(3574,75,'2013-11-04 13:30:52','2013-11-04 19:30:52','<img class=\"aligncenter\" alt=\"\" src=\"http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/images/database/1863gardner1.jpg\" width=\"288\" height=\"224\" />\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/images/database/1863gardner1.jpg</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"></p>\r\n<img class=\"aligncenter\" alt=\"\" src=\"http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/images/database/1863gardner2.jpg\" width=\"288\" height=\"229\" />\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/images/database/1863gardner2.jpg</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center\"></p>\r\nHome of a Rebel Sharpshooter\r\n\r\nBy Alexander Gardner (1821-1882)\r\n\r\nIn July, 1863.\r\n\r\nThe general story outline is all about the photographs taken by Gardner and Timothy O’Sullivan at the Gettysburg battlefield in July 1863. The controversy surrounding the photographs that it was not the original stage of the wounded soldier that Gardner and his assistance fabricated and manipulated the home of the rebel sharpshooter to suit the photographic image taken, and the differences in the appearance of the photographs taken three days after the battle. The one taken in Devil’s den and the shots taken in the home of a rebel sharpshooter.\r\n\r\nSeveral shots of photographs were taken by Gardner of the dead soldier, “ Geographic features place four of the six photographs at the southern slope of Devil’s Den (top) and two at what Gardner called the “ sharpshooter’s Den”. The series of photographs showing the aftermath of the Battle of Gettysburg depicts historically the photographic image of the Civil War at Gettysburg in his time.\r\n\r\nThe photographic work of Gardner was categorized of shots taken of the wounded soldier three days of the battlefield at Gettysburg and the stage manage Home of a Rebel sharpshooter. The photographic work was proven influential in defining the image of the Civil War for many Americans in his era.\r\n\r\nThe photographic work of Gardner was unusual and unique because it was able to illustrate the image of the home of a Rebel sharpshooter, built up between two hugs rocks, a stone wall, from the crevices, wounded and laying waste on the Ground with dismounted guns, wrecked caissons, and the debris of a broken army.\r\n\r\nThe photographic work of Gardner was able to define the image of the civil war in its era; it showed vividly the photographs of the home of a rebel sharpshooter, lying down wounded upon his blanket to await death, the shots taken in the battlefield of Gettysburg.\r\n\r\nThe people of today believe that the photographic work of Gardner on the home of a rebel sharpshooter was stage managed. They believe the dead wounded confederate soldier corpse and weapons was moved from the initial battlefield ground by Gardner to this place he called the home of a rebel sharpshooter. People like “Fredrick Ray, the art director of the civil war times, noticed that two of the photographs, taken in different locations on the battlefield appeared to show the same corpse”. Ray argues that the corpse body was moved forty yards to a rocky niche looking at the diagram above, the one below the home of a rebel sharpshooter”. “And that although Gardner identified the soldier as a sharpshooter, that the weapon beside him was not a sharpshooter’s Rifle. That it was probably a prop, placed there by Gardner.”\r\n\r\nDespite the view of Fredrick ray and others that Gardner’s  work of photographing the battlefield of Gettysburg were stage managed and manipulated, the work by Gardner and Timothy still remain unique and outstanding to many who sees such a magnificent photographer in the 1800’s. If proper study is not conducted hardly you can see if the work was actually fabricated.\r\n\r\nThe work of Gardner the “Home of a Rebel Sharpshooter” was comparable to the work of Timothy O’Sullivan “A Harvest of Death” because the both of them work together in taking shots of the confederate wounded soldiers in the battlefield of Gettysburg, looking at both work critically they look similar in terms of the positioning of the dead soldiers, the imagery, the style, and having the same features as a photographers.\r\n\r\nThe photographic style of Gardner, the positioning for a good dramatic image for a Photograph makes this work significant for future generations, they should be aware that the shots taken by Gardner of the Home of a Rebel sharpshooter makes him influential amongst his peers in defining the image of the civil war.\r\n\r\nThe work as a whole is based on the photographic image work of Gardner on the “Home of a Rebel Sharpshooter” at the Battlefield of Gettysburg, and how it was criticized by his critics (Fredrick Ray) that the photograph of the wounded confederate soldier in the Devil’s taken by Gardner was similar to the wounded soldier in the “Home of the Rebel Sharpshooter” that it was stage managed and a fabricated piece of work.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nCited Work:\r\n<ol>\r\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/photo_database/image/a_sharpshooters_last_sleep\">http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/photo_database/image/a_sharpshooters_last_sleep</a>.</li>\r\n	<li><a href=\"http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cwphtml/cwpcam/cwcam3c.html\">http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cwphtml/cwpcam/cwcam3c.html</a></li>\r\n	<li><a href=\"http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/7milVol/plate41g.html\">http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/7milVol/plate41g.html</a></li>\r\n</ol>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Home of a Rebel Sharpshooter ','','inherit','open','open','','3571-revision-v1','','','2013-11-04 13:30:52','2013-11-04 19:30:52','',3571,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=3574',0,'revision','',0),(3576,58,'2013-11-04 15:20:13','2013-11-04 21:20:13','<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/chopincover.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3592\" alt=\"chopincover\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/chopincover-300x300.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" /></a>http://www.aznapia.com/music/chopincover.jpg</p>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/79304140_131960966358.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3594\" alt=\"79304140_131960966358\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/79304140_131960966358-215x300.jpg\" width=\"215\" height=\"300\" /></a>http://image2.findagrave.com/photos250/photos/2011/297/79304140_131960966358.jpg</p>\r\nThe Nocturne Op.9 No.2 by Frederic Chopin pertaining to “Music Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9, No. 2 Chopin Nocturnes, Opus 9 Written 1830-1832 as a dedication to Madame Camille Pleyel” ( Prezi.com) Madame Camille Pleyel shown in the picture above. “Thanks to the more direct contact between the hammer and the string, the simple escapement action, constantly improved by Camille Pleyel and Kalkbrenner, assured a more exact control than the “double escapement” invented and patented (1822) by Erard” (Eigeldinger). Chopin created over 200 works of art in his life time. “The Nocturne in E flat major, though certainly not the most beautiful of Chopin’s nocturnes, is perhaps the most popular, ‘this charming bagatelle did more for the popularity of Chopin than all his other works”(Information center). Chopin’s work especially Nocturne Op.9 No.2 should be preserved for future generations because Chopin is without a doubt, one of a kind, and still to this day his music will move you.<!--more-->\r\n\r\n“Improvisational effects from piano figurations in the nocturnes; and episodic, vigorous writing in the larger works such as the scherzos, ballades, impromptus, and the Fantasy. Thus, in an era when the piano was becoming the preeminent solo instrument in both the home and the concert hall, Chopin devised new figurations, delicate traceries, and elaborate quasivocal fioriture and fashioned them for use at the keyboard. He wrote no symphonies, no operas, no string quartets, and only one trio (piano, violin, and cello).” (Encyclopedia)\r\n\r\nChopin’s work “If the nineteenth century was the age of Romantic individualism, it was also the age of the virtuoso: composers wrote music that might be performed gracefully and accurately only by individuals with extraordinary technical skills. The quintessential example of this phenomenon is the Polish-born composer Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849). At the age of seven, Chopin gave his first piano concert in Warsaw. Slight in build even as an adult, Chopin had small hands that nevertheless could reach across the keys of the piano like “the jaws of a snake”(Fiero, ch. 29)\r\n\r\nChopin’s work was received as a musical genius of the time. “In his brief lifetime—he died of tuberculosis at the age of thirty-nine—Chopin created an entirely personal musical idiom linked to the expressive potential of the modern piano. For the piano, Chopin wrote over 200 pieces, most of which were short keyboard works, such as dances, préludes, nocturnes (slow, songlike pieces), impromptus (pieces that sound improvised), and études (instrumental studies designed to improve a player\'s technique). His Etude in G-flat Major, Opus 10, No. 5, is a breathtaking piece that challenges the performer to play very rapidly on the black keys, which are less than half the width of the white ones.”(Fiero, ch. 29)\r\n\r\nPeople today still play his master pieces. Chopin is as well received today as he was during his time. “Of his dance forms, the polonaise and the mazurka preserve the robustness of the folk tunes of his native Poland, while the waltz mirrors the Romantic taste for a new type of dance, more sensuous and physically expressive than the courtly and formal minuet. Considered vulgar and lewd when it was introduced in the late eighteenth century, the waltz, with its freedom of movement and intoxicating rhythms, became the most popular of all nineteenth-century dances.”(Fiero, ch. 29)\r\n\r\nMy personal reaction to his work is that it is phenomenal. I personally have his collection that I listen to frequently. I find his work to be soothing; Chopin’s work is great to listen to while studying, for it has no words so you do not get distracted by catching yourself singing to the lyrics. His music I would say almost puts you in a calm trance.\r\n\r\nThe “Revolution of 1830 acted like a catalyst on French creative thought. Writers, painters, musicians and social reformers converged on Paris, which teemed with artistic and intellectual activity. Among the writers and poets were Sainte-Beuve, Victor Hugo, Balzac, George Sand and Heine. The painters included Delacroix, Devéria and Ary Scheffer”(Walker).\r\n\r\n“Much like Delacroix, Chopin was given to violent mood swings. And, as with Delacroix\'s paintings, which though carefully contrived give the impression of spontaneity, much of Chopin\'s music seems improvised—the impetuous record of fleeting feeling, rather than the studied product of diligent construction.”(Fiero, ch. 29) “The most engaging of his compositions are marked by fresh turns of harmony and free tempos and rhythms. Chopin might embellish a melodic line with unusual and flamboyant devices, such as a rolling arpeggio (the sounding of the notes of a chord in rapid succession).”(Fiero, ch. 29) Chopin was a genius.\r\n\r\nChopin’s life works should be remembered for the amazing ability that he had and the way he broke boundaries of his time. This is why; I strongly believe Chopin’s work should be preserved for future generations. Chopin is without a doubt, one of a kind, and still to this day his music will move you.\r\n\r\nWork Cited\r\nEigeldinger, Jean-Jacques. \"Chopin And Pleyel.\" Clavier Companion 2.3 (2010): 10-12. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.\r\n\r\nFiero, Gloria K. The Humanistic Tradition. Sixth Edition ed. : McGraw-Hill, . . &lt;&gt;.\r\n\r\nFryderyk Chopin - Information Centre - Nocturne in E Flat Major, Op. 9 No. 2 - Compositions. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2013.\r\n\"Frederic Chopin: Nocturnes, Op. 9: No. 2 in E-Flat Major.\" Prezi.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2013.\r\n\"Frédéric François Chopin.\" Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Biography In Context. Web. 20 Oct. 2013.\r\nWalker, Alan. \"CHOPIN: The Voice Of The Piano.\" American Music Teacher 59.6 (2010): 19-26. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.','Nocturne Op.9 No.2','','publish','open','open','','nocturne-op-9-no-2','','','2013-11-30 18:36:07','2013-12-01 00:36:07','',0,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=3576',0,'post','',6),(3592,1,'2013-11-04 22:12:31','2013-11-05 04:12:31','','chopincover','','inherit','open','open','','chopincover','','','2013-11-04 22:12:31','2013-11-05 04:12:31','',3576,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/chopincover.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(3593,1,'2013-11-04 22:12:39','2013-11-05 04:12:39','<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/chopincover.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3592\" alt=\"chopincover\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/chopincover-300x300.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" /></a>\n\nthttp://www.aznapia.com/music/chopincover.jpg\nhttp://image2.findagrave.com/photos250/photos/2011/297/79304140_131960966358.jpg\nThe Nocturne Op.9 No.2 by Frederic Chopin pertaining to “Music Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9, No. 2 Chopin Nocturnes, Opus 9 Written 1830-1832 as a dedication to Madame Camille Pleyel” ( Prezi.com) Madame Camille Pleyel shown in the picture above. “Thanks to the more direct contact between the hammer and the string, the simple escapement action, constantly improved by Camille Pleyel and Kalkbrenner, assured a more exact control than the “double escapement” invented and patented (1822) by Erard” (Eigeldinger). Chopin created over 200 works of art in his life time. “The Nocturne in E flat major, though certainly not the most beautiful of Chopin’s nocturnes, is perhaps the most popular, ‘this charming bagatelle did more for the popularity of Chopin than all his other works”(Information center). Chopin’s work especially Nocturne Op.9 No.2 should be preserved for future generations because Chopin is without a doubt, one of a kind, and still to this day his music will move you.<!--more-->\n\n“Improvisational effects from piano figurations in the nocturnes; and episodic, vigorous writing in the larger works such as the scherzos, ballades, impromptus, and the Fantasy. Thus, in an era when the piano was becoming the preeminent solo instrument in both the home and the concert hall, Chopin devised new figurations, delicate traceries, and elaborate quasivocal fioriture and fashioned them for use at the keyboard. He wrote no symphonies, no operas, no string quartets, and only one trio (piano, violin, and cello).” (Encyclopedia)\nChopin’s work “If the nineteenth century was the age of Romantic individualism, it was also the age of the virtuoso: composers wrote music that might be performed gracefully and accurately only by individuals with extraordinary technical skills. The quintessential example of this phenomenon is the Polish-born composer Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849). At the age of seven, Chopin gave his first piano concert in Warsaw. Slight in build even as an adult, Chopin had small hands that nevertheless could reach across the keys of the piano like “the jaws of a snake”(Fiero, ch. 29)\nChopin’s work was received as a musical genius of the time. “In his brief lifetime—he died of tuberculosis at the age of thirty-nine—Chopin created an entirely personal musical idiom linked to the expressive potential of the modern piano. For the piano, Chopin wrote over 200 pieces, most of which were short keyboard works, such as dances, préludes, nocturnes (slow, songlike pieces), impromptus (pieces that sound improvised), and études (instrumental studies designed to improve a player\'s technique). His Etude in G-flat Major, Opus 10, No. 5, is a breathtaking piece that challenges the performer to play very rapidly on the black keys, which are less than half the width of the white ones.”(Fiero, ch. 29)\nPeople today still play his master pieces. Chopin is as well received today as he was during his time. “Of his dance forms, the polonaise and the mazurka preserve the robustness of the folk tunes of his native Poland, while the waltz mirrors the Romantic taste for a new type of dance, more sensuous and physically expressive than the courtly and formal minuet. Considered vulgar and lewd when it was introduced in the late eighteenth century, the waltz, with its freedom of movement and intoxicating rhythms, became the most popular of all nineteenth-century dances.”(Fiero, ch. 29)\nMy personal reaction to his work is that it is phenomenal. I personally have his collection that I listen to frequently. I find his work to be soothing; Chopin’s work is great to listen to while studying, for it has no words so you do not get distracted by catching yourself singing to the lyrics. His music I would say almost puts you in a calm trance.\nThe “Revolution of 1830 acted like a catalyst on French creative thought. Writers, painters, musicians and social reformers converged on Paris, which teemed with artistic and intellectual activity. Among the writers and poets were Sainte-Beuve, Victor Hugo, Balzac, George Sand and Heine. The painters included Delacroix, Devéria and Ary Scheffer”(Walker).\n“Much like Delacroix, Chopin was given to violent mood swings. And, as with Delacroix\'s paintings, which though carefully contrived give the impression of spontaneity, much of Chopin\'s music seems improvised—the impetuous record of fleeting feeling, rather than the studied product of diligent construction.”(Fiero, ch. 29) “The most engaging of his compositions are marked by fresh turns of harmony and free tempos and rhythms. Chopin might embellish a melodic line with unusual and flamboyant devices, such as a rolling arpeggio (the sounding of the notes of a chord in rapid succession).”(Fiero, ch. 29) Chopin was a genius.\nChopin’s life works should be remembered for the amazing ability that he had and the way he broke boundaries of his time. This is why; I strongly believe Chopin’s work should be preserved for future generations. Chopin is without a doubt, one of a kind, and still to this day his music will move you.\n\nWork Cited\nEigeldinger, Jean-Jacques. \"Chopin And Pleyel.\" Clavier Companion 2.3 (2010): 10-12. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.\n\nFiero, Gloria K. The Humanistic Tradition. Sixth Edition ed. : McGraw-Hill, . . &lt;&gt;.\n\nFryderyk Chopin - Information Centre - Nocturne in E Flat Major, Op. 9 No. 2 - Compositions. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2013.\n\"Frederic Chopin: Nocturnes, Op. 9: No. 2 in E-Flat Major.\" Prezi.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2013.\n\"Frédéric François Chopin.\" Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Biography In Context. Web. 20 Oct. 2013.\nWalker, Alan. \"CHOPIN: The Voice Of The Piano.\" American Music Teacher 59.6 (2010): 19-26. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.','Nocturne Op.9 No.2','','inherit','open','open','','3576-autosave-v1','','','2013-11-04 22:12:39','2013-11-05 04:12:39','',3576,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=3593',0,'revision','',0),(3578,58,'2013-11-04 15:16:30','2013-11-04 21:16:30','&nbsp;\r\n\r\nNocturne Op.9 No.2\r\n\r\nhttp://www.aznapia.com/music/chopincover.jpg\r\nhttp://image2.findagrave.com/photos250/photos/2011/297/79304140_131960966358.jpg\r\nThe Nocturne Op.9 No.2 by Frederic Chopin pertaining to “Music Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9, No. 2 Chopin Nocturnes, Opus 9 Written 1830-1832 as a dedication to Madame Camille Pleyel” ( Prezi.com) Madame Camille Pleyel shown in the picture above. “Thanks to the more direct contact between the hammer and the string, the simple escapement action, constantly improved by Camille Pleyel and Kalkbrenner, assured a more exact control than the “double escapement” invented and patented (1822) by Erard” (Eigeldinger). Chopin created over 200 works of art in his life time. “The Nocturne in E flat major, though certainly not the most beautiful of Chopin’s nocturnes, is perhaps the most popular, ‘this charming bagatelle did more for the popularity of Chopin than all his other works”(Information center). Chopin’s work especially Nocturne Op.9 No.2 should be preserved for future generations because Chopin is without a doubt, one of a kind, and still to this day his music will move you.\r\n\r\n“Improvisational effects from piano figurations in the nocturnes; and episodic, vigorous writing in the larger works such as the scherzos, ballades, impromptus, and the Fantasy. Thus, in an era when the piano was becoming the preeminent solo instrument in both the home and the concert hall, Chopin devised new figurations, delicate traceries, and elaborate quasivocal fioriture and fashioned them for use at the keyboard. He wrote no symphonies, no operas, no string quartets, and only one trio (piano, violin, and cello).” (Encyclopedia)\r\nChopin’s work “If the nineteenth century was the age of Romantic individualism, it was also the age of the virtuoso: composers wrote music that might be performed gracefully and accurately only by individuals with extraordinary technical skills. The quintessential example of this phenomenon is the Polish-born composer Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849). At the age of seven, Chopin gave his first piano concert in Warsaw. Slight in build even as an adult, Chopin had small hands that nevertheless could reach across the keys of the piano like “the jaws of a snake”(Fiero, ch. 29)\r\nChopin’s work was received as a musical genius of the time. “In his brief lifetime—he died of tuberculosis at the age of thirty-nine—Chopin created an entirely personal musical idiom linked to the expressive potential of the modern piano. For the piano, Chopin wrote over 200 pieces, most of which were short keyboard works, such as dances, préludes, nocturnes (slow, songlike pieces), impromptus (pieces that sound improvised), and études (instrumental studies designed to improve a player\'s technique). His Etude in G-flat Major, Opus 10, No. 5, is a breathtaking piece that challenges the performer to play very rapidly on the black keys, which are less than half the width of the white ones.”(Fiero, ch. 29)\r\nPeople today still play his master pieces. Chopin is as well received today as he was during his time. “Of his dance forms, the polonaise and the mazurka preserve the robustness of the folk tunes of his native Poland, while the waltz mirrors the Romantic taste for a new type of dance, more sensuous and physically expressive than the courtly and formal minuet. Considered vulgar and lewd when it was introduced in the late eighteenth century, the waltz, with its freedom of movement and intoxicating rhythms, became the most popular of all nineteenth-century dances.”(Fiero, ch. 29)\r\nMy personal reaction to his work is that it is phenomenal. I personally have his collection that I listen to frequently. I find his work to be soothing; Chopin’s work is great to listen to while studying, for it has no words so you do not get distracted by catching yourself singing to the lyrics. His music I would say almost puts you in a calm trance.\r\nThe “Revolution of 1830 acted like a catalyst on French creative thought. Writers, painters, musicians and social reformers converged on Paris, which teemed with artistic and intellectual activity. Among the writers and poets were Sainte-Beuve, Victor Hugo, Balzac, George Sand and Heine. The painters included Delacroix, Devéria and Ary Scheffer”(Walker).\r\n“Much like Delacroix, Chopin was given to violent mood swings. And, as with Delacroix\'s paintings, which though carefully contrived give the impression of spontaneity, much of Chopin\'s music seems improvised—the impetuous record of fleeting feeling, rather than the studied product of diligent construction.”(Fiero, ch. 29) “The most engaging of his compositions are marked by fresh turns of harmony and free tempos and rhythms. Chopin might embellish a melodic line with unusual and flamboyant devices, such as a rolling arpeggio (the sounding of the notes of a chord in rapid succession).”(Fiero, ch. 29) Chopin was a genius.\r\nChopin’s life works should be remembered for the amazing ability that he had and the way he broke boundaries of his time. This is why; I strongly believe Chopin’s work should be preserved for future generations. Chopin is without a doubt, one of a kind, and still to this day his music will move you.\r\n\r\nWork Cited\r\nEigeldinger, Jean-Jacques. \"Chopin And Pleyel.\" Clavier Companion 2.3 (2010): 10-12. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.\r\n\r\nFiero, Gloria K. The Humanistic Tradition. Sixth Edition ed. : McGraw-Hill, . . &lt;&gt;.\r\n\r\nFryderyk Chopin - Information Centre - Nocturne in E Flat Major, Op. 9 No. 2 - Compositions. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2013.\r\n\"Frederic Chopin: Nocturnes, Op. 9: No. 2 in E-Flat Major.\" Prezi.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2013.\r\n\"Frédéric François Chopin.\" Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Biography In Context. Web. 20 Oct. 2013.\r\nWalker, Alan. \"CHOPIN: The Voice Of The Piano.\" American Music Teacher 59.6 (2010): 19-26. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.','Nocturne Op.9 No.2','','inherit','open','open','','3576-revision-v1','','','2013-11-04 15:16:30','2013-11-04 21:16:30','',3576,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=3578',0,'revision','',0),(3581,58,'2013-11-04 15:20:13','2013-11-04 21:20:13','&nbsp;\r\n\r\nhttp://www.aznapia.com/music/chopincover.jpg\r\nhttp://image2.findagrave.com/photos250/photos/2011/297/79304140_131960966358.jpg\r\nThe Nocturne Op.9 No.2 by Frederic Chopin pertaining to “Music Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9, No. 2 Chopin Nocturnes, Opus 9 Written 1830-1832 as a dedication to Madame Camille Pleyel” ( Prezi.com) Madame Camille Pleyel shown in the picture above. “Thanks to the more direct contact between the hammer and the string, the simple escapement action, constantly improved by Camille Pleyel and Kalkbrenner, assured a more exact control than the “double escapement” invented and patented (1822) by Erard” (Eigeldinger). Chopin created over 200 works of art in his life time. “The Nocturne in E flat major, though certainly not the most beautiful of Chopin’s nocturnes, is perhaps the most popular, ‘this charming bagatelle did more for the popularity of Chopin than all his other works”(Information center). Chopin’s work especially Nocturne Op.9 No.2 should be preserved for future generations because Chopin is without a doubt, one of a kind, and still to this day his music will move you.\r\n\r\n“Improvisational effects from piano figurations in the nocturnes; and episodic, vigorous writing in the larger works such as the scherzos, ballades, impromptus, and the Fantasy. Thus, in an era when the piano was becoming the preeminent solo instrument in both the home and the concert hall, Chopin devised new figurations, delicate traceries, and elaborate quasivocal fioriture and fashioned them for use at the keyboard. He wrote no symphonies, no operas, no string quartets, and only one trio (piano, violin, and cello).” (Encyclopedia)\r\nChopin’s work “If the nineteenth century was the age of Romantic individualism, it was also the age of the virtuoso: composers wrote music that might be performed gracefully and accurately only by individuals with extraordinary technical skills. The quintessential example of this phenomenon is the Polish-born composer Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849). At the age of seven, Chopin gave his first piano concert in Warsaw. Slight in build even as an adult, Chopin had small hands that nevertheless could reach across the keys of the piano like “the jaws of a snake”(Fiero, ch. 29)\r\nChopin’s work was received as a musical genius of the time. “In his brief lifetime—he died of tuberculosis at the age of thirty-nine—Chopin created an entirely personal musical idiom linked to the expressive potential of the modern piano. For the piano, Chopin wrote over 200 pieces, most of which were short keyboard works, such as dances, préludes, nocturnes (slow, songlike pieces), impromptus (pieces that sound improvised), and études (instrumental studies designed to improve a player\'s technique). His Etude in G-flat Major, Opus 10, No. 5, is a breathtaking piece that challenges the performer to play very rapidly on the black keys, which are less than half the width of the white ones.”(Fiero, ch. 29)\r\nPeople today still play his master pieces. Chopin is as well received today as he was during his time. “Of his dance forms, the polonaise and the mazurka preserve the robustness of the folk tunes of his native Poland, while the waltz mirrors the Romantic taste for a new type of dance, more sensuous and physically expressive than the courtly and formal minuet. Considered vulgar and lewd when it was introduced in the late eighteenth century, the waltz, with its freedom of movement and intoxicating rhythms, became the most popular of all nineteenth-century dances.”(Fiero, ch. 29)\r\nMy personal reaction to his work is that it is phenomenal. I personally have his collection that I listen to frequently. I find his work to be soothing; Chopin’s work is great to listen to while studying, for it has no words so you do not get distracted by catching yourself singing to the lyrics. His music I would say almost puts you in a calm trance.\r\nThe “Revolution of 1830 acted like a catalyst on French creative thought. Writers, painters, musicians and social reformers converged on Paris, which teemed with artistic and intellectual activity. Among the writers and poets were Sainte-Beuve, Victor Hugo, Balzac, George Sand and Heine. The painters included Delacroix, Devéria and Ary Scheffer”(Walker).\r\n“Much like Delacroix, Chopin was given to violent mood swings. And, as with Delacroix\'s paintings, which though carefully contrived give the impression of spontaneity, much of Chopin\'s music seems improvised—the impetuous record of fleeting feeling, rather than the studied product of diligent construction.”(Fiero, ch. 29) “The most engaging of his compositions are marked by fresh turns of harmony and free tempos and rhythms. Chopin might embellish a melodic line with unusual and flamboyant devices, such as a rolling arpeggio (the sounding of the notes of a chord in rapid succession).”(Fiero, ch. 29) Chopin was a genius.\r\nChopin’s life works should be remembered for the amazing ability that he had and the way he broke boundaries of his time. This is why; I strongly believe Chopin’s work should be preserved for future generations. Chopin is without a doubt, one of a kind, and still to this day his music will move you.\r\n\r\nWork Cited\r\nEigeldinger, Jean-Jacques. \"Chopin And Pleyel.\" Clavier Companion 2.3 (2010): 10-12. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.\r\n\r\nFiero, Gloria K. The Humanistic Tradition. Sixth Edition ed. : McGraw-Hill, . . &lt;&gt;.\r\n\r\nFryderyk Chopin - Information Centre - Nocturne in E Flat Major, Op. 9 No. 2 - Compositions. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2013.\r\n\"Frederic Chopin: Nocturnes, Op. 9: No. 2 in E-Flat Major.\" Prezi.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2013.\r\n\"Frédéric François Chopin.\" Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Biography In Context. Web. 20 Oct. 2013.\r\nWalker, Alan. \"CHOPIN: The Voice Of The Piano.\" American Music Teacher 59.6 (2010): 19-26. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.','Nocturne Op.9 No.2','','inherit','open','open','','3576-revision-v1','','','2013-11-04 15:20:13','2013-11-04 21:20:13','',3576,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=3581',0,'revision','',0),(3580,58,'2013-11-04 15:17:53','2013-11-04 21:17:53','<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Nocturne-Op.9-No.2a1.docx\">Nocturne Op.9 No.2a</a>\r\n\r\nNocturne Op.9 No.2\r\n\r\nhttp://www.aznapia.com/music/chopincover.jpg\r\nhttp://image2.findagrave.com/photos250/photos/2011/297/79304140_131960966358.jpg\r\nThe Nocturne Op.9 No.2 by Frederic Chopin pertaining to “Music Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9, No. 2 Chopin Nocturnes, Opus 9 Written 1830-1832 as a dedication to Madame Camille Pleyel” ( Prezi.com) Madame Camille Pleyel shown in the picture above. “Thanks to the more direct contact between the hammer and the string, the simple escapement action, constantly improved by Camille Pleyel and Kalkbrenner, assured a more exact control than the “double escapement” invented and patented (1822) by Erard” (Eigeldinger). Chopin created over 200 works of art in his life time. “The Nocturne in E flat major, though certainly not the most beautiful of Chopin’s nocturnes, is perhaps the most popular, ‘this charming bagatelle did more for the popularity of Chopin than all his other works”(Information center). Chopin’s work especially Nocturne Op.9 No.2 should be preserved for future generations because Chopin is without a doubt, one of a kind, and still to this day his music will move you.\r\n\r\n“Improvisational effects from piano figurations in the nocturnes; and episodic, vigorous writing in the larger works such as the scherzos, ballades, impromptus, and the Fantasy. Thus, in an era when the piano was becoming the preeminent solo instrument in both the home and the concert hall, Chopin devised new figurations, delicate traceries, and elaborate quasivocal fioriture and fashioned them for use at the keyboard. He wrote no symphonies, no operas, no string quartets, and only one trio (piano, violin, and cello).” (Encyclopedia)\r\nChopin’s work “If the nineteenth century was the age of Romantic individualism, it was also the age of the virtuoso: composers wrote music that might be performed gracefully and accurately only by individuals with extraordinary technical skills. The quintessential example of this phenomenon is the Polish-born composer Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849). At the age of seven, Chopin gave his first piano concert in Warsaw. Slight in build even as an adult, Chopin had small hands that nevertheless could reach across the keys of the piano like “the jaws of a snake”(Fiero, ch. 29)\r\nChopin’s work was received as a musical genius of the time. “In his brief lifetime—he died of tuberculosis at the age of thirty-nine—Chopin created an entirely personal musical idiom linked to the expressive potential of the modern piano. For the piano, Chopin wrote over 200 pieces, most of which were short keyboard works, such as dances, préludes, nocturnes (slow, songlike pieces), impromptus (pieces that sound improvised), and études (instrumental studies designed to improve a player\'s technique). His Etude in G-flat Major, Opus 10, No. 5, is a breathtaking piece that challenges the performer to play very rapidly on the black keys, which are less than half the width of the white ones.”(Fiero, ch. 29)\r\nPeople today still play his master pieces. Chopin is as well received today as he was during his time. “Of his dance forms, the polonaise and the mazurka preserve the robustness of the folk tunes of his native Poland, while the waltz mirrors the Romantic taste for a new type of dance, more sensuous and physically expressive than the courtly and formal minuet. Considered vulgar and lewd when it was introduced in the late eighteenth century, the waltz, with its freedom of movement and intoxicating rhythms, became the most popular of all nineteenth-century dances.”(Fiero, ch. 29)\r\nMy personal reaction to his work is that it is phenomenal. I personally have his collection that I listen to frequently. I find his work to be soothing; Chopin’s work is great to listen to while studying, for it has no words so you do not get distracted by catching yourself singing to the lyrics. His music I would say almost puts you in a calm trance.\r\nThe “Revolution of 1830 acted like a catalyst on French creative thought. Writers, painters, musicians and social reformers converged on Paris, which teemed with artistic and intellectual activity. Among the writers and poets were Sainte-Beuve, Victor Hugo, Balzac, George Sand and Heine. The painters included Delacroix, Devéria and Ary Scheffer”(Walker).\r\n“Much like Delacroix, Chopin was given to violent mood swings. And, as with Delacroix\'s paintings, which though carefully contrived give the impression of spontaneity, much of Chopin\'s music seems improvised—the impetuous record of fleeting feeling, rather than the studied product of diligent construction.”(Fiero, ch. 29) “The most engaging of his compositions are marked by fresh turns of harmony and free tempos and rhythms. Chopin might embellish a melodic line with unusual and flamboyant devices, such as a rolling arpeggio (the sounding of the notes of a chord in rapid succession).”(Fiero, ch. 29) Chopin was a genius.\r\nChopin’s life works should be remembered for the amazing ability that he had and the way he broke boundaries of his time. This is why; I strongly believe Chopin’s work should be preserved for future generations. Chopin is without a doubt, one of a kind, and still to this day his music will move you.\r\n\r\nWork Cited\r\nEigeldinger, Jean-Jacques. \"Chopin And Pleyel.\" Clavier Companion 2.3 (2010): 10-12. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.\r\n\r\nFiero, Gloria K. The Humanistic Tradition. Sixth Edition ed. : McGraw-Hill, . . &lt;&gt;.\r\n\r\nFryderyk Chopin - Information Centre - Nocturne in E Flat Major, Op. 9 No. 2 - Compositions. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2013.\r\n\"Frederic Chopin: Nocturnes, Op. 9: No. 2 in E-Flat Major.\" Prezi.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2013.\r\n\"Frédéric François Chopin.\" Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Biography In Context. Web. 20 Oct. 2013.\r\nWalker, Alan. \"CHOPIN: The Voice Of The Piano.\" American Music Teacher 59.6 (2010): 19-26. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.','Nocturne Op.9 No.2','','inherit','open','open','','3576-revision-v1','','','2013-11-04 15:17:53','2013-11-04 21:17:53','',3576,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=3580',0,'revision','',0),(3582,74,'2013-11-04 18:42:53','2013-11-05 00:42:53','[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"460\"]<img alt=\"\" src=\"http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01373/swan-lake_1373804c.jpg\" width=\"460\" height=\"288\" /> Swans in formation, http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01373/swan-lake_1373804c.jpg[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<em>Swan Lake</em> is a ballet originally composed by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1877. It\'s legacy continues in modern performances and reinterpretations of the piece and it should be preserved because of both it\'s persistence and the way it transcended the nationalist dogma of the time.\r\n\r\nThe story features Prince Siegfried as a passionate man forced by the Queen to find a bride. He encounters Odette while out hunting, who has been cursed to turn into a swan during the day by the sorcerer Von Rothbart. Odette and Siegfried fall in love, and it\'s explained that this will break the curse. Later at a palace ball, Von Rothbart appears with his daughter Odile. Siegfried is deceived and believes Odile to be Odette so he pledges his love to Odile. He realizes his error and finds Odette. The two commit suicide, breaking the curse for the other swans and killing Von Rothbart.\r\n\r\nWhen <em>Swan Lake</em> was released Russia was in a period of social change brought about the Industrial Revolution. Trailing behind the other European powers in this adoption, it held onto the hierarchy of the Aristocratic system. France served as an inspiration for arts and there was a growing desire for a Russian voice in the arts. Nationalism was ubiquitous across Europe and foreshadowed World War 1 in 1914. Tchaikovsky attended two newly formed schools meant to foster this creativity, The Russian Music Society and the St. Petersburg Conservatoire. He was also influenced by a group of operatic and orchestral composers known as the five: Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov, Modeste Petrovich Moussorgsky, Milli Alexievich Balakirev, Alexander Borodin, and Cesar Antonovitch Cui. \"These  men were undoubtedly gifted musicians and they had done much to establish music in Russian life but they were in Tchaikovsky\'s eyes, talented amateurs with other professions which the world took more seriously\" (Hossick). Also of importance was the fact that Tchaikovsky was a closeted homosexual in a religious country that was openly hostile to homosexuality. His marriage to a former student, Antonina Miliukova, was incredibly taxing on him but was seen to be a part of his responsibility as a man.\r\n\r\nSwan Lake is typical of other ballets such as <em>La Sylphide</em> and <em>Giselle</em> because it draws from fairy tales for narrative. All sound comes from music which is meant to convey the mood of the scene, and choreography utilized the <em>arabesque </em>style of dancing popularized by French ballet.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"437\"]<img class=\"   \" alt=\"\" src=\"http://balletnews.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/SwanLake024.jpg\" width=\"437\" height=\"312\" /> Arabesque pose from Swan Lake, http://balletnews.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/SwanLake024.jpg[/caption]\r\n\r\nOdette and Odile perpetuate Romantic stereotypes of women. \"Romantic writers inherited the dual view of womankind that had prevailed since the Middle Ages: like Eve, woman was the <i>femme fatale</i>, the seducer and destroyer of mankind; like Mary, however, woman was the source of salvation and the symbol of all that was pure and true\" (Fiero). Tchaikovsky was strongly influenced by the work of Beethoven and Wagner, using nuance during the repetition of themes to create different moods. In the theme of the opera a solo oboe plays a set of notes and concludes with a low note. This sequence is then played back with the entire orchestra to emphasize the build-up of emotion. In the introduction this is done with strings and has a slow somber mood.\r\n\r\n[youtube]<a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-yvvTy7aBc\">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-yvvTy7aBc</a>[/youtube]\r\n\r\nLater when Siegfried meets Odette this theme is repeated but replaced with a concluding high note, and the orchestra features a horn accompaniment that makes the piece feels more passionate and spontaneous.\r\n\r\n[youtube]<a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzpqM4THqZ8\">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GzpqM4THqZ8</a>[/youtube]\r\n\r\nThis musical complexity is what sets it apart from other ballets of the time. Also important are the cultural boundaries it crossed. <em>Swan Lake</em>\'s characters have Germanic rather than Slavic names. In Scene 3 different nationalities are represented through dance in the Palace Courtyard with their appropriate music. These differences led to poor reviews during the initial run of the ballet in the Bolshoi Theater. Because of this poor reception the original work was modified by choreographers Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov and composer Ludwig Minkus. In 1895 this new <em>Swan Lake</em> was performed at a commemoration ballet for Tchaikovsky, and most productions now use the 1895 <em>Swan Lake</em> as their template. This flexibility also makes<em> Swan Lake</em> unique, because preparing it is an interpretive job. This has allowed choreographers such as Matthew Bourne to experiment: \"I didn\'t want that three-way relationship - Prince, Swan, Rothbart - in the Swan scenes. I just wanted the simplicity of the Prince and the swans without something else controlling it. After all, it\'s in his mind. So it didn\'t seem appropriate to have anyone else involved\" (Bourne qtd. in Carter). In Bourne\'s interpretation the swans are also played by men creating a subtext not present before. The 2010 movie <em>Black Swan</em> highlights <em>Swan Lake</em>\'s elevated status in ballet and modern culture. It also offers an interpretation of <em>Swan Lake</em> through the perspective of Odette, showing her<em> </em>transformation and inner struggle between dual personalities.\r\n\r\n[youtube]<a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsvtIzebNcw\">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsvtIzebNcw</a>[/youtube]\r\n\r\nWhen comparing <em>Swan Lake </em>to <em>La Sylphide </em> the differences in musical composition are very glaring. <em>La Sylphide </em>will have a continual mood for a piece of music, it doesn\'t feature the same dramatic shifts in tone present in <em>Swan Lake\'s </em>score. The music is also performed by a smaller orchestra, mostly stringed instruments. The oboe in <em>Swan Lake </em>and the cello in <em>La Sylphide </em>have prominent solo roles. The dance choreography of <em>Swan Lake </em>however is much more complex, using larger numbers of dancers on stage and having them weave in and out of each other in a synchronized fashion. Both stories come from fairy tale inspiration and are about young men falling in love with mythical woman figures and then tricked by an evil mystic. They are also appropriated from different countries. <em>La Sylphide </em>is set in Scotland but was first performed in France. One of the differences in plot is that the deaths of the two lovers in <em>La Sylphide </em>is tragic. The witch Old Madge convinces the protagonist James Ruben to kill his love by touching her, and James dies losing both the sylph and his bride-to-be to his best friend. In <em>Swan Lake</em> the mutual suicide of Siegfried and Odette defeats Von Rothbart and frees the other swans from their curse.\r\n\r\nI was very moved by the score of <em>Swan Lake</em>, especially by the main theme which does a fantastic job of starting simply and building up to an emotional crescendo. One of the things I have a hard time with in ballet is the fact that the performers are completely silent and express through dance, which I am not used to appreciating. However I feel like the music does such a good job of building moods and complexity that I had an easier time following the story. In closing I think that the beauty of the music makes the ballet worth preserving.\r\n\r\nBibliography:\r\n<p lang=\"en\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, sans-serif\"><span><i>Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky [Electronic Resource (Video)] : A Concise Biography / Hossick, Malcolm</i>. n.p.: New York, N.Y. : Films Media Group, [2011], c2006., 2006. <i>ACC Library Catalog</i>. Web. 20 Oct. 2013.</span></span></p>\r\n<p lang=\"en\">This source gave information on the creator as well as background information.</p>\r\n<p lang=\"en\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, sans-serif\"><span><i>Swan Lake [Electronic Resource (Video)] : From The Royal Opera House / Electric Sky (Firm)</i>. n.p.: New York, N.Y. : Films Media Group, [2010], c2009., 2009. <i>ACC Library Catalog</i>. Web. 20 Oct. 2013.</span></span></p>\r\n<p lang=\"en\">This source helped form a personal reaction to the work.</p>\r\n<p lang=\"en\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, sans-serif\"><span>Drummond, Kent G. \"The Queering Of Swan Lake: A New Male Gaze For The Performance Of Sexual Desire.\" <i>Journal Of Homosexuality</i> 45.2-4 (2003): 235-255. <i>Academic Search Complete</i>. Web. 20 Oct. 2013.</span></span></p>\r\n<p lang=\"en\">This source showed a comparison of the 1895 performance with the 1995 Matthew Bourne performance.</p>\r\n<p lang=\"en\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, sans-serif\"><span>Cohen, Selma J. <i>Next Week, Swan Lake: Reflections on Dance and Dances</i>. Middletown: Wesleyan University Press, 2011. Print.</span></span></p>\r\n<p lang=\"en\">This source gave historical background on the production and what makes it unique.</p>\r\n<p lang=\"en\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, sans-serif\"><span>Carter, Alexandra. <i>Rethinking Dance History: A Reader</i>. London: Routledge, 2004. Print.</span></span></p>\r\n<p lang=\"en\">This source had an interview with Matthew Bourne that created a context for the modern reception of the work</p>\r\n<p lang=\"en\"><span style=\"font-family: Calibri, sans-serif\"><span>Plumley, Gavin. “Swan Lake: A beginner\'s guide – The Music (Royal Ballet).” Online video clip. <i>YouTube</i>. YouTube, 27 Feb 2013. 3 Nov 2013.</span></span></p>\r\n<p lang=\"en\">This source helped with understanding musical themes present in the work.</p>\r\n<p lang=\"en\">\"La Sylphide HD (Pas d\'Ombre).\" Online video clip. <em>YouTube.</em> Youtube, 20 Dec 2011. 4 Nov 2013.</p>\r\n<p lang=\"en\">This source helped when comparing Swan Lake to a similar work.</p>','Swan Lake - Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky','','inherit','open','open','','3535-revision-v1','','','2013-11-04 18:42:53','2013-11-05 00:42:53','',3535,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=3582',0,'revision','',0),(3583,87,'2013-11-04 19:08:37','2013-11-05 01:08:37','<a href=\"http://youtu.be/yu1zmXQkCso\">Aimi Kobayashi plays Black Keys by Chopin</a>\r\n\r\nEtude Op. Number 5, also known as Black Keys, is both a beautiful piece of music and an important historical document (Yu). Composed by famed pianist Frederic Chopin between 1829 and 1833, the Etudes, and Black Keys in particular, represented not only a new and complex innovation in music, but also the rising influence of Nationalism in the Romantic period. For these reasons, it would be a disservice to art to let this masterpiece go unpreserved.\r\n<!--more-->\r\n\r\nIt could be said that the Etudes were underrated in their time. In the years after they were made, Chopin was really only famous among the elite in Paris as he was a piano tutor for the children of rich families (Britannica). In this respect, the Etudes served Chopin well as a teacher for the students needed to focus on skill and technique in order to properly perform them (Hough). Today, the Etudes are among the most famous of one of the world’s most renowned pianists, for their pure musical quality as well as their relevance in teaching the piano. Chopin has been called a genius by modern composers such as Stephen Hough, and Black Keys in particular has been described as an “astonishing keyboard [innovation]” (Hough).\r\n\r\n\r\nBlack Keys, like the title suggests, is played almost exclusively on the black keys of the piano. It is also a fast composition, with many complicated series’ of notes (Yu). The black keys, being thinner and higher up than the ivory keys, as well as the way the notes are structured, was practically impossible by the old method of playing, which Hough described as played with “cramped, curled fingers” (Hough). Instead, one had to adapt and play with a “fluid, flatter finger position” and have a much more flowing form in order to successfully play this song (Hough). It can be said that this piece, along with many others, also acted as an expression of Chopin’s personality; concentrated, contemplative, and passionate (Brittanica).\r\n\r\n\r\nAt this time (1830-31), the November Uprising was occurring in Poland (Brittanica). Chopin was away and didn’t participate, but his polish nationalism is apparent in the Revolutionary Etude, an accompanying piece to Black Keys (Yu). This was a feature of the Romantic period where Nationalism became a prominent inspiration for art (Britannica). Though the Revolutionary Etude has some subtle differences in sound, such as having a more passionate tone as it is about the uprising and not solely using black keys, the overall form of complicated note patterns and the use of hand positions is the same (Yu). A similar way this was employed was in Jacques-Louis David’s painting ‘Napoleon Crossing the Alps’ (Pollit). Both were inspired by a sense of national pride and loyalty, imbued with a feeling of passion and heroism (Pollit). While David’s painting was inspired by the hero-worship of Napoleon and French Nationalism, the Revolutionary Etude was inspired by Polish Nationalism and loyalty to the cause of the Polish Rebels (Britannica). As this moment was highly influential in Chopin’s life and Black Keys is, in a way, an expression of Chopin’s feelings, Black Keys can also be seen as exemplar of the themes and meaning of the Revolutionary Etude.\r\n\r\n\r\nIn this, Black Keys acts as a scion of both the incredible innovations Chopin brought to the piano and music as a whole as well as the influence that Nationalism had on this period of art and culture. As such, it needs to be preserved.\r\n\r\nWorks Cited\r\n\"Frederic Chopin (Polish-French Composer and Pianist).\" Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.\r\nWhere I got information about Chopin, his life, his personality, and his accomplishments.\r\nHough, Stephen. \"StephenHough.com | Writings | Chopin and the Development of Piano Technique.\" StephenHough.com | Writings | Chopin and the Development of Piano Technique. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2013.\r\nWhere I got a modern perspective on Chopin’s music and a professional opinion on it’s significance.\r\nPollit, Ben. \"David\'s Napoleon Crossing the Alps.\" - Smarthistory. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2013.\r\nWhere I got information on the painting of Napoleon.\r\nYu, Fred. \"Chopin : Complete Music Analysis - Etudes.\" Chopin : Complete Music Analysis - Etudes. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2013.\r\nWhere I got information on the various aspects of Black Keys and some of his other Etudes.','Etude in G-flat Major Black Keys','','publish','open','open','','3583','','','2013-11-04 22:17:54','2013-11-05 04:17:54','',0,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=3583',0,'post','',8),(3584,87,'2013-11-04 19:08:37','2013-11-05 01:08:37','<a href=\"http://youtu.be/yu1zmXQkCso\">Aimi Kobayashi plays Black Keys by Chopin</a>\r\n\r\nEtude Op. Number 5, also known as Black Keys, is both a beautiful piece of music and an important historical document (Yu).  Composed by famed pianist Frederic Chopin between 1829 and 1833, the Etudes, and Black Keys in particular, represented not only a new and complex innovation in music, but also the rising influence of Nationalism in the Romantic period.  For these reasons, it would be a disservice to art to let this masterpiece go unpreserved.\r\nIt could be said that the Etudes were underrated in their time.  In the years after they were made, Chopin was really only famous among the elite in Paris as he was a piano tutor for the children of rich families (Britannica).  In this respect, the Etudes served Chopin well as a teacher for the students needed to focus on skill and technique in order to properly perform them (Hough).  Today, the Etudes are among the most famous of one of the world’s most renowned pianists, for their pure musical quality as well as their relevance in teaching the piano.  Chopin has been called a genius by modern composers such as Stephen Hough, and Black Keys in particular has been described as an “astonishing keyboard [innovation]” (Hough).\r\nBlack Keys, like the title suggests, is played almost exclusively on the black keys of the piano.  It is also a fast composition, with many complicated series’ of notes (Yu).  The black keys, being thinner and higher up than the ivory keys, as well as the way the notes are structured, was practically impossible by the old method of playing, which Hough described as played with “cramped, curled fingers” (Hough).  Instead, one had to adapt and play with a “fluid, flatter finger position” and have a much more flowing form in order to successfully play this song (Hough).  It can be said that this piece, along with many others, also acted as an expression of Chopin’s personality; concentrated, contemplative, and passionate (Brittanica).   \r\nAt this time (1830-31), the November Uprising was occurring in Poland (Brittanica).   Chopin was away and didn’t participate, but his polish nationalism is apparent in the Revolutionary Etude, an accompanying piece to Black Keys (Yu).  This was a feature of the Romantic period where Nationalism became a prominent inspiration for art (Britannica).  Though the Revolutionary Etude has some subtle differences in sound, such as having a more passionate tone as it is about the uprising and not solely using black keys, the overall form of complicated note patterns and the use of hand positions is the same (Yu).  A similar way this was employed was in Jacques-Louis David’s painting ‘Napoleon Crossing the Alps’ (Pollit).  Both were inspired by a sense of national pride and loyalty, imbued with a feeling of passion and heroism (Pollit).  While David’s painting was inspired by the hero-worship of Napoleon and French Nationalism, the Revolutionary Etude was inspired by Polish Nationalism and loyalty to the cause of the Polish Rebels (Britannica).  As this moment was highly influential in Chopin’s life and Black Keys is, in a way, an expression of Chopin’s feelings, Black Keys can also be seen as exemplar of the themes and meaning of the Revolutionary Etude.\r\n	In this, Black Keys acts as a scion of both the incredible innovations Chopin brought to the piano and music as a whole as well as the influence that Nationalism had on this period of art and culture.  As such, it needs to be preserved.\r\n	\r\nWorks Cited\r\n\"Frederic Chopin (Polish-French Composer and Pianist).\" Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.\r\nWhere I got information about Chopin, his life, his personality, and his accomplishments.\r\nHough, Stephen. \"StephenHough.com | Writings | Chopin and the Development of Piano Technique.\" StephenHough.com | Writings | Chopin and the Development of Piano Technique. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2013.\r\nWhere I got a modern perspective on Chopin’s music and a professional opinion on it’s significance.\r\nPollit, Ben. \"David\'s Napoleon Crossing the Alps.\" - Smarthistory. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2013.\r\nWhere I got information on the painting of Napoleon.\r\nYu, Fred. \"Chopin : Complete Music Analysis - Etudes.\" Chopin : Complete Music Analysis - Etudes. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2013.\r\nWhere I got information on the various aspects of Black Keys and some of his other Etudes.\r\n','','','inherit','open','open','','3583-revision-v1','','','2013-11-04 19:08:37','2013-11-05 01:08:37','',3583,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=3584',0,'revision','',0),(3585,87,'2013-11-04 19:09:13','2013-11-05 01:09:13','<a href=\"http://youtu.be/yu1zmXQkCso\">Aimi Kobayashi plays Black Keys by Chopin</a>\r\n\r\nEtude Op. Number 5, also known as Black Keys, is both a beautiful piece of music and an important historical document (Yu).  Composed by famed pianist Frederic Chopin between 1829 and 1833, the Etudes, and Black Keys in particular, represented not only a new and complex innovation in music, but also the rising influence of Nationalism in the Romantic period.  For these reasons, it would be a disservice to art to let this masterpiece go unpreserved.\r\nIt could be said that the Etudes were underrated in their time.  In the years after they were made, Chopin was really only famous among the elite in Paris as he was a piano tutor for the children of rich families (Britannica).  In this respect, the Etudes served Chopin well as a teacher for the students needed to focus on skill and technique in order to properly perform them (Hough).  Today, the Etudes are among the most famous of one of the world’s most renowned pianists, for their pure musical quality as well as their relevance in teaching the piano.  Chopin has been called a genius by modern composers such as Stephen Hough, and Black Keys in particular has been described as an “astonishing keyboard [innovation]” (Hough).\r\nBlack Keys, like the title suggests, is played almost exclusively on the black keys of the piano.  It is also a fast composition, with many complicated series’ of notes (Yu).  The black keys, being thinner and higher up than the ivory keys, as well as the way the notes are structured, was practically impossible by the old method of playing, which Hough described as played with “cramped, curled fingers” (Hough).  Instead, one had to adapt and play with a “fluid, flatter finger position” and have a much more flowing form in order to successfully play this song (Hough).  It can be said that this piece, along with many others, also acted as an expression of Chopin’s personality; concentrated, contemplative, and passionate (Brittanica).   \r\nAt this time (1830-31), the November Uprising was occurring in Poland (Brittanica).   Chopin was away and didn’t participate, but his polish nationalism is apparent in the Revolutionary Etude, an accompanying piece to Black Keys (Yu).  This was a feature of the Romantic period where Nationalism became a prominent inspiration for art (Britannica).  Though the Revolutionary Etude has some subtle differences in sound, such as having a more passionate tone as it is about the uprising and not solely using black keys, the overall form of complicated note patterns and the use of hand positions is the same (Yu).  A similar way this was employed was in Jacques-Louis David’s painting ‘Napoleon Crossing the Alps’ (Pollit).  Both were inspired by a sense of national pride and loyalty, imbued with a feeling of passion and heroism (Pollit).  While David’s painting was inspired by the hero-worship of Napoleon and French Nationalism, the Revolutionary Etude was inspired by Polish Nationalism and loyalty to the cause of the Polish Rebels (Britannica).  As this moment was highly influential in Chopin’s life and Black Keys is, in a way, an expression of Chopin’s feelings, Black Keys can also be seen as exemplar of the themes and meaning of the Revolutionary Etude.\r\n	In this, Black Keys acts as a scion of both the incredible innovations Chopin brought to the piano and music as a whole as well as the influence that Nationalism had on this period of art and culture.  As such, it needs to be preserved.\r\n	\r\nWorks Cited\r\n\"Frederic Chopin (Polish-French Composer and Pianist).\" Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.\r\nWhere I got information about Chopin, his life, his personality, and his accomplishments.\r\nHough, Stephen. \"StephenHough.com | Writings | Chopin and the Development of Piano Technique.\" StephenHough.com | Writings | Chopin and the Development of Piano Technique. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2013.\r\nWhere I got a modern perspective on Chopin’s music and a professional opinion on it’s significance.\r\nPollit, Ben. \"David\'s Napoleon Crossing the Alps.\" - Smarthistory. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Oct. 2013.\r\nWhere I got information on the painting of Napoleon.\r\nYu, Fred. \"Chopin : Complete Music Analysis - Etudes.\" Chopin : Complete Music Analysis - Etudes. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2013.\r\nWhere I got information on the various aspects of Black Keys and some of his other Etudes.\r\n','Etude in G-flat Major Black Keys','','inherit','open','open','','3583-revision-v1','','','2013-11-04 19:09:13','2013-11-05 01:09:13','',3583,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=3585',0,'revision','',0),(3586,1,'2013-11-04 22:04:59','2013-11-05 04:04:59','<!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;-->\r\n\r\n<!--[if gte mso 9]&gt;-->\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-indent: 0.5in; text-align: center;\"><strong><em><a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/puccini-1-sized.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-3557 aligncenter\" alt=\"puccini-1-sized\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/puccini-1-sized-214x300.jpg\" width=\"214\" height=\"300\" /></a></em></strong></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-indent: .5in;\">http://www.nndb.com/people/265/000087004/puccini-1-sized.jpg</p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-indent: .5in;\"><strong><em>\"Madama Butterfly\"</em> by Giacomo Puccini</strong></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-indent: .5in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">This opera is based on the story by John Luther Long and the play by David Belasco.<span>  </span>The opera itself was written by Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924). Taking place in the early 20th century, Benjamin Franklin Pinkerton comes to Nagasaki for his prearranged marriage to Cio-Cio-San (Madame Butterfly) who is 15 years of age.<span>  </span>She is a geisha forced into the life by the loss of her family’s wealth.<span>  </span>Despite marrying Butterfly, Pinkerton is set to marry an American woman.<span>  </span>Butterfly is denounced for her “rejection” of her natural heritage.<span>  </span>Pinkerton leaves Nagasaki for three years and leaves behind Butterfly and their three year old son, Sorrow.<span>  </span>Butterfly is afraid he will never return, but he does and brings his American wife-Kate-along with him.<span>  </span>They talk Butterfly into letting them take Sorrow back with them.<span>  </span>Upon their departure, Butterfly is overcome with grief and sadness and commits suicide.<span>  </span>(</span><a href=\"http://www.columbia.edu/.....synopsis.html\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">www.columbia.edu/.....synopsis.html</span></a><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">)<span>  </span>Giacomo Puccini created in Madama Butterfly a work worthy of preservation because of his ability to express the importance of both the music and the story with his original musical elements, his ability to integrate real-life need for cultural assimilation into his work, and his general operatic intelligence.<!--more--></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\"><span> </span><span>           </span>This opera is a great example of the transition into the modern era.<span>  </span>With its tragic love story with a sense of underlying betrayal, it is a piece that is easily relatable.<span>  </span>Also, there is a sense of truth behind this play.<span>  </span>This was actually a semi-common occurrence at this time.<span>  </span>Despite the complete and utter chaos at the time of its first production due to patrons finding it to be much like his previous works, it received good reviews.<span>  </span>Madama Butterfly is a classic and relatable story that allows for readers/viewers of all ages and backgrounds to learn and experience.<span>  </span>The music of Puccini’s operas comes from the words of the story.<span>  </span>Puccini’s works stemmed from his life.<span>  </span>Not only does the preservation of this work allow for future generations to learn and appreciate the music and its development but also to further learn and appreciate the life of Giacomo Puccini-one of the greatest composers of his time.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-indent: .5in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">At the time of Puccini’s birth, Italy was in the midst of a rash of rampant revolution and attempted reform.<span>  </span>Constitutions were being created by Italian republics in1848.<span>  </span>Eventually, revolutions would lead to the transfer of powers across many regions between 1849 and 1859.<span>  </span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-indent: .5in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">At the time of the conception of Madama Butterfly, Italy was in a time of turmoil.<span>  </span>The leaders of the country spent years trying to join the super powers of the world only to be met with resistance and a lack of finances.<span>  </span>Giovanni Giolitti was into his second term as Prime Minister.<span>  </span>The country was already in bad shape before Giolitti took his second term.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-indent: .5in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">The Italian colonies arising outside of the country as well as the eventual Italian involvement in World War I, also contributed to financial instability.<span>  </span>Corruption, starvation, and illiteracy were all rampant problems across the country.<span>  </span>Organized crime and rebellion were also rising.<span>  </span>Italians were flocking to America by the thousands in an effort to escape their steadily declining country.</span></p>\r\n\r\n<div style=\"border: none; border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; padding: 0in 0in 1.0pt 0in;\">\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-indent: .5in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">There was also an uprising of political nationalism in countries throughout the periphery of European countries.<span>  </span>(www.britannica.com) The changes of socio-economic and political airs surrounding the time of WWI changed to views of all classes.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-indent: .5in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">A common style of the time was that of bel canto “beautiful singing”.<span>  </span>It became more refined as plots and music became more sophisticated and refined (www.educationscotland.gov.uk).<span>  </span>It was a type of Italian court singing which originated in the performance of polyphonic music in the 16th century.<span>  </span>Bel canto was based on the very precise control of the intensity of vocal tone.<span>  </span>A demand for vocal agility and a clear articulation of notes as well as well-performed enunciation of words was part of this style.<span>  </span>(www.britannica.com)<span>  </span>This particular style would eventually evolve into what would become the operas of the 17th to 19th centuries.<span>  </span>Use of the style eventually dropped out at the turn of the 20th century as operas and performances called more for heavier and more dramatic singing.<span>  </span></span></p>\r\n\r\n</div>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-indent: .5in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">It gave precedence to melodic, rhythmic energies.<span>  </span>In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, American composers such as Arnold Schoenberg began to break away from the concept of using key using “all notes freely without relating them to the system of functional harmony.” (www.britannica.com)<span>  </span>)<span>  </span>For instance, Schoenberg’s Suite for Piano was the first of his influential works that started this evolutionary change in music.<span>  </span>Schoenberg’s other works like Violin Concerto and A Survivor from Warsaw signaled the change and transition to what would eventually become Western music.<span>  </span>(www.allmusic.com) </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-indent: .5in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">Madama Butterfly is of deeper more serious tones even in the times when one would expect more of a jovial air.<span>  </span>The images of the opera and the words and the music are all undeniably tied together.<span>  </span>The drama surrounding the story of Butterfly and Pinkerton could not be told without the story created by Giacomo Puccini.<span>  </span>Puccini created a common theme within all of his works, that of “He who has lived for love, has died for love.” (www.britannica.com)<span>  </span>Many of the heroines within his works would eventually fall prey to their own devotions to their lovers.<span>  </span>This idea is quite prominent within Madama Butterfly.<span>  </span>The Puccini style of opera held a strong “emotional appeal but also the restricted scope” of his style.<span>  </span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-indent: .5in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">Puccini was able to apply his own experiences to his characters and vice versa, he was able to channel his characters through himself.<span>  </span>Puccini was an intelligent opera creator who was well aware that an opera’s success is not based solely on its actions.<span>  </span>The lyrics and moments of contemplation are equally important.<span>  </span>He created original musical elements and melodies for these moments.<span>  </span>Death arias and rising moments of passion and radiance were created specifically for these times.<span>  </span>(www.britannica.com)<span>  </span>Puccini held an understanding for the melodies common to 19th century Italian opera but was simultaneously able to channel the likes of Stravinsky.<span>  </span>Puccini’s early works such as La Bohemme showed his capabilities early on.<span>  </span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-indent: .5in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">These characteristics can be seen in Madama Butterfly.<span>  </span>For instance, Puccini ran off with his married lover and engaged in an illegal union which produced a child.<span>  </span>It wasn’t until the death of her husband in 1904 – the year of the first performance – that they were able to legally marry.<span>  </span>While Butterfly and Pinkerton were not part of an illicit affair, Pinkerton did leave her to return to America for another woman.<span>  </span>In the end, Butterfly killed herself.<span>  </span>The dramatic relationship within the music and story is comparable to that of Puccini’s own life.<span>  </span>Throughout the opera, while the music itself wasn’t exactly complex, there were rises and falls and tone changes and musical passion which enabled a better telling in the story.<span>  </span>For the most part, the music betrayed little emotion.<span>  </span>It was these creations of Puccini’s that changed the opera entirely.<span>  </span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-indent: .5in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">Initially, the citizens of the time had a fairly indifferent view.<span>  </span>Not many were very excited about the piece.<span>  </span>Many felt that it was too much like his previous works to warrant any significant amount of excitement.<span>  </span>During the original performance individuals were placed throughout the theater to insert outdoor noises into the performance.<span>  </span>However, it created such chaos that the initial reception was not all that grand.<span>  </span>(www.musicweb.ecsd.edu) With the “replay” came a much better reception.<span>  </span>There was considerable speculation that there was a conspiracy behind the entire fiasco.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-indent: .5in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">Prior to the performance many members of the press held a bitter attitude toward Puccini and the opera itself.<span>  </span>Performers were forced to learn their parts a few pages at a time due largely to the release being so close to his previous piece.<span>  </span>The publisher required high degrees of secrecy.<span>  </span>The performers were not allowed to take their music/parts from the theater.<span>  </span>Not only was the publisher afraid of them being lost, but he was also convinced it would increase the level of suspense from the spectators.<span>  </span>(www.columbia.edu)<span>  </span>It was this “high-handed” aura.<span>  </span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-indent: .5in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">The chaos of the premier wasn’t entirely at the fault of the strategically placed performers in the audience.<span>  </span>The close resemblance to La Bohemme seemed to irritate many of the critics and audience.<span>  </span>This seemed to only enhance to growing fiasco.<span>  </span>This fiasco seemed to be a surprise to people despite this.<span>  </span>Scholars<span>  </span>seemed to find structural issues with the opera such as the length of the acts.<span>  </span>It is also felt that the negative air generated by the Japanese-Russian conflict could have influenced the general reception among the public.<span>  </span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-indent: .5in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">Madama Butterfly<span>  </span>is much better received in today’s society.<span>  </span>This can be seen in the fact that it is performed over and over again both in the States as well as abroad, especially in Italy.<span>     </span>Over the course of time, the sting of the fiasco of the premier has had a chance to dwindle.<span>  </span>Structurally speaking, there is still<span>  </span>question over the length of the acts but this has been much better received with the passage of time.<span>  </span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-indent: .5in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">Still today there are countless performances.<span>  </span>For example, the LA Opera, the Metropolitan Opera, and the Seattle Opera are just a few that perform in the United States.<span>  </span>It is also performed in countless other theaters across the world such as the Sferisterio Opera at the Sferisterio Opera Festival in Italy.<span>  </span>There are also museum displays around the world that either did or do exist that have some connection to Puccini and his work.<span>  </span>For example, the Morgan Library &amp; Museum in New York, New York held a display of the original manuscripts in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of Giacomo Puccini’s death. (www.themorgan.org) </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-indent: .5in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">Initially,<span>  </span>I was not at all what one would term thrilled.<span>  </span>I knew little to nothing about the work itself outside of a few snippits of video I had seen in music classes over the years.<span>  </span>Upon choosing this topic for my TCP, I looked over a few different copies of a synopsis summarizing the opera in an order to actually learn what this was about.<span>  </span>Then I watched Madama Butterfly in its entirety.<span>  </span>I must say that I now hold a considerably different view.<span>  </span>This is one amazing piece of theatrical excellence.<span>  </span>The story emphasizes this dramatic love story full of emotion and turmoil.<span>  </span>There is also Butterfly’s struggle to change her life and herself only to be jilted by Pinkerton.<span>  </span>Quite honestly, I thought the man to be a coward and a spineless weasel.<span>  </span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-indent: .5in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">From a structural standpoint, I am no operatic genius the likes of Puccini.<span>  </span>However, I do agree with the scholarly standpoint that the acts were a bit lengthy.<span>  </span>Had I not done previous research to better understand the actual plot line, I would not have been able to sit through the entire two hour performance.<span>  </span>At the end,<span>  </span>I am glad to have put the time and effort into this.<span>  </span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-indent: .5in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">When compared to Igor Stravinsky’s Song of the Nightingale both similarities and differences are noticeable.<span>  </span>There is the obvious content similarity of the Asian basis.<span>  </span>Nightingale is Chinese and Butterfly is Japanese, but the Asian<span>  </span>basis is there.<span>  </span>With regard to content, the story/plot line is different.<span>  </span>Butterfly is/was more of a love story turned drama while Nightingale is about the Chinese emperor’s fixation or enchantment with the song of the nightingale and the power of the nightingale’s song.<span>  </span>(www.classicalarchives.com)</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-indent: .5in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">When addressing the opera itself, again there are similarities and differences.<span>  </span>For example, the intensity of Nightingale’s<span>  </span>music seems to carry throughout the work.<span>  </span>Some places are lighter than others and some are heavier than others, but for the majority, the intensity seems to follow through fairly consistently.<span>  </span>With the music of Butterfly, there are more rises and falls.<span>  </span>There are more places in which the change in mood is more obvious within Butterfly.<span>  </span>Nightingale is supposed to be about the power of the nightingale and its music.<span>  </span>There also seems to be much less singing within Nightingale (youtube.com) </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-indent: .5in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">There is also the obvious difference in length.<span>  </span>Madama Butterfly is three acts of considerable length.<span>  </span>The opera in its entirety is approximately two hours long, over twice what was common at the time.<span>  </span>However, Stravinsky’s Song of the Nightingale is only two much shorter acts totalling to approximately 45 minutes in length.<span>  </span>Some have gone so far as to say Nightingale is more like being<span>  </span>“three scenes in a single act opera.” (White in Archives)<span>  </span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-indent: .5in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">First and foremost, Giacomo Puccini was an operatic genius.<span>  </span>He understood early on that the actions of the opera and the music were of equal importance.<span>  </span>He was able to create and integrate original musical elements which enabled him to tell the story of Butterfly and Pinkerton with such finesse thus adding a second reason for which Madama Butterfly should and must be preserved.<span>  </span>Whether the audience knew what was going on or not, it wouldn’t have been very difficult to get some small grasp on the story line.<span>  </span>Puccini changed the face of opera forever which his ups and downs, rises and falls, and actually create emotion with music.<span>  </span>This is a side to opera that future generations must come to know and appreciate, and Puccini’s Butterfly is the perfect example to teach this.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-indent: .5in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">Secondly, Butterfly was created in a time when the need for cultural assimilation was necessary and cultural understanding wasn’t exactly widespread.<span>  </span>On the verge of the first world war, international horizons were full of immigration, political strife, individual changes, and stories like that of Butterfly and Pinkerton.<span>  </span>By illustrating this constant need for assimilation and the accompanying emotions with his music, Puccini creates a work that is relatable and real-life.<span>  </span>In a time when our society is even more culturally diverse than it was then, it is even more important for those of this generation and those to come to grasp the struggle.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-indent: .5in;\">[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8XEyHHr2K8[/youtube]</p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: center;\" align=\"center\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">Works Cited</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2013. &lt;www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/education/puccini.html&gt;.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">***This is a PBS website containing biographical information on Giacomo Puccini.<span>  </span>I used this particular website to learn about Puccini at the time of his writing, how he may have shown his life through his work, and also as an alternative means for historical background.<span>  </span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\"> </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">Columbia Univeristy. Columbia University, n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2013. </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\"><span>            </span>&lt;www.columbia.edu/itc/music/NYCO/butterfly/fiasco.html&gt;.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">***This is a website sponsored by Columbia University which led to an html file on <i>Madama Butterfly</i>.<span>  </span>This particular information proved useful in researching reception at the time of production/release, more specifically the fiasco that ensued on the day of its original release.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\"> </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">Pasler, J. USCD, n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2013. &lt;musicweb.ucsd.edu/~jpasler/wp/wp-</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\"><span>            </span><span> </span>content/uploads/2012/06/Pasler-Japonisme2008.pdf&gt;.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">***This is a critical analysis of <i>Madama Butterfly</i> by Jann Pasler which focuses on the Japanese aspect and the concerns with assimilation.<span>  </span>It also holds information to better understand the reception at the time.<span>  </span>Pasler explains that Russian-Japanese tensions at the time could have affected the reception.<span>  </span>I used this as a second means to understand the reception of this opera at the time considering the obvious Japanese content.<span>  </span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\"> </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">Life in Italy.\" Life in Italy. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2013. </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\"><span>            </span>&lt;http://www.lifeinitaly.com/history/life-italy-during-19th-century&gt;.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">***Life in Italy is a website that contains information of Italy and its history.<span>  </span>It allows for an understanding of the historical happenings at the time of Puccini’s birth as well as the creation of <i>Madama Butterfly</i>.<span>  </span>I used this to learn what was happening in Italy and the surrounding world(s) and how it could have potentially influenced Puccini and his work.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\"> </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">\"Life in Italy - 1900.\" Life in Italy. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2013. </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\"><span>            </span>&lt;http://www.lifeinitaly.com/history/italy-1900&gt;.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">***Again,</span> <span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">Life in Italy is a website that contains information of Italy and its history.<span>  </span>It allows for an understanding of the historical happenings at the time of Puccini’s birth as well as the creation of Madama Butterfly.<span>  </span>I used this to learn what was happening in Italy and the surrounding world(s) and how it could have potentially influenced Puccini and his work.<span>  </span>This particular section was more tailored toward the time of release.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\"> </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">[youtube]<a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxL16AqWZ6A\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxL16AqWZ6A</span></a>[/youtube]</p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8XEyHHr2K8</p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">***This is a YouTube showing of <i>Madama Butterfly </i>in its entirety.<span>  </span>A bit long but very enjoyable.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\"> </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">Columbia University. Columbia University, n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2013. </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\"><span>            </span>&lt;www.columbia.edu/itc/music/NYCO/butterfly/synopsis.html&gt;.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">***This is a synopsis of the opera.<span>  </span>It explained all three acts.<span>  </span>I used this to actually know what the opera was about as I had no idea prior to this assignment.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\"> </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">Education Scotland. Education Scotland, n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2013. </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: .5in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">&lt;</span><a href=\"http://www.educationscotland.gov.uk/learnlisteningonline/higherandadvancedhigher/musicaltopics/opera/20thcentury.asp\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">www.educationscotland.gov.uk/learnlisteningonline/higherandadvancedhigher/musicaltopics/opera/20thcentury.asp</span></a><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">&gt;</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">***This website is by Education Scotland.<span>  </span>This particular portion the site contains information on works of the era.<span>  </span>I used this in my efforts to compare <i>La Bohemme </i>and <i>Madama Butterfly</i>.<span>  </span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\"><span>            </span></span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">Staff, Rovi. \"Arnold Schoenberg - Artist Biography.\" AllMusic. AllMusic, n.d. Web. 3 Nov. </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\"><span>            </span>2013. &lt;http://www.allmusic.com/artist/arnold-schoenberg-mn0000691043/biography&gt;.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">***This is from the website AllMusic.<span>  </span>This particular section references Arnold Schoenberg’s biography.<span>  </span>I referenced Schoenberg in an effort to understand works and trends of the time.<span>  </span>I used this site and its information in order to better understand Schoenberg and his work.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\"> </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\"> </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\"> </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">\"THE MORGAN TO DISPLAY ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPTS FROM MADAMA </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"margin-left: .5in;\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">BUTTERFLY AND LA BOHÈME IN NEW EXHIBITION ON GIACOMO PUCCINI .\" The Morgan Library &amp; Museum. N.p., 24 July 2009. Web. 3 Nov. 2013. &lt;http://www.themorgan.org/about/pressReleases2.asp?id=57&gt;.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">***This is from the website for the Morgan Library &amp; Museum in New York.<span>  </span>It is a press release referencing a display of the original manuscript for <i><span> </span>Madama Butterfly.</i><span>  </span>I used this to get a better look at today’s reception of Puccini’s work.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\"> </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">Fiero, Gloria K. The Humanistic Tradition. 6th ed. Vol. 2. N.p.: McGraw-Hill, n.d. Textbook. </span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\"><span>            </span>Web. 2013.</span></p>\r\n<p class=\"MsoNormal\"><span style=\"font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; font-family: \'Times New Roman\',\'serif\';\">***This is our text book.<span>  </span>I used it for general information and for a basis for analysis.</span></p>','\"Madama Butterfly\"','','inherit','open','open','','3551-revision-v1','','','2013-11-04 22:04:59','2013-11-05 04:04:59','',3551,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=3586',0,'revision','',0),(3588,1,'2013-11-04 22:10:26','2013-11-05 04:10:26','<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/1863gardner1.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3589\" alt=\"1863gardner1\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/1863gardner1-300x232.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"232\" /></a>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/images/database/1863gardner1.jpg</p>\n&nbsp;\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/images/database/1863gardner2.jpg</p>\nHome of a Rebel Sharpshooter\n\nBy Alexander Gardner (1821-1882)\n\nIn July, 1863.\n\nThe general story outline is all about the photographs taken by Gardner and Timothy O’Sullivan at the Gettysburg battlefield in July 1863. The controversy surrounding the photographs that it was not the original stage of the wounded soldier that Gardner and his assistance fabricated and manipulated the home of the rebel sharpshooter to suit the photographic image taken, and the differences in the appearance of the photographs taken three days after the battle. The one taken in Devil’s den and the shots taken in the home of a rebel sharpshooter.\n\nSeveral shots of photographs were taken by Gardner of the dead soldier, “ Geographic features place four of the six photographs at the southern slope of Devil’s Den (top) and two at what Gardner called the “ sharpshooter’s Den”. The series of photographs showing the aftermath of the Battle of Gettysburg depicts historically the photographic image of the Civil War at Gettysburg in his time.\n\nThe photographic work of Gardner was categorized of shots taken of the wounded soldier three days of the battlefield at Gettysburg and the stage manage Home of a Rebel sharpshooter. The photographic work was proven influential in defining the image of the Civil War for many Americans in his era.\n\nThe photographic work of Gardner was unusual and unique because it was able to illustrate the image of the home of a Rebel sharpshooter, built up between two hugs rocks, a stone wall, from the crevices, wounded and laying waste on the Ground with dismounted guns, wrecked caissons, and the debris of a broken army.\n\nThe photographic work of Gardner was able to define the image of the civil war in its era; it showed vividly the photographs of the home of a rebel sharpshooter, lying down wounded upon his blanket to await death, the shots taken in the battlefield of Gettysburg.\n\nThe people of today believe that the photographic work of Gardner on the home of a rebel sharpshooter was stage managed. They believe the dead wounded confederate soldier corpse and weapons was moved from the initial battlefield ground by Gardner to this place he called the home of a rebel sharpshooter. People like “Fredrick Ray, the art director of the civil war times, noticed that two of the photographs, taken in different locations on the battlefield appeared to show the same corpse”. Ray argues that the corpse body was moved forty yards to a rocky niche looking at the diagram above, the one below the home of a rebel sharpshooter”. “And that although Gardner identified the soldier as a sharpshooter, that the weapon beside him was not a sharpshooter’s Rifle. That it was probably a prop, placed there by Gardner.”\n\nDespite the view of Fredrick ray and others that Gardner’s  work of photographing the battlefield of Gettysburg were stage managed and manipulated, the work by Gardner and Timothy still remain unique and outstanding to many who sees such a magnificent photographer in the 1800’s. If proper study is not conducted hardly you can see if the work was actually fabricated.\n\nThe work of Gardner the “Home of a Rebel Sharpshooter” was comparable to the work of Timothy O’Sullivan “A Harvest of Death” because the both of them work together in taking shots of the confederate wounded soldiers in the battlefield of Gettysburg, looking at both work critically they look similar in terms of the positioning of the dead soldiers, the imagery, the style, and having the same features as a photographers.\n\nThe photographic style of Gardner, the positioning for a good dramatic image for a Photograph makes this work significant for future generations, they should be aware that the shots taken by Gardner of the Home of a Rebel sharpshooter makes him influential amongst his peers in defining the image of the civil war.\n\nThe work as a whole is based on the photographic image work of Gardner on the “Home of a Rebel Sharpshooter” at the Battlefield of Gettysburg, and how it was criticized by his critics (Fredrick Ray) that the photograph of the wounded confederate soldier in the Devil’s taken by Gardner was similar to the wounded soldier in the “Home of the Rebel Sharpshooter” that it was stage managed and a fabricated piece of work.\n\n&nbsp;\n\nCited Work:\n<ol>\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/photo_database/image/a_sharpshooters_last_sleep\">http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/photo_database/image/a_sharpshooters_last_sleep</a>.</li>\n	<li><a href=\"http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cwphtml/cwpcam/cwcam3c.html\">http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cwphtml/cwpcam/cwcam3c.html</a></li>\n	<li><a href=\"http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/7milVol/plate41g.html\">http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/7milVol/plate41g.html</a></li>\n</ol>\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','Home of a Rebel Sharpshooter ','','inherit','open','open','','3571-autosave-v1','','','2013-11-04 22:10:26','2013-11-05 04:10:26','',3571,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=3588',0,'revision','',0),(3589,1,'2013-11-04 22:09:49','2013-11-05 04:09:49','','1863gardner1','','inherit','open','open','','1863gardner1','','','2013-11-04 22:09:49','2013-11-05 04:09:49','',3571,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/1863gardner1.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(3590,1,'2013-11-04 22:10:25','2013-11-05 04:10:25','','1863gardner2','','inherit','open','open','','1863gardner2','','','2013-11-04 22:10:25','2013-11-05 04:10:25','',3571,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/1863gardner2.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(3591,1,'2013-11-04 22:10:35','2013-11-05 04:10:35','<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/1863gardner1.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3589\" alt=\"1863gardner1\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/1863gardner1-300x232.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"232\" /></a>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/images/database/1863gardner1.jpg</p>\r\n<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/1863gardner2.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3590\" alt=\"1863gardner2\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/1863gardner2-300x238.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"238\" /></a>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/images/database/1863gardner2.jpg</p>\r\nHome of a Rebel Sharpshooter\r\n\r\nBy Alexander Gardner (1821-1882)\r\n\r\nIn July, 1863.\r\n\r\nThe general story outline is all about the photographs taken by Gardner and Timothy O’Sullivan at the Gettysburg battlefield in July 1863. The controversy surrounding the photographs that it was not the original stage of the wounded soldier that Gardner and his assistance fabricated and manipulated the home of the rebel sharpshooter to suit the photographic image taken, and the differences in the appearance of the photographs taken three days after the battle. The one taken in Devil’s den and the shots taken in the home of a rebel sharpshooter.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nSeveral shots of photographs were taken by Gardner of the dead soldier, “ Geographic features place four of the six photographs at the southern slope of Devil’s Den (top) and two at what Gardner called the “ sharpshooter’s Den”. The series of photographs showing the aftermath of the Battle of Gettysburg depicts historically the photographic image of the Civil War at Gettysburg in his time.\r\n\r\nThe photographic work of Gardner was categorized of shots taken of the wounded soldier three days of the battlefield at Gettysburg and the stage manage Home of a Rebel sharpshooter. The photographic work was proven influential in defining the image of the Civil War for many Americans in his era.\r\n\r\nThe photographic work of Gardner was unusual and unique because it was able to illustrate the image of the home of a Rebel sharpshooter, built up between two hugs rocks, a stone wall, from the crevices, wounded and laying waste on the Ground with dismounted guns, wrecked caissons, and the debris of a broken army.\r\n\r\nThe photographic work of Gardner was able to define the image of the civil war in its era; it showed vividly the photographs of the home of a rebel sharpshooter, lying down wounded upon his blanket to await death, the shots taken in the battlefield of Gettysburg.\r\n\r\nThe people of today believe that the photographic work of Gardner on the home of a rebel sharpshooter was stage managed. They believe the dead wounded confederate soldier corpse and weapons was moved from the initial battlefield ground by Gardner to this place he called the home of a rebel sharpshooter. People like “Fredrick Ray, the art director of the civil war times, noticed that two of the photographs, taken in different locations on the battlefield appeared to show the same corpse”. Ray argues that the corpse body was moved forty yards to a rocky niche looking at the diagram above, the one below the home of a rebel sharpshooter”. “And that although Gardner identified the soldier as a sharpshooter, that the weapon beside him was not a sharpshooter’s Rifle. That it was probably a prop, placed there by Gardner.”\r\n\r\nDespite the view of Fredrick ray and others that Gardner’s  work of photographing the battlefield of Gettysburg were stage managed and manipulated, the work by Gardner and Timothy still remain unique and outstanding to many who sees such a magnificent photographer in the 1800’s. If proper study is not conducted hardly you can see if the work was actually fabricated.\r\n\r\nThe work of Gardner the “Home of a Rebel Sharpshooter” was comparable to the work of Timothy O’Sullivan “A Harvest of Death” because the both of them work together in taking shots of the confederate wounded soldiers in the battlefield of Gettysburg, looking at both work critically they look similar in terms of the positioning of the dead soldiers, the imagery, the style, and having the same features as a photographers.\r\n\r\nThe photographic style of Gardner, the positioning for a good dramatic image for a Photograph makes this work significant for future generations, they should be aware that the shots taken by Gardner of the Home of a Rebel sharpshooter makes him influential amongst his peers in defining the image of the civil war.\r\n\r\nThe work as a whole is based on the photographic image work of Gardner on the “Home of a Rebel Sharpshooter” at the Battlefield of Gettysburg, and how it was criticized by his critics (Fredrick Ray) that the photograph of the wounded confederate soldier in the Devil’s taken by Gardner was similar to the wounded soldier in the “Home of the Rebel Sharpshooter” that it was stage managed and a fabricated piece of work.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nCited Work:\r\n<ol>\r\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/photo_database/image/a_sharpshooters_last_sleep\">http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/photo_database/image/a_sharpshooters_last_sleep</a>.</li>\r\n	<li><a href=\"http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cwphtml/cwpcam/cwcam3c.html\">http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cwphtml/cwpcam/cwcam3c.html</a></li>\r\n	<li><a href=\"http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/7milVol/plate41g.html\">http://rmc.library.cornell.edu/7milVol/plate41g.html</a></li>\r\n</ol>\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Home of a Rebel Sharpshooter ','','inherit','open','open','','3571-revision-v1','','','2013-11-04 22:10:35','2013-11-05 04:10:35','',3571,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=3591',0,'revision','',0),(3594,1,'2013-11-04 22:12:56','2013-11-05 04:12:56','','79304140_131960966358','','inherit','open','open','','79304140_131960966358','','','2013-11-04 22:12:56','2013-11-05 04:12:56','',3576,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/79304140_131960966358.jpg',0,'attachment','image/jpeg',0),(3595,1,'2013-11-04 22:13:04','2013-11-05 04:13:04','<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/chopincover.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3592\" alt=\"chopincover\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/chopincover-300x300.jpg\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">thttp://www.aznapia.com/music/chopincover.jpg</p>\r\n<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/79304140_131960966358.jpg\"><img class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-3594\" alt=\"79304140_131960966358\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/79304140_131960966358-215x300.jpg\" width=\"215\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\nhttp://image2.findagrave.com/photos250/photos/2011/297/79304140_131960966358.jpg\r\nThe Nocturne Op.9 No.2 by Frederic Chopin pertaining to “Music Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9, No. 2 Chopin Nocturnes, Opus 9 Written 1830-1832 as a dedication to Madame Camille Pleyel” ( Prezi.com) Madame Camille Pleyel shown in the picture above. “Thanks to the more direct contact between the hammer and the string, the simple escapement action, constantly improved by Camille Pleyel and Kalkbrenner, assured a more exact control than the “double escapement” invented and patented (1822) by Erard” (Eigeldinger). Chopin created over 200 works of art in his life time. “The Nocturne in E flat major, though certainly not the most beautiful of Chopin’s nocturnes, is perhaps the most popular, ‘this charming bagatelle did more for the popularity of Chopin than all his other works”(Information center). Chopin’s work especially Nocturne Op.9 No.2 should be preserved for future generations because Chopin is without a doubt, one of a kind, and still to this day his music will move you.<!--more-->\r\n\r\n“Improvisational effects from piano figurations in the nocturnes; and episodic, vigorous writing in the larger works such as the scherzos, ballades, impromptus, and the Fantasy. Thus, in an era when the piano was becoming the preeminent solo instrument in both the home and the concert hall, Chopin devised new figurations, delicate traceries, and elaborate quasivocal fioriture and fashioned them for use at the keyboard. He wrote no symphonies, no operas, no string quartets, and only one trio (piano, violin, and cello).” (Encyclopedia)\r\nChopin’s work “If the nineteenth century was the age of Romantic individualism, it was also the age of the virtuoso: composers wrote music that might be performed gracefully and accurately only by individuals with extraordinary technical skills. The quintessential example of this phenomenon is the Polish-born composer Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849). At the age of seven, Chopin gave his first piano concert in Warsaw. Slight in build even as an adult, Chopin had small hands that nevertheless could reach across the keys of the piano like “the jaws of a snake”(Fiero, ch. 29)\r\nChopin’s work was received as a musical genius of the time. “In his brief lifetime—he died of tuberculosis at the age of thirty-nine—Chopin created an entirely personal musical idiom linked to the expressive potential of the modern piano. For the piano, Chopin wrote over 200 pieces, most of which were short keyboard works, such as dances, préludes, nocturnes (slow, songlike pieces), impromptus (pieces that sound improvised), and études (instrumental studies designed to improve a player\'s technique). His Etude in G-flat Major, Opus 10, No. 5, is a breathtaking piece that challenges the performer to play very rapidly on the black keys, which are less than half the width of the white ones.”(Fiero, ch. 29)\r\nPeople today still play his master pieces. Chopin is as well received today as he was during his time. “Of his dance forms, the polonaise and the mazurka preserve the robustness of the folk tunes of his native Poland, while the waltz mirrors the Romantic taste for a new type of dance, more sensuous and physically expressive than the courtly and formal minuet. Considered vulgar and lewd when it was introduced in the late eighteenth century, the waltz, with its freedom of movement and intoxicating rhythms, became the most popular of all nineteenth-century dances.”(Fiero, ch. 29)\r\nMy personal reaction to his work is that it is phenomenal. I personally have his collection that I listen to frequently. I find his work to be soothing; Chopin’s work is great to listen to while studying, for it has no words so you do not get distracted by catching yourself singing to the lyrics. His music I would say almost puts you in a calm trance.\r\nThe “Revolution of 1830 acted like a catalyst on French creative thought. Writers, painters, musicians and social reformers converged on Paris, which teemed with artistic and intellectual activity. Among the writers and poets were Sainte-Beuve, Victor Hugo, Balzac, George Sand and Heine. The painters included Delacroix, Devéria and Ary Scheffer”(Walker).\r\n“Much like Delacroix, Chopin was given to violent mood swings. And, as with Delacroix\'s paintings, which though carefully contrived give the impression of spontaneity, much of Chopin\'s music seems improvised—the impetuous record of fleeting feeling, rather than the studied product of diligent construction.”(Fiero, ch. 29) “The most engaging of his compositions are marked by fresh turns of harmony and free tempos and rhythms. Chopin might embellish a melodic line with unusual and flamboyant devices, such as a rolling arpeggio (the sounding of the notes of a chord in rapid succession).”(Fiero, ch. 29) Chopin was a genius.\r\nChopin’s life works should be remembered for the amazing ability that he had and the way he broke boundaries of his time. This is why; I strongly believe Chopin’s work should be preserved for future generations. Chopin is without a doubt, one of a kind, and still to this day his music will move you.\r\n\r\nWork Cited\r\nEigeldinger, Jean-Jacques. \"Chopin And Pleyel.\" Clavier Companion 2.3 (2010): 10-12. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.\r\n\r\nFiero, Gloria K. The Humanistic Tradition. Sixth Edition ed. : McGraw-Hill, . . &lt;&gt;.\r\n\r\nFryderyk Chopin - Information Centre - Nocturne in E Flat Major, Op. 9 No. 2 - Compositions. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2013.\r\n\"Frederic Chopin: Nocturnes, Op. 9: No. 2 in E-Flat Major.\" Prezi.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Oct. 2013.\r\n\"Frédéric François Chopin.\" Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998. Biography In Context. Web. 20 Oct. 2013.\r\nWalker, Alan. \"CHOPIN: The Voice Of The Piano.\" American Music Teacher 59.6 (2010): 19-26. Academic Search Complete. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.','Nocturne Op.9 No.2','','inherit','open','open','','3576-revision-v1','','','2013-11-04 22:13:04','2013-11-05 04:13:04','',3576,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=3595',0,'revision','',0),(3489,77,'2013-10-14 15:31:23','2013-10-14 21:31:23','<strong>                                                             Li Ruzhen’s Flowers in the Mirror</strong>\r\n\r\nBy: Gargi Dave\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/TCP.jpg\"><img class=\"alignnone size-medium wp-image-3488\" alt=\"TCP\" src=\"http://jeanatacc.com/2011/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/TCP-198x300.jpg\" width=\"215\" height=\"300\" /></a>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nLi Ju-Chen, (as known as Li Ruzhen), (1763-1830) was an author known to write novels of fantasy with feminist perception, although a few of his works such as: his treatise on phonology <i>Yin</i><i>‐</i><i>chien, </i>a chess handbook <i>Shou</i><i>‐</i><i>tzu p\'u</i>, were not published due to it being lost, Ruzhen’s most important book written was his 1828 novel, <i>Flowers in the Mirror. </i>According to web source, eNotes, “Through his novel, he attempted to reconcile classical Confucianism with Neo-Confucianism and meld traditional values and aesthetics with modern ideas. Li Ruzhen is remembered today as an erudite social critic and early feminist.” <i>Flowers in the Mirror</i> definitely depicted a fantasy Ruzhen had, creating a world where women of China played the role of men; working, taking care of the financial status of the family, going to school and making a career, while the men wore women’s clothing and taking care of the children playing the role of a woman. Ruzhen’s views completely shocked readers in this 100 chapter novel. Li Ruzhen established his knowledge and opinion on how women and men should be equal instead of having gender roles, and he also expresses, “criticism of the education and examination systems in China” (web source enotes) in the <i>Flowers in the Mirror</i>, and due to his boldness and adventurous dare to write such a feminist book, <i>Flowers in the Mirror</i> should be protected and also read for future generations to come.\r\n\r\nThis classic novel that Ruzhen worked on for over a decade became a book of no classification. This feminist book was set in the Tang Dynasty with the ruler Empress Wu Zetian who overruled her brother’s shine to the throne, and decided to do things her way and demanded impossible tasks. As one of the tasks, she commands the flower spirits to allow the flowers upon the earth to bloom the very next day, which was unimaginable and impossible. But, the flower spirits did so and they were taken out of Heaven and put onto the earth as punishment from the Gods and at the end of their compensation, they will be allowed back into the Heavens. The Fairy of a Hundred Flowers’ father, Tang Ao, gets knocked down from his high rank to the lowest rank possible by the Empress. She suspects he has plotted against her will, and due to that, he gives up the animosity of the mortal life and transforms himself to an immortal being. Tang Ao decides to embark upon a journey with his brother-in-law, Merchant Lin, because he was told by a dream spirit that his afterlife was somewhere afar. During his adventurous quest he embarked upon, he came upon many flower spirits and accompanied them with their troubles, and during this journey he vanished into the mountain of Little Penglai. During his wandering, he visited the many countries as stated in web source “Readtiger”: “Country of Gentlemen, the Country of Women, the Country of Intestineless People, the Country of Sexless People, and the Country of Two-Faced People and many more” (websource). Towards the end of this novel, the Fairy of a Hundred Flowers searches for her father out into Little Penlai, and the many flower spirits with their husbands and brothers gather and throw the Empress out from her throne, and reinstate Emperor Tang Chung-tsung to his rightful throne. Ruzhen calls the Empress a “King” explaining the fact that she is ruler, and although she is a woman, she can also be defined as a “King”.\r\n\r\nDuring the time of when Flowers in the Mirror was written, there were many women writers who published letters and books explaining the problem women have with their unequal rights compared to men. This work was not typical of its era, because during this time period, all women were subjected to their men and their own vanity. Women had no voice, and also weren’t in their own control. There were many other feminists during this time such as Abigail Adams, Anna Wheeler, Frances Wright and others. They all similarly wrote about the social order in communities and how inequality was a major issue for women in society. The drive for these feminists to voice their opinions were very opinionated and very open due to the fact that they wanted to be a part of a change where women and men can altogether live equally. There were no laws of equal rights between men and women, but the feminists during the 18th century surely voiced their full on opinions about the issue.\r\n\r\nThis specific piece of work is definitely unusual for its time. Ruzhen was an opinionated man with a big heart to prove his ideas about empowered women and strived to prove his point about women being as equal as men, and also how women and men can play each other’s roles with the execution of society’s role as women only being subjects of vanity. In writing the <i>Flowers in the Mirror,</i> Ruzhen was simply implying for society to treat both genders equally. After writing this novel for about 15 years, Ruzhen accomplished getting his point across with his vision in this fantasy novel and in web source “Readtiger”, “When Li writes about the different countries he is giving his aspirations for an ideal society. The novel is full of fantasy which shows the author\'s unique vision of life” (websource). During this time period of the 1800’s, women were seen as subjects of vanity and played the role of beauty and being a housewife. Society was the complete opposite of how Ruzhen fantasized society to be in his novel. This novel completely cracked the typical gender role played in reality. Throughout this book, the author indirectly states how women are able to do the tasks of men as well and easily as men are able to do the same.\r\n\r\n<i>          Flowers in the Mirror</i> was received as a “miscellaneous novel” at this time due to the mixture of genre’s in the novel (websource). There was much controversy in his reason of writing <i>Flowers in the Mirror</i> because in Ruzhen’s version of <i>Utopia </i>there was complete equality for men so therefore, “<i>Flowers in the Mirror</i> does not represent a completely revolutionary vision” (websource.enotes). His ideas inside<i> Flowers in the Mirror</i> did not give complete equality for women due to Utopia being a world for the equalness for all men. Otherwise, Ruzhen’s feminist approach was received fairly well. He introduced a “new world” during a time where women and men weren’t equal, and his approach gave many scholars new ideas and thoughts about a world where women could be just as equal as men.\r\n\r\nToday, many people have the same perception of <i>Flowers in the Mirror </i>back then compared to today. Editor Lynn M. Scott states, “Criticism of Li Ju‐chen\'s work is confined to the<i> Flowers in the Mirror </i>and addresses three main issues in the novel: the breadth of learning Li Ju‐chen demonstrates in the text; his criticism of the education and examination systems of China; and his denunciation of harmful and discriminatory practices against women.” People were shocked during the 1800’s as well as today, due to this book (websource.enotes). Li Ruzhen is known as one of the most feminist writers with a very narrow perception of society. Many people today, though, accept the author’s views on equality for women because today, there is complete equality for men and women. The only aspect which scholars see to be unusual is that a very knowledgeable man (Ruzhen) during this time in China has complete passion for equality among every individual in society, including men and women.\r\n\r\nMy personal reaction was uttered disbelief that a man living in Beijing during the 1800’s, a time where there is complete social order among society pertaining to the rights of men and women, wrote a novel about society needing to give entire equal rights to women in China. There are many different sections in this novel, but the one that sticks out to me is the gender roles and the different countries Ruzhen fantasized about in his work. I admire that he wrote this book in reference to his own opinion, and he sticks to his beliefs about full equality among members of society. The story of the Empress ruling the nation is impressive in my opinion, especially the part of the story where Ruzhen refers Empress Wu Zetian as “King”, that comparison shows that a woman in society can also play the role of a man or a “King”. Despite the fact that in the story, the Empress is thrown out of her own power as “King”, the story still gives readers today a new aspect of how back then, there were people who voiced their opinions on huge ordeals such as equality among society.\r\n\r\nThe <i>Flowers in the Mirror </i>compares to many works from generations of feminists, and only a handful during the 18th century. Rhuzen’s novel specifically compares to one particular work, the letters sent back and forth between Abigail Adams and her husband John Adams during the late 17th century, early 18th century. The few letters that Abigail sent to her husband declared that she had heard John declare independence, and she would like for him to add women’s equal rights to the “new code of laws” (websource). Abigail Adams claims a rebellion if the law isn’t passed to include the women into equal rights, such as  having a voice or any sort of representation in lawmaking or in general society, as it claims in the letters she wrote. In the letters, she voices her stern opinion on how husbands are trying to have complete control and protection over their wives, and also, how women need to be able to start being a part of the decision making process in general decisions. Abigail indirectly argues with her husband that he is being barbaric and arrogant towards the women of society by not taking what she has to say about equality among women and men seriously, but still her last stern letter proves why there should be outright equality and freedom amidst all women and men of civilization.\r\n\r\nThe letters of Abigail Adams and <i>Flowers in the Mirror </i>are similar in many ways, such as both Ruzhen and Abigail are unconditionally blunt and direct about their feelings about equality with both genders amid commonality. Regardless of John Adams response to his wife, Abigail nonetheless, still makes a stand to what she believes in, that is women having a voice when it comes to making decisions, and for there to be ultimate freedom between all people. Ruzhen’s fantasy shows his passion for an equal society when he names the different countries as they are in the <i>Flowers in the Mirror. </i>And also his will to push out his opinion on equality among men and women. Li Ruzhen and Abigail Adams was only a couple out of the many civilian feminists who had an opinion about freedom and equality for women.\r\n\r\nThe novel, <i>Flowers in the Mirror </i>is a powerful approach to changing society back in the 18th century, and also authoritative today seeing as there is complete, and full freedom and equality of the men and women today. This paramount piece of work should be restored for many generations to come because of its classic feminist entrance to a world that we live in today. Writers such as Li Ruzhen helped and pushed society become equal and as free-spirited as it is today.\r\n\r\n<strong>                                                                                                 Works Cited</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\"Introduction\" <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Nineteenth-Century Literary Criticism</span> Ed. Lynn M. Zott. Vol. 134. Gale Cengage 2004 <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">eNotes.com</span> 14 Oct, 2013\r\n\r\n<b>This website gave me so much information about the author and his background, and more so the views and criticism that many scholars had pertaining to this novel. This is an amazing source to find the meaning of the true message of the book.</b>\r\n\r\n<b> </b>\r\n\r\n<i>LETTERS BETWEEN ABIGAIL ADAMS AND HER HUSBAND JOHN ADAMS</i>. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2013.\r\n\r\n<b>This was definitely my favorite source. It extremely helped out with my understanding of other feminists and their views on inequality. It gave me a piece of history that I did not know before, and know now. </b>\r\n\r\n<b> </b>\r\n\r\nN.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2013. &lt;http://readtiger.com/wkp/en/Flowers_in_the_Mirror&gt;.\r\n\r\n<b>This is where I found a clear and thorough view of the book. Also, a good source to know exactly what the main story is about from beginning to end.</b>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nN.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2013. &lt;<a href=\"http://www.qesign.com/offer.php?x=Li_Ruzhen\">http://www.qesign.com/offer.php?x=Li_Ruzhen</a>&gt;.\r\n\r\n<b>This source gave me an excellent understanding of the author and his ideas. It completely gave me an inside scoop of the authors thoughts, and how it is to feel like a true feminist back in the 18th century.</b>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<i>The Women\'s Review of Books</i> , Vol. 9, No. 9 (Jun., 1992), pp. 14-15\r\n\r\n<b>This source was an incredible find because it showed a full list of feminists of the 18th century who voiced their opinions on inequality. Also, it answered many questions I had pertaining to the life lived by 18th century women.</b>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','DaveGargi-TCP2 Flowers in the Mirror','','inherit','open','open','','3483-revision-v1','','','2013-10-14 15:31:23','2013-10-14 21:31:23','',3483,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=3489',0,'revision','',0);
INSERT INTO `wp_posts` VALUES (3485,77,'2013-10-14 15:28:49','2013-10-14 21:28:49','<strong>                                                                  </strong>\r\n\r\n<img alt=\"\" src=\"image/png;base64,[encoded data, 379100 characters]\" width=\"288\" height=\"399\" />\r\n\r\n<strong>                                                                             Li Ruzhen’s Flowers in the Mirror</strong>\r\n\r\nBy: Gargi Dave\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nLi Ju-Chen, (as known as Li Ruzhen), (1763-1830) was an author known to write novels of fantasy with feminist perception, although a few of his works such as: his treatise on phonology <i>Yin</i><i>‐</i><i>chien, </i>a chess handbook <i>Shou</i><i>‐</i><i>tzu p\'u</i>, were not published due to it being lost, Ruzhen’s most important book written was his 1828 novel, <i>Flowers in the Mirror. </i>According to web source, eNotes, “Through his novel, he attempted to reconcile classical Confucianism with Neo-Confucianism and meld traditional values and aesthetics with modern ideas. Li Ruzhen is remembered today as an erudite social critic and early feminist.” <i>Flowers in the Mirror</i> definitely depicted a fantasy Ruzhen had, creating a world where women of China played the role of men; working, taking care of the financial status of the family, going to school and making a career, while the men wore women’s clothing and taking care of the children playing the role of a woman. Ruzhen’s views completely shocked readers in this 100 chapter novel. Li Ruzhen established his knowledge and opinion on how women and men should be equal instead of having gender roles, and he also expresses, “criticism of the education and examination systems in China” (web source enotes) in the <i>Flowers in the Mirror</i>, and due to his boldness and adventurous dare to write such a feminist book, <i>Flowers in the Mirror</i> should be protected and also read for future generations to come.\r\n\r\nThis classic novel that Ruzhen worked on for over a decade became a book of no classification. This feminist book was set in the Tang Dynasty with the ruler Empress Wu Zetian who overruled her brother’s shine to the throne, and decided to do things her way and demanded impossible tasks. As one of the tasks, she commands the flower spirits to allow the flowers upon the earth to bloom the very next day, which was unimaginable and impossible. But, the flower spirits did so and they were taken out of Heaven and put onto the earth as punishment from the Gods and at the end of their compensation, they will be allowed back into the Heavens. The Fairy of a Hundred Flowers’ father, Tang Ao, gets knocked down from his high rank to the lowest rank possible by the Empress. She suspects he has plotted against her will, and due to that, he gives up the animosity of the mortal life and transforms himself to an immortal being. Tang Ao decides to embark upon a journey with his brother-in-law, Merchant Lin, because he was told by a dream spirit that his afterlife was somewhere afar. During his adventurous quest he embarked upon, he came upon many flower spirits and accompanied them with their troubles, and during this journey he vanished into the mountain of Little Penglai. During his wandering, he visited the many countries as stated in web source “Readtiger”: “Country of Gentlemen, the Country of Women, the Country of Intestineless People, the Country of Sexless People, and the Country of Two-Faced People and many more” (websource). Towards the end of this novel, the Fairy of a Hundred Flowers searches for her father out into Little Penlai, and the many flower spirits with their husbands and brothers gather and throw the Empress out from her throne, and reinstate Emperor Tang Chung-tsung to his rightful throne. Ruzhen calls the Empress a “King” explaining the fact that she is ruler, and although she is a woman, she can also be defined as a “King”.\r\n\r\nDuring the time of when Flowers in the Mirror was written, there were many women writers who published letters and books explaining the problem women have with their unequal rights compared to men. This work was not typical of its era, because during this time period, all women were subjected to their men and their own vanity. Women had no voice, and also weren’t in their own control. There were many other feminists during this time such as Abigail Adams, Anna Wheeler, Frances Wright and others. They all similarly wrote about the social order in communities and how inequality was a major issue for women in society. The drive for these feminists to voice their opinions were very opinionated and very open due to the fact that they wanted to be a part of a change where women and men can altogether live equally. There were no laws of equal rights between men and women, but the feminists during the 18th century surely voiced their full on opinions about the issue.\r\n\r\nThis specific piece of work is definitely unusual for its time. Ruzhen was an opinionated man with a big heart to prove his ideas about empowered women and strived to prove his point about women being as equal as men, and also how women and men can play each other’s roles with the execution of society’s role as women only being subjects of vanity. In writing the <i>Flowers in the Mirror,</i> Ruzhen was simply implying for society to treat both genders equally. After writing this novel for about 15 years, Ruzhen accomplished getting his point across with his vision in this fantasy novel and in web source “Readtiger”, “When Li writes about the different countries he is giving his aspirations for an ideal society. The novel is full of fantasy which shows the author\'s unique vision of life” (websource). During this time period of the 1800’s, women were seen as subjects of vanity and played the role of beauty and being a housewife. Society was the complete opposite of how Ruzhen fantasized society to be in his novel. This novel completely cracked the typical gender role played in reality. Throughout this book, the author indirectly states how women are able to do the tasks of men as well and easily as men are able to do the same.\r\n\r\n<i>          Flowers in the Mirror</i> was received as a “miscellaneous novel” at this time due to the mixture of genre’s in the novel (websource). There was much controversy in his reason of writing <i>Flowers in the Mirror</i> because in Ruzhen’s version of <i>Utopia </i>there was complete equality for men so therefore, “<i>Flowers in the Mirror</i> does not represent a completely revolutionary vision” (websource.enotes). His ideas inside<i> Flowers in the Mirror</i> did not give complete equality for women due to Utopia being a world for the equalness for all men. Otherwise, Ruzhen’s feminist approach was received fairly well. He introduced a “new world” during a time where women and men weren’t equal, and his approach gave many scholars new ideas and thoughts about a world where women could be just as equal as men.\r\n\r\nToday, many people have the same perception of <i>Flowers in the Mirror </i>back then compared to today. Editor Lynn M. Scott states, “Criticism of Li Ju‐chen\'s work is confined to the<i> Flowers in the Mirror </i>and addresses three main issues in the novel: the breadth of learning Li Ju‐chen demonstrates in the text; his criticism of the education and examination systems of China; and his denunciation of harmful and discriminatory practices against women.” People were shocked during the 1800’s as well as today, due to this book (websource.enotes). Li Ruzhen is known as one of the most feminist writers with a very narrow perception of society. Many people today, though, accept the author’s views on equality for women because today, there is complete equality for men and women. The only aspect which scholars see to be unusual is that a very knowledgeable man (Ruzhen) during this time in China has complete passion for equality among every individual in society, including men and women.\r\n\r\nMy personal reaction was uttered disbelief that a man living in Beijing during the 1800’s, a time where there is complete social order among society pertaining to the rights of men and women, wrote a novel about society needing to give entire equal rights to women in China. There are many different sections in this novel, but the one that sticks out to me is the gender roles and the different countries Ruzhen fantasized about in his work. I admire that he wrote this book in reference to his own opinion, and he sticks to his beliefs about full equality among members of society. The story of the Empress ruling the nation is impressive in my opinion, especially the part of the story where Ruzhen refers Empress Wu Zetian as “King”, that comparison shows that a woman in society can also play the role of a man or a “King”. Despite the fact that in the story, the Empress is thrown out of her own power as “King”, the story still gives readers today a new aspect of how back then, there were people who voiced their opinions on huge ordeals such as equality among society.\r\n\r\nThe <i>Flowers in the Mirror </i>compares to many works from generations of feminists, and only a handful during the 18th century. Rhuzen’s novel specifically compares to one particular work, the letters sent back and forth between Abigail Adams and her husband John Adams during the late 17th century, early 18th century. The few letters that Abigail sent to her husband declared that she had heard John declare independence, and she would like for him to add women’s equal rights to the “new code of laws” (websource). Abigail Adams claims a rebellion if the law isn’t passed to include the women into equal rights, such as  having a voice or any sort of representation in lawmaking or in general society, as it claims in the letters she wrote. In the letters, she voices her stern opinion on how husbands are trying to have complete control and protection over their wives, and also, how women need to be able to start being a part of the decision making process in general decisions. Abigail indirectly argues with her husband that he is being barbaric and arrogant towards the women of society by not taking what she has to say about equality among women and men seriously, but still her last stern letter proves why there should be outright equality and freedom amidst all women and men of civilization.\r\n\r\nThe letters of Abigail Adams and <i>Flowers in the Mirror </i>are similar in many ways, such as both Ruzhen and Abigail are unconditionally blunt and direct about their feelings about equality with both genders amid commonality. Regardless of John Adams response to his wife, Abigail nonetheless, still makes a stand to what she believes in, that is women having a voice when it comes to making decisions, and for there to be ultimate freedom between all people. Ruzhen’s fantasy shows his passion for an equal society when he names the different countries as they are in the <i>Flowers in the Mirror. </i>And also his will to push out his opinion on equality among men and women. Li Ruzhen and Abigail Adams was only a couple out of the many civilian feminists who had an opinion about freedom and equality for women.\r\n\r\nThe novel, <i>Flowers in the Mirror </i>is a powerful approach to changing society back in the 18th century, and also authoritative today seeing as there is complete, and full freedom and equality of the men and women today. This paramount piece of work should be restored for many generations to come because of its classic feminist entrance to a world that we live in today. Writers such as Li Ruzhen helped and pushed society become equal and as free-spirited as it is today.\r\n\r\n<strong>                                                                                                 Works Cited</strong>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n\"Introduction\" <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">Nineteenth-Century Literary Criticism</span> Ed. Lynn M. Zott. Vol. 134. Gale Cengage 2004 <span style=\"text-decoration: underline\">eNotes.com</span> 14 Oct, 2013\r\n\r\n<b>This website gave me so much information about the author and his background, and more so the views and criticism that many scholars had pertaining to this novel. This is an amazing source to find the meaning of the true message of the book.</b>\r\n\r\n<b> </b>\r\n\r\n<i>LETTERS BETWEEN ABIGAIL ADAMS AND HER HUSBAND JOHN ADAMS</i>. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2013.\r\n\r\n<b>This was definitely my favorite source. It extremely helped out with my understanding of other feminists and their views on inequality. It gave me a piece of history that I did not know before, and know now. </b>\r\n\r\n<b> </b>\r\n\r\nN.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2013. &lt;http://readtiger.com/wkp/en/Flowers_in_the_Mirror&gt;.\r\n\r\n<b>This is where I found a clear and thorough view of the book. Also, a good source to know exactly what the main story is about from beginning to end.</b>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nN.p., n.d. Web. 14 Oct. 2013. &lt;<a href=\"http://www.qesign.com/offer.php?x=Li_Ruzhen\">http://www.qesign.com/offer.php?x=Li_Ruzhen</a>&gt;.\r\n\r\n<b>This source gave me an excellent understanding of the author and his ideas. It completely gave me an inside scoop of the authors thoughts, and how it is to feel like a true feminist back in the 18th century.</b>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\n<i>The Women\'s Review of Books</i> , Vol. 9, No. 9 (Jun., 1992), pp. 14-15\r\n\r\n<b>This source was an incredible find because it showed a full list of feminists of the 18th century who voiced their opinions on inequality. Also, it answered many questions I had pertaining to the life lived by 18th century women.</b>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','DaveGargi-TCP2 Flowers in the Mirror','','inherit','open','open','','3483-revision-v1','','','2013-10-14 15:28:49','2013-10-14 21:28:49','',3483,'http://jeanatacc.com/2011/?p=3485',0,'revision','',0),