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Incipit of the first piece, the "Valse Caressante"

The Sei pezzi per pianoforte ('Six pieces for piano'), assigned catalogue number P 044, is a set of six solo piano pieces composed by the Italian composer Ottorino Respighi between 1903 and 1905. These predominantly salonesque pieces are eclectic, drawing influence from different musical styles and composers, particularly music of earlier periods. The pieces have various musical forms and were composed separately and later published together between 1905 and 1907 in a set under the same title for editorial reasons; Respighi had not composed them as a suite, and therefore did not intend to have uniformity among the pieces. Styles present in the set include Baroque, Impressionism, Classicism, and Romanticism. The set, under Bongiovanni, became his first published work. Five of the six pieces are derived from earlier works by Respighi, and only one of them, the "Canone", has an extant manuscript. (Full article...)

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Did you know ...

Arthur Dudley Dobson Memorial

... that the Arthur Dudley Dobson Memorial (pictured) was unveiled by New Zealand's prime minister George Forbes on this day 85 years ago?
... that during the American Revolution, Hugh Gaine's printing shop was threatened by the Sons of Liberty because of his wavering loyalty to the American cause?
... that historian Dirk Moses argues that The Problems of Genocide include "blinding us to other types of humanly caused civilian death"?
... that Katharina Konradi, a soprano born in Kyrgyzstan, made a recording of lieder with pianist Gerold Huber including settings by Lori Laitman of children's poems written in Terezin?
... that manga artist Keiko Takemiya intentionally submitted her manga Sanrūmu Nite immediately before its publication deadline to avoid it being edited?
... that Inuvialuk actress Marika Sila views her acting career as a platform for outreach and education on the culture and rights of Indigenous peoples in Canada?
... that Abadi was banned twice: by Sukarno in 1960, then by Suharto in 1974?
... that at Beaversprite, beavers lived indoors and were allowed to chew on the furniture?

In the news

Russian cruiser Moskva

Russia's Black Sea Fleet flagship, the cruiser Moskva (pictured), sinks after an explosion off the coast of Ukraine.
Flooding across KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, leaves at least 440 people dead.
Shehbaz Sharif is elected as Prime Minister of Pakistan after Imran Khan is removed in a no-confidence motion.
A series of attacks by armed bandits kill more than 150 people in Plateau State, Nigeria.

On this day

April 18: Patriots' Day in various U.S. states (2022)

Roland Garros

1689 – Glorious Revolution: Provincial militia and citizens in Boston revolted, arresting officials of the Dominion of New England.
1915 – World War I: Hit by ground fire, French aviation pioneer Roland Garros (pictured) landed his aircraft behind enemy lines and was taken prisoner.
1949 – The Republic of Ireland Act 1948 came into force, declaring Ireland a republic and terminating its membership in the British Commonwealth of Nations.
1958 – Controversial American poet Ezra Pound was released from St. Elizabeths Hospital, a psychiatric hospital in Washington, D.C., in which he had been incarcerated for twelve years.
2019 – The United States Department of Justice released a redacted version of the Mueller report about the investigation to Congress and the public.

Gratian (b. 359)
Polydore Vergil (d. 1555)
Robert Christgau (b. 1942)

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From today's featured list

Ben&Ben in performance

The discography of the Filipino band Ben&Ben comprises two studio albums, one extended play (EP), 29 singles, five promotional singles, and one charity single, under the record labels of Sony Music Philippines and Sindikato. The band was formed as the Benjamins in 2015 by Paolo and Miguel Benjamin Guico, debuting with the single "Tinatangi". In 2016, the band was renamed Ben&Ben, an eponymous EP was released, and they expanded to a nine-piece ensemble. They achieved recognition in 2018 for incorporating songs into films and television series. Ben&Ben's debut studio album, Limasawa Street, was released in 2019, and their second, Pebble House, Vol. 1: Kuwaderno, was released in 2021. In addition to receiving various accolades, the band has set various streaming milestones, and was further popularized in 2020 by positive reviews from K-pop artists. They were reported in 2021 to be the most-streamed folk-pop artist. In addition to singles, Ben&Ben have also released music videos for many of their songs, and collaborated with various artists. (Full list...)

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The 1906 San Francisco earthquake struck the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on April 18, with an estimated moment magnitude of 7.9. Devastating fires soon broke out in San Francisco and lasted for several days. More than 3,000 people died, and over 80 percent of the city was destroyed. The events are remembered as one of the worst and deadliest earthquakes in the history of the United States. This photograph depicts the aftermath of the earthquake around Post Street and Grant Avenue.

Photograph credit: H. D. Chadwick; restored by Yann Forget

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