story · music · places

The story is today about the first published composition by Arnold Schönberg which I was blessed to hear. Listen, and perhaps read what Alma Mahler (to-be-Mahler at the time, to be precise, who was present at the first performance) said, and yes that was too much for the Main page ;) -- Gerda Arendt (talk) 12:24, 1 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Today's story is about a Bach cantata premiered 300 years ago OTD. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 16:22, 2 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

3 July is the birthday of Leoš Janáček, and I'm happy I had a meaningful DYK in 2021. It's also the birthday of Franz Kafka, and I uploaded pics from his family's album seen in Berlin. Janáček's infobox has a list of his compositions, like Bach's, Mozart's, Beethoven's. Schumann had one for years, until one featured article writer removed it (and I noticed only after it was too late for a BRD revert and discussion). I am not welcome in the FAC, and another user who noticed was dismissed, but I believe that our readers should not miss a valuable link because one person believes it's a "rotten idea". You may remember that this was mentioned in the Mahler discussion. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 13:14, 3 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Libuše Domanínská, the subject of yesterday's story, would have turned 100 today, but I missed that ;) - Overnight, Tamara Milashkina became GA and Lando Bartolini went to the Main page. I made my story about his almost unbelievable career, from Luigi in Il tabarro in Philadelphia in 1968 (with a nod to Liberty) up to Calaf in Turandot in Beijing in 1999 ;) - 4 July is also the birthday of Brian Boulton who was a pioneer of a concise infobox in 2013, including a list of works. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 12:07, 4 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Pictured on the Main page: Brian's Mozart family grand tour, my story today, and Mozart related to all three items of music on my talk: our 2023 concert, an opera in a theatre where a Mozart premiere took place, and those remembered, Martti Wallén, a bass, and Liana Isakadze, a violinist from Georgia, (whose article would be better with more details about her music-making). --Gerda Arendt (talk) 09:54, 9 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Today's story is about an outstanding violinist from Georgia, which is a sad story in the end. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 13:42, 11 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

My story today is - because of the anniversary of the premiere OTD in 1782 - about Die Entführung aus dem Serail, opera by Mozart, while yesterday's was - because of the TFA - about Les contes d'Hoffmann, opera by Offenbach, - so 3 times Mozart again if you click on "music" ;) - I am sad to see you go as an arb who understood me - a rare thing - and I wish you progress in the other position. My two stories illustrate the arb matter a bit, explained for Dronebogus, in case of interest. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 11:31, 16 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

News and updates for administrators from the past month (June 2024).

Administrator changes

• Elli
• HouseBlaster
• Pickersgill-Cunliffe

• Brianga
• De728631
• Georgewilliamherbert
• Hyacinth (deceased)
• ProveIt
• The Night Watch

Technical news

• Local administrators can now add new links to the bottom of the site Tools menu without using JavaScript. Documentation is available on MediaWiki. (T6086)

Miscellaneous

• The Community Wishlist is re-opening on 15 July 2024. Read more

Thanks for your dedication in serving on the arbitration committee. I appreciate the careful consideration given to resolving difficult conflicts. isaacl (talk) 04:21, 16 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

• Yes, thank you, Barkeep49, for the time and effort you gave to the Arbitration Committee and to the Checkuser crew. I wish you a stressless transition. Liz ^{Read! Talk!} 05:52, 16 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

• In my many years of acting as an arbitrator, I had many esteemed colleagues. There were some who stood head and shoulders above the others, exemplifying everything you'd want from an Arbitrator. Barkeep, you sat at the top of that pile. I am sure you will go on to lead the U4C and go on making a difference to the project, but I just wanted to say thank you for being someone I could trust on the committee. Worm^TT(talk) 10:05, 16 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

• I think we appear to disagree more than we actually do, because I never see the point of saying something when I agree with ArbCom. Even when we've disagreed, you're always thoughtful. So I'm sorry to see you leave ArbCom. On the bright side, there's someone I know on this U4C thing; perhaps you'll even be able to explain to not-really-metapedians like me what on God's green earth that actually is, and how it affects en.wiki. At the very least I trust you to guide whatever it is in a rational direction. --Floquenbeam (talk) 20:08, 16 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

  @Floquenbeam thanks. I hope you'll indulge me two reactions. First, I hopeful that the U4C will not affect you. The U4C should be about helping small/medium projects and being a place for the community more easily and to fix it when a project has gone off the rails. Neither of those are true for enwiki. Helping it be successful in those two things without going beyond that mandate is part of the work I want to do. Second, I'd encourage you to maybe rethink I never see the point of saying something when I agree with ArbCom with other arbs you respect. Hearing only negative feedback from editors you like and respect is one of the hardest things about being an arb. It can also impact the actual work done because it becomes harder to figure out when you're genuinely doing something wrong and when complaints should just be ignored as the baseline of upset people that ArbCom encounters. Getting this wrong on either side isn't great ("fixing" things that you needn't fix creates a problem where there was none and not fixing things that should be fixed is obviously bad). Best, Barkeep49 (talk) 21:03, 16 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

  Fair enough, and I probably should know better. back in the Dark Ages when I was on ArbCom, I felt the same way. Probably intentionally blocked out the memory of it.

  "I'm hopeful that the U4C will not affect you" is exactly what I was hoping to hear. I find it grating when, for example, someone mentions how someone else violated the UCOC at ArbCom or ANI. Well, then they violated an en.wiki policy too. Refering to UCOC makes me nervous that an amorphous "they" are coming for "our" aAbcCm. Floquenbeam (talk) 21:23, 16 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

  While it doesn't bother me if someone cites the UCoC, I agree that it would be better if they just cited the applicable enwiki policy or guideline because it's there. It's why I really advocated for this principle. Best, Barkeep49 (talk) 00:00, 17 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]

• Thanks for your service, BK49. Even when I've disagreed with you, you've always been thoughtful and careful to explain your reasoning, and I've truly appreciated that. Vanamonde93 (talk) 20:47, 16 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]
• I've just said it at the Arb talk page, but I want to say thanks to you here, too. Just the other day, I laughed out loud on hearing about a children's book called The Quacken (about a very large duck) and, knowing of your editing interest in children's books, my mind went to you. Best wishes. --Tryptofish (talk) 21:05, 16 July 2024 (UTC)[reply]