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Sara Jane Olson (born Kathleen Ann Soliah on January 16, 1947) is an American far-left activist who had been a member of the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) in 1975. A fugitive for decades, when she changed her name, after being arrested in 1999 and tried, she pleaded guilty in 2001 to attempted murder related to a failed bombing plot and in 2003 to second-degree murder related to a botched bank robbery while she with the SLA. Known then as Soliah, she was also accused of helping a group hide Patty Hearst, a kidnapped newspaper heiress, in 1974. After being federally indicted in 1976, Soliah spent several decades as a wanted fugitive, spending time in Zimbabwe and the U.S. states of Washington and Minnesota.

While in Minnesota, she legally changed her name to Sara Jane Olson, married and had a family. Arrested in 1999, she pleaded guilty in 2001 to two counts of possessing explosives with intent to murder, and in 2003 to second-degree murder, both stemming from her SLA activities in the 1970s. She was sentenced to 14 years in prison. She was mistakenly released for five days in March 2008 due to an error made in calculating her parole, and was rearrested. She was released on parole on March 17, 2009.

On November 4, 2020, Olson was arrested along with several others for blocking Interstate 94 in Minneapolis during a protest.

Early life and education
Kathleen Soliah was born on January 16, 1947, in Fargo, North Dakota, while her family was living in Barnesville, Minnesota. When she was eight, her conservative Lutheran family relocated to Southern California. Soliah attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she initially majored in English. While a student at university, she participated in theater and was cast in a production of J.B.

Symbionese Liberation Army
After graduating with a bachelor of arts degree in theater, Soliah moved to Berkeley, California, with her boyfriend, James Kilgore. There, she met Angela Atwood at an acting audition where they both won lead roles. They became inseparable during the play's run. Atwood tried to sponsor Soliah as a member of the Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA), a leftist group she had joined. Soliah, Kilgore, and Soliah's brother Steve and sister Josephine followed the SLA closely without joining.

Atwood and five other core members of the SLA, including leader Donald DeFreeze, were killed in May 1974 during a standoff and shootout with police at a house near Watts, Los Angeles. They were being pursued for armed robbery of banks, the November 1973 murder of Oakland school superintendent Marcus Foster, and the 1974 kidnapping of heiress Patty Hearst.

The Soliahs organized memorial rallies, including one in Berkeley's Willard Park (called Ho Chi Minh park by activists).  Soliah spoke in support of her late friend Atwood, and was covertly filmed by the FBI.

She said that SLA members had been:

Soliah asserted that Atwood "was a truly revolutionary woman ... among the first white women to fight so righteously for their beliefs and to die for what they believed in".

Founding SLA member and fugitive Emily Harris visited Soliah, who was working at a bookstore. Soliah later recalled, "I was glad she was alive. I expected them to be killed at any time." She felt sorry for the group and agreed to help the remaining members hide from the police and FBI. She assisted them by procuring supplies for their San Francisco hideout, and birth certificates of dead infants that could be reused for false identification.

Crocker National Bank robbery and Myrna Opsahl murder
On April 21, 1975, SLA members robbed the Crocker National Bank in Carmichael, California. In the process they killed Myrna Opsahl, a mother of four depositing money for her church. Patty Hearst, who acted as getaway driver during the crime, later provided the information that led the police to implicate the SLA in the robbery and murder; she also said that Soliah was one of the robbers. According to Hearst, Soliah kicked a pregnant teller in the abdomen, leading to her suffering a miscarriage.

Police later searched Soliah's room at the SLA safehouse on Precita Avenue in San Francisco. They found several rounds of 9 mm ammunition on the floor and in a 9 mm Browning Hi-Power semi-automatic pistol in Soliah's dresser drawer. Manufacturing marks appeared to match similar cartridges found in Opsahl's body during the autopsy. In 2002, new forensics technology allowed police to link these shells definitively to those found at Crocker Bank; they charged former members of SLA, including Soliah, with the crime. Prosecutor Michael Latin said that Soliah was tied to the crime through fingerprints, a palm print, and handwriting evidence. The palm print was found on a garage door where the SLA kept a getaway car.

Los Angeles Police Department bombs
On August 21, 1975, a bomb that came close to detonating was discovered where a Los Angeles Police Department patrol car had been parked earlier in front of an International House of Pancakes restaurant. After the bomb was discovered, all Los Angeles police were ordered to search under their cars, and another bomb was found in front of a police department station about a mile away. Soliah was accused of planting the bombs in an attempt to avenge the SLA members who had died in 1974 in the shootout with LA police.

The pipe bombs were rigged to detonate as the patrol cars drove away. One police officer present that day described the first bomb as one of "the most dangerous pipe bombs he had ever seen" and said:

At Soliah's 2002 sentencing hearing on the bombing, police officer John Hall, who had been in the car parked over the bomb, talked about a little girl who stood feet away with her family:

Soliah and five other SLA members were indicted in 1976 for setting the police bombs. She vanished before the trial could start. When Soliah was brought to trial years later, prosecutors did not believe the evidence against her was a "slam dunk". They did believe that it was enough to convince a jury of her guilt. Two witnesses who had testified in her grand jury indictment had died by the time she was tried. At the grand jury, a plumber who had sold materials used in the bomb had picked Soliah out of a lineup as one of the buyers. A bomb expert had said the explosive could have been built in Soliah's apartment. Police could not identify any fingerprints on the devices other than those of the officers who had disarmed them. But Soliah's fingerprint, handwriting, and signature were identified on a letter sent to order a fuse that could only be used for bomb-making. Components matching those used in the police car bombs were found in a locked closet at the Precita Avenue house where Soliah lived with the other remaining members of the SLA.

Underground life, capture, and prosecution

In February 1976, a grand jury indicted Soliah in the bombing case. Soliah went underground and became a fugitive for 23 years.

She moved to Minnesota, having assumed the alias Sara Jane Olson. Olson is a common surname in the state because of the large Scandinavian-American population. In 1980, she married physician Gerald Frederick "Fred" Peterson, with whom she had three daughters.

Olson and Peterson also lived in Zimbabwe, where Peterson worked for a British medical missionary group. After their return, they settled in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where Olson picked up her acting career. She was also active in Saint Paul on community issues. Her husband described the family as interested in progressive social causes.

On March 3, 1999, and again on May 15, 1999, Soliah was profiled on the America's Most Wanted television program. After a tip generated by the show, she was arrested on June 16, 1999. Soliah was charged in the police bomb case with conspiracy to commit murder, possession of explosives, explosion, and attempt to ignite an explosive with intent to murder.

Shortly after her arrest, Soliah legally changed her name to Sara Jane Olson. She also published a cookbook, Serving Time: America's Most Wanted Recipes.

On October 31, 2001, she accepted a plea bargain and pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing explosives with intent to murder. As part of a plea bargain, the other charges were dropped.

Plea controversy
Immediately after entering the plea, Olson told reporters that she was innocent. She said that she had taken a plea bargain because, due to the political climate after the September 11 attacks, she believed that an accused bomber could not receive a fair jury trial:
It became clear to me that the incident would have a remarkable effect on the outcome of this trial ... the effect was probably going to be negative. That's really what governed this decision, not the truth or honesty, but what was probably in my best interests and the interests of my family.

Angered by Olson's announcement that she had lied in court, Superior Court Judge Larry Fidler ordered another hearing on November 6. There he asked her several times if she was guilty of the charges. Olson replied, "I want to make it clear, Your Honor, that I did not make that bomb. I did not possess that bomb. I did not plant that bomb. But under the concept of aiding and abetting, I plead guilty."

On November 13, Olson filed a motion requesting to withdraw her guilty plea, while acknowledging that she did not misunderstand the judge when he read the charges against her. Rather, she said:

Sentencing in explosives charges
On December 3, 2001, Fidler offered to let Olson testify under oath about her role in the case. She refused. He wondered aloud, "I took those pleas twice ... were you lying to me then or are you lying to me now?" and denied her request to withdraw her plea. Observers expected her to serve three to five years, but on January 18, 2002, she was sentenced to two consecutive 10-years-to-life terms. Fidler said that under California law, the Board of Prison Terms could later reduce the sentence. Olson's lawyers asserted that due to discrepancies between 1970s laws and current California laws, Olson would most likely serve five years, which could be reduced to two years for good behavior. The Board of Prison Terms did later change the sentence.

At Olson's sentencing hearing, her teenage daughter Leila, her pastor, and her husband spoke in her defense. Her mother testified on the stand that Olson had never been part of the SLA. She criticized prosecutors and police, who she asserted had harassed the family.

Sentencing in Opsahl murder
On January 16, 2002, first-degree murder charges for the killing of Myrna Opsahl were filed against Olson and four other SLA members: Emily Harris, Bill Harris, Michael Bortin (who had married Olson's sister Josephine), and James Kilgore, who remained a fugitive. Fidler arraigned Olson on the murder charges immediately following her sentencing hearing on January 18. Olson pleaded not guilty to that charge at the time.

On November 7, 2003, along with the other three defendants, she pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of second-degree murder. She was sentenced on February 14, 2003, for the maximum term allowed under her plea bargain, which was a six-year term, to be served concurrently with the 14-year sentence she was already serving.

Incarceration and release
The state Board of Prison Terms had scrapped Olson's original sentence in October 2002 in exchange for a longer 14-year sentence, saying Olson's crimes had the potential for great violence and targeted multiple victims. In July 2004, a judge said there was "no analysis" of how the state Board of Prison Terms had decided 14 years was appropriate, and threw it out. Her sentence was converted to five years and four months.

The state appealed and an appeals court panel restored her full 14-year sentence as of April 12, 2007. It ruled that a lower court did not follow procedure when it allowed Olson to appeal.

Olson served her time at the Central California Women's Facility in Chowchilla. Her custody status was "Close A", which is reserved for inmates requiring the most supervision. This status limited her privileges and required that she be counted seven times a day. It also prevented her from seeking relocation to a facility closer to her home. David Nickerson, Olson's attorney, said that her status reflected the Department of Corrections' view that she was a potential flight risk.

Olson's husband and three daughters continued to support her during her imprisonment; they took turns visiting her frequently in Chowchilla. In an interview with Marie Claire magazine (published by Hearst Corporation), Olson's 23-year-old daughter Emily Peterson dismissed her mother's radical past with the SLA. She said of her mother, "She lived in Berkeley. It was kind of normal... I always tell people she wasn't a terrorist. She was an urban guerrilla." Olson never publicly expressed remorse or regret for her actions.

Release from prison and rearrest
Olson was released on parole from the Central California Women's Facility in Chowchilla on March 17, 2008. For five days, she stayed at her mother's home in Palmdale, and spent some time hiking with her husband.

On March 21, 2008, she was rearrested when it was decided that she had been mistakenly released a year early from prison due to a miscalculation by the parole board. Her attorney claimed that the action was politically motivated. Olson was taken back into custody by the California Department of Corrections and placed in the California Institution for Women in Corona for another year.

Release and parole
After serving seven years, about half her sentence, Olson was released from prison on March 17, 2009, to serve her parole in Minnesota. Police unions in both Minnesota and California protested the arrangement, saying that they believed her parole should be served in California, where her crimes were committed.

In a letter to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty also protested Olson being allowed to return to Minnesota.

Interstate 94 protest

On November 4, 2020, Olson participated in a protest in Minneapolis that was called by the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression after the U.S. presidential election. Olson and several others marched onto Interstate 94, where they were met with a response from the Minneapolis Police Department and Minnesota State Patrol. Several hundred protesters were arrested. Olson was originally charged with creating a public nuisance, but the charge was lowered to a petty misdemeanor. Olson rejected a plea deal offered to most of the demonstrators. She was convicted on December 3, 2021, after a trial by a judge, and ordered to pay a $378 fine. Olsen appealed the conviction on the grounds that the state lacked evidence to find her guilty of using a controlled-access highway as a pedestrian. The judge in the appeal case said that circumstances of the events did not support Olson's innocence and denied the appeal on November 21, 2022.

Personal life
Soliah grew up in Palmdale, California, the daughter of Norwegian-American parents Elsie Soliah (née Engstrøm) and Martin Soliah, an English teacher and coach at Palmdale High School.

References

Further reading

External links
Chronology of the SLA from CourtTV News (only goes up to 2002)
Profile of Sara Jane Olson
Full Court TV coverage of the Kathleen Soliah bombing case

1947 births
American bank robbers
American people convicted of murder
American people of Norwegian descent
Living people
People from Clay County, Minnesota
People from Palmdale, California
University of California, Santa Barbara alumni
Prisoners and detainees of California
Symbionese Liberation Army
People from Fargo, North Dakota
Terrorism in the United States


text:
Mosquito factsheets
Aedes atropalpus
Aedes japonicus
Aedes koreicus
Aedes triseriatus
Anopheles labranchiae
Anopheles plumbeus
Anopheles sacharovi
Culex pipiens
Aedes atropalpus - Factsheet for experts
SPECIES NAME/CLASSIFICATION: Aedes atropalpus (Coquillett)
COMMON NAMES: American rock pool mosquito
SYNONYMS AND OTHER NAMES IN USE: Ochlerotatus atropalpus [11]; Georgecraigius atropalpus [12]
Hazard associated with mosquito species
Invasive species/Global dispersion
Aedes atropalpus is an invasive North American species that has recently been reported in Europe. Its movement across America and into Europe has been a result of the commercial transport of used tyres which will continue to facilitate its further spread [1,2] .
Ecological plasticity
The success of the invasion of Ae. atropalpus has been due to a number of factors including its ability to utilise used tyres as larval development sites [2] and its ability to produce desiccation-resistant eggs, allowing it to be transported to new areas in infested containers [3]. It also has the ability to produce eggs autogenously (without taking any blood meal) [1] which will no doubt further enhance its ability to exploit new locations more rapidly compared with other mosquito species [4]. A recent study suggests that its ability to exploit novel food sources such as fine detritus is aiding its utilisation of used-tyre aquatic habitats [5].
Biting and disease risk
Laboratory competency studies have shown the ability of Ae. atropalpus to transmit a number of viruses including La Crosse virus [6] and West Nile virus [7], but its importance as a vector of infectious diseases is still unknown [8].
Aedes atropalpus is established in America and has been reported in a number of states including: Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Ohio and New York. In Europe it has been reported in France, Italy, and more recently in the Netherlands.
Brief history of spread and European distribution
Aedes atropalpus is native to eastern North America [9] and although originally limited to areas with rock pools [10], during the 1980s its utilisation of scrap tyres as an alternative larval development site resulted in its spread in America and into Europe.
Timeline of initial movements
Aedes atropalpus was first reported in tyres in the US in 1979 and within two years had become the dominant species in tyre yards in Indiana [6]. Having spread in the US it was then reported in Italy in the 1990s, France in 2003 (S. Chouin & F. Schaffner, unpublished data) and the Netherlands in the 2009 [8].
Initial importations and spread in Europe
Non-desiccating eggs were most likely imported from Canada and the US into Veneto Province in Italy via used tyres. Adults and larvae were found at a tyre depot in 1996 and again in 1997, and initial use of insecticides failed to eradicate populations [2]. In France, some larvae were found at a used tyre yard in Poitou-Charentes (Vienne) in 2003 with evidence of reproduction but not of spreading outside the depot and a second introduction was observed in Normandy (Orne) in 2005, and immediate control measures (insecticiding) aiming also at Ae. albopictus achieved eradication (S. Chouin & F. Schaffner, unpublished data). It is suggested that eggs of Ae. atropalpus were also imported into the Netherlands through the tyre trade. Initial results from traps set up in the vicinity of infested areas have shown that these populations have remained localised to these sites [8].
Possible future expansion
The population associated with latter introduction into the Netherlands has shown little spread. However, preliminary modelling shows that climatic conditions in the Netherlands are not a limiting factor for further spread of this species here or in large parts of Europe [8].
Morphological characters and similar species
Adults of Ae. atropalpus show a dark and clear pattern due to the presence of clear scale patches on a black background on the legs and other parts of the body, but this looks much less obvious than for the other invasive mosquitoes. The presence of two lateral lines of clear scales on a black background on the scutum (dorsal part of the thorax) is diagnostic compared to Ae. aegypti (lyre shape), Ae. albopictus (one median line), and Ae. japonicus (median and lateral lines). The pale rings on the legs are inter-articular whereas they are only basal for the above mentioned invasive species. Other indigenous Aedes species resemble, but they usually do not breed in tyres and other man-made containers.
Life history (inc. details of overwintering stage)
Eggs can be produced autogenously (i.e. without a blood meal) [13] and as with other invasive mosquito species, these non-desiccating eggs can remain dormant out of water, hatching when submerged and once environmental conditions become favourable.
Seasonal abundance
Adult Ae. atropalpus tend to occur early in the season due to their ability to produce eggs without taking a blood meal [14]. A study in Illinois found high abundance of Ae. atropalpus in tyres in open-field areas and ecotones, being most abundant here in June [4].
Voltinism (generations per season)
Multivoltine
Host preferences (e.g. birds, mammals, humans)
Aedes atropalpus will readily bite humans and have a preference for mammalian hosts [3,15] . Previous studies have found deer and canaries as blood meal hosts [6].
Aquatic/terrestrial habitats
Has a preference for riparian/riverine habitats as rock pools; also human-made containers including used tyres [13]. Typically inhabit warm, sunlit areas with larvae being found in habitats up to 30 °C [16] but are also occasionally found in shaded areas [4]. Their preference for tyres that are in direct sunlight as opposed to those in the shade has also been reported [6]. Larvae are known to congregate at the bottom of rock pools under organic matter [17]. Gravid females have been found laying eggs on the water surface [14].
Biting/resting habits (endo/exophily, endo/exophagy, biting periodicity)
Females are known to be a pest near aquatic habitats [3], with biting activity reported during the day and night [15]. They have a limited flight range [15].
Environmental thresholds/constraints/development criteria
There is currently a lack of understanding of the habitat tolerances of Ae. atropalpus [14], however their northern distribution in North America suggests their potential for survival in northern Europe, as evidenced by populations in the Netherlands. There is some evidence to suggest that populations of Ae. atropalpus have declined in some areas of North America and that this may be due to interactions with Ae. japonicus in aquatic breeding sites [18].
Epidemiology and transmission of pathogens
Known Vector Status (In field, experimental transmission)
This mosquito species is not considered an important arboviral vector in the field. However, West Nile virus has been isolated from field collected Ae. atropalpus [15] and laboratory competency studies have shown it to be a competent vector for West Nile virus, La Crosse virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, Saint Louis encephalitis virus, and Eastern equine encephalitis virus [8]. Studies have found that Ae. atropalpus is susceptible to oral infection with La Crosse virus, capable of transmitting the virus through blood meals and through transovarial transmission [6]. Transovarial transmission has also been demonstrated with Saint Louis encephalitis virus under laboratory conditions [19].
Role as enzootic or bridge vector
Despite vector competence it is yet to be proven that this mosquito naturally transmits any of the above arboviruses. However, Ae. atropalpus shares a habitat with Ae. triseriatus, (primary vector of La Crosse virus in North America), and it is suggested that Ae. atropalpus may become important in the disease transmission cycle [6]. Furthermore West Nile virus has been isolated from a pool of field collected Ae. atropalpus in the US suggesting that further studies are required to ascertain whether this mosquito species could play a role in West Nile virus transmission.
Public health (control/interventions)
Over the past five years, a number of countries in Europe have set up surveillance for Ae. albopictus and other exotic mosquito species [20]. As they are often found in the same habitats, surveillance strategies for one species can apply to many more. No targeted surveillance for Ae. atropalpus exists in Europe; however nationwide surveillance of other invasive species and their introduction pathways in France, Italy and in the Netherlands led to identify foci of imported populations.
Appropriate Sampling Strategy (aquatic larval sampling, adult traps)
Hand-held mouth aspirators, CO2 traps with octenol and BG sentinel traps were used to collect adult mosquitoes in Brabant, the Netherlands [8]. In Illinois, CDC gravid traps, baited with bluegrass sod infusion were placed in wooded areas to collect adults [4].
Species Specific Control Methods e.g. insecticide, public health education etc
Deltamethrin was used to treat areas in Italy after reports of Ae. atropalpus found during surveillance for Ae. albopictus [2]. Malathion is a broad-spectrum organophosphate insecticide that is commonly used as an adulticide for mosquitoes and other agricultural pests. A study has shown Ae. atropalpus to be more tolerant to malathion compared to Ae. triseriatus (in a previous study) and Ae. albopictus [21]. Although there is no specific guidance on control of this mosquito species, much of the guidance for other container breeding species focuses on source reduction and insecticide use, which would be equally applicable in a synanthropic setting for Ae. atropalpus.
Current Nuisance Biting/Vector Issues in Europe
Blood-seeking females are a nuisance pest, however they are currently not considered to pose a disease risk.
Existing Public Health Awareness and Education Materials
CDC advice for travellers on protection against mosquitoes, ticks and other arthropods
CDC information on La Crosse virus
National travel health network and centre information on how to avoid insect bites (including mosquito bites).
Key areas of uncertainty
Further information is required on the distribution of this species in Europe and the potential role of this mosquito in transmitting pathogens.
It is not yet clear if this invasive species is a potential threat to public health in Europe.
1. Beier JC, Travis M, Patricoski C, Kranzfelder J. Habitat segregation among larval mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in tire yards in Indiana, USA. J Med Entomol. 1983 Jan 27;20(1):76-80.
2. Romi R, Sabatinelli G, Savelli LG, Raris M, Zago M, Malatesta R. Identification of a North American mosquito species, Aedes atropalpus (Diptera: Culicidae), in Italy. J Am Mosq Control Assoc. 1997 Sep;13(3):245-6.
3. Medlock JM, Snow KR, Leach S. Potential transmission of West Nile virus in the British Isles: an ecological review of candidate mosquito bridge vectors. Med Vet Entomol. 2005 Mar;19(1):2-21.
4. Lampman R, Hanson S, Novak R. Seasonal abundance and distribution of mosquitoes at a rural waste tire site in Illinois. J Am Mosq Control Assoc. 1997 Jun;13(2):193-200.
5. Yee DA, Kneitel JM, Juliano SA. Environmental correlates of abundances of mosquito species and stages in discarded vehicle tires. J Med Entomol. 2010 Jan;47(1):53-62.
6. Freier JE, Beier JC. Oral and transovarial transmission of La Crosse virus by Aedes atropalpus. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1984 Jul;33(4):708-14.
7. Turell MJ, O'Guinn ML, Dohm DJ, Jones JW. Vector competence of North American mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) for West Nile virus. J Med Entomol. 2001 Mar;38(2):130-4.
8. Scholte EJ, Den Hartog W, Braks M, Reusken C, Dik M, Hessels A. First report of a North American invasive mosquito species Ochlerotatus atropalpus (Coquillett) in the Netherlands, 2009. Euro Surveill. 2009;14(45):19400.
9. Carpenter SJ, LaCasse WJ. Mosquitoes of North America (North of Mexico). California: University of California Press; 1955.
10. Nawrocki SJ, Craig GB, Jr. Further extension of the range of the rock pool mosquito, Aedes atropalpus, via tire breeding. J Am Mosq Control Assoc. 1989 Mar;5(1):110-4.
11. Reinert JF. New classification for the composite genus Aedes (Diptera: Culicidae: Aedini), elevation of subgenus Ochlerotatus to generic rank, reclassification of the other subgenera, and notes on certain subgenera and species. J Am Mosq Control Assoc. 2000 Sep;16(3):175-88.
12. Reinert JF, Harbach RE, Kitching IJ. Phylogeny and classification of Finlaya and allied taxa (Diptera : Culicidae : Aedini) based on morphological data from all life stages. Zool J Linn Soc-Lond. 2006 Sep;148(1):1-101.
13. Juliano SA, Lounibos LP. Ecology of invasive mosquitoes: effects on resident species and on human health. Ecol Lett. 2005 May;8(5):558-74.
14. Yee DA. Tires as habitats for mosquitoes: a review of studies within the eastern United States. J Med Entomol. 2008 Jul;45(4):581-93.
15. Turell MJ, Dohm DJ, Sardelis MR, Oguinn ML, Andreadis TG, Blow JA. An update on the potential of north American mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) to transmit West Nile virus. J Med Entomol. 2005 Jan;42(1):57-62.
16. Andreadis TG, Wolfe RJ. Evidence for reduction of native mosquitoes with increased expansion of invasive Ochlerotatus japonicus japonicus (Diptera: Culicidae) in the northeastern United States. J Med Entomol. 2010 Jan;47(1):43-52.
17. Armistead JS, Nishimura N, Escher RL, Lounibos LP. Larval competition between Aedes japonicus and Aedes atropalpus (Diptera: Culicidae) in simulated rock pools. J Vector Ecol. 2008 Dec;33(2):238-46.
18. Armistead JS, Nishimura N, Arias JR, Lounibos LP. Community ecology of container mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in Virginia following invasion by Aedes japonicus. J Med Entomol. 2012 Nov;49(6):1318-27.
19. Hardy JL, Rosen L, Reeves WC, Scrivani RP, Presser SB. Experimental transovarial transmission of St. Louis encephalitis virus by Culex and Aedes mosquitoes. Am J Trop Med Hyg. 1984 Jan;33(1):166-75.
20. ECDC. Development of Aedes albopictus risk maps. Stockholm: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, 2009.
21. Kesavaraju B, Brey CW, Farajollahi A, Evans HL, Gaugler R. Effect of malathion on larval competition between Aedes albopictus and Aedes atropalpus (Diptera: Culicidae). J Med Entomol. 2011 Mar;48(2):479-84.
Page last updated 19 Aug 2014

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Minnesota Bicycle Event Calendar
Ride Boldly!
Bikes, bicycling, and road safety.
Ray LaHood Announces New Transportation Policy
March 15, 2010 by julie
I'm still processing my volumes of notes from the National Bicycle Summit, and working on posting summaries. For those who know me, I don't TAKE notes, so the fact that I have 40+ pages of them should be seen as a sign.
In the meantime, there are some video embeds of Ray LaHood standing on the table at Thursday's social with Congressional Staff and some core new policy changes, posted at the FastLane blog.
Something the Minnesota delegation emphasized when meeting with Minnesota lawmakers in Washington DC is that most road projects directly and indirectly subsidize automobile use and dependence on fossil fuels and foreign oil. We aren't anti-car, but we want to see sane planning regulation and principles that give our families and communities safe choices, especially for the large number of daily trips that are within 1-2 miles of our homes.
The new policy guidelines announced today echo that position:
The DOT is integrating the needs of bicyclists in federally-funded road projects.
The DOT is discouraging transportation investments that negatively affect cyclists and pedestrians.
Projects are encouraged to go beyond the minimum requirements and provide facilities for bicyclists and pedestrians of all ages and abilities.
Under the new guidelines, state DOTs and communities are being asked to treat walking and bicycling as equals with other transportation modes, protect and plow sidewalks and shared-use paths the same way roadways are protected, and improve nonmotorized facilities during maintenance projects.
This is all great stuff.
I'll hopefully be posting my summary later today of the meetings the Minnesota attendees had with Minnesota's members of Congress, and what you can do to support legislation that furthers these great policy initiatives announced today by Secretary LaHood.
If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Categories: bicycle advocacy, bicycle routes, bicycle safety, bicyclists, encouragement, engineering, environmentalism, evaluation, federal funds, league of american bicyclists, legislation, minnesota, politics, road construction, roadway design, roadway use, share the road | Permalink
Author: julie
Julie Kosbab is an online marketing consultant and active transportation advocate living in Anoka County, Minnesota. She was one of Minnesota's only League of American Bicyclists Certified Instructors when certified in 2005. She is a past member of the National Bicycle Tour Directors Association. She has 2 children and 4 bicycles. Find her on Twitter as @betweenstations.
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Advances in columnar databases are creating bio-science opportunities that were previously not possible. Fernanda Foertter and the team at Genus discovered an innovative way to store and access the huge volumes of data being generated modeling genotypes. She and Jim Tommaney discuss the benefits of column storage and how InfiniDB's Map Reduce empowers high performance Big Data analytics. Read more.


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Posted on September 29, 2017 September 29, 2017 by anitadatta
Engaging and visually spectacular, ENO's new production of Aida foregrounds the human themes of war, love, duty and honour through a fantastical world as unsettlingly familiar as it is strange.
I approached this production as part of an ongoing research project into contemporary productions of 'Orientalist' operas. As far as exoticism goes, Verdi's approach to Aida was archetypal of Western approaches to the mysterious and magical 'other', seeking to 'authentically' reproduce an alluring world of emotions, irrationality and dangerous sexuality that was equally the product of Western society's interpretation and the heart of so many of its fears.
The world of Phelim McDermott's Aida is indeed alluring. Emotional, sexual, dangerous, brave and beautiful, it is however clearly a world that we all inhabit, unavoidably recognisable and thereby all the more pertinent and powerful. The stylised set, juxtaposed with eclectic costumes, simultaneously evoke the 'Egypt' referenced by the libretto without reformulating tired architectural and historical-cultural stereotypes which essentialise and distance the human message of that civilisation through the seductive kaleidoscope of the Western imperial gaze. Soldiers are bedecked in a variety of European military apparel, lady chorus members' headdresses range from modern interpretations of African women's headwear to the positively medieval, and the pagan nakedness of temple dancers juxtaposes with priestly robes that are unmistakably influenced by high-church Christianity. Colour is the device that binds the diversity of representation together, stylising the mood of various scenes and cleverly unifying the visual field. Verdi's indulgent orchestral passages are brought to life by a multi-talented 'skills ensemble' who represent and enhance moods and scenes through acrobatics, dance and physical theatre.
The ethnically diverse cast, unusually representative of the part of the world invoked by the storyline, is welcome, and the singers are formidable in their performance. Latonia Moore balances vocal power with emotional vulnerability, presenting a believably complex Aida, and despite an apparent lack of acting-chemistry with Gwyn Hughes Jones as Radamès their musical partnership is excellent and deeply moving. DeYoung as Amneris is disappointingly distracting with distorted dark vowels which make the subtitles frustratingly necessary. This contrasts awkwardly with the bright and clearly produced English of her colleagues whose vocal projection on this occasion also outshines her own. The chorus of the ENO are thrilling. Definitely one to experience while you can.
Posted on May 20, 2017 May 20, 2017 by anitadatta
Opera is one of the great loves of my life, and yet it is an art from which I feel sometimes helplessly absent. It is, by its nature as a Western European art form, largely written by white 'Western' composers using the languages and symbolisms of these cultures. Symbols like white weddings and black funerals, symbols that are so hegemonically ingrained that most of the world don't perceive them as symbols, systems of meaning, iconographic worlds that stir some folk more deeply than others. Other folk have different ways of loving, of being, of making meaning of out life.
Though born in Yorkshire, in many ways I am and I feel myself one of those 'others'. Of course what I love most about Opera is that, through music, it transcends these worldly differences and aims (often) to tackle the heart of something that is above all divisions, to explore those things that are universally human – love, death, hate, dilemma, identity. Yet the anthropologist in me wants to remind you that all human experience, even these universals, are expressed in culturally specific, meaningful ways. In this sense, in opera, I am (as a young British South Asian woman of mixed heritage) utterly unrepresented.
Image Source : The Guardian
There was a lot riding on Ravi Shankar's Sukanya for me. After seeing Bizet's The Pearl Fishers at ENO last year I was so set back by the sense of disenfranchisement I felt from two hours of inaccurate, reductionist and (to me) frankly offensive Orientalism was so acute that I couldn't even bring myself to write about it. I've dreamed for myself about what an opera bringing the two parts of me together would look like. I was simultaneously afraid and excited to experience Sukanya. If anybody could achieve a sure representation of Indianness through Opera, surely it would be Pandit Ravi Shankar. Ten minutes into the opera I was weeping like I wept at the end of Der Rosenkavalier – I felt real. I was seeing something of myself, something true about my life, in operatic art for the first time.
Sukanya will touch and stir people from diverse backgrounds (as it did last night), if through nothing other than the unspeakable beauty and elegance of its music. The music is, in its own right, thrilling. Between the vision of Ravi Shankar and the dedication of arranger and conductor David Murphy there is an imaginative fusion of Indian and Western Classical styles, forms and principles that is simultaneously true and authentic to both traditions in their vast complexity, without reducing or compromising either one. Indian instruments play alongside Western Orchestra. The arias and choruses make use of konnakol (spoken Indian rhythmic patterns) and improvisations on ragas, and the libretto travels through English story-telling to the words of Hindi prayers and shamelessly Bengali declarations of love.
The expression and Anglicised pronunciations of the Indian elements is curiously insignificant, even adding to the charm and the sense of art rising above divisions. The two traditions were full, supple, and unified, complementing one another, even elevating one another in new and jarringly peculiar ways. The singers were every one of them exceptional, and their bravery and skill in working between Western art music and raga-based improvisation effective and impressive. It was a joy also to see such an ethnically diverse cast – I have never seen so many different backgrounds represented on an 'opera' stage.
Akash Odedra's company of dancers punctuated and enhanced the story through a fantastical fusion of Indian classical dance styles (which lend themselves to story-telling) and contemporary interpretation. Although semi-staged, this production was fully absorbing, and the dancers can take a large degree of credit for generating and cementing this effect.
For me personally this Opera was the most tender, affirming and terrifying work I've seen. After a lifetime of craving a way to bring together the two inseparable sides of myself – British and Indian, always neither, always both – now there is an Opera that communicates what that is like, what it looks like and sounds like and sings like, to the world. I wondered whether my response might be biased – but I know that if after all this time somebody had staged something so intimate as an operatic love scene in Bengali and missed the mark even a little it would have hurt me ten times more than the Orientalism of The Pearl Fishers and its ilk. This is a very special piece of work, musically groundbreaking and wonderfully crafted, and I look forward to its staging in a long-term run sometime soon.
Posted on May 3, 2017 May 3, 2017 by anitadatta
Review: The Exterminating Angel – ROH
There has been a lot of build-up to this UK premiere production of Adès' latest opera. Pushed by the Opera House and trailered enthusiastically on BBC Radio 3, my expectations were high from the outset. I can't say I was entirely disappointed.
I enjoyed Adès' music. The work was cohesive as an opera and enjoyable – extremely funny. Both the libretto and the score were littered with muso jokes, most of which I and those like me in the audience (most of the audience) found much more hilarious than my musically-appreciative-but-not-quite-a-muso Opera Buddy. Audrey Luna was mind-blowing as Leticia, the opera singer, whose vocal part makes the Queen of the Night aria look like it was written for a contralto. The tone, resonance and range of expression she achieved well above top C is freakish and wonderful. In fact the entire cast is phenomenal – musically irreproachable – except that a few days down the line I've forgotten most of what they sang and the score that went underneath it. I don't feel like that's the point of going to an opera.
Image Source : http://www.operanews.com
Maybe it's because I've not seen the film, but I concluded that my interest petered because there's a distinct lack of character and plot development which makes the situation difficult to sustain over such a long time. I appreciate that the point is partly boredom of the bourgeouisie – but is it too much to ask that I can do this by being entertained by a representation of bored bourgeoisie instead of feeling like one myself? The general message was about the descent into a Hobbesian state of nature, and being trapped in the worlds we create for ourselves. Granted. For me personally however the point was made in a rather unexplosive way. Perhaps that was also the point, but I doubt it.
I enjoyed The Exterminating Angel. I would recommend it to go and see once, but I don't think I'd be moved to go see it again. It was enjoyable, funny, I laughed out loud, and in the event I was engaged most of the time. It's a good night out, and it will keep you in the room for three acts – but I doubt it will change your life.
Posted on March 31, 2017 by anitadatta
Tinder eat your heart out – Review: ENO – Partenope
This review is published after the production has closed – and for that I apologise. However I couldn't miss the chance to discuss this smart, glittering and self-consciously tongue-in-cheek performance.
Image Source : ENO
To my frustration I arrived 15 minutes late, and watched the first act relayed by screen. However the relay was relatively high quality in sound and visuals, and was located in the quiet downstairs area so I could still enjoy the production (Covent Garden, take note).
Sarah Tynan was phenomenal, a jewel in a fantastic cast. This production restyled Queen Partenope as a 'Queen Bee', surrounded by an array of clumsy suitors as she hosts an all night Scott-Fitzgerald style party. The story maps very well, and is believable and funny by virtue of becoming somewhat less serious than the original setting.
This was clearly not the easiest of Handel's operas to stage convincingly as a piece of theatre. It is full of many extended, intricate and virtuosic arias that lend themselves better to a declamatory recital-style. Here however arias were delivered whilst falling off staircases, arranging nude photograph exhibitions, straddling bewildered love interests and, when there was no other option, whilst drawing attention to the awkwardness of the fit between aria and stagecraft with mime, Charleston and pastiches of 1920's dance moves.
Image Source : bachtrack.com
The production was engaging throughout and laugh-out loud funny, with wittiness that showed ENO very close to its best. It left me wishing that this company could be more consistent in the quality of its productions, and play to its fundamental strengths. From my point of view these are the casting of top class, well-acclaimed singers, and well-executed productions that support but do not draw attention away from (or as with Don Giovanni, entirely change) the plot. Of course this is more easily said than done – but it's still worth saying.
More like Partenope, please!
Image Source : thestage.co.uk
Posted on March 29, 2017 March 29, 2017 by anitadatta
Opera Republic(?) – Review: English Touring Opera – Tosca
On Thursday 9th March I took ten Music GCSE student to see their first opera at Hackney Empire. To say these students are from a deprived social and educational context is an understatement – they live in a working-class area of London, and the demographic of their school shows that students available for Free School Meals, Pupil Premium is well above the national average (in fact 3-4 times the national average), whilst the number of students with English as a Foreign Language, Special Educational Needs and Disabilities is at a similar rate. I've had the absolute pleasure this year of leading their GCSE studies, and have found them to be absurdly talented in music. They are no less capable than students who will have many more opportunities than they have – one of the Y11s, for instance, has secured a scholarship to the Royal College of Music Saturday school.
I wanted to share my love of Opera with these students because I feel that Opera at its best stretches the musical and theatrical art forms to its limits. I wanted them to experience something that would be unlike anything they'd seen, and find out what their reaction was as much as anything else. From the outset I felt that this would be make or break. If their first experience was a bad one they wouldn't come back a second time. I felt that top quality performance had to be combined with accessible prices and venue, and for that the English Touring Opera was the obvious choice. It also had to be something that could in some way give a reasonably meaningful flavour of this vast and diverse genre.
Image Source : exeternorthcott.co.uk
exeternorthcott.co.uk
The production for ETO's Tosca was relatively simple (this is to be expected of a touring company for practical reasons). The stage was divided into levels which was sometimes effective, and at other times distracting. The smaller stage size (compared with other opera venues) did sometimes feel inhibiting in terms of action. There was less opportunity for movement and use of space during the deliver of arias, resulting in a somewhat more 'recital'-esque feel, with less sense of integration between the theatrical/acting component of the opera and its musical presentation.
The singing was utterly top class, especially from Tosca herself. As there is a split cast and I didn't manage to get my hands on a programme that evening I can't be entirely sure, but I think we had the pleasure of Laura Mitchell. Her expression and the scope of her sound were exquisite. The set really came into its own for Tosca's final fall, with the extreme height created producing an even more compelling ending than usual, although it wasn't apparent why the guards would stand at the foot of a ladder and make no attempt to prevent her jump for a good number of minutes before it actually occurred.
The relationship between Tosca and Cavaradossi was youthful, playful and exciting. It was very accessible to the young audience I brought with me, being very much alive and believable rather than formal or scripted as can sometimes be the case in Opera. Scarpia's coldness made good sense of his chilling behaviour, and at times his gestures were shockingly, blackly humourous.
For people who enjoy opera this is a production well worth going to. Moreover, for those who are new to Opera it is also an excellent introduction.
Image Source : http://www.englishtouringopera.org.uk
Going to the Opera with these students and seeing it through their eyes opened mine to what Opera can be like in an entirely new way. I had to make an number of decisions about how to prepare them and how much. I decided, against much popular advice, to prepare them minimally. I wanted the music and the genre to speak for itself, and I was conscious not to over-hype the experience or make the students feel in any way that they couldn't be totally honest with me about how they found it, especially if they genuinely didn't enjoy it.
Since the story of Tosca is such a rollercoaster I told the students how it goes up to the arrest only, and left the ending for them to discover as Puccini intended it. For other operas I probably would have given them the whole story, but it was a great feeling to watch 16-year-old boys jump out of their seats in horror when La Tosca grabbed the knife in the middle of Act II!
The students did all find Act I very confusing and a little boring, which is not surprising as Tosca Act I is largely 'scene-setting'. I had to explain it to them a little more in the interval, but this shows how the sometimes overly-complicated plots and backstories of opera can be a genuine barrier. Act II re-engaged the students through its fast pace and action, and by Act III they were visibly overwhelmed by the music.
I sensed a mixed response at the end. Some students were uncharacteristically quiet and reflective. Others were excited simply by looking into the pit and seeing Double Basses and Tubular Bells for the first time, whilst a number of students commented with awe on how "loud" the singing and orchestra were. They couldn't believe it had been achieved without microphones. After this my colleagues reported that they students were buzzing around school for a good week afterwards, telling their friends about the Opera. On the night a few of the students asked me how and where they could find cheap opera tickets, and if they were allowed to go on their own!
Image Source : englishtouringopera.org.uk
Much of the students' ability to access and engage with this production was a direct result of the involvement of the English Touring Opera Education department. ETO puts on a large number of free pre-show talks and runs schemes for local singers, schools and children to get involved with opera as they move across the country. I cheekily contacted Education and Community Coordinator, Daniel Coelho, who went above and beyond for our students, even arranging for two members of the cast to speak to them ahead of their experience. Although unfortunately due to a traffic incident we were unable to attend this company's dedication to opening the opera experience to all is at a level unrivalled by any scheme I have seen, not least because it reaches across the nation rather than being anchored to a specific opera house or theatre. The students arrived in time for the public pre-show talk and I am grateful to Director Blanche McIntyre for avoiding spoilers throughout! I asked her to advise our students how to cope if they were finding the opera difficult. Her response was kind and authentic. She reflected that people often make opera out to be more difficult than it actually is, and emphasised the importance of the story and emotions. Overall, she encouraged them to sit back and listen to the music, especially if everything else became 'too much'.
I am thoroughly grateful to English Touring Opera for their commitment to high quality opera, low prices and their genuine ethos of outreach and education. Other companies, larger and wealthier and better recognised, could learn a great deal from them.
Posted on December 23, 2016 December 23, 2016 by anitadatta
Perfectly Beautiful, this imperfect humanity. Review: ROH – Der Rosenkavalier
I was lucky enough to attend the opening night of ROH's Production of Der Rosenkavalier, with Renée Fleming (Die Marschallin), Alice Coote (Octavian) and Sophie Bevan (Sophie) in the soprano lead roles. The artistry of these three was stunning.
I was unfortunately stupid enough to misremember the timing of this performance, and as a result my OperaBuddy and I missed the very start of the overture, watching the entire first act via a monitor amidst the clatterings of Covent Garden's Amphitheatre Bar Staff, preparing for the first interval as they were. The microphone we were dependent upon was evidently in the pit. This was no great disappointment as the orchestra were in truly divine form under the baton of Andris Nelsons, however much of the singing (mostly Fleming and Coote) appeared to be lost. Interestingly all three of the other attendees I spoke to commented that Fleming was in fact surprisingly underpowered in this first half, and took a good while to warm up into the role vocally. Perhaps even great opera singers still get nervous on opening night. Nonetheless their unexpected comments were reflected quite accurately by what we experienced on the monitor. From our distance, mediated by screens and speakers, the first act appeared visually charming. The emotional divebomb that the text takes from sexual play to the musings and anxieties of a self-consciously fading rose was definite, tender and beautiful.
Image Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk
The gorgeousness of this masterwork by Strauss is such that it increases and develops all the more as the opera goes along. The relationships in Act II, potentially tricky to portray convincingly, could not have been doubted for a moment. Sophie Bevan's endearing naïvety and soaring voice were absolutely entrancing. Coote was compelling beyond belief in her portrayal of the adolescent Octavian. She succeeded in relating his sincerity throughout his emotional struggle and the goodness of his heart, which is ultimately the source of the youthful ideals and illusions that lead to him falling in love with Sophie whilst not quite managing to relinquish his feelings of loyalty and commitment to the Marschallin.
I was a little distracted by the strange set design choices in Act II. From the grand, romantic era chamber of Act I we jumped to cartoonish and clumsy neo-classical backgrounds decked with both anachronistic, modern/minimalist black sofas and large canons (in Herr von Faninal's living room?) that wobbled conspicuously when cast members jumped or sat on them. Bad dancing for no apparent reason in the background also proved a strange distraction. Despite the conflicting period indicators, the music remained at the highest level throughout. Matthew Rose as Baron Ochs was master over his wonderful voice, deplorable and funny without becoming a caricature, a rare achievement for this difficult character.
Image Source: http://www.theguardian.com
In Act III the set again betrayed inconsistencies of vision with half-nude, can-can-esque prostitutes dawdling over early 20th Century style telephones, peculiar intermittent shifts to modern lighting (including at one point multicolour neon tubes) and a divergent reference to caged pole-dancing that bordered on the gratuitous. Had the portrayal of sexual excess been more thoughtfully incorporated into a distinctive and identifiable style it would have been more effective in its intended effect of communicating and denouncing the character and motivations of Baron Ochs.
Coote clearly revelled in the gender-bending genius of Strauss's librettist von Hofmannsthal, starting this act as a woman dressed as a man dressed as a woman, seducing a man who has no idea that this woman is in fact a man in drag (did you follow that?). The production would however benefit from a stronger creative decision about whether it is to approach these passages as explicitly theatrical farce or with something more like (necessarily camp) seriousness.
Image Source: http://www.theartsdesk.com
The Marschallin, of course, breaks the Burlesque before it disintegrates, selfessly saves Sophie from a miserable marriage and graciously blesses the union of this charming younger version of herself with her own, still much-adored Octavian. This was the moment Fleming came into her mythical own, living the role in alls its fullness. Her Marschallin was humble, painfully elegant, true in her renunciation and yet still you could almost taste her agony and the depth of her love for this silly boy Octavian. All this mingled in the rare and unique colours of her musical performance.
The trio at the end of this act is one of the most moving and honest expressions of humanity I have had the honour to experience. Fleming, Coote and Bevan wove togetherall the wonderful and complex nuances, elations and anxieties of love and sexual desire. My heart broke when, in the Marschallin's presence, Coote as Octavian sang the same pledges of love to Sophie as he had to the Marschallin herself in the first act. This passage transcends reality because the librettist, and Strauss through his other-worldly music, distill human experience and offer it in all its imperfection. The three sopranos realised this vision irreproachably, and I for one was overwhelmed by the confounding sensations of being simultaneously lifted out of the world whilst witnessing it in a strangely naked human form before me.
This opera is a truly special work of art, and the casting and musical performance, including Nelsons in the pit, was especially exceptional. Only clearer vision from the staging and lighting could have improved this production. It is entirely the honour and credit of the musical artists that the anachronisms and holes in that aspect of the presentation did not detract in any significant way from the beautiful humanity they created together.
Image Source: http://www.standard.co.uk
Posted on October 30, 2016 by anitadatta
Absurdly Brilliant – Review: ROH – The Nose
Giant tap-dancing noses, a Cross-dressed balalaika-playing prostitute, a man who has lost his nose and the Carnivalesque Russian society that will not help him get it back. Barrie Kosky brings Shostakovich's first opera to the Royal Opera House stage for the first time with a production that raises this work to a whole new level.
The English translation by David Pountney is funny, relatable and conveys the character of Gogol's absurdist short story on which the Opera is based. Martin Winkler tackles the lead role with vocal delivery that is as characterful as it is technically exciting, with excellent comic timing throughout. The work hangs almost entirely between Winkler as the inexplicably noseless Collegiate Assessor and the Royal Opera House Chorus who, supported by a phenomenal cast of dancers, are powerful, funny and at their musical best.
This production is especially notable for its imaginative use of space, staging and perspective, focussing much of the action through a circular aperture (a nostril? Suggests my Opera Buddy) and a further round dais. The set is minimal but hugely effective, and the use of space through dance, movement around the stage and blocking is captivating throughout, despite this production's choice to run without an interval. Indeed, with such pace and momentum an interval really is not required.
Image Source: ft.com
The method of presentation and much of the stagecraft is obviously influenced by Brechtian techniques, linking to this avant garde tradition of theatre wherein the ideology was designed to support absurdist and critical reflections on serious social issues. Elaborate and nonsensical dance sequences interrupt the story at random moments, reducing the audience to laughter and providing space for critical reflection on the possible political implications of the performance whilst costumery, lighting and presentation styles come together to satirise here the various institutions of the media, the police and self-satisfied upper-class society. The layers of political commentary are complicated to the extreme when bringing together the possible meanings of Gogol's original in the context of late 19th Century Russia and Shostakovich's lifetime of artistic and ideological struggle with the Soviet Union. A fruitily English commentator shatters both the fourth wall of the stage and the Operatic dream-world to ask whether The Nose, as text or as opera, is about anything at all anyway. Not originally part of Shostakovich's opera, this directly reflects Gogol's narrative voice at the end of the original pamphlet and further anchors this production in the German tradition of the avant-garde whilst signposting its Britishness in a self-derisive but definite claim.
The Nose has been long regarded as an opera that falls short of musical success, but the convincing delivery given here by the ROH Orchestra and Chorus convinces me otherwise, the momentum only slowing down in the Letter Scene – and those are notoriously difficult to pitch across all periods and styles of opera. Refusing to answer the question whether or not The Nose has anything specific or meaningful to say about society or politics then or now, this opera was an excellent choice as an access work via the student scheme and I highly recommend anybody of any background to catch it before it closes on November 9th. Bravo, Kosky and the Royal Opera House!
Image Source: musicomh.com
Posted on October 29, 2016 October 29, 2016 by anitadatta
Alternative Futures for Opera sung in English? – Review: English Touring Opera – Xerses
English Touring Opera – Opera that moves. And indeed it does. Hailing as I do from Yorkshire I am from extremely warm towards a company that seeks to bring the Operatic art form to audiences outside of London. The company also breaks out of the institution of the Opera House, touring halls, theatres and similar venues from Exeter to Durham, Malvern to Snape Maltings and everywhere in between – although I was disappointed to hear that despite there not being a major Opera production from any other companies in my hometown of Hull since I was a small child, the council and theatres there didn't permit the tour to extend to the banks of the Humber (local friends – what can we do together about this scandal?).
Of course any English tour however outreach focused must include London, where I attended the performance of Handel's Xerses on Saturday 8th October. This production will be travelling the country (alongside others) until early next year.
Image Source: http://www.exeternorthcott.co.uk
The ETO set up in London at the attractive yet intimate space of the Hackney Empire theatre. A pre-show talk with James Conway (Director of both this particular production and of ETO as a company) explained the basis of the 1940s interpretation, which was first put on to great acclaim in 2011. Conway presented an artistic ethos that focusses on this importance of the narrative story and taking seriously the characters of the operatic narrative, and this approach was effective in making believable the complex and potentially silly plot of this work. So many plots in Opera border on ridiculous and it is important to sustain them with dramatic commitment. Xerses did so, with a balanced and quirky lacing of humour. The famous opening aria Ombra mai fu (Under Thy Shade) remains beautiful, but is transformed into an extended pun as it is delivered to the 'beloved Plane' instead of a Plane Tree, simultaneously delivering a poignant comment on modern political leaders' obsessions with aerial warfare. Sibling rivalry is rampant and extends to a slapstick bedroom scene between the warring sisters and an amusing but terrifyingly intense dynamic between the royal brothers, Xerses and Arsamenes.
The technical aspect of this production deserves special mention, with a set that was minimal without ever feeling lacking and lighting the balanced well the creation of mood and warmth with its role in guiding the focus of the audience to particular aspects of the staging and musical dialogues. This is particularly impressive for a company that tours.
The cast included some excellent singers, particularly Laura Mitchell as Romilda, Galina Averina as Atalanta and Clint van der Linde as Arsamenes. Averina delivered the most technically impressive soprano work, with the power in her vocal capacity used at appropriate musical opportunities and not simply for the sake of it. She crafted a character who though silly and spiteful was ultimately pitiable and relatable, which is not an easy task. Clint van der Linde successfully conveyed the deep conflict and pain of a man whose wilful and at times vindictive older brother is also his Lord and King. Although Julia Riley as Xerses noticeably lacked power and projection compared to the rest of the cast, the Act II duet between Xerses and Arsamenes was very special, both in terms of vocal technique and the masterful communications that were delivered through the music about the nature of fraternal relationships, the emotions of frustrated and intense love, and the experience of injustice each endures. For Arsamenes these are injustices of hierarchy and the precedence of his brother's birth; for Xerses it is the injustice of unrequited love.
Image Source: http://www.ft.com
The presentation of the story was unfortunately slightly marred by issues of intelligibility. I heard a number of individuals discussing the issue of struggling to understand during the interval, and this has been picked up on in other reviews – despite the diction being some of the clearest and most precise I have heard. The English Touring Opera chooses not to use subtitles as much as possible, I assume because subtitling unavoidably detracts attention from stage action and often leads to a distracted or partial theatrical experience. However within the Hackney Empire space the diction of anything sung behind the middle of the stage was sadly lost, and even given my substantial experience of the classical voice there were times when I only was able to catch the libretto because of Handel's continued use of text repetition. I would encourage those who are less confident in understanding the classical voice to make sure they read up on the storyline before attending to facilitate getting their head around any moments that are partially obscured in this way.
This raises a problem for classical music that is much more general, since I have recently come to realise that the vast majority of people find it extremely difficult to parse words from classical singing, however good the diction is. I have recently been sharing a great deal of performances with people who are not accustomed to listening to the classical voice, and passages that find crystal clear are completely unintelligible to them. Furthermore a Catch-22 situation is generated since it takes a great deal of effort and concentration for those less accustomed to classical song to parse words and meaning from it, which distracts them from the musical or theatrical content whilst also potentially detracting from their enjoyment of the overall experience. Given that those with lower exposure to classical music are a great part of ETO's outreach and target audience, and these are the people who find it most difficult to interpret the sung texts, I conclude that despite laudable and understandable artistic ideals it may be of significant importance for the ETO to reconsider their approach to subtitling in future productions. For this tour I hope that the acoustics of the other venues will be a little kinder to both the cast and those experiencing the classical voice from a fresher perspective, and more broadly I hope that musicians can find creative ways to solve the conundrum of accessibility and maintaining an optimum experience of the classical voice.
Image Source: http://www.herefordtimes.com
I came away from the ETO production of Xerses with my confidence refreshed in the future of Opera sung in English. I was sincerely impressed by the passion and vision delivered by ETO Director James Conway in his pre-show talk, and am sympathetic to the many exceptional outreach projects for which the ETO is noteworthy.
In each location of the tour the company is providing a free workshop to secondary school children allowing them to watch a rehearsal and go backstage to understand what is involved in putting an opera together. My own students benefited from this in London, and returned more deeply enthused with opera as an art form and more aware of its particular challenges and complexities. Alongside the three baroque operas touring this season are performances of Bach's St. John Passion, bringing local amateur choirs from diverse backgrounds (gospel, university, community) together with the ETO team. This project involves groups in music-making larger than themselves and is also an exploration of the meaning of the St. John Passion in today's largely but not entirely secular context, where music's origins and its destinations have become apparently separated. The director is especially keen on access and diversity, for those who will not have experienced this music before, and who will find emotional, intellectual and other levels of personal fulfilment and enrichment through the opportunity to perform and be exposed to it.
Amidst generalised lack of funding for operatic projects and almost hysterical uncertainty surrounding the future of the ENO there is real reason to fear for English-sung Opera in the present moment. However ETO's fresh, grounded and democratic approach to the art-form has significantly alleviated my concerns. I may even be so bold as to suggest that, whilst the eyes of the musical community are focussed on the plight of larger and longer-standing organisations, the future of opera sung in English may be moving in a completely different and very welcome direction.
Posted on October 7, 2016 October 10, 2016 by anitadatta
How to make sex and murder boring. Review: ENO – Don Giovanni
A middle-aged man in a shiny suit stands in a bland and minimalist corridor set. Every few moments a woman walks by, goes behind a door with him for a few short seconds, they come out together completely unflustered and a few moments later this happens again. And again. And again. Either the short time spent behind the door is meant to effect a feeling of sped up time, or Don Giovanni is the quickest and most disappointing lay in history. In any case the sequence is annoying, pointless, and fails entirely to effectively communicate anything meaningful about the main character of this classic operatic work. Meanwhile this empty and boring charade completely distracted me from Mozart's Overture, which irritated me even further.
The perceived need to 'cover' the time of the Overture without having any useful ideas about how to do so is an affliction of many operatic productions, great and otherwise. Unfortunately on this occasion, at least for this particular performance, this confusing and pointless exposition was indeed a sad taster of the production that followed. Indeed when the interval came my opera buddy and I also walked out of a door, disappointed and relieved not to return for the second half. Although not quite in numbers as great as the Don's conquests, we weren't even close to being the only ones to do this last Tuesday. Whilst I am fully aware that it may be seen as unjust to review a production I only saw half of, I have never walked out of a theatre in my life before which, I feel, is justification and review enough in itself.
Leporello enjoys peeping through the keyhole as Don Giovanni plays Kink with Donna Anna. Image Source: The Guardian
Don Giovanni is a notoriously difficult opera to put on. Like so many of Mozart's librettos the storyline delivers a string of gaping holes and the characters are so confused in their identities and motivations that it's almost impossible to sustain them in a dramatic world that, having been touched by the study of realism, is no longer willing to tolerate portrayals that don't follow consistently from one moment to another. It can of course be done thrillingly well – but instead of seizing the ingenious music and the erotic farce and the power of the underlying mortality tale , this production seems to try to ignore them with a low-energy 'minimalism' and hope that they'll go away. They didn't. In addition, my Year 12 class (who I sent to the opening night last Friday) explained that in the second half the plot has been entirely changed, completely removing any moral direction or meaning from the iconic story in favour of a series of gimmicks with wigs.
Christopher Purves was not in good voice, with a sometimes soft-rock vocal timbre and musically uninspiring presentation of the lead character. His banter with Clive Bayley's Leporello was witty indeed, but it was Bayley himself who for me was the vocal star of the show followed closely by Allan Clayton as Don Ottavio and, in certain glorious moments, Caitlyn Lynch as Donna Anna. Clayton is tender and is one of the only principals to convincingly act his character throughout. Despite thrilling top notes Lynch seemed at a loss on the acting front for how to portray grief believably – a great flaw in any Donna Anna. Her opening aria was musically enchanting despite a frustrating mismatch between her lyric vibrato and Clayton's lighter tone. Her reaction to the murder of her father was completely unconvincing as she stood still and expressionless whilst accounting it through song. Christine Rice as Donna Elvira had a vibrato that was far too wide for my personal taste and at times I felt that the shape of Mozart's more delicate coloratura lines was almost completely obscured by it. Her Elvira was more annoying than pitiful, which makes it difficult to engage properly with the wider themes that are supposed to run through the characters' relationships.
Mary Bevan has received mixed reviews as Zerlina. On this occasion I found her uncharacteristically mediocre and dramatically dubious. The character of Zerlina, with her erratic and conflicting emotions, suffers in condensed form all the difficulties of inconsistency in the wider libretto of Don Giovanni. She is undeniably a challenge to play, however I didn't feel that Bevan herself was clear on Zerlina's motivations. I feel that the character can be made to work well when given a direction, for example either truly in love with Masetto or secretly leaning towards Don Giovanni, but Bevan conveyed a swinging ambivalence that was not supported enough to provide a good basis for the trajectory of her role. The high notes she delivered in the Act 1 Aria 'Batti, batti, o bel Masetto' were surprisingly thin and even strained. James Creswell as Masetto actually fell a full half bar out with Wigglesworth and the Orchestra at one point, something I have never seen on a major operatic stage.
WTF? Purves modelling how we felt. Image Source: http://www.theindependent.co.uk
Given the fragility of the ENO at the present time and its huge importance as the bridge between this incredible art form and the vernacular, performers cannot afford to have 'off' evenings and the production teams cannot be allowed to deliver uninspiring, bland or flawed productions. The reviews of Tosca, which is also currently playing at The Coliseum, are equally flat and betray a failure to connect with young audiences. This production also fell down on basic points of execution such as tacky sets and costume additions that looked cheap instead of minimalist, and the moment where the (heartbreakingly small) chorus could be heard stomping into their next position behind the set front. Some of the best opera productions I've seen have been at the ENO (see Akhnaten, The Magic Flute). Between an exodus at half time and a group of 17 year olds who, despite being first-time opera-goers, were annoyed by an alternative ending that "doesn't make sense", this is not the way to ensure the future of Opera performed in English or this Opera Company.
Posted on October 4, 2016 August 31, 2019 by anitadatta
Organist Anxiety : Am I Totally Irrelevant?
It's hard to be in love in an instrument that the world keeps telling you is irrelevant, out of touch, a 'dying art' and the preserve of the elite. I have cumulatively spent weeks, months, probably pushing years of my life at an organ bench, burning my neurons to shreds over pieces that demand my two hands and feet to play three independent melodies across up to 6 keyboards (including one made of pedals). I have experienced ridiculous ecstasy that beats hands down any other feeling I've ever known, and I've sobbed my heart out at the console as well.
Last week I was doing a lot of the latter – yes, partly because I was tired and run down, but mostly because in that state I couldn't sustain the confidence that people actually cared about the music I think is so special, or that anybody could possibly want to hear something so 'niche', so 'stuffy' and 'out of date' as an Organ Recital. And yes, these are all ways that real people have, with all kind intentions, described the organ and its music to me.
The Organ. Not always an 'easy sell'.
My anxiety came as I was scheduled to open a local arts festival with an organ recital, as has been tradition since the first of these festivals however many years ago. A few weeks before one of the organisers had appended half an hour of a local Rock Choir onto this – and some small circumstances been different, I suspect it would have replaced my stint entirely. The inclusion of the Rock Choir in the opening ceremony is a great thing – a group of local people, having fun making music together as part of the local community. Brilliant! However, I'd been practicing for months, and this sudden change of genre made me feel both dated and somewhat dispensable. I suppressed this initially, but a few days before the recital I suddenly became convinced that nobody wanted to hear an organ recital any more, and I was a living relic.
My carefully selected programme caused me particular concern. I had chosen to play a technical and structurally complex piece of Bach, a couple of studies by Schumann and a loud, bombastic, but ultimately atonal and harmonically 'weird' modern piece by a French Composer (Fête by Langlais). To put into perspective the dedication the organ demands, I have been gradually learning this last piece over two years. It's not easy at all. My confidence in its impressiveness however was shook when, on hearing fragments of practice, a non-musician friend betrayed that they didn't understand why I was so enthused about it – and that was my most exciting piece of the lot! Finally and most keenly, I felt that the Bach work I had chosen and slaved over was too academic and too intellectual to be wanted by anybody other than musicians in general and organists in particular. I firmly believed that the audience would spend the half-hour of organ music itching for me to get off the dais and for the Bon Jovi arrangements to begin. I felt totally unwanted, and completely irrelevant. It became almost impossible to convince me otherwise.
There is so much going on between the lines of this anecdote. It is sobering and also inspiring, in a way, that my musician friends and colleagues didn't pretend to know any better than me whether most people wanted to hear a Bach Trio Sonata when I sobbed about how non-musicians would find it boring. One teaching colleague did however point out to me that, when presented in the right way, the children I teach in school can become completely invigorated by such stuff. My inner pessimist resisted this observation, and felt that both those children and the attendees at the upcoming festival would be a 'captive' audience.
The turning point came when one of my best friends, and fellow organist-relevance-explorer reminded me that when we perform we should, above all, enjoy ourselves. Amidst the panic and anxiety about whether Bach, Langlais, the Organ and I were wanted or not I forgot this basic truth. This music and this beast of an instrument make me happy and fill my life with beauty and philosophy that penetrates beyond itself, into everything I do. It is important to be concerned with outreach and teaching and other service-based work, but in the two-year gap since I last played a recital I forgot that I'm supposed to be the main beneficiary of my musical life. When I was a child I played for hours every day, just for me. When did that change and why?
The morning of the festival came, and as I practiced my friend and page-turner couldn't
contain her awe at the beauty of Bach's work. As I opened my heart and my unashamedly academic music-brain to the music again I realised I was playing it too fast – in a misguided attempt to race through the 'boring' movement and make it more exciting for a lay audience. I had forgotten to use my painfully begotten technical skills to draw out the beauty that was already in the music, the way it was written and meant to be. I chose to refuse to apologise for the mind-boggling genius that is Bach in all his works, and especially in his Trio Sonatas. It is true that my audience couldn't understand the theoretical reasons why those six pages of semiquavers were such a marvel – but I communicated it to them anyway, and I made sure that they felt it with me on a much more important, abstract level. I had fun with Schumann's jokes, and I used every single one of the 2000+ pipes on the organ for the screaming Langlais at the end. The result? An audience in raptures, and I wondered what I had ever been worried about.
Music is a gift for musicians themselves as well as for them to give to others, and the organ more than deserves its title "The King of Instruments". A full organ has a range greater than that of a Symphonic Orchestra, and a skilled musician of any ilk can communicate the most wonderful things to any listener, regardless of that person's musical background or interests.
So, this uncharacteristically wandering and introspective post is something of an advertisement: I'm back on the bench again, as far as recitals are concerned. If you have a gap in your concert series, I'd be happy to fill it for you. I love the organ and its fantastic repertoire, and I'll not be apologising for it ever again. Finally I'm extremely grateful that, through a little tiredness and insecurity, I remembered why I spend so much of my life in front of a keyboard – primarily, it's for me.


I am a list maker. I admit it and claim it! Deadlines, chores, to-do, writing, reading, grocery, goals, financial, exercise, daily, weekly, monthly, yearly. I love lists. And luckily, I don't mind having an item reappear because I didn't complete it on its assigned day. I'm flexible to a degree.
Right now I am facing the end of my summer break. It's time for me to go back to work. As a teacher I give my energy to my students and vocation for ten months and enjoy the two months off in the summer. My energy is then spent on other non-working goals. So, the summer is ending and takes with it my detailed lists of home projects, writing, reading, movies. Next week, shorter versions of those lists will appear, for I can't imagine giving up reading and writing just because I work outside my home.
Deadlines inspire me instead of intimidating me. Presently, I have editing deadlines before my novels can be released. Deadlines dominate my teaching days as I strive to complete and distribute information in an enlightening way to my students within a certain period of time. I put deadlines in every area of my life. My favorite ones are the ones that have a short-term ending date–two weeks, six weeks, a semester. It's hard for me to concentrate on a deadline two years away.
Endings are bitter-sweet. I strive on the feeling of achievement and accomplishment. Yet, the end of a great book or the end of a restful summer comes with a sigh of wanting it to continue just a bit longer. But, vacation will come again as will the next awesome book.
Beginnings have the air of hope and anticipation, even of mystery. So many unexpected blessings wait around the corner. For example, this school year or even this next week will introduce me to some exceptional students and colleagues who end up teaching me so much about life and relationships as well as technology and facts.
Remember to enjoy your deadlines, endings, and beginnings as you do the work God has given you to do.
What deadlines, endings, or beginnings are you currently facing?