Felix Mendelssohn (3 February 1809 – 4 November 1847) was a German
composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic period,
who wrote symphonies, concertos, oratorios, piano music, and chamber
music. His best-known works include his Overture and incidental music
for A Midsummer Night's Dream, the Italian Symphony, his mature Violin
Concerto, his String Octet, and his Songs Without Words for solo piano.
He was born into a prominent Jewish family in Berlin, baptised as a
Reformed Christian at age seven, and recognised early as a musical
prodigy. Mendelssohn revived interest in Bach's music, notably with a
performance of the St Matthew Passion in 1829. He enjoyed success in
Germany and in his travels throughout Europe as a composer, conductor
and soloist. Many of his major works premiered during his ten visits to
Britain. He founded the Leipzig Conservatory, which became a bastion of
his rather conservative tastes. After a long period of relative
denigration, he is among the most popular romantic composers.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Felix_Mendelssohn>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1852:
The Argentine Confederation were defeated in the Platine War by
an alliance consisting of Brazil, Uruguay and the Argentine provinces of
Entre Ríos and Corrientes.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platine_War>
1930:
The Communist Party of Indochina, the Communist Party of Annam,
and the Communist League of Indochina merged to form the Communist Party
of Vietnam.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Communist_Party_of_Vietnam>
1959:
American rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens,
and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson were killed when their plane
crashed shortly after taking off from Mason City Municipal Airport in
Iowa (wreckage pictured).
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_the_Music_Died>
2014:
Russia's first school shooting took place when a student opened
fire at School No. 263 in Otradnoye District, Moscow, resulting in the
deaths of a teacher and a police officer.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Moscow_school_shooting>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
flare:
1. (transitive) To cause to burn.
2. (transitive) To cause inflammation; to inflame.
3. (transitive, intransitive) To open outward in shape.
4. (transitive, intransitive, aviation) To (operate an aircraft to)
transition from downward flight to level flight just before landing.
5. (intransitive) To blaze brightly.
6. (intransitive) To shine out with a sudden and unsteady light; to emit
a dazzling or painfully bright light.
7. (intransitive, figuratively) To shine out with gaudy colours; to be
offensively bright or showy.
8. (intransitive, figuratively) To suddenly happen or intensify.
9. (intransitive, figuratively) To suddenly erupt in anger.
10. (intransitive, obsolete) To be exposed to too much light.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/flare>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
The longing in the depth of the heart for absolute good, and the
power, though only latent, of directing attention and love to a reality
beyond the world and of receiving good from it — constitutes a link
which attaches every man without exception to that other reality.
Whoever recognizes that reality recognizes also that link. Because of
it, he holds every human being without any exception as something sacred
to which he is bound to show respect. This is the only possible motive
for universal respect towards all human beings. Whatever formulation of
belief or disbelief a man may choose to make, if his heart inclines him
to feel this respect, then he in fact also recognizes a reality other
than this world's reality. Whoever in fact does not feel this respect is
alien to that other reality also.
--Simone Weil
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Simone_Weil>