Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2008 September 13

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September 13

What is this type of illustration called?

Hi. Does anyone know what simple background illustrations are called? In other words, if there is text in the foreground, and behind it are faint vine silhouttes or something. They don't have to be repeated patterns.--Welcome Home Cover 56 (talk) 08:43, 13 September 2008 (UTC)

It could be a watermark. --Tango (talk) 08:46, 13 September 2008 (UTC)

Ok. Thanks!--Welcome Home Cover 56 (talk) 08:51, 13 September 2008 (UTC)

Well, a watermark is possible, but in the context of a book it's not likely to be that. More likely it's just what you said -- a background. --Anonymous, 21:25 UTC, September 13, 2008.

How can I find a list of winners of this award?

Cause I met a guy last night who said he won it a few times but I think he was just drunk.--Plastic Lament (talk) 11:50, 13 September 2008 (UTC)

May I suggest looking for his name on List of NASCAR drivers? DJ Clayworth (talk) 21:14, 13 September 2008 (UTC)

A ship's "stemhold"

In improving our USS Somerset (LPD-25) article (following the question #damaged steel from the Pentagon, above), the source talks about the ship's "stemhold" (ref). While the bow article mentions, in passing, the "stem" it doesn't talk about the stemhold, and I can't find anything worthwhile in Google about "stemhold" or "stemhold" (likewise for "sternhold"). Is this an error on the part of the newspaper, or are we (and the rest of the web) deficient in its mention? -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 17:45, 13 September 2008 (UTC)

According to this [1] the stemhold is the bit at the front that cuts through the water. DuncanHill (talk) 17:48, 13 September 2008 (UTC)

My concern is that I've only found mentions of "stemhold" (as a ship part) in media that relates directly to this specific story. Surely if this is a term that is, or has really ever been, in use by ship guys then it would be mentioned elsewhere. I'm concerned that one or two journalists at one press conference might have misheard or misunderstood something said by a navy bloke, and I don't want Wikipedia (well, me) to be inadvertently responsible for promulgating that little error any further. -- Finlay McWalter | Talk 17:59, 13 September 2008 (UTC)

Not in the big OED, although "stem" is, in the context of Stem (ship), with associated words stem-end, stem-head, stem-piece, stem-post. Perhaps they meant one of those? Or is it a local term? Gwinva (talk) 09:23, 14 September 2008 (UTC)

Eckhart Tolle and Scientology

Has there every been any suggestion or evidence that Eckhart Tolle (author of A New Earth) was influenced by, or has studied, Scientology? Or, perhaps any similarities between A New Earth and Scientology are coincidental or merely due to L. Ron Hubbard's having studied Buddhism (does anyone know if Hubbard studied Buddhism)? Thank you. --24.211.242.80 (talk) 18:48, 13 September 2008 (UTC)

According to the Wiki article on Eckhart Tolle, he was influenced by many different people and teachings, including Buddhism. However, the list of Tolle's influences does not include L. Ron Hubbard, Scientology, or Dianetics. Likewise, in the Wiki article on Scientology, Hubbard is credited with being influenced at least in part by Buddhism, as well. There were other crossovers between Tolle's and Hubbard's influences, not just Buddhism, so there should be no huge surprise that their teachings would have possible similarities. However, from my cursory investigation, I do not find that Tolle was inspired by Hubbard. Not that he wasn't, but just that if he was I couldn't find it from my short search. Saukkomies 13:17, 14 September 2008 (UTC)

Thank you --24.211.242.80 (talk) 19:17, 16 September 2008 (UTC)

Listening to Piano Music - Where to Begin?

Hello everyone,

Recently I have discovered that I actually enjoy classical music, and since August I have not been able to get enough. I started with George Lloyd's Symphony No. 5, and from there I went on to Bach's Brandenburg Concertos, Mozart's last symphonies, Mendelssohn's Italian/Scottish, and Shostakovich's 5 and 9. I am looking to start with some piano music, but I am not sure where to begin. The only names I've really ever heard of are Isaac Albeniz,William Bolcom, and John Ireland, but I really don't know anything about them, and I don't want to just blindly buy any old piece by a random composer. There are so many choices and so many sub-genres. I know this isn't a lot of information to go on, but what would you recommend from your own experience? Besides traditional piano music, I am also looking for some lighter piano music to listen to more as an ambiance than a listening experience, maybe like some minimalist stuff? In this area I've heard of Michael Jones. I really am not sure. I am also looking for some more great traditional classical music. I guess it's a very open question. Thanks, in advance, for all the help!!!

Mike MAP91 (talk) 20:05, 13 September 2008 (UTC)

Oh boy, what a challenge. Well, starting with the composers whose orchestral music you already like, Mendelssohn wrote lots of piano music. His "Songs without Words" are well known and might be a good intro to him. They vary from slowish tender "flowery" things to virile fast-paced pieces. All quite short (5 minutes max.) From that same era is the supreme writer of piano music - Frédéric Chopin. Virtually anything at all that he wrote is as excellent as anything else - scherzos, ballades, mazurkas, etudes (studies), waltzes, preludes, the Barcarolle, the 2nd and 3rd sonatas (the 2nd contains the well-known Funeral March, but don't let that put you off, it's magical stuff). His compatriot Franz Liszt wrote an enormous amount of stuff, and for a beginner I'd suggest the Consolations, the 2nd book of Years of Pilgrimage, the Hungarian Rhapsodies, and some of the piano transcriptions of Schubert lieder (songs). Speaking of Franz Schubert, have a listen to the 8 Impromptus (in 2 sets), and the 6 Moments Musicaux. Also the Fantasy in F minor for 2 pianists (at one piano). Then there's the 3 B's - J. S. Bach, Beethoven and Brahms. If you like Bach, try some of his 48 Preludes and Fugues played on a piano. They can be a bit dry, but for more fun from the same era listen to Vladimir Horowitz (or anyone) playing Domenico Scarlatti's short sonatas on piano. He lived in Spain for a long time and they have a noticeable Spanish quality about them. That gets us into Albeniz - lots of great piano music ("Iberia" is probably his best known suite) - and Enrique Granados ("Goyescas" is fantastic, and the last movement "The Maiden and the Nightingale" is better known by itself). Across the border to France, and Claude Debussy (Children's Corner, which contains his single best known work "Clair de lune"; Suite bergamasque; 2 sets of preludes), Maurice Ravel (Sonatine; Jeux d'eau; Valses nobles et sentimentales) and Gabriel Faure are the big 3. Beethoven and Brahms - wonderful stuff, but for a beginner I'd start with Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata, and Brahms rhapsodies, intermezzi and assorted pieces (not his sonatas at this stage). Robert Schumann - Scenes from Childhood, Carnaval, Papillons, the Humoresques. Over to Russia and there's Rachmaninoff (where to start? - the Preludes, I'd say), Tchaikovsky (The Seasons), Stravinsky (3 movements from Petrushka), and Shostakovich (24 preludes; 24 preludes and fugues; Dances of the Dolls). I've probably forgotten some huge names, but that's a start. This is just solo piano pieces, and I haven't even started on 4-handed music (apart from the Schubert), and music for piano and orchestra (concertos, mainly). I'll leave the minimalist and other more recent stuff to people who know what they're talking about. Enjoy. -- JackofOz (talk) 21:08, 13 September 2008 (UTC)

Congratulations Mike! I’m interested in how you got into classical music since the composers you name as being familiar to you are actually relatively obscure modern composers. The usual way people discover classical music is through Mozart, Beethoven, etc., or else the other way, jumping the gap between experimental rock and experimental classical. In any case welcome. . .

The Symphonic literature you’re listening to is good, and might be complimented by some Beethoven (Bernstein is a good conductor for Beethoven btw). For “light” piano music you can do no better than the impressionist composer Erik Satie. Another impressionist, Claude Debussy, is similar, but unlike Satie his music can be enjoyed both superficially and profoundly with equal legitimacy. The only minimalist piano music that I really find interesting is John Adams’ piano music. You might find his music interesting in general too. Here is a list of the top piano music literature.

• Frédéric Chopin, often called the “poet of the piano” he wrote almost exclusively for the instrument. You might start with his Nocturnes or his Waltzes.
• Franz Liszt, a staple in the piano literature (which does not necessarily mean he was a great composer by the way), Franz Liszt was the first virtuosic pianist and composer. His music is very flashy, but is often a bit superficial. The Transcendental Etudes are a good place to start with Liszt.
• Ludwig van Beethoven, perhaps the first composer to write music specifically idiomatic to the modern piano. His piano sonatas are considered extremely important in the piano repertoire. The Pathétique, Moonlight, Tempest, Waldstein, and Appassionata sonatas are played most frequently and probably considered most highly.
• Johann Sebastian Bach, the pieces in the Well-Tempered Clavier, books 1 and 2 are basic piano literature everywhere.
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, personally I’m not a big Mozart aficionado, but someone will come along here and recommend some good Mozart for you. :)
• Sergei Rachmaninoff, another important name in the piano literature. The Prelude in C-sharp minor is well known.
• Béla Bartók, not a composer most people associate with piano music, but his Allegro barbaro has suddenly become a standard performance piece.
• Claude Debussy, I already mentioned him above, but he is really a master of the piano so he bares mentioning twice. Check out his two books of Préludes.
• György Ligeti, a more modern master of the piano. His Musica ricercata and three books of “Études pour piano” are masterpieces!
• Olivier Messiaen, a 20th century French composer. His music is highly unique and very beautiful. He specialized in writing music on religious themes and incorporated bird songs and complex rhythmic schemes into his music. The “Vingt Regards sur l'Enfant-Jésus” pieces might be a good place to start.

In terms of performers you can’t go wrong with the wonderful Murray Perahia. Maurizio Pollini is quite good too. Vladimir Horowitz is highly regarded as well, although his interpretations can a bit unusual. Glenn Gould is quite good for Bach, but his recording of Mozart in particular should never be used as your primary recording of a piece. His extreme interpretations of some pieces are interesting, but completely non-standard. For all modern piano music Pierre-Laurent Aimard is the best there is.

Hope this helps! Feel free to ask if you have more questions. Best, --S.dedalus (talk) 22:19, 13 September 2008 (UTC)

Józef Hofmann is one of my favorite pianists, as is Rachmaninoff, as both a composer and a performer. bibliomaniac15 22:44, 13 September 2008 (UTC)

For present day composers, try Yann Tiersen (e.g. the first "Mouvement introductif" from La Valse des monstres, the "Comptine d'été" series from Rue des cascades, "Comptine d'un autre été: L'après-midi" or the piano version of "La Valse d'Amélie" from Amélie, or the "Childhood" series from Good Bye Lenin!) or Max Richter (e.g. memoryhouse). — Twas Now ( talk • contribs • e-mail ) 22:41, 13 September 2008 (UTC)

Hi MAP91 -- you've already received some excellent answers, that cover most of what I'd mention myself. Here's one suggestion for the modern, minimalist or ambient kind of thing you might be looking for: have a listen to Terry Riley. Try The Padova Concert -- I'm listening to the CD as I type this -- while Riley is often called the "founder" of minimalism, this series of improvisations (Riley is a master at improvisation, something cultivated all-too-rarely in the "classical" realm) is slightly more developmental than, say, Philip Glass. You may enjoy the music of Frederic Rzewski as well. Happy listening! Antandrus (talk) 23:35, 13 September 2008 (UTC)

Mike, what a great question! And you've received some fantastic responses from people who really know what they're talking about, it seems. However, I also wanted to put in my two bits' of suggestion by plugging what I believe to be one of the finest places to discover classical music - namely, Minnesota Public Radio, which does a very fine job of providing information on the classical music they play. Here is the web site for Minnesota Public Radio's Classical Music Department, which includes links to hear their broadcasts via Internet. If you spend enough time listening to their programming, you'll end up gaining a 'pretty good' education in classical music. Saukkomies 12:48, 14 September 2008 (UTC)

I absolutely agree. A radio station devoted to the genre you're interested in is the best single way - short of a university music degree (which even then focusses on technical aspects of music and less on the grand scope) - to learn about that genre and its sub-genres. Most decent radio stations are now online to the world. I'm listening to ABC Classic FM as I type this, and I learned probably 85% of what little I know about music from this station and its AM predecessors. -- JackofOz (talk) 22:12, 14 September 2008 (UTC)

Wow...thanks for all the help everyone! There is so much information here. I think I will go with either Rachmaninoff or Chopin for a first. I do have (from what I've heard) a great classical station in my area (New York City), WQXR 96.3 FM, run by the New York Times. From what I've heard, it is one of the premier classical stations anywhere, so I will start to listen to that as well. At some point, I would like to try some Messaien as well. Thanks again everyone!

Mike MAP91 (talk) 21:31, 17 September 2008 (UTC)

American Painter: Ray Musselwhite

Ray Musselwhite. Biography

Raymond (Ray) W. Musselwhite (American Painting and Sculpture, 1931 - 2003)

Ray Musselwhite is recognized for his artistic talent, but also for his role as an educator at North Carolina State Univeristy School of Design (1963 -1978). His artistic works show his range from the wood and metal sculptures of his earlier years to watercolors and oil abstract paintings, fiberglass sculptures, ending with prints to the poetry of his later career. The artistic style was “Destruction of the Form” which started with a ground form, then base line and color added, and finally arriving at a new visual experience. His exhibitions and gallery showings range from Georgia, North Carolina, Mississippi, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Washington DC, New York, Lebanon, Japan, Europe.

Ray Musselwhite’s works can be found in private holdings and museums throughout the United States, including the Gregg Museum of Art & Design, Mint Museum of Art, Oklahoma City Museum of Art, and Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art.