The piano music of Gabriel Fauré is among his best known work. Written between the 1860s and the 1920s, Fauré's major sets of piano works are thirteen nocturnes, thirteen barcarolles, six impromptus and four valses-caprices. These sets display the change in his style, over the decades, from uncomplicated youthful charm to a final enigmatic but sometimes fiery introspection, by way of a turbulent period in his middle years. His other notable piano pieces, including shorter works, or collections composed or published as a set, are Romances sans paroles, Ballade in F♯ major, Mazurka in B♭ major, Thème et variations in C♯ major, and Huit pièces brèves. For piano duet, Fauré composed the Dolly Suite and, together with his friend and former pupil André Messager, an exuberant parody of Wagner in the short suite Souvenirs de Bayreuth. Much of the ambidextrous Fauré's piano music is difficult to play, but it is rarely virtuoso in style. The composer disliked showy display, and the predominant characteristic of his piano music is a classical restraint and understatement. (more...)
... that art showing a fainting Virgin Mary(example illustrated) became less common in the 16th century, after attacks by theologians?
... that the flat-headed crocodilian relative Aegisuchus had a circular projection on top of its skull that may have served as an eyespot in mating displays?
... that in 1968, the German artist Bazon Brock created a sign in the style of a high voltage warning saying "der Tod muß abgeschafft werden ..." ("death must be abolished ...")?
The title of Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club has been awarded 104 times since 1907. If a dog wins the title on five occasions, the James Mortimer Memorial Silver Trophy is awarded permanently; otherwise, the winner receives a silver-plated replica. The most successful dog was the first to win the title, a Smooth Fox Terrier named Ch. Warren Remedy, who won it on three occasions. The Terrier Group has continued to be the most successful breed group, with terriers winning the title 45 times. Competition at Westminster was restricted to Champions only in 1992; before this, two dogs had won the title in their first American shows. The most recent winner is GCH Foxcliffe Hickory Wind in 2011, the first Scottish Deerhound to take the title and only the fifth member of the Hound Group. (more...)
The Common Brushtail Possum(Trichosurus vulpecula) is the largest possum species and is perhaps the most widespread mammal in Australia. It grows to about 32–58 cm (13–23 in) in length, with an additional 24–40 cm (9–16 in) for its prehensile tail (seen here hanging below the branch). It is mainly a folivore, but has been known to eat small mammals such as rats. It is common in cities, having adapted well to human habitation.