Under thought-process

Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich often used a four-note motif in many of his musical works to represent himself. The four notes, D-Eb-C-B, correspond to the German notation D-Es-C-H, chosen to match the German transcription of the composer’s name, Dmitri Schostakowitsch.

It is thought that the prevalence of Shostakovich’s “musical signature” increased with increasing pressure from the Communist Party under which the composer was forced to write. Artists who did not do the will of the state were imprisoned and even killed during Stalin’s purges and their names were stripped of their work; Shostakovich’s musical invention ensured defiantly that no such thing would befall his compositions. 

After having been twice denounced by the Soviet government, Shostakovich was forced to join the Communist Party against which he had so strongly but privately struggled. The event was said to have reduced him to tears and is largely regarded as the tipping point for the composer’s mental illness and suicidal tendencies. His use of the DSCH motif culminated in his String Quartet no. 8 composed in only three days, which he cited as his own epitaph and dedicated to “the victims of fascism and war.”

Georg Friedrich Händel, Alcina Philippe Jaroussky, Freiburger Barockorchester, Andrea Marcon (dir.) Ruggiero’s aria

La bocca vaga, quell'occhio nero, lo so, t'impiaga; ma è fida ancora; chi t'innamora per te non è.

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"During his lifetime, "Ding" Darling was most widely known for his editorial cartoons, which appeared in nearly 150 newspapers nationwide and earned him two Pulitzer Prizes. All were drawn before the advent of television and many were drawn before radio—an era when newspapers were the primary source of information and commentary. Published with near-daily frequency, sometimes on the front page, Darling’s cartoons had an enormous impact on public opinion.

Although “Ding” earned his living as an editorial cartoonist, his passion was teaching the wise use of the world’s natural resources. Skilled in public speaking, articulate in writing, Darling devoted his special talents to conservation education and to developing programs and institutions which would benefit wildlife. The National Wildlife Federation, the Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit Program, the Federal Duck Stamp Program, all owe their early existence to Darling’s forceful leadership and conservation ethic.

The prize-winning biography Ding: The Life of Jay Norwood Darling, by David L. Lendt is a must-read for all who are engaged in the on-going battle to conserve our nation’s precious natural resources. While by definition the story of one individual, it is at the same time a fascinating history of the early conservation movement in the United States.

The Papers of Jay N. Darling is an extraordinary archive maintained by Special Collections at the University of Iowa. It consists of over 60 lineal feet of materials including letters, manuscripts, and speeches. Additionally, Special Collections maintains a searchable archive of nearly 12,000 of “Ding” Darling’s original editorial cartoons that are viewable online.”