Month: February 2024

A very interesting series of three videos about the German WWII encryption machine “Enigma” and the history of its cracking. Roughly three hours of viewing (with occasional glances at the screen). Should be interesting for all engineers, programmers, and simply curious techies.

Took a quick break from work to do a brief research. Someone posted a photo on the left with a note saying that in the past, children in France were given beer and wine according to the Code Soleil — these are methodical and organizational guidelines for schools. Had to Google it, and indeed that was the case. This practice was common because it was widely believed that alcohol warms up the body and kills germs. Such was the curious preventative measure against colds.

The prohibition of this practice was only enacted in August 1956. The Ministry of National Education banned the consumption of alcoholic beverages in schools for children under the age of 14 and ruled to replace it with a glass of warm milk and a sugar cube. Teenagers could consume these drinks if their parents allowed it, but only in dining halls. It was also necessary to strictly observe the norm. It was defined as one-eighth of a liter per person, which is 125 milliliters, that is, one standard wine glass.

Translating the highlighted fragment: “(…) Whether it’s school lunch or not, it’s forbidden to give them (students) anything to drink other than water, milk, diluted beer, wine, or cider, as well as hygienic herbal infusions without the addition of alcoholic beverages.”.

So, diluted beer, wine, or cider were in use. But here it talks about diluted ones).

I decided to delve a bit into the topic of operas done right on the heels of occurrences. My question concerned the prevalence of translating librettos into national languages. I have never heard operas in Russian, neither translated nor original, yet there turned out to be many translations into Russian. I was curious whether this was unique to the Russian language or not. And in my research, I stumbled upon an interesting article by composer Alexander Zhurbin.

The article as a whole is quite intriguing, so if the topic interests you, instead of reading the excerpts below, go check out the link in the comments.

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An essential part of any discussion about “Captions in Opera” will always include the following: Captions can serve two purposes: 1) translate from one language to another and 2) echo what is said (or sung) in the same language.

Both these issues have long been a concern for creators and visitors of opera performances.

As far as I’m concerned, translation from one language to another has already established its ground, and the overwhelming majority of opera fans agree with it. Here, two main circumstances are maintained: 1. The opera is performed in the original language, and 2. The audience understands what is sung.

I must say, the opposition between those who support understanding the literary content of operas and those who favor performances in the original language has been serious and even fierce for many years in many countries… I’m not aware of any scientific studies or even a popular book on the subject – nothing similar has ever crossed my path. However, it would make for fascinating reading.

Various methods to tackle the unintelligibility of sung texts were employed.

For example, until about the end of the 19th century in many European theaters kept the lights dimmed during performances so that audience members could read their librettos right during the action. Those who wished bought full librettos or just synopses… and followed along with the page right during the action.

Obviously, this was very distracting from the stage (and you can’t even compare it to the millisecond glance at a caption screen).

In Russia and some other countries, the issue was straightforwardly resolved by singing in their own language. All theaters in Russia and broader – the Soviet Union – sang classic operas in Russian. I heard that there were anecdotal translations of “Carmen” into Ukrainian and “La Traviata” into Uzbek, but I have never encountered such performances in my life. Although I was quite familiar with the repertoire of the Navoi Theatre in Tashkent, visiting frequently during my school years, and even participating as a child in crowd scenes at this theater; however, I never heard classical operas performed in Uzbek. They all sang in Russian.

In many ways, that was absolutely right. After all, enduring a 3-hour opera in a foreign language would have been unbearable for the Soviet people. While one can bear an Italian or French aria or duet in a concert, a full show with a complex plot is impossible; the audience starts nodding off after 15 minutes, and no genius music can save that experience. Naturally, I’m not speaking about opera connoisseurs or conservatory professors… and how many of them were there, especially in provincial towns during the Soviet era?

Basically, they were right to sing in Russian.

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Words in opera were originally not understood. Meaning that even when operas first appeared. This is why in Baroque operas, “recitative secco” is always present, where the plot actually moves, and arias, where typically just a few phrases are repeated, and the plot is at a standstill. Baroque composers understood – music dominates in Arias, Duets, Trios, etc., but the words there are incomprehensible. Hence, all the meaning shifts to the recitative – that’s where everything must be clear…

But that’s just information for thought.

* * *

The times when they sang in Russian in Russia are long gone.

Now everywhere they sing in the original language. Both in the provinces and the capitals. Singing in Russian today is considered bad form. Even in my childhood city of Tashkent, they sing in Italian…

However, there are exceptions in the world.

ENO – English National Opera in London. Everyone sings in English there.

You would think, what problems could there be? We sing in English, the audience speaks English. Yet, 10 years ago, in 2005, subtitles appeared there, sparking a wild scandal, dozens of articles, and nearly a strike by offended singers. Yet, the management prevailed – now performances there go on with subtitles. In English.

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It’s just a matter of getting used to the idea that captions are necessary even when sung in one’s native language.

Why, you might ask?

Because in reality, when singers perform what we believe to be in the native language – it’s an illusion.

They sing in “opera language.”

And it’s a different language, which has quite a lot of differences from the language we speak.

I won’t go into detail here why. It’s just how the vocal apparatus of singers is structured, that when they sing complex fioriture, melismas, and various virtuosic passages say in Rossini operas, it’s never anticipated that the words will be comprehensible. The main focus is which vowels – ah, oh, oo – will land on which note, and how convenient it is for a given singer. Consonants, which make words understandable, get less attention. And when it comes to high notes – the main point and main pleasure for opera fans – it’s always somewhat of a leap for singers, and at that moment, they think least about the meaning.

The main thing is to hit the note!

And the singer knows that no one will judge him if he brilliantly hits the high C (for tenors) or the A-flat (for baritones) then all is forgiven, and there will be thunderous applause – even if he mixes up and sings something entirely different. However, if he sings the exact text beautifully, acts the part perfectly according to Stanislavsky, but messes up on a high note – he won’t see applause, he won’t see new engagements or contracts.

That’s how opera is structured.

And demanding good diction from a singer on extremely high notes is hopeless.

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And returning to the previously mentioned article by the American William Crutchfield, “Do you really need to understand what is said in the libretto?“ “NEED LIBRETTOS BE REALLY UNDERSTOOD?”

This article was published in 1984 in The New York Times and stirred a big discussion at the time. And despite over 30 years having passed, the issues it raised remain relevant.

The article discusses the staging of the opera La Rondine (\”The Swallow\”) by Giacomo Puccini at the “New York City Opera” when for the first time in the history of this theater (and America) surtitles were used (following Canada). Let me remind you that this opera is not among the popular ones; moreover, it lacks prominent musical hits, its plot is not straightforward, and if you do not understand what is being said, you are doomed to fall asleep after 15 minutes from the start.

Then they tried with titles – and suddenly everything became clear. And the audience liked it. Well, part of the audience. Meanwhile, another part started protesting. And voiced the usual and by now familiar arguments: 1) titles are distracting 2) titles interfere with listening to the music 3) titles interfere with watching the acting 4) titles hinder the direct interaction between the singer and the audience and 5) in opera, it’s not essential to understand everything. It’s possible not to understand anything at all. Opera should be listened to. Not watched.

These same arguments are advanced by opponents of titles even today. Indeed, there is a category of opera enthusiasts who go, as Dr. Samuel Johnson said, to the opera as an “exotic and irrational entertainment.”

And for a long time, it was precisely this. People went to the opera as to an astonishing, strange freak-show, where peculiar people in fantastic costumes sing with strange, unusual voices. No discussion of genuine passions, no one noticed the dramaturgy, and understanding what they were singing about was not necessary.

And so it was even in the times of Mozart and even the early Donizetti.

Gradually, with the arrival of Verdi and later the verismo composers, everything changed, and the audience began to realize that opera could offer much more than just a pleasing sound.

And then the problem of understanding the text arose, and for this, as I mentioned above, special librettos were made, they dimmed the lights so people could read.

In countries where the main language was not Italian, operas were translated into their language.

Though there were unique cases. For example, when they staged Delibes’ opera “Lakmé,” the composer was outraged that singer Nellie Melba was removed from the leading role because she had “bad French”. Delib ran to the opera house management, shouting, “Let her sing even in Chinese, but let her sing my opera, I don’t care if it will be unintelligible…”

I think today, there would be no problems. Titles would have saved poor Nellie.

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I finished watching/listening to the opera buffa “The Marriage of Figaro” staged by Sir Thomas Allen; My family is also glad that I finished watching it! It lasted three hours. Spent two evenings glued to the laptop.

I can compare it with the version directed by John Eliot Gardiner. I liked Thomas Allen’s production more, really everything — the costumes, the acting, and of course, the performances. But! What a monstrous translation into English in the subtitles. They are simply unreadable! Some kind of Google Translate. I really don’t understand how people watch opera without subtitles.

By the way, for those who like operas, can you recommend what I should watch next? I’ve seen La Traviata in several productions, Don Giovanni, Carmen, Romeo and Juliet, The Magic Flute, The Barber of Seville.

When an iPhone gets filled up with videos, and you want to back them up somewhere, here’s my lifehack:

1) open a new box on Google, say your.email.videos@gmail.com, and get 15 GB of space

2) install Google Photos. In it, go to accounts and there click “add a new Google account” specifying the one we’ve created. Next, you need to turn off backup immediately. It will start dumping photos there upon the first launch.

3) unfortunately, you can’t select to sync videos only, and there’s no button “select a folder from the phone and upload only that.” So, the next part is somewhat complicated and nontrivial – search through the app for all videos. There’s a search function where you need to start selecting Videos; it will offer suggestions. Just by the word Videos, it finds all sorts of things. Then press the three dots and choose Select. Now you can select videos one click at a time for days with videos. Keep selecting until you are tired, but make sure not to exceed the 15GB limit (because then you’ll get a “don’t want to upload, you have no space left” window and have to uncheck some). After selecting, there’s no “upload to cloud” button. But there is a “add to album” button – a plus symbol. There you either pick an album or choose to create one. Afterward, an upload modal window will appear. On the computer at photo.google.com, you can watch as the videos appear. If 15 GB gets filled up, open a new box and repeat the procedure for the remaining videos, including those that didn’t upload due to lack of space on the first box. But generally, 15 GB is usually enough. Overall, if you check “optimize video,” a lot more can fit but with a loss of image quality. Then go on the phone and delete all videos since they’re already on Google.

As for photos, it’s convenient to sync them with Google Photos in the usual way. Because Google generally has a good photo search, it can group by faces, link photos to maps. This is quite valuable. But only for photos, it doesn’t work that way with videos. Therefore, in the Google Photos App, do not forget to disable video synchronization since we have a separate account for videos above. Yes, someday there won’t be enough space for photos on the main account, and in this case, I already pay Google for additional space. But with videos, it would have been used up significantly faster than without them. A second of normal home video in standard quality takes up 1-2 times more space than a single photo.

By the way, mass deleting from Google Photos isn’t that simple. There just isn’t such a function – clearly on purpose, so that you buy more space. There are external apps. I deleted using an API; had to write it in Python.

Additionally, you can download them to your computer. You can do it directly from the phone via a wire, running the Image Capture program on a Mac. There you can sort by file kind=MOV, and specify a folder on the laptop to dump the output.

Of course, there’s always the option to pay Apple for storage, but I’ve already gathered so many subscriptions for the family that I balk at adding one more. Especially if it’s not particularly necessary.

I am currently reading Virgil Elliot on painting. There’s a good chapter on portraits. I’m taking notes because what’s written is almost the most important thing for me in the book. It’s not hard for me to share them on Facebook, maybe it will be useful to someone. Photographers might find something useful too.

(…) One should completely avoid using photographs as references for drawing. A photographic image differs in many ways from the image in the human brain created from light hitting the eyes, then processed by the brain. It is the latter image that interests the artist.

An image of a head in sharp focus, with every wrinkle and hair in high resolution, looks implausible despite its neatness and precision. Among painters, this is considered a sign of a novice. It’s easy to fall into the trap of recording too much detail because when we draw something, we look at it and focus on it, and see it in sharp focus. But this does not correspond to visual reality, because we cannot see the entire scene in sharp focus in reality. The camera, having no brain, does not understand this principle and records details uniformly across its focal plane. A drawn portrait should convey the impression received by the brain when personally looking at a live subject, not the impression that arises when looking at a photograph.

The camera, having no brain, does not understand this principle, and records details uniformly across its focal plane. A drawn portrait should convey the impression received by the brain when personally looking at a live subject, not the impression that arises when looking at a photograph. These are two different impressions. Hence, the question is how to retain the likeness while at the same time omitting or suppressing the details of the subject’s features that we can only see in sharp focus when we look closely at them. The answer is that the likeness is often lost as soon as we add too many details.

Eti…

On the left is the dormitory where I lived for 5 years, from 1991 to 1995. On the right – windows through which Alexander Solzhenitsyn looked for just under 12 years, from 1956 to 1968, and wrote “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich”. At that time, the house was pink.

There is a small courtyard with a garden by the house. In the far corner, near a solid fence, where an old apple tree forms a “gazebo”, Solzhenitsyn built a bench and a table.

“…I stand under a blossoming apple tree—and breathe. Not just the apple tree, but also the grass around it exudes sweetness after the rain—there’s no name for that sweet fragrance that saturates the air. I draw it deep into my lungs, sensing the aroma with all my chest, breathing, breathing, now with open eyes, now with closed—I don’t know which is better. Here, perhaps, is that freedom—the only, but most precious freedom—that prison deprives us of: to breathe like this, to breathe here. No food on earth, no wine, not even a woman’s kiss is sweeter to me than this air, this air, laden with bloom, dampness, freshness…,” described Solzhenitsyn about the joy of encountering this Ryazan garden after years of camps and exile. (“Tiny Bits” is a cycle of miniatures in prose by Alexander Solzhenitsyn. Literary experts classify these works as a genre of “prose poetry”).

The apple tree—in the comments. Essentially, now this place only reminds of Solzhenitsyn by two memorial plaques – on the house and on the apple tree.

Programming and IT in general creates a certain skew in understanding English. For example, take the word “condition.” I always used to think it meant “requirement” and nothing more. Well, primarily a “requirement.” For example, “three conditions have to be met.” Actually, that’s just the third meaning. And the word “conditioning” sounded odd to me.

The Oxford Dictionary gives the first and second meanings of condition as a noun — “state” (“she was in a serious condition”) and “circumstances” (“the appalling conditions determined the style of play”). Additionally, there’s an interesting use of condition as a verb — “restricted by something or determined by something” (“choices are conditioned by the international political economy”).

But in the USA, I mostly hear this word in the sense of “prepare [someone for life or something for use]” (“train or accustom (someone or something) to behave in a certain way” and “bring (something) into the desired state for use.”).

For example, conditioning is the process or action aimed at bringing something into a certain state or accustoming to a certain behavior. For example, improving physical fitness or endurance through regular exercises. The process in which materials such as leather, hair, or textile are treated to modify their properties, improve their quality, or prepare them for use. For example, “leather conditioning” involves applying special treatments to preserve the softness and durability of the leather. Hence, hair conditioner.

Or take “content.” The verb content means “satisfy.” And the noun – a state of peaceful happiness.

Do you have any words that you have always thought from your experience in IT to mean one thing, but it turns out they mean something slightly different?

Our Traffic Rules: When a bus stops to pick up or drop off children, the retractable STOP sign and flashing red lights warn other drivers to stop and wait until the children have safely crossed the road. All vehicles, including those coming from the opposite direction, must stop if there is no dividing strip with a refuge or physical barrier.

In case of a violation, the bus camera will neatly record everything and forward it as needed for further analysis and classification.

Passing a stopped school bus with an extended STOP sign in Virginia is considered a form of reckless driving, a Class 1 misdemeanor. Such an offense can result in up to 12 months of imprisonment, a fine of up to $2,500, court costs, suspension of driving privileges for a period from 60 days to 6 months, and 6 DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) penalty points at the discretion of the court.