "Scene and Gypsy Song" because it offers a song-like tune before resolving into the sprightly melodies that permeate the Finale, a magnificent fandango from Asturia.
Although he came from the land of the guitar and made use of a great many of his country's folk idioms, Albéniz wrote for the piano. However, many arrangers have found that his pieces adapt to the guitar very well, and they have made works like his Spanish fantasy, La Vega, available to guitarists worldwide. Folías by Ian Krouse, the Professor of Theory and Composition at UCLA, makes use of one of the oldest musical themes on record, La Folia. The title means crazy or empty-headed, possibly because of its connection to a fast, energetic, seemingly mindless dance. Krouse wrote his piece for the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet, who premiered it in 1992. Two years later they recorded it on An Evening in Granada for Delos. Their performance is slightly slower and more deliberate than that of the Aquarelle Quartet, and the Chandos recording has clearer, more intimate sound with the ambience of a small, intimate concert setting.
You can hear that there are four guitars because they seem to be sitting in a row across the front of the stage. Their sound is always well balanced. I fully enjoyed this recital of music about Spain from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries and think readers will like it as well.
"On this recording, the members of the Aquarelle Guitar Quartet—Michael Baker, Vasilis Bessas, James Jervis, and Rory Russell—play music about Spain and Spanish culture. Some pieces are by Spanish composers such as Fernando Sór (1778–1839) and Isaac Albéniz (1860–1909), others are by composers from other countries who loved native Spanish music and wrote about Spain. The opening work is Sor's Grand Solo, and the Quartet plays most skillfully in a delightful arrangement by Brazilian guitarist Sergio Assad that gives an individual part to each player. The best-known piece on this disc is Capriccio Espagnol or, as originally titled, Capriccio on Spanish Themes, by Rimsky-Korsakov. The composer scored it for strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion, so cutting it down to four guitars while maintaining the sound picture heard in the full orchestral setting was a monumental job. Surprisingly, when we listen to the quartet we hear almost all of the sonorities we would expect to hear in the tonally flamboyant orchestral version. Even the percussion is there, whether it is beaten on the guitar with an open hand or with fingernails that sound like castanets. Aquarelle's guitars are the perfect medium with which to pay justice to the music of Europe's most colorful nation. Beginning with a festive dance from Asturia that celebrates the sunrise, the Capriccio continues with variations before it returns to the original theme. Rimsky-Korsakov called its fourth movement "Scene and Gypsy Song" because it offers a song-like tune before resolving into the sprightly melodies that permeate the Finale, a magnificent fandango from Asturia.
It comes as no surprise that the AGQ was born in 1999 at the Royal Northern College of Music 'under the guidance of Craig Ogden and Gordon Crosskey': both teachers have always emphasized the centrality of chamber music skills in pedagogy and practice, and the AGQ is a perfect example of what a guitar quartet can really accomplish given the right background and talent. 'Cuatro' in turn is a veritable showcase of the AGQ's superlative collective musicianship. It also comprises a programme that's both highly attractive and hugely enjoyable. This is in part down to not only the quality of the source material but of the arrangements.
Originally for guitar solo, Spanish composer Fernando Sor's Grand Solo, Op. 14 was written around 1810 during the French occupation of Spain. Sérgio Assad – one of the AGQ's erstwhile teachers and one half of the famed Assad Brothers duo – has made a brilliant arrangement for four guitars which thickens the texture melodically and harmonically while adding embellishments such as long trills. The result is a lively four way salon conversation in sonata form that the AGQ clearly relishes, judging from the wonderful balance between tension and repose in the Andante introduction and the cheerful exuberance in the Allegro, which satisfyingly moves towards a triumphant recapitulation and a rollicking coda.
William Kanengiser's highly skilful arrangement for four guitars of Rimsky-Korsakov's 1887 orchestral tour de force, the Capriccio Espagnol, Op. 34, is immense fun, from the 'Alborada', bursting with life and colour, through the gorgeous barcarolle-like 'Variazioni', a reprise of the 'Alborada' in a higher key, the dramatic 'Scena e canto gitano' and the brilliant 'Fandango asturiano'. Here Kanengiser provides every opportunity for the AGQ to demonstrate its complete mastery of orchestral effects on the guitar, such as the imitations of percussion and castanets, mandolins and harps, brass and woodwind and, of course, the flamenco guitar itself. However, the highlight of the recording for me is David Roe's subtle arrangement of Albéniz's beautiful, impressionistic La vega or Fantasie espagnole. For it is here, amid the composer's flowing chromatic accompaniments, haunting melodies, bursts of sunshine, cloud-shadow-dappled countryside and idiomatic counterpoint that one finds the AGQ players at their most poetic and introspective, Albeniz's rich evocations of the Alhambra and its surrounds matched by apposite phrasing and nuanced aggregations of tone colours.
The recording draws to a close with an original composition, the 1992 Guitar Quartet No. 4, 'Folias' by lan Krouse (b.1956). This is quite an extraordinary 16-minute piece, building in tension as the variations become progressively shorter and faster. The actual theme is most clearly stated around the middle of the work with a grand rendering of the famous folia in the style of Corelli; and while there are also references to Baroque guitarist Gaspar Sanz's version and earlier Renaissance versions, the aesthetic here is overwhelmingly modern, leaning towards minimalist repeated notes and patterns. It receives an equally extraordinary performance – confident and characterful. One should also make mention of the crisp, detailed recording and a clear sound picture that allows one to savour the individual qualities of the players and their instruments [Vasilis Bessas plays a Bert Kwakkel, Russell a Greg Smallman and James Jervis and Michael Baker guitars by Paul Sheridan).
'Cuatro' is perhaps the Aquarelle Guitar Quartet's finest recording to date and a worthy tribute not just to the music of Spain but to the true art of the guitar quartet.
Why 'Cuatro'? Because the four guitarists of the Aquarelle Guitar Quartet are performing, on their fourth recording for Chandos, four works by four different composers who were inspired by the music of Spain and the sound of the Spanish guitar. Although the AGQ present the works chronologically, another order is possible – from intimate to expansive: Fernando Sor's Grand Solo (solo guitar); Ian Krouse's Folias (guitar quartet); Albeniz's La vega (solo piano) and Rimsky-Korsakov's Capriccio espagnol (orchestra).
But the arranger's art ensures all's equal. In the Sor, Sérgio Assad adds some attractive countermelodies and fills out the harmonies. William Kanengiser is concerned less with trying to match Rimsky-Korsakov's brilliant scoring than with capturing the work's Andalusian spirit. David Roe allows Albeniz's quirky counterpoint to really breathe, while Krouse's Folias – the only original composition here for four guitars – successfully combines minimalist techniques with traditional Spanish flavours. As with the AGQ's previous three albums, not only are the playing and overall ensemble razor-sharp but every tone colour available to a guitarist is exploited to the full. The drama inherent in Sor's Grand Solo is rendered with a lightness redolent of the salon, while the AGQ relish the exuberant writing and arranging of Rimsky-Korsakov's Capriccio espagnol, imitations of castenets and all. The Albéniz benefits most from divvying up the parts, with each player subtly making room for their individual style.Finally, Krouse's highly inventive Folias makes for a distincitve end to the programme as the players leave the 'stage' individually, à la Haydn's Farewell Symphony. Serious fun.
Now, this was my type of evening! The programme, in all areas, was outstanding. We were treated to music adapted and chosen to show off the best effect of the guitar quartet.
It was also amazing to see how the instruments can be used to present percussive sounds too. I looked around during one of the quieter pieces and the audience were spellbound-you could have heard a pin drop!
Another fine presentation and a further triumph for our `Arts and Lits` society.
THINGS have been going splendidly for the Aquarelle Guitar Quartet. The group, which was formed at the Royal Northern College of Music in 1999, is recognised as among the finest in British chamber music. Add to that a number of stonkingly-well-reviewed albums and it's easy to see why Michael Baker, James Jervis, Vasilis Bessas and Rory Russell are in such demand when it comes to live performance.
Thankfully, it was Hexham that was blessed with their presence on Sunday when they put on a concert as part of the Hexham Abbey Festival. Of all the audiences I've ever seen there, the one they attracted was by far the most varied, ranging from youngsters, no doubt hoping to pick up a few pointers for their own playing, to the very, very much more mature.
The moment the concert started, however, it was clear that what the quartet was offering would transcend age – or even basic musical preferences. Indeed, throughout the afternoon, they took bits from classical, bits from folk, bits from jazz and bits from rock, stamping their own unique and evocative style on every one of them.
As a guitar player myself, I'd been interested in how the quartet would work together and it turned out to be a good deal more complex than the standard division of rhythm and lead. Instead, layer upon layer of delicate melody, resonant bass and rich chords built into a beautiful wall of sound through the ever-varying interplay of the musicians.
It takes talent to pull that off and these guitarist have it by the bucket load – tight, precise and emotionally– charged, even when playing at blistering speeds.
For me, the highlights of the afternoon included The Swan, a folk song by Catriona McKay which was executed with a delicacy that told of great respect for the composer. Andrew York's Quiccan was also a delight, highlighting the versatility of the quartet, while Django Rheinhdart's Minor Swing proved something of a crowd pleaser. The latter, readers may be aware, was featured in the film Chocolat, in which Johnny Depp's character performs it, and was also included in the quartet's hit recording Final Cut, which brings together some of the great themes from cinema during the past century.
Also on the Sunday's track list was music from the biopic Frida, Il Postino and the Motorcycle Diaries, on which the musicians were able to show off a charming little instrument called the charango. Indeed, all four proved themselves multi-talented to say the least, creating astonishing percussion effects through well-placed slaps on the wood of their guitars, perfectly timed claps and string muting.
It's also notable that music doesn't generally come arranged for such quartets, so there's a lot more than just the playing that goes into putting on a concert like this.The final factor for making it a resounding success, though, was the venue itself, which was perfectly suited to the style of music. Hexham Abbey has great acoustics and hopefully the quartet will take advantage of them again.
In their booklet note, Aquarelle Guitar Quartet members Michael Baker and Rory Russell write about how the quartet was 'confronted by a vast array of fabulous soundtracks that made it extraordinarily hard to know which could be represented on the CD to best effect' and, more importantly, how to decide which works four guitars could do justice to and would therefore make the 'final cut'. It's a credit to the UK·based quartet's taste and discrimination that there's not a dud track on this, its third release for Chandos, after the superb 'Spirit of Brazil' and 'Dances' (reviewed in June 2009 and July/ August 2010 respectively).
As with those previous two releases, variety is also one of the chief determining factors of what to include. So along with more lively numbers such as Django Reinhardt's 'Minor Swing' from the soundtrack of Chocolat, Anton Karas's 'Was It Rain' from The Third Man and the arrangement of Theodorakis's 'Cretan Dance' from Zorba the Greek we have more subtly passionate works like Michael Nyman's 'The Heart Asks Pleasure First' from The Piano and the classic Carlos Gardel tango 'Por una cabeza' from Scent of a Woman. There are also frankly sentimental favourites such as Stanley Myers's 'Cavatina' from The Deer Hunter, Francis Lai's 'Where Do I Begin' from Love Story and the main theme from John Wlliams's moving soundtrack for Schindler's List.
All four guitarists have shared the arranging between them; the results are uniformly excellent, with the parts well distributed and all the coloristic resources of the guitar exploited. This latter is especially evident in the opening 'Minor Swing', which also features some of the most exciting playing on the disc, and in a fine arrangement by Vasilis Bessas of Gustavo Santaolalla 's 'De usuahia a la Quiaca' from The Motorcycle Diaries. By contrast, sweetness of tone and legato playing along with some impressive cantabile phrasings come to the fore not only in numbers like 'Cavatina', where they are obviously expected, but in the simple, folk-like melodies of 'The Heart Asks Pleasure' and Ryuichi Sakamoto's music for Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence. Even the Bryan Adams/Michael Arnold Kamen/Robert John 'Mutt' Lange song 'Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?' from Don Juan DeMarco comes close to sounding like a masterpiece of Latin pastiche.
The recording is both spacious and intimate; in addition the four guitars (three of which are by Australian luthiers Greg Smallman and Paul Sheridan) are clearly separated in the sound picture without sounding artificial. All in all, a highly enjoyable release, with the Aquarelle Guitar Quartet yet again proving that sometimes four guitars really are better than one.
What's the appeal? Well, it's guitar music and who doesn't like the guitar? Mellifluous, musical, magical – especially so in the fingers of the Aquarelle four who formed in 1998 at the Royal Northern College of Music and have been performing ever since.
Final Cut is a compilation of tasteful film music arrangements and pieces used in film. No Star Wars here; we're talking Django Reinhardt's Minor Swing from Chocolat, Michael Nyman's The Heart Asks Pleasure First from The Piano, even Mike Oldfield's Tubular Bells from the Exorcist. In all, 19 pieces exquisitely and memorably played. They'll be going round and round in your head long after you've turned off the CD player.
Imagine – classic film scores arranged for four guitars! A cynical wag might suggest that that's four guitars too many. However, if hardly the epitome of orchestral opulence, these skilled transcriptions and renditions are as good as they get in their chosen medium. We start in 1949 with 'The Third Man': Anton Karas's laconic theme for zither is transcribed faithfully for a guitar foursome, as is 'Zorba the Greek'. Other hits include music from 'Titanic', 'The Deer Hunter' (the tender 'Cavatina'), 'Schindler's List' (haunting), 'A Summer Place' (wistful), 'Scent of a Woman' and 'The Exorcist' (Mike Oldfield's 'Tubular Bells'). Whatever the cynics might think, this could well become something of a hit – music for all the family.
I have to admit I never used to be a great fan of guitar quartets. One problem I had was the lethal combination of identical baritone range and lack of sustain; another was the less than inspiring musicianship often demonstrated by the players themselves. Then along came the superb Aquarelle Guitar Quartet (AGQ) to change all that.
The AGQ was formed while its members were studying at the Royal Northern College of Music with guitar tutors Craig Ogden and Gordon Crosskey. They had subsequently received instruction from Sérgio Assad, Oscar Ghiglia and the LA Guitar Quartet's Scott Tennant. Of the initial line-up Michael Baker and Vasilis Bessas remain, now joined by James Jervis and Rory Russell. I note that Jervis and Baker play Sheridan guitars: Paul Sheridan is a West Australian luthier who lives in the state's capital of Perth – as does Craig Ogden, who was born and raised in WA.
'Spirit of Brazil' features music by Brazilian composers as well as those who are inspired by its music while moving easily through multiple styles. Sérgio Assad, one half of that great guitar duo the Assad Brothers, is at the heart of the disc with his brilliant Uarekena, which is named after an Amazonian tribe. The music shimmers with varying moods and colours, all of which are captured to perfection by the AGQ. Assad Senior is a wonderful composer for guitar, and his daughter here shows herself to be a chip off the old block with her first work for guitar quartet, Bluezilian, which opens the disc, and the more substantial Danças Nativas, written for the present performers. In the former, the AGQ seize on the funkiness and wild energy of the music with relish, while the latter's dreamy 'Canção' gives the performers a chance to show off its lyrical side. Energy aplenty, as well as a dazzling array of percussive and other effects, is to be found in Tunisian/French composer and guitarist Roland Dyen's six-movement portrait of Brazil, Brésil. From the sounds of the Amazonian rainforest in 'Da Natureza' through the rousing, festive Celestial March of 'Marchinha do Céu' to the vibrant 'Xaxare', this is a real tour de force which nevertheless maintains a certain lightness of touch that the AGQ tap into with a smiling, good-natured virtuosity.
Heitor Villa-Lobos was no mean guitarist himself, and former AGQ member Richard Safhill's arrangement of Villa-Lobo's Bachianas brasileiras no 5, originally for eight cellos and voice, is a fitting tribute to a man who wrote some of the finest classical guitar music in the repertoire. It's also a tribute to the AGQ's ability to energize a line despite the fast decay of the guitar's sound that the original vocal part made so ravishing. Villa-Lobos's busy, Debussian 'Brincadeira', from his string Quartet No. 1, as arranged by Jervis, provides an ideal foil.
Two works by Brazilian jazz legend Egberto Gismonti bring a delicate, improvisatory touch to proceedings with Palhaço and Memória e Fado, the latter arranged and sensitively played by Baker and Bessas to end the disc, but not before the AGQ flare up in one last blaze of colour with Brazilian composer Paulo Bellinati's A Furiosa, a tribute to the Brazilian street musicians known as 'The Furious Ones'.
If one guitar quartet can give a traditional string quartet a run for its money in terms of abundant technique and breath-taking artistry, it is the Aquarelle Guitar Quartet.
WHILE Harrogate's feral youths were making a nuisance of themselves outside the Wesley Chapel, inside three of the town's young lads restored the audience's faith in teenagers.
They had been chosen to open last Saturday's concert by members of Manchester's Aquarelle Guitar Quartet from a master-class held earlier in the day.
All were fine musicians and they will cherish this fleeting moment in the limelight – until it is their turn to headline the stage.
Then the main act came on and showed just how great the rift between budding guitarists and these gifted musicians is.
Hailed as the next big thing to hit the classical music scene, Aquarelle Guitar Quartet was faultless in every aspect. Technically all four are superb but crucially that doesn't get in the way of warmth, dynamism and emotion in the performance.
The quartet isn't afraid to take on a challenge either. [Luigi Boccherini's (arr. Jeremy Sparks) Introduction & Fandango] was astonishing.
Then the interpretation of jazz guitarist David Pritchard's eclectic Stairs and one of the Brandenburg concertos were both sublime.
The Aquarelle musicians are artists in residence for the festival and return on Saturday, when they play St Wilfrid's Church with friends Craig Ogden, guitar, Andy Scott, saxophone, David Hassell, percussion, Sally Johnson, soprano, and Louise Thompson, harp.
To sample their work ahead of the 8pm concert, their new album Dances is a fine, mesmerising introduction.
The language of the guitar – huge, sometimes weird, vocabulary, and asymmetric, anti-pianistic grammar – is one that precious few big-name composers have remotely understood. Most good repertoire is by composer-guitarists. The burgeoning quartet genre offers great possibilities, but needs experienced writing and sharp ensemble to avoid sounding like jailer's keys. So hooray: we get both in this instantly likeable tribute to the Brazilian sound.
The highlight is Roland Dyen's Brésils, which comprises of six attractive pieces that expertly utilise guitar colours while paying homage to rainforest birds, Chôros-playing buskers, and the seductive sway of João Gilberto thrumming Jobim's Girl from Ipanema.
Villa-Lobos's familiar floating 'Aria' may not sustain on even four guitars convincingly enough for everyone; but from composing father and daughter Sérgio and Clarice Assad come vibrant, sometimes rock-explosive, album-tracks that mix carnival with cool. More well-textured popular appeal comes from Egberto Gismonti (hear the wistfully lovely duet Memória e Fado) and Paulo Bellinati.
With outstanding playing and infectious spirit, this is no mere nice guitar CD, but a luscious and lively general-appeal winner.
I've elsewhere written of my undoubtedly irrational aversion to any classical guitar combination exceeding two – but with Spirit of Brazil, its first disc for the UK independent label Chandos, the Aquarelle Guitar Quartet has got me thinking differently. This is a very fine album indeed, with an attractive programme of music of genuine artistic merit (all too uncommon) played with flair, intelligence and an overall ensemble that both unifies and differentiates just where and when you want it to.
In addition to commentaries on each work, the booklet contains a well-deserved endorsement written by Craig Odgen, from whom the quartet received instruction along with Gordon Crosskey at the Royal Northern College of Music. The quartet has also benefited from the wisdom of Sérgio Assad, Oscar Ghiglia and the LA Guitar Quartet's Scott Tennant, indeed that latter quartet's LAGQ Brazil, released last year, may well have inspired AGQ's foray into this exciting and colourful territory (there are only two overlaps: Clarice Assad's Bluezilian and Bellianti's well-known A Furiosa).
Bluezilian opens Spirit of Brazil in fine style, with Assad's skilful blend of jazz, blues and Latin styles, giving the boys of AGQ an opportunity to show they can swing with the best of them while showing off a beautiful corporate tone – which quality becomes even more apparent in former AGQ member Richard Safhill's fine arrangement of the aria from Villa Lobos' Bachianas Brasileiras No.5. James Jervis's arrangement of the composer's 'Brincadeira' from the String Quartet No. 1 is equally happy, the AGQ bring a crisp, tense energy to this quirky little piece.
A more extended work then follows with Clarice Assad's three-movement Danças Nativas, written for the AGQ and here receiving its premiere recording. From the jazzy samba to the Jobim-inspired "Twisted Samba" through the tender simplicity of the 'Reflective Canção' to the busy flamboyance of 'Mad Baiáo', the AGQ relishes every vibrant, pulsating detail of this finely-crafted suite. Not even Egberto Gismonti's beautiful Palhaço as transcribed by James Jervis can upstage it.
Assad père's superb Uarekena provides an ideal prelude to Roland Dyen's sprawling, colourful evocation of Brazil, Brésils. This six movement work is a real tour-de-force, with dances such as the modinha, the bossa nova and the xaxado as beautifull utilised as the full resources of the guitar in movements like 'Da Natureza', in which the sounds of the Amazonian jungle are imitated, and the 'Marchinha do Céu', in which a marching band in the Carnival de Rio is likewise imitated. The AGQ has a lot of fun with this nevertheless seizing on the underlying melancholy in ;Chôro Legal' and 'Modinhazul'.
The infectious maxixe of Bellinati's A Furiosa provides a final explosion of energy before Michael Baker and Vasilis Bessas, the two remaining members of the original AGQ, bring this supremely enjoyable disc to a wistful close with a duet arrangement for another Gismonti piece, Memória e Fado.
This young quartet, formed at the Royal Northern College of Music, presents a broad collection of Brazilian pieces. The precision of playing is outstanding and covers a range of styles and moods, from string quartet pieces transferred to the guitar to 'A Furiosa', a piece written to celebrate Brazilian street music. This is a varied and extremely enjoyable piece of work encompassing elements of jazz and blues and incorporating interesting, and at times unpredictable, rhythms.
The Aquarelle Guitar Quartet (AGQ) formed at the Royal Northern College of Music in 1999 and comprises Michael Baker, Vasilis Bessas, Rory Russell and James Jervis.
Described as the 'next big thing in the classical guitar world', the Manchester-based chamber group has performed at Wigmore Hall, St Martin-in-the-Fields and the Bridgewater Hall, and on BBC Radio 3.
Spirit of Brazil is the quartet's third release and its first on Chandos. It includes pieces by Heitor Villa-Lobos and Clarice Assad, a young Brazilian composer who AGQ commissioned. The CD also includes personable sleeve notes written by Baker and Russell themselves.
When I reviewed the Aquarelle's last release, Spirit of Brazil (J/A 2009) my praise was high, and it is even more so for this performance.
This is fine music making. The quartet— Michael Baker, Vasilis Bessas, Jame Jervis, and Rory Russell—has it all: gorgeous tone, a wide range of sounds and dynamics, rock solid time, absolute precision, inventive arrangements, expressive phrasing. The only sound they seem incapable of making is ugliness.
As you'd expect, a release called Dances is made up of dance music, but with such variety! We have music from Brazil, Macedonia, Italy, Cuba, Argentina, Chile, France, the UK, and the US. The longest work is Andy Scott's Seven Dances and Not Looking Back, written for the quartet. The influences are jazz, Latin music, and film music; but the work somehow manages to avoid the obvious cliches. The final section, 'Not Looking Back', in fact looks back, with cyclic recall of the earlier movements and cadenzas for each of the players.
Catriona McKay was a fellow student at the Royal College of Music in Manchester. She is from Scotland, a harpist, and her gentle piece 'The Swan' has a lovely Celtic lyricism. Cuban Eduardo Martin wrote 'Hasta Alicia Baila' to persuade his friend Alicia to dance. One wonders how she could have remained still, hearing the infectious music. Two of the traditional works are from Macedonia, with lots of exotic sounds, harmonic treats, and percussive effects. The other two are based on music of the Chilean traditional ensemble Inti-Illimani Historico, again arranged by quartet members.
This is the real thing, folks—one of the finest guitar quartet recordings I've ever heard.
Four become one is a sequence of dances with a Latin American tinge.
A fine follow-up to the equally dance-orientated "Spirit of Brazil" (5/09), "Dances" sees young UK ensemble the Aquarelle Guitar Quartet exploring the dance in a slightly wider context – though the flavour is still very much of the Latin variety.
Egberto Gismonti is again represented, this time by Baiáo Malandro, arranged by AGQ member James Jervis for four guitars, and while the original version's synthesiser has been dropped the playing here is positively electric, as it is in the following rumba, Hasta Alicia Baila by Eduardo Martin. Andy Scott's Seven Dances and "No Looking Back", here receiving its premiere recording, leaps about like a (jazz) cat on a hot tin roof (in a good way) while allowing moments of respite such as the Ennio Marricone-inspired "Film".
The AGQ can undoubtedly swing with the best of them – Biréli Lagrène's Django tribute Made in France – yet in other works such as the Boccherini's ubiquitous Fandango from the D major Guitar Quintet, the playing feels curiously score-bound despite the superlative ensemble and, for lack of a better term, instrumental prestidigitation.
So it is the boys can bring off a sparkling Tarantella (the one made famous by Inti-Illimani) while favouring perfection over a necessary calculated looseness in the traditional Malagueña Salerosa (in AGQ member Rory Russell's superb arrangements).
Other highlights, and there are many, include a crisp yet expressive account of Piazolla's la Muerte del ángel and a sweetly simple rendition of Catriona McKay's The Swan 'LK 243' arranged by the AGQ's Michael Baker.
This is the Aquarelle Guitar Quartet's second recording for Chandos and in some respects it is almost a continuation of their first, "Spirit of Brazil", reviewed in June 2009. Despite the apparent popular nature of this release, they are all trained classical guitarists who studied at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester. Having said that, there is none of the rigidity which sometimes occurs when classical musicians play more popular repertoire. Their performances are meticulously prepared with excellent tone-quality and balance between the four instruments. Many of the arrangements, which use the resources of the guitars so well, have been made by members of the quartet.
'Dances' begins with James Jervis's arrangement of Egberto Gismonti's Baiáo Malandro. The dynamic range and tonal colours employed in the interpretation of this piece give a sense of a sonic third dimension, which one doesn't expect from four guitars. Gismonti is a Brazilian jazz musician and composer, who, like Astor Piazolla, studied composition in Paris with Nadia Boulanger. Piazolla's Muerte del ángel , as with all his works, is in a tango rhythm, in an arrangement by Michael Baker. It is not so balanced as the other arrangements here, however, but if the others were not so outstanding, one would hardly have noticed. The strong rhythmic drive continues in Eduardo Martin's Hasta Alicia Baila, written in a Cuban rhythm called a guaguancó. Effective percussion is provided by tapping on the wood of the guitar.
Andy Scott's Seven Dances, its premiere recording, maintains the rhythmic spirit of the Gismonti and Martin. Each of the seven dances draws its inspiration from jazz elements and composers such as John Scofield, Pat Metheny and Chick Corea. Scott's pieces display the expressive range of the Quartet, from dramatically contrasting movements such as the mellow Ennio Morricone-inspired 'Film' to the aggressively vibrant final dance, appropriately names 'Big!'. Scott's Seven Dances are each very short, but in his longer No looking Back one hears him developing his musical ideas. He uses particular guitar techniques, such as harmonics and delicate rapid arpeggios, to build an atmosphere of unpredictable anticipation.
The sole purely classical piece is Boccherini's Introduction and Fandango, originally written for guitar and string quartet. The Fandango, which fits in with the' dance' theme of the recording, is one of the most popular works in the classical guitar repertoire, and deservedly so. The Aquarelles convey the rhythmic excitement of this beautifully written work with precisely executed ornamentation; indeed, their interpretation has a regal spirit.
The two Macedonian dances transport us into a completely different world. One of the guitars has the role of percussion instrument, to tap out the slow, non-Western rhythm, which creates the basis for the mesmerizing oriental melodic line of Ajde Dali Anaes Pametis Milice. That atmosphere is broken by the faster and more declamatory Pajduska . The dream-like quality of Catriona McKay's The Swan is well conveyed by the four guitarists until one is awoken rather rudely from the Gaelic dream by the Spanish Malagueña Salerosa which follows; it is played with full Spanish gusto and the essential high volumne. That spirit continues with an arrangement of the Tarantella, originally performed by the Latin American group Inti-Illimani Historico. After the wild Tarantella, where they demonstrate virtuosic playing speeds, the Aquarells bring the disc to a close with a very satisfying Made in France by the gypsy jazz guitarist Biréli Lagrène.
After a first hearing, I felt as if I had musically travelled all over the world and was more than ready to get back on the plane for another round-trip. The recording has a warm presence, rich tone and a real sense of depth; one feels surrounded by the sound.
These young players have thoroughly assimilated the Brazilian style. This recording is a delight.
The Aquarelle was formed by students of Craig Ogden at the Royal Northern College of Music at Manchester. The prospect of four Brits in a program of Brazilian music was not immediately appealing, but I must say these young players have thoroughly assimilated the Brazilian style. This recording is a delight.
I've reviewed several all-Brazilian programs (N/D 2008, for example), and most fall short by having no clear difference between the cultivated and the vernacular. If one wants to hear Brazilian popular music, there are plenty of Brazilian artists who can supply just that. This program does well in the higher level of the compositions. While still clearly nationalist music (or, in the case of Frenchman Dyens, exotic), the sophistication and expressiveness are higher, and the performance rises to that challenge.
Villa-Lobos is represented by a movement from his first string quartet called 'Brincadeira', and the haunting Bacarianas Brasileiras 5. The latter is adapted from the original for eight cellos and soprano, and has much more in common with that than with the composer's own transcription for solo guitar and voice. But, please, don't even try to play those long, gorgeous held tones for the soprano on guitar, where they just die. Good to get that one complaint aside. Otherwise, this is the best Brazilian program I've heard in quite a while.
If, like me, you usually find anything more than two classical guitars a transgression of good taste and a guitar orchestra a complete abomination, this surprising new release from the Aquarelle Guitar Quartet will force you to revise your opinions.
Formed while its original members (of which two remain) were students at the Royal Northern College of Music, the AGQ is an award-winning ensemble that can easily stand alongside the likes of the excellent LA Guitar Quartet, whose 2007 release "LAGQ Brazil" (Telarc) perhaps inspired the younger quartet's own "Spirit of Brazil" (it's worth noting that the AGQ has received instruction from LA Guitar Quartet member Scott Tennant).
Whereas the LAGQ's "Brazil" also features the talents of São Paulo-born jazz vocalist and composer Luciana Souza, Flautist Katisse Buckingham and percussionist Kevin Ricard to bring some extra colour and variety to the mix, the AGQ goes it alone, imitating percussion instruments such as the quica where necessary and generally having a ball. Listen to the compelling groove in the vibrant opening Bluezilian by Clarice Assad, daughter of Sergio of Assad Brothers fame (who is also represented here with his evocative Uarekena), or the sensitive, improvisatory phrasing in the moving Gismonti duet Memória e Fado which ends the disc.
Then there are gems such as the successful arrangements of Villa-Lobos's Bacbianas Brasileiras No 5 by former Aquarelle member Richard Safhill, and the incredible six-movement Brésils by Roland Dyens, in which the AGQ manage convincingly to sound like an Amazonian rainforest and a marching band at the Carnival de Rio. Guitarquartetphobes – your cure has arrived!


text:
Q: Preciso saber como posso matar/deletar um objeto Estou com um programa, no qual há alguns objetos, que no caso são "blobs" ou seres redondos, que por meio de ids(números de identificação) podem se matar, porém não consigo fazer com que a morte de fato aconteça, tentei usar na classe dos blobs:
def death(self):
    del self

Chamando no código:
if hunter_pos == target_pos and hunter_id != target_id:
    blob.death()

Sendo  hunter_pos a posição do "caçador", e hunter_id o número de identificação do "caçador", o mesmo valendo para o target, ou "alvo".
Porém esse método não funcionou comigo, até o momento foi o unico método de matar objetos que tentei, então qualquer outra sujestão está valendo.
Obs:"não funcionou", no sentido que o objeto não foi deletado/morto, ou seja o blob continua aparecendo na tela.
Código :
import pygame
import random
import time
from blob import Blob

game_display = pygame.display.set_mode((800, 600))
pygame.display.set_caption('Blob World')
clock = pygame.time.Clock()

def draw_environment(blob_list):
    game_display.fill((255, 255, 255))
    for blob_dict in blob_list:
        for blob_id in blob_dict:
            blob = blob_dict[blob_id]
            hunter_pos = blob.position()
            hunter_id = blob_id
            for blob_id in blob_dict:
                blob = blob_dict[blob_id]
                target_pos = blob.position()
                target_id = blob_id
                if hunter_pos == target_pos and hunter_id != target_id:
                    blob.death()
                pygame.draw.circle(game_display, blob.color, [blob.x, blob.y], blob.size)
                blob.move()
                blob.check_boundaries()
    pygame.display.update()

def main():
    blue_blobs = dict(enumerate([Blob((0, 0, 255), 800, 600, 8, 4, 5, -5) for i in range(6)]))
    red_blobs = dict(enumerate([Blob((255, 0, 0), 800, 600, 8, 4, 5, -5) for i in range(5)]))
    while True:
        for event in pygame.event.get():
            if event.type == pygame.QUIT:
                pygame.quit()
                quit()

        draw_environment([blue_blobs, red_blobs])
        clock.tick(60)

if __name__ == '__main__':
    main()

Classe dos blobs:
import random

class Blob:
def __init__(self, color, x_boundary, y_boundary, size_max, size_min, mov_max, mov_min):
        self.x = random.randrange(0, x_boundary)
        self.y = random.randrange(0, y_boundary)
        self.size = random.randrange(size_min, size_max)
        self.color = color
        self.x_boundary = x_boundary
        self.y_boundary = y_boundary
        self.mov_min = mov_min
        self.mov_max = mov_max

    def move(self):
        self.x += random.randrange(self.mov_min, self.mov_max)
        self.y += random.randrange(self.mov_min, self.mov_max)

    def check_boundaries(self):
        if self.x < 0: self.x = 0
        elif self.x > self.x_boundary: self.x = self.x_boundary

        if self.y < 0: self.y = 0
        elif self.y > self.y_boundary: self.y = self.y_boundary

    def position(self):
        position_total =  self.x, self.y
        return position_total

    def size(self):
        return self.size

    def death(self):
        del self

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Yevamos 120a: Washing Meat to Extend the Salting Deadline
August 5, 2020 YC
Yevamos 120a: One may not testify that a man is dead unless he saw him within three days of death, but if he saw him later, his appearance may have changed and the witness could mistake his identity.
Rav Dimi permitted the wife of a man who drowned in Karmi and was pulled out of the water more than three days later. Rava permitted the wife of a man who drowned in the Tigris and was pulled out onto the bridge five days later. The reason is because water tightens up the body.
The Aruch Hashulchan 69:72 says that this is proof to the rule of the Gaonim, brought in Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 69:12, that one may not rely on salting to remove the blood from meat after three days, because the blood dries up inside the body (causing the face to be disfigured) and cannot be removed by the salt. Thus if the meat was soaked within the first three days, it can be salted even after three days, similar to the man who fell into the river whose blood and appearance is kept fresh by the water.
יבמות קכ ע"א: אין מעידין אלא עד ג׳ ימיםֹ. ופירש רש"י אם ראוהו בתוך ג׳ ימים למיתתו מעידין עליו אבל אם לא ראוהו עד לאחר ג׳ ימים חיישינן שמא נשתנו מראית פניו ואין זה שהם סבורים.
שם קכא ע"א: דההוא גברא דטבע בכרמי, ואסקוהו אבי הדיא לבתר תלתא יומין, ואנסבה רב דימי מנהרדעא לדביתהוֹ ותו, ההוא גברא דאטבע בדגלת ואסקוהו אגישרא דשביסתנא, ואנסבה רבא לדביתהו אפומא דשושביני לבתר חמשה יומיֹ וכו' שאני מיא, דצמתי.
שו"ע יו"ד סט,יב: בשר ששהה ג׳ ימים מעת לעת בלא מליחה נתייבש דמו בתוכו ולא יצא עוד ע״י מליחה ואין לאכלו מבושל אלא צלי וכו'.
שם סעיף יג: ואם שרו אותו במים תוך הג׳ ימים יכול להשהותו עוד שלשה ימים אחרים פחות חצי שעה.
Rabbi Yirmiyohu Kaganoff served as a rav in Buffalo, New York. One short erev Shabbos, there was a severe blizzard across a large part of the country; the major interstate highways and all state routes were closed. About half an hour before Shabbos, the telephone rang. "Rabbi Kaganoff, I was given your phone number in case of emergency," said the woman on the other end. "I am a dispatcher for the All-American Transport Company. We have a load of kosher meat held up by the storm that needs to be washed by Saturday night." Rabbi Kaganoff asked her if she knew the last time the meat was washed. "It was last washed 11 p.m. Wednesday and needs re-washing by 11 p.m. Saturday."
He politely asked if she could call him back in about 25 hours, which would still be several hours before the meat's deadline.
Right after Shabbos, the telephone rang again. A different, unfamiliar voice identified itself as the driver of the stuck truck. His vehicle was exactly where it had been Friday afternoon, stranded not far from the main highway.
Rabbi Kaganoff said he would make some phone calls and get back to him. But he could find no mashgiach in the vicinity of Nebraska who was able to go and supervise the washing of the meat. With no good news to tell the trucker, he procrastinated on calling him back.
An hour later, the phone rang again, with the trucker on the line. "Rabbi," he said, with obvious excitement in his voice, "I've solved the problem. I discovered that I was stranded a few thousand feet from a fire station. And now, all the meat has been properly hosed. Listen to this letter:
"On Saturday evening, the 22nd of January, at exactly 9:25 pm, I personally oversaw the successful washing of a kosher load of meat on trailer 186CX and tractor 2008PR. To this declaration, I do solemnly lend my signature and seal,
James P. O'Donald, Fire Chief, Lincoln Fire Station #2."
Probably noticing Rabbi Kaganoff's momentary hesitation, the trucker continued, "Rabbi, do I need to have this letter notarized?"
"No, I am sure that won't be necessary," he replied. He was not about to tell the driver that halachah requires that a Torah observant Jew supervise the washing of the meat. On the contrary, he complimented him on his diligence and his tremendous sense of responsibility.
Now it was Rabbi Kaganoff who had a responsibility on his hands: Since he knew the meat's ultimate destination, he needed to inform the rabbi of that town of the situation so that he could reach a decision.
The rabbi of that town consulted with a posek who reasoned that since the truck had been stuck in a major blizzard, unquestionably the meat had been frozen solid, and that they could rely on this to kasher the meat after it thawed out.
Although the Pri Megadim and others do not allow extending the 3-day deadline by freezing, the Aruch Hashulchan and others disagree, and R' Moshe Feinstein relied on it in extenuating circumstances. (Igros Moshe YD 1:27, 2:21)
Source: Rabbikaganoff.com
[We see here that the kashrus supervisors in this meat plant allowed two leniencies: 1) They allowed extending the 3-day deadline further by washing the meat a second time – the Yad Efraim is uncertain whether this works. 2) They allowed simply hosing down the meat, as opposed to soaking it, and thus they would have relied on the fire hose if not for the fact that it was done without Jewish supervision. The Taz says it must actually be soaked, and the Yad Avraham allows rinsing only in cases when the veins in the meat were already removed. Evidently, the kashrus supervisors in this story relied on the Yad Efraim, who says that one should not be lenient and rinse the meat if it is possible to soak it, implying that if there is no other way, it may be rinsed.]
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A new month and a new Comic Block! I guess if I do more than one of these unboxings I'm going to convince myself I need to do them every month. The slightly odd thing about these Comic Blocks is that because they ship at the end of the month you don't actually get June's box until July so the month constantly seems off. It's not that big of a deal I just don't want the internets to feel I waited a whole month to post this, the box just came in the mail this week.
Here is a look at the insert that comes in that box that explains all the items.
This month every comic book was an exclusive Variant cover instead of 2 out of 3 from the May Comic Block which is awesome. Still no sign of the elusive trade paper back that we were promised would be in some of the boxes, so perhaps next month? The overall quality of comic books remains very high. The issue of Groot and 21st Century Tank Girl justify the purchase price of the box alone in my opinion (sorry Ghostbusters). It looks like the trend will be that all the comic books are number 1 issues of new ongoing series which is awesome. They are trying to get people on board new series rather than handing out random overstock back issues. We'll start by taking a look at the non Comic Book items in the box. This month had a cool Batman vs. Superman T-Shirt which I like a lot more than I did last month's Comic Book Guy T-Shirt. The box also came with a Avengers Pen and note pad which looks like something you'd find on the shelf at Wal-Mart or Target and is pretty meh. I would have rather they included an art print like they did last month then have something so generic as this pen.
Last month I posted my unboxing before I actually read the books so I thought it might be better this month if I read them first and wrote a little blurb about each one.
As Rocket famously stated, Groot "Don't know talkin' good…, so his vocabulistics is limited to "I" and "am" and "Groot," exclusively in that order". So when Marvel announced they were going to release a Groot solo ongoing series I was curious how it would turn out. While this may be a Groot solo series, Rocket is just as much a star and does the heavy lifting in the speech department. However, the end of this issue makes me think that Rocket and Groot won't actually be with each other going forward like they were in this issue.
This comic was great. It had the humor and wit that the Guardians of the Galaxy Film brought and was a joy to read cover to cover. I'm still not sure I'm going to pick up Groot as an ongoing series but I will definitely be keeping an eye out for it to start appearing on Marvel Comics Digital Unlimited. My favorite part though had to be this little reference to Man of Steel.
This is actually the book I was most exciting about. I don't know much about Tank Girl so it was pretty sweet to find an issue in this month's box. This issue (and series I'm assuming) is an anthology issue so it had 4 different stories with various writers and artists in it. All the stories were funny, raunchy, and violent. I don't know if I will add this to my pull list but if future issues are in this anthology format this it will be good to know I can pick them up later and not be lost.
This is the comic that I was least excited about in the whole bunch. In general I am pretty weary of comic books that are based off of TV Shows or Movies. I'm sure that there are plenty of good books out there but it just isn't my cup of tea. That being said this comic was ok. I'm not going to buy more of the series, but I enjoyed the issue well enough. The plot is that the elder God Proteus attacks the Real Ghostbusters (from the 90's cartoon) causing them to go into the universe of the regular Ghostbusters.
I am vaguely aware that the Real Ghostbusters existed and that it is different from the normal Ghostbusters so I was able to understand that part. They give you all the information you need anyway so even if you aren't familiar with the intricacies of Ghostbusters you would be able to follow along.
The target audience for this book is for children around 8 to 12 so if you got a kid that is into Ghostbusters this might be a good pick for them.
Full disclosure I was not paid for this post and bought this comic block with my own money. I am doing this unboxing for my own entertainment, however, if the people at nerd block wanted to give me free things I would love to take them and review them here.
Every month I get my Loot Crate or Nerd Block my natural instinct is to do an unboxing post. However, by the time I get to it I generally find there are already hundreds of posts and pictures out there days before my box even arrived. Well in May I decided to try Nerd Block's newest subscription box, the Comic Block. I got the e-mail notice that it was shipping last week and have been searching online to see if anyone else online had gotten their Comic Block box ahead of me. I couldn't find anything, no unboxing pictures, no blog posts, nothing. So I have taken it upon myself to do my own unboxing post.
Here is the beauty shot. I even did my best to arrange things so I could get the Comic Block Hashtag in the picture. Inside there was a card that had all the items in the box with a short description.


text:
package java.time;

import java.io.DataOutput;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.io.Serializable;
import java.time.temporal.*;
import java.time.zone.ZoneRules;

public final class ZoneOffset extends ZoneId implements TemporalAccessor, TemporalAdjuster, Comparable<ZoneOffset>, Serializable {
	public static final ZoneOffset UTC = new ZoneOffset(0);
	public static final ZoneOffset MIN = new ZoneOffset(-18 * 3600);
	public static final ZoneOffset MAX = new ZoneOffset(18 * 3600);

	private final int totalSeconds;

	private ZoneOffset(int totalSeconds) {
		this.totalSeconds = totalSeconds;
	}

	private static ZoneOffset _of(int totalHours, int totalMinutes, int totalSeconds) {
		int finalSeconds = totalHours * 3600 + totalMinutes * 60 + totalSeconds;
		switch (finalSeconds) {
			case 0:
				return UTC;
			default:
				return new ZoneOffset(finalSeconds);
		}
	}

	public static ZoneOffset of(String offsetId) {
		return UTC;
	}

	public static ZoneOffset ofHours(int hours) {
		return _of(hours, 0, 0);
	}

	public static ZoneOffset ofHoursMinutes(int hours, int minutes) {
		return _of(hours, minutes % 60, 0);
	}

	public static ZoneOffset ofHoursMinutesSeconds(int hours, int minutes, int seconds) {
		return _of(hours, minutes % 60, seconds % 60);
	}

	public static ZoneOffset ofTotalSeconds(int totalSeconds) {
		return  _of(0, 0, totalSeconds);
	}

	native public static ZoneOffset from(TemporalAccessor temporal);

	public int getTotalSeconds() {
		return totalSeconds;
	}

	public String getId() {
		return "UTC";
	}

	native public ZoneRules getRules();

	native public boolean isSupported(TemporalField field);

	native public ValueRange range(TemporalField field);

	native public int get(TemporalField field);

	native public long getLong(TemporalField field);

	native public <R> R query(TemporalQuery<R> query);

	native public Temporal adjustInto(Temporal temporal);

	native void write(DataOutput out) throws IOException;

	native public int compareTo(ZoneOffset other);

	native public boolean equals(Object obj);

	native public int hashCode();

	native public String toString();
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: Have a create form at index across models I want to ask if what I have done is a good practice.
I have two models: a discussion has many posts.
In my discussions#show all posts are displayed. Now I want to add a form, so I can create a new post at that discussion.
discussions_controller.rb show()
@discussion = Discussion.find(params[:id])
@post = @discussion.posts.build

show.html.erb
<%= render :partial => 'posts/form' %>
<%= render @discussion.posts %>
<%= link_to 'Edit', edit_discussion_path(@discussion) %> |
<%= link_to 'Back', discussions_path %>

_post.html.erb

    Content:
    <%= post.content %>

  <%= link_to 'Edit', edit_post_path(post) %> |
  <%= link_to 'Back', posts_path %>

This will cause an error at the 'edit' and 'back' link_to methods, because the new post object I built will become part of the @discussion.posts, and since that new post is not saved, the edit_post_path url helper will give out "No route matches" error(it can't find that unsaved post).
If I want to keep 'edit' and 'back' link_to methods, I have to filter out the newly built (but not saved) object. But somehow I feel that what I have done may be hackish, and want to ask if there is any better practice to achieve my goal.

A: If you don't need the discussion_id when submitting the new Post form, then you can simply do
@post = Post.new

If you do need discussion_id set on the new Post object then you can do that without adding the new object to @discussion.posts
@post = Post.new(:discussion => @discussion)


1. Miniature Garden of Romance Masataka Chiyo is a Cultivation Art student whose latest submission has been rejected for being 'dispassionate and uncreative'. He struggles to find inspiration, which arrives unexpectedly in the form of his brilliantly innovative roommate, Kunitachi Hiromi. 2. The Professor's Botany A reclusive artist renowned as "The Professor" lives in a secluded house that appears, at first glance, to be as bare and as empty as its occupant's heart. Knowing The Professor to be a difficult man, the company in charge of mass-producing his designs delegates the task of dealing with him to their newest employee.


Image: ElisabethSalleeBauer/Antagain/Getty Images. Design: Ashley Britton/SheKnows.
Although it may feel like summer just started, the days are already getting shorter — and before you know it, the new school year will be here. Of course, no one wants their child to start of the year on the wrong foot, but there's a chance you're facilitating just that — without even meaning to. Here are common behaviors/allowances/slipups you'll want to avoid now in order to set your kids up for success all school year long.
It's understandable that many kids complain about having to do schoolwork during their off time. But that summer reading and five-page summary will be a lot less stressful if your child completes it in the beginning of August rather than the night before school starts.
Kennedy-Moore cautions, "Don't say anything negative about the teacher, no matter what you've heard. That sets up bad expectations for how the year will go. Learning to deal with different kinds of bosses is an important life skill." Keep an open mind and suggest your student do the same — you both may be pleasantly surprised.
Being late to school is a big no-no. It is disrespectful to the teacher and other students. Elementary school teacher Jodi Solomon says, "Children should be on time so that they can begin their day with the rest of the class and not have to play catch-up so early in the day. It embarrasses them that they have to unpack when everyone else is engaged in their work already. Insist children get organized the night before so that mornings are less hectic."
Most schools give a supply list before the start of school. While it may not be necessary to have every single item on the first day, showing up completely unprepared is a mistake. Solomon explains, "We typically go through all the supplies and organize them with the children the first days. If a student does not have any of their supplies, it is annoying to catch them up the following week. Plus they are just sitting at their desk doing nothing and feeling anxious."
Solomon says, "The first week is like photocopy heaven. The main office sends home important information, as do the classroom teachers. Parents need to empty the folders and go through each paper. Anything that needs a signature should be signed and returned as soon a possible." Many schools now handle most of their paperwork online; parents need to be sure to read all emails from the school thoroughly so as not to miss anything.
Speaking of back-to-school night, most schools host these evenings to give parents a broad overview of the grade's curriculum. It is a chance for parents to inquire about general classwork and expectations. It is not an opportunity to ask about specific questions pertaining to your individual child. If you have a question that does not pertain to the class as a whole, make an appointment with the teacher to talk about your student's needs.
New beginnings can be tough for everyone. Parents need to set an example for their kids. Kennedy-Moore says, "Don't emphasize how difficult this year will be or how worried you are about how your child will manage. If you're tense and worried about how the school year will go, your child will be too." Focus on the positives — seeing old friends, making new ones, fun special events that happen in your child's grade, etc. If you seem excited about the new school year, your child will be too.
Kennedy-Moore says, "The beginning of a new school year is a big deal for kids. There's a lot of uncertainty: Will my teacher be nice? Will I have a buddy in my new class? Will the work be too hard or too boring?" Better to have time to relax, get organized and eat a leisurely family meal those first few days than to immediately be running around with after-school activities. The same is true for parents. Kids may want to talk about the details of their day or need to run out for additional school supplies, so try to avoid making plans or scheduling mandatory work meetings until your child is settled into their new routine.
By avoiding these missteps, parents can help their kids to start the new school year positively. Both your children and your children's teachers will appreciate your efforts to make it a great school year.


The Denver College of Nursing Board of Trustees has adopted statements of vision, mission, values, goals, and philosophy to guide the operation of the institution.
The vision of Denver College of Nursing is to prepare excellent health care providers and leaders to transform the lives of persons and communities through innovative education and health care.
Denver College of Nursing is a private institution of higher education dedicated exclusively to educating students for the diverse opportunities offered by careers in nursing and other health care fields.
Denver College of Nursing serves students, the nursing profession, health care organizations, clients receiving care, and the increasing needs of society for qualified nurses by offering programs for students who seek careers in nursing and other medical fields.
.The programs build on foundations of general education common to nursing education, and all programs meet or exceed common standards for nursing education programs in Colorado.
The nursing programs explore a differentiated practice model that teaches students to maximize their own role development, to seek the opportunity to learn and collaborate effectively with other nurses of differing educational preparations.
The programs integrate holistic health care values with traditional health care values so students can explore the understanding of "whole body wellness" in client care.
Programs are offered to adult students from the economically and ethnically diverse regional community served.
The philosophy of Denver College of Nursing flows from the mission of the school and supports the concepts of clinical competence, excellence in education, holistic care, professionalism, evidence-based practice, and lifelong learning.
Nursing is an art and science that identifies, mobilizes, and develops strengths of the client through acquired skill, professionalism, knowledge, and competence supported by evidence-based practice.
Person is a unique, physical, psychosocial, spiritual, cultural, and holistic being or community with value, dignity, and worth possessing the capacity for growth, change, and choices for which they bear responsibility.
Environment is the dynamic subtotal of internal and external elements that impact an individual's perception of and adaptation to the community in which they exist.
Wellness is defined as the individual's perception of his/her quality of life throughout the lifespan and his/her ability to adapt to restrictions of environment, disease, or disability.


The Thermo Scientific TSQ 9000 triple quadrupole GC-MS/MS system is the gold standard for the sensitive and specific quantitation of target compounds in high-throughput analytical laboratories. This system features multiple monitoring and scan modes as well as the triple off-axis Thermo Scientific DynaMax XR detection system. The system is equipped with either the Thermo Scientific TRACE 1300 or TRACE 1310 gas chromatograph.
Laboratories performing food, environmental, or forensic toxicology testing demand analytical systems that are unstoppable in every way. That's the purpose of the TSQ 9000 GC-MS system.
The TSQ 9000 GC-MS/MS system delivers attogram-level sensitivity and best-in-class selected-reaction-monitoring (SRM) performance, so you consistently meet required detection limits for high capacity methods as you run samples.
Choose either the rugged Thermo Scientific ExtractaBrite ion source or the ultra-sensitive, ultra-robust Thermo Scientific Advanced Electron Ionization (AEI) source. Available in a dedicated system configuration, the AEI source provides highly efficient ionization and a more tightly focused ion beam to drive down instrument detection limits and reduce time-consuming sample concentration steps.
The Enhanced Velocity Optics Collision Cell (EvoCell) augments sensitivity and precision for complex methods. It can be used to increase the scope of SRM methods to fit a wider range of compounds and matrices, increase sample throughput by compressing GC time, or increase method resistance to matrix effects and retention time shifts.
Extended instrument uptime reduces turnaround time and overhead costs. The TSQ 9000 GC-MS/MS system is specifically designed for complex sample matrices in high-throughput applications. Whether you select the ExtractaBrite or AEI ion source, you benefit from high matrix tolerance to minimize maintenance.
With NeverVent technology for the ExtractaBrite source, it's possible to isolate the mass spectrometer from the gas chromatograph, allowing source cleaning, column replacement or injector maintenance, without downtime for venting. This boosts instrument productivity to unprecedented levels, meaning your time can be spent on producing quality results.
The TSQ 9000 GC-MS/MS system enhances the user experience, learning, and ease of switching from other platforms with automated software for tuning, method development, and targeted quantification workflows.
SIMBridge, AutoSRM, and t-SRM automate development and optimization of SRM-based targeted workflows, allowing even less-experienced users to develop MS/MS-based methods. Retention Time Alignment (RTA) adds an easy way to maintain retention times for high-throughput work. SmartTune simplifies instrument tuning, and if needed, informs the user of corrective actions, ensuring the system performs as required.
It's difficult to predict the challenges ahead. The fully scalable TSQ 9000 GC-MS/MS system provides a upgrade path from basic to advanced configurations, allowing you to add capability if you need it.
Pressure to increase productivity, and the growing list of compounds that laboratories must quantify and screen, necessitate workflow-driven software.
Intuitive Thermo Scientific Chromeleon Chromatography Data System (CDS) software is available to support quantitative workflows. Add Thermo Scientific eWorkflows to simplify creation of analytical sequences. If you need to jump-start method development, download ready-to-use eWorkflows from the Thermo Scientific AppsLab Library.
Add Thermo Scientific TraceFinder software and make targeted and untargeted analyses in food, environmental, and forensic toxicology applications simple, fast and productive. To simplify U.S. EPA-based environmental applications, the Environmental Analysis Extension Pack provides a set of predefined templates and GC-MS methods.
Talk to an expert about the power of UNSTOPPABLE triple quadrupole GC-MS/MS.
Provide your contact information and we will have one of our experts contact you to answer any questions you may have about the UNSTOPPABLE TSQ 9000 triple quadrupole GC-MS/MS system.
Unlike other systems, the TSQ 9000 GC-MS/MS system offers laboratories the opportunity to select best-in-class SRM performance, even for high capacity methods, while still benefiting from increased analytical robustness.
The TSQ 9000 GC-MS/MS system is uniquely placed to offer truly scalable performance that addresses increasingly challenging regulatory requirements, as well as providing effective ease-of-use tools to deliver consistent, class leading results, by both experienced and newer users.


text:
123Net Boosts Backbone by Increasing New Fiber Miles
HomeNews123Net Boosts Backbone by Increasing New Fiber Miles
123Net Inc., one of Michigan's largest fiber optics networks, added 476 route miles of fiber in the past 12 months, expanding its backbone to 2,448 route miles across the state.
"Michigan businesses are demanding more than cable Internet. They want fiber directly to their businesses. Dedicated fiber that can deliver more bandwidth (up to 10Gbps) with much better uptime than cable," said Dan Irvin, CEO at 123Net. "123Net continues to invest heavily in infrastructure to ensure that we meet the needs of our Michigan customers in terms of network performance and customer service."
Through a series of strategic investments including fiber swaps, acquisitions and new constructions, 123Net has bolstered its backbone in core hubs like metro Detroit, Grand Rapids and Lansing. Additional routes were also added to better serve more rural markets with an emphasis on Northern Michigan.
With fiber speeds up to 10 Gbps, 123Net has the infrastructure to deliver dedicated Internet, phone service and connectivity to provide businesses with a better option at competitive rates.
"Adding fiber has a direct impact on our customer service mission to provide simple, reliable, effective and secure solutions to meet business IT and communication needs," said Irvin. "Our customers especially appreciate 123Net's willingness to provide dedicated fiber directly into a business, often connected directly to their data center cabinets."
The 123Net fiber expansion comes on the heels of two other recent expansion efforts. Last week, the company announced the acquisition of MICA.Net's business customers who are primarily concentrated in southeastern Michigan. In April, 123Net announced its high speed fixed wireless expansion to Grand Rapids bringing an additional nine Points of Presence (PoP) sites and gigabit speeds available throughout the metro area.
About 123Net
123.Net is a Michigan business, privately owned and managed by a team of accomplished executives with strong engineering backgrounds and proven success. Headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, 123Net has been successfully providing voice, data, and colocation infrastructure services to enterprises, carriers, ISPs, and technology companies for over 15 years.
123Net currently operates a 50Gbps+ IP network connected to multiple global transit carriers, including Level 3, Savvis, Cogent, Comcast and others. Four metro fiber rings and long-haul fiber networks span over 2,400 route miles and covers over 70 nodes across Michigan.
For more information, please visit www.123.net
123Net Inc., Business, Southfield


text:
Myzus cornutus är en insektsart. Myzus cornutus ingår i släktet Myzus och familjen långrörsbladlöss. Inga underarter finns listade i Catalogue of Life.

Källor

Långrörsbladlöss
cornutus

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Thank you for joining us at the Ringside!
The third Ringside Session is a wrap. We would like to thank all the viewers who joined us! For those who missed the live Session: Don't worry! The on demand version is available.
First response of Arun Bansal, President and Head of Europe and Latin America, Ericsson, immediately after the event: "It is great to see how aligned we are as an industry. We all have a common view on what 5G, IoT, artificial intelligence and automation can bring to transform all of the industry".
How are operators and enterprises approaching Industry 4.0 today?
Where are they seeing the value?
How will the arrival of key technologies drive a new phase of innovation?
The participants got into some tough discussions about AI and automation and if they will deliver new avenues for value creation. Consensus was reached that connectivity plays a fundamental role realizing Industry 4.0. Now we all know more about the demands industries have and how 5G enhances the operator proposition to support industries in their transition towards Industry 4.0.
In the weeks to come, we will also follow up on the topics and questions raised during the live debate with more in-depth material. Until then, make sure to take a look at the Ericsson AI, automation and 5G related studies in the section below.
Ericsson's Ringside Session 3 were broadcasted live from the Sweden Co-Lab area at Hannover Messe (Hall 27, booth h30).
Visit us at Hannover from April 1 – April 5 in Hall 8 (Ericsson main booth), Hall 27 (Swedish Co-Lab Pavilion) and Hall 16 (5G arena) to experience how your industrial value creation can be limitless with 5G!
Arun is President and Head of Europe and Latin America, Ericsson. He joined Ericsson in 1995 and has held various senior positions in the company, including Senior Vice President and Head of Business Unit Network Products from April 2016 to March 2017, Head of Business Unit Radio from 2014 to 2016, and Head of Region South East Asia and Oceania from 2010 to 2014. He was also responsible for establishing the world's first managed capacity operation with the operator Bharti Airtel in India. Arun holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Electronics) degree and a Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing, both from India.
Guido Jouret is the Chief Digital Officer of ABB, a pioneering technology leader in power grids, electrification products, industrial automation and robotics and motion, serving customers in utilities, industry and transport & infrastructure globally. He leads the next level of development and deployment of ABB's digital solutions for customers globally and across all businesses. Guido is a United States and Belgium citizen, with long experience in Silicon Valley. Prior to joining ABB, Guido was with Nokia Technologies, Envision Energy and prior to that Cisco for several years, his most recent role there was as General Manager of the Internet of Things business unit.
On January 1, 2018, Adel Al-Saleh, born in 1963, started his role as Member of the Board of Management at Deutsche Telekom AG and CEO of T-Systems. The first 19 years of his professional life at IBM Al-Saleh was holding a variety of senior leadership roles. His last role at IBM was Vice President and General Manager, Sales and Industries, IBM Northeast Europe Integrated Operating Team, responsible for IBM sales across all industries and products. In December 2011 Al-Saleh joined Northgate as Chief Executive Officer of Northgate Information Solutions (NIS) Group until he took over his new responsibilities at Deutsche Telekom. Al-Saleh graduated from Boston University in 1987, he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and received his Masters of Business and Administration from Florida Atlantic University in 1990.
Bernhard Quendt is CTO of the operating company Siemens Digital Industries.
Prior to that he headed the platform segment of the Business Unit Automation Systems and led the R&D activities of the Business Unit Rail Automation. Previously he had various management positions within Siemens Communications, e.g. in Product Management, Technical Sales and R&D. Bernhard Quendt holds a Ph.D. in electrical engineering and information technology from Munich University of Technology, a M.Sc. in telecommunications from Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Télécommunications Paris and a M.Sc. in electrical engineering from University of Stuttgart.
I like to dedicate my time to challenges with a deep purpose, exploring new horizons that ignite me with passion and curiosity. So I spent my career jumping from consulting to industry, going from Ferrari to McKinsey with a couple of intermediate steps. My background is in Lean Six Sigma and Operational Excellence. Having spent years leading projects and transformation in various industries I started to focus on new digital technologies in 2013 as the natural evolution of the lean toolbox.
Now, at Electrolux, I lead the digital transformation of plants and supply chain at a global level, matching Technology introduction with People transformation in a meaningful way in order to help Electrolux to reach a new level of sustainable growth supporting our purpose of "Shape Living for the Better".
Ringside Views is our quarterly update exploring topics important to the industry. Each issue looks into the questions being asked at the Ringside Session. The latest edition is focused on Security and IoT.
Ringside Session #1 - Will Operators fail to become IoT businesses?
Get to know what was the participants' view on the importance of IoT? Where do they see opportunities and challenges?
Ringside Session #2 - Is 5G the key to secure IoT & Industry 4.0?
In the Session, two executive operator representatives, two industry leaders, a security expert, and Ericsson to discuss whether 5G will be key to secure IoT & Industry 4.0.
Here are some great related Ericsson reports to dive deeper into the topic of AI, automation and 5G.
Based on insights about future 5G systems, developments in manufacturing and ITS automation, this white paper reflects on the technical challenges the R&D community needs to address to fully capitalize on the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning.
This Ericsson white paper describes the evolution of Cellular IoT from the more basic use cases and less demanding characteristics of Massive IoT, through the more demanding use cases and onward to the extremely demanding use cases that are expected to be addressed by Critical IoT and Industrial Automation IoT.
In this insight report we explore what impact the current AI-driven digital transformation of society has on jobs.
This article focuses on how 5G ultra-reliable low-latency communication (URLLC) will accelerate the transformation of the manufacturing industry and make smart factories more efficient and productive.
To address increasing network complexity, Ericsson has introduced a new Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based managed services model for communications service providers – the Ericsson Operations Engine.
To be relevant in the new digital economy, it is crucial to excel in delivering what is needed, when it is needed, and doing so for every customer. What is the role of AI and automation?