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Month: October 2016
What are the messages behind Mahler’s last three symphonies?
OP clarified in comments that he meant {7, 8, 9}; but of course this could be any of {8, 9, 10}, or {8, Lied von der Erde, 9}, or {Lied von der Erde, 9, 10}. Any of those are legit. The real grouping of symphonies that go together is {Lied von der Erde, 9, 10}. […]
What are some interesting facts about Federation Square, Melbourne?
Federation Square. Opened at the centenary of Australian Federation, in 2001. Strange, po-mo, mixed-use space in the very navel of the world, as far as any Melburnian is concerned: the four corners of the intersection of Swanston and Flinders St— Flinders Street railway station, Fed Square, St Paul’s Cathedral, Young and Jackson Hotel. As Melbourne […]
A frank discussion chez Esmaili
Pegah Esmaili’s answer to Do ex-Muslims face discrimination at their homes? No not at all, only my grandmother has a few times looked at me as if “what the fu*k are you trying to be my beloved damn grandchild? weren’t you praying till…like 2-3 years ago?” https://www.quora.com/Do-ex-Musl… It looked a little bit like this, didn’t […]
Why are there several anti-Islamic parties in Australia?
http://www.aijac.org.au/news/article/politically-right-but-very-wrong Other answers have addressed why there are anti-Islamic parties in Australia. Why are there several anti-Islamic parties in Australia? Splinterism, an endemic issue with extremist parties, and movements in general preoccupied with ideological purity rather than electoral success through coalition politics. Communism is even more notorious for splinterism, after all. Latest instance I can […]
What would you choose in the following coin flip scenarios? Explain your thought process.
I did Engineering as an undergrad. So I should have a good appreciation of statistics, and work through the odds, right? Screw that. I played a slot machine once when I was 16, lost all the money I put in after being ahead, and I’m not doing that shit again. I refuse to set foot […]
Why would Mahler use so many unusual instruments (like the off-stage cowbells or the celesta in Symphony No. 6) in his symphonies? Are they really helpful for expressing the themes?
Brian van der Spuy is quite right that the extensive orchestral palette is in line with Mahler’s desire to encompass the world in his symphonies. Howard Levitsky’s answer, featuring Gershwin’s car horns, is ironic, given the contemporary reaction to the cowbells in Mahler’s 6th: Gustav Mahler Pictures The cartoon’s caption reads: “Herr Gott! Daß ich […]
Lutoslawski said that Shostakovich was simply “the second coming of Mahler.” Would you agree?
Did he? The version I’m familiar with is Boulez saying Shosty was “the second, or even third, pressing of Mahler” (Shostaphobia) A lot of modern masters that have not severed themselves completely from Common Practice are in debt to Mahler some of the time. There’s several pieces I can think of that are very close […]
I’m majoring/teaching a foreign language. How can I safeguard my own native identity and culture?
Of course, there is a clear colonialism subtext going on here. If you were studying, say, Russian or Korean in Morocco, would you feel the same? I’m assuming that you would not; you tell me. You would immerse yourself in Korean culture, you would go to Seoul often, you would have lots of Bibimbap. But […]
Do other countries have any equivalents to “states rights”, as in the USA?
Like other reluctant federations, Australia has a constitution that safeguards powers of the states. These have become less attention-grabbing with time; Australians are still parochial about their states, but they’re more excited when that parochialism involves beer brands than legislature. The WWII switcheroo, whereby the Federal Government appropriated all taxation power of the states as […]
In US English why is Caucasian not considered a politically incorrect term, and consequently still regularly utilised in speech?
It’s interesting, isn’t it. We don’t hear Mongoloid or Negroid in the US. That isn’t because the US has suddenly turned away from Racial categories; they call them Asian and Black or African-American. And add to that Latino (very much an American classification), Native American, and Islander. But Whites have retained Caucasian in the States. […]