text:
This is a partial discography of _PARSIFAL_, an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner.

_Parsifal_ was expressly composed for the stage at Bayreuth and many of the most famous recordings of the opera come from live performances on that stage. In the pre-LP era, Karl Muck conducted excerpts from the opera at Bayreuth which are still considered some of the best performances of the opera on disc (they also contain the only sound evidence of the bells constructed for the work's premiere, which were later melted down by the Nazis during World War II). Hans Knappertsbusch was the conductor most closely associated with Parsifal at Bayreuth in the post-war years, and the performances under his baton in 1951 marked the re-opening of the Bayreuth Festival after the Second World War. These historic performances were recorded in mono sound, originally issued but now no longer available on the Teldec label, and reissued in 2003 on Naxos Historical. Knappertsbusch recorded the opera again for Philips in 1962 in stereo, and this release is often considered to be the classic Parsifal recording.[1] There are also many “unofficial” live recordings from Bayreuth, capturing virtually every Parsifal cast ever conducted by Knappertsbusch.

Amongst the studio recordings, those by Georg Solti, Herbert von Karajan and Daniel Barenboim (the latter two both conducting the Berlin Philharmonic) have been widely praised.[2] The von Karajan recording was voted “Record of the Year” in the 1981 Gramophone Awards. Also highly regarded is a recording of _Parsifal_ under the baton of Rafael Kubelík. Originally recorded for Deutsche Grammophon but never released, it is now available on the Arts Archives label.

On the Saturday 14 December 2013 broadcast of BBC 3'S CD Review – Building a Library, music critic David Nice surveyed recordings of _Parsifal_ and recommended the 1980 recording by the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Rafael Kubelik (conductor), as the best available choice.[3]

Audio recordings

+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| Year        | Cast        | Conductor,  | Label       | Catalogue   |
|             | (Parsifal,  | Opera house |             | number      |
|             | Kundry,     | and/or      |             |             |
|             | Gurnemanz,  | orchestra   |             |             |
|             | Amfortas,   |             |             |             |
|             | Klingsor)   |             |             |             |
+=============+=============+=============+=============+=============+
| 1936        | René        | Fritz       | Marston     | 53003       |
|             | Maison,     | Busch,      |             |             |
|             | Marjorie    | Orquesta    |             |             |
|             | Lawrence,   | del Teatro  |             |             |
|             | Alexander   | Colón,      |             |             |
|             | Kipnis,     | Buenos      |             |             |
|             | Martial     | Aires       |             |             |
|             | Singher,    |             |             |             |
|             | Fritz Krenn |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 1949        | Günther     | Rudolf      | Myto (Mono) | 4MCD        |
|             | Treptow,    | Moralt,     |             | 954.136     |
|             | Anny        | Wiener      |             |             |
|             | Konetzni,   | Symphoniker |             |             |
|             | Ludwig      |             |             |             |
|             | Weber, Paul |             |             |             |
|             | Schöffler,  |             |             |             |
|             | Adolf Vogel |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 1950,       | Alfrico     | Vittorio    | Cetra       | CDAR 2020   |
| Italian     | Baldelli,   | Gui,        | (Mono)      |             |
|             | Maria       | Orchestra   |             |             |
|             | Callas,     | Sinfonica e |             |             |
|             | Boris       | Coro di     |             |             |
|             | Christoff,  | Roma della  |             |             |
|             | Rolando     | RAI         |             |             |
|             | Panerai,    |             |             |             |
|             | Giuseppe    |             |             |             |
|             | Modesti     |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 1951        | Wolfgang    | Hans        | Naxos       | 8.110221-24 |
|             | Windgassen, | Knappertsbu | Historical  |             |
|             | Martha      | sch,        | (Mono)      |             |
|             | Mödl,       | Bayreuth    |             |             |
|             | Ludwig      | Festival    |             |             |
|             | Weber,      | Orchestra,  |             |             |
|             | George      | Bayreuth    |             |             |
|             | London,     | Festival    |             |             |
|             | Hermann     | Chorus      |             |             |
|             | Uhde        |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 1954        | Wolfgang    | Hans        | Golden      | GM 1.0053   |
|             | Windgassen, | Knappertsbu | Melodram    |             |
|             | Martha      | sch,        |             |             |
|             | Mödl, Josef | Bayreuth    |             |             |
|             | Greindl,    | Festival    |             |             |
|             | Hans        | Orchestra,  |             |             |
|             | Hotter,     | Bayreuth    |             |             |
|             | Gustav      | Festival    |             |             |
|             | Neidlinger  | Chorus      |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 1958        | Hans        | Hans        | Golden      | GM 1.0058   |
|             | Beirer,     | Knappertsbu | Melodram    |             |
|             | Régine      | sch,        |             |             |
|             | Crespin,    | Bayreuth    |             |             |
|             | Josef       | Festival    |             |             |
|             | Greindl,    | Orchestra,  |             |             |
|             | Eberhard    | Bayreuth    |             |             |
|             | Wächter,    | Festival    |             |             |
|             | Jerome      | Chorus      |             |             |
|             | Hines       |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 1959        | Eberhard    | Hans        | Golden      | GM 1.0070   |
|             | Wächter,    | Knappertsbu | Melodram    |             |
|             | Martha      | sch,        |             |             |
|             | Mödl, Josef | Bayreuth    |             |             |
|             | Greindl,    | Festival    |             |             |
|             | Hans        | Orchestra,  |             |             |
|             | Beirer,     | Bayreuth    |             |             |
|             | Jerome      | Festival    |             |             |
|             | Hines       | Chorus      |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 1961        | Fritz Uhl,  | Herbert von | RCA         | 61950       |
|             | Elisabeth   | Karajan,    |             |             |
|             | Höngen/Chri | Vienna      |             |             |
|             | sta         | State Opera |             |             |
|             | Ludwig,     | Orchestra,  |             |             |
|             | Hans        | Vienna      |             |             |
|             | Hotter,     | State Opera |             |             |
|             | Eberhard    | Chorus      |             |             |
|             | Waechter,   |             |             |             |
|             | Walter      |             |             |             |
|             | Berry       |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 1962        | Jess        | Hans        | Philips     | 475 7785    |
|             | Thomas,     | Knappertsbu | Classics    |             |
|             | Irene       | sch,        |             |             |
|             | Dalis, Hans | Bayreuth    |             |             |
|             | Hotter,     | Festival    |             |             |
|             | George      | Orchestra,  |             |             |
|             | London,     | Bayreuth    |             |             |
|             | Gustav      | Festival    |             |             |
|             | Neidlinger  | Chorus      |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 1963        | George      | Hans        | Golden      | GM L0034    |
|             | London,     | Knappertsbu | Melodram    |             |
|             | Ludwig      | sch,        |             |             |
|             | Weber, Hans | Bayreuth    |             |             |
|             | Hotter,     | Festival    |             |             |
|             | Wolfgang    | Orchestra,  |             |             |
|             | Windgassen, | Bayreuth    |             |             |
|             | Gustav      | Festival    |             |             |
|             | Neidlinger, | Chorus      |             |             |
|             | Irene Dalis |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 1964        | Jon         | Hans        | Arcadia     | KLMP 451.4  |
|             | Vickers,    | Knappertsbu |             |             |
|             | Barbro      | sch,        |             |             |
|             | Ericson,    | Bayreuth    |             |             |
|             | Hans        | Festival    |             |             |
|             | Hotter,     | Orchestra,  |             |             |
|             | Thomas      | Bayreuth    |             |             |
|             | Stewart,    | Festival    |             |             |
|             | Gustav      | Chorus      |             |             |
|             | Neidlinger  |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 1970        | James King, | Pierre      | Deutsche    | 435718      |
|             | Gwyneth     | Boulez,     | Grammophon  |             |
|             | Jones,      | Bayreuth    |             |             |
|             | Franz       | Festival    |             |             |
|             | Crass,      | Orchestra,  |             |             |
|             | Thomas      | Bayreuth    |             |             |
|             | Stewart,    | Festival    |             |             |
|             | Donald      | Chorus      |             |             |
|             | McIntyre    |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 1971        | Jon         | Reginald    | Opus Arte   | OADA8004DI  |
|             | Vickers,    | Goodall,    |             |             |
|             | Amy Shuard, | Orchestra   |             |             |
|             | Louis       | of the      |             |             |
|             | Hendrikx,   | Royal Opera |             |             |
|             | Norman      | House       |             |             |
|             | Bailey,     |             |             |             |
|             | Donald      |             |             |             |
|             | McIntyre    |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 1972        | René Kollo, | Georg       | Decca       | 470805      |
|             | Christa     | Solti,      |             |             |
|             | Ludwig,     | Vienna      |             |             |
|             | Gottlob     | Philharmoni |             |             |
|             | Frick,      | c           |             |             |
|             | Dietrich    | Orchestra,  |             |             |
|             | Fischer-Die | Vienna      |             |             |
|             | skau,       | State Opera |             |             |
|             | Zoltan      | Chorus      |             |             |
|             | Kelemen     | Konzertvere |             |             |
|             |             | inigung,    |             |             |
|             |             | Vienna      |             |             |
|             |             | Boys' Choir |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 1975        | René Kollo, | Herbert     | Berlin/VEB  | 0013482BC   |
|             | Gisela      | Kegel       | Deutsche    |             |
|             | Schröter,   | Leipzig     | Schallplatt |             |
|             | Ulrik Cold, | Radio       | en          |             |
|             | Theo Adam,  | Symphony    | DDR         |             |
|             | Reid Bunger | Orchestra   |             |             |
|             |             | and Chorus  |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 1979–1980   | Peter       | Herbert von | Deutsche    | 413347      |
|             | Hofmann,    | Karajan,    | Grammophon  |             |
|             | Dunja       | Berlin      |             |             |
|             | Vejzović,   | Philharmoni |             |             |
|             | Kurt Moll,  | c           |             |             |
|             | José van    | Orchestra,  |             |             |
|             | Dam,        | Berlin      |             |             |
|             | Siegmund    | Deutsche    |             |             |
|             | Nimsgern    | Oper Chorus |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 1980        | James King, | Rafael      | Arts        | 430272      |
|             | Yvonne      | Kubelík     | Archives    |             |
|             | Minton,     | Bavarian    |             |             |
|             | Kurt Moll,  | Radio       |             |             |
|             | Bernd       | Symphony    |             |             |
|             | Weikl,      | Orchestra   |             |             |
|             | Franz       |             |             |             |
|             | Mazura      |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 1981        | Reiner      | Armin       | Erato       | 2292-45662- |
|             | Goldberg,   | Jordan      |             | 2           |
|             | Yvonne      | Monte Carlo |             |             |
|             | Minton,     | Radio       |             |             |
|             | Robert      | Orchestra   |             |             |
|             | Lloyd,      |             |             |             |
|             | Wolfgang    |             |             |             |
|             | Schoene,    |             |             |             |
|             | Aage        |             |             |             |
|             | Haugland    |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 1985        | Warren      | Reginald    | EMI         | 65665       |
|             | Ellsworth,  | Goodall     |             |             |
|             | Waltraud    | Welsh       |             |             |
|             | Meier,      | National    |             |             |
|             | Phillip     | Opera       |             |             |
|             | Joll,       | Chorus &    |             |             |
|             | Donald      | Orchestra   |             |             |
|             | McIntyre,   |             |             |             |
|             | Nicholas    |             |             |             |
|             | Folwell     |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 1987        | Peter       | James       | Philips     | 434 616-2   |
|             | Hofmann,    | Levine      |             |             |
|             | Waltraud    | Bayreuth    |             |             |
|             | Meier, Hans | Festspielha |             |             |
|             | Sotin,      | us          |             |             |
|             | Simon       | orchestra   |             |             |
|             | Estes,      | and chorus  |             |             |
|             | Franz       |             |             |             |
|             | Mazura      |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 1990        | Siegfried   | Daniel      | Teldec      | 74448       |
|             | Jerusalem,  | Barenboim,  |             |             |
|             | Waltraud    | Berlin      |             |             |
|             | Meier,      | Philharmoni |             |             |
|             | Matthias    | c           |             |             |
|             | Holle, José | Orchestra,  |             |             |
|             | van Dam,    | Berlin      |             |             |
|             | Gunter von  | State Opera |             |             |
|             | Kannen      | Chorus      |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 1993[4]     | Plácido     | James       | Deutsche    | 437501      |
|             | Domingo,    | Levine,     | Grammophon  |             |
|             | Jessye      | Metropolita |             |             |
|             | Norman,     | n           |             |             |
|             | Kurt Moll,  | Opera       |             |             |
|             | James       | Orchestra,  |             |             |
|             | Morris,     | Metropolita |             |             |
|             | Ekkehard    | n           |             |             |
|             | Wlaschiha   | Opera       |             |             |
|             |             | Chorus      |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 2005        | Plácido     | Christian   | Deutsche    | 4776006     |
|             | Domingo,    | Thielemann  | Grammophon  |             |
|             | Waltraud    | Vienna      |             |             |
|             | Meier,      | State Opera |             |             |
|             | Franz-Josef | Orchestra   |             |             |
|             | Selig, Falk | and chorus  |             |             |
|             | Struckmann, |             |             |             |
|             | Wolfgang    |             |             |             |
|             | Bankl       |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 2005        | Richard     | Gabor Ötvös | Dynamic     | 33497       |
|             | Decker,     | Teatro La   | (record     |             |
|             | Doris       | Fenice      | label)      |             |
|             | Soffel,     | Orchestra   |             |             |
|             | Wolfgang    | and chorus  |             |             |
|             | Schöne,     |             |             |             |
|             | Matthias    |             |             |             |
|             | Hölle,      |             |             |             |
|             | Mikolaj     |             |             |             |
|             | Zalasinski  |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 2009        | Gary        | Valery      | Issued on   | n/a         |
|             | Lehman,     | Gergiev     | hybrid      |             |
|             | Violeta     | Orchestra   | SACD:       |             |
|             | Urmana,     | and chorus  | Mariinsky,  |             |
|             | René Pape,  | of the      | 2009        |             |
|             | Evgeny      | Mariinsky   |             |             |
|             | Nikitin,    | Theatre     |             |             |
|             | Nikolai     |             |             |             |
|             | Putilin     |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 2012        | Christian   | Marek       | Pentatone   | PTC5186401  |
|             | Elsner,     | Janowski    | Marek       |             |
|             | Michelle    | Rundfunkcho | Janowski    |             |
|             | DeYoung,    | r           | Wagner      |             |
|             | Franz-Josef | Berlin and  | Opera Cycle |             |
|             | Selig,      | Rundfunk-Si |             |             |
|             | Evgeny      | nfonieorche |             |             |
|             | Nikitin,    | ster        |             |             |
|             | Eike Wilm   | Berlin      |             |             |
|             | Schulte     |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
|  |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+

Video recordings

This is a partial filmography of _Parsifal_ (1882), an opera in three acts by Richard Wagner. In addition to the productions of the complete opera listed below, there is a 1998 documentary directed by Tony Palmer, titled: _Parsifal – The Search for the Grail_. It was recorded in various European theaters, including: the Mariinsky Theatre, the Ravello Festival, Siena, and the Bayreuth Festival. It contains extracts from Mr. Palmer's stage production of _Parsifal_ starring Plácido Domingo, Violeta Urmana, Matti Salminen, Nikolai Putilin and Anna Netrebko. It includes interviews with Domingo, Wolfgang Wagner, Robert Gutman and Karen Armstrong. The film exists in two versions: (1) a complete version running 116 minutes and officially approved by Domingo, and (2) an 88-minute version, cut as a result of being censored in Germany as being too “political”, “uncomfortable” and “irrelevant”.[5]

+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
|             | Cast        | Conductor,  | Stage       | Label /     |
|             | (Parsifal,  | Opera       | director    | Cat. #      |
|             | Kundry,     | house,      |             |             |
|             | Gurnemanz,  | orchestra   |             |             |
|             | Amfortas,   |             |             |             |
|             | Klingsor,   |             |             |             |
|             | Titurel)    |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 1981        | Siegfried   | Horst       | Wolfgang    | DG Unitel / |
|             | Jerusalem,  | Stein,      | Wagner      | 0734328     |
|             | Eva         | Orchester   |             |             |
|             | Randová,    | der         |             |             |
|             | Hans Sotin, | Bayreuther  |             |             |
|             | Bernd       | Festspiele  |             |             |
|             | Weikl, Leif |             |             |             |
|             | Roar, Matti |             |             |             |
|             | Salminen    |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 1982        | Reiner      | Armin       | Hans-Jürgen | Image       |
|             | Goldberg,   | Jordan,     | Syberberg   | Entertainme |
|             | Yvonne      | Monte-Carlo |             | nt          |
|             | Minton,     | Philharmoni |             | / n/a. This |
|             | Robert      | c           |             | film was    |
|             | Lloyd,      | Orchestra   |             | released    |
|             | Wolfgang    |             |             | theatricall |
|             | Schöne,     |             |             | y           |
|             | Aage        |             |             | with the    |
|             | Haugland,   |             |             | following   |
|             | Hans        |             |             | actors      |
|             | Tschammer   |             |             | appearing   |
|             |             |             |             | on the      |
|             |             |             |             | screen in   |
|             |             |             |             | place of    |
|             |             |             |             | the singers |
|             |             |             |             | – Parsifal  |
|             |             |             |             | 1: Michael  |
|             |             |             |             | Kutter,     |
|             |             |             |             | Parsifal 2: |
|             |             |             |             | Karen       |
|             |             |             |             | Krick,      |
|             |             |             |             | Kundry:     |
|             |             |             |             | Edith       |
|             |             |             |             | Clever,     |
|             |             |             |             | Amfortas:   |
|             |             |             |             | Armin       |
|             |             |             |             | Jordan,     |
|             |             |             |             | Titurel:    |
|             |             |             |             | Martin      |
|             |             |             |             | Sperr.      |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 1992        | Poul        | Daniel      | Harry       | EuroArts /  |
|             | Elming,     | Barenboim,  | Kupfer      | 2066738     |
|             | Waltraud    | Chor der    |             |             |
|             | Meier, John | Deutschen   |             |             |
|             | Tomlinson,  | Staatsoper  |             |             |
|             | Falk        | &           |             |             |
|             | Struckmann, | Staatskapel |             |             |
|             | Günter von  | le          |             |             |
|             | Kannen,     | Berlin      |             |             |
|             | Fritz       |             |             |             |
|             | Hübner      |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 1993        | Siegfried   | James       | Otto Schenk | DG /        |
|             | Jerusalem,  | Levine,     |             | 0730329     |
|             | Waltraud    | Metropolita |             | DVD         |
|             | Meier, Kurt | n           |             | direction:  |
|             | Moll,       | Opera       |             | Brian Large |
|             | Bernd       | Orchestra & |             |             |
|             | Weikl,      | Chorus      |             |             |
|             | Franz       |             |             |             |
|             | Mazura,     |             |             |             |
|             | Jan-Hendrik |             |             |             |
|             | Rootering   |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 1998        | Poul        | Giuseppe    | Wolfgang    | C Major /   |
|             | Elming,     | Sinopoli,   | Wagner      | 705908      |
|             | Linda       | Orchestra   |             |             |
|             | Watson,     | of the      |             |             |
|             | Hans Sotin, | Bayreuther  |             |             |
|             | Falk        | Festspiele  |             |             |
|             | Struckmann, |             |             |             |
|             | Ekkehard    |             |             |             |
|             | Wlaschiha,  |             |             |             |
|             | Matthias    |             |             |             |
|             | Hölle       |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 2004        | Christopher | Kent        | Nikolaus    | Opus Arte / |
|             | Ventris,    | Nagano,     | Lehnhoff    | OA0915D     |
|             | Waltraud    | Deutsches   |             |             |
|             | Meier,      | Symphonie-O |             |             |
|             | Matti       | rchester    |             |             |
|             | Salminen,   | Berlin,     |             |             |
|             | Thomas      | Festspielch |             |             |
|             | Hampson,    | or          |             |             |
|             | Tom Fox,    | Baden-Baden |             |             |
|             | Bjarni Thor |             |             |             |
|             | Kristinsson |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 2006        | Richard     | Gabor       | Denis Krief | Dynamic /   |
|             | Decker,     | Ötvös,      |             | 33497       |
|             | Doris       | Orchestra   |             |             |
|             | Soffel,     | and Chorus  |             |             |
|             | Matthias    | of Teatro   |             |             |
|             | Hölle,      | La Fenice   |             |             |
|             | Wolfgang    | di Venezia  |             |             |
|             | Schöne,     |             |             |             |
|             | Mikolaj     |             |             |             |
|             | Zalasinski, |             |             |             |
|             | Ulrich      |             |             |             |
|             | Dünnebach   |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 2007        | Christopher | Bernard     | Hans        | DG /        |
|             | Ventris,    | Haitink,    | Hollmann    | 0734407     |
|             | Yvonne      | Zurich      |             |             |
|             | Naef, Matti | Opera House |             |             |
|             | Salminen,   |             |             |             |
|             | Michael     |             |             |             |
|             | Volle, Rolf |             |             |             |
|             | Haunstein,  |             |             |             |
|             | Günther     |             |             |             |
|             | Groissböck  |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 2013        | Johan       | Christian   | Michael     | DG /        |
|             | Botha,      | Thielemann, | Schulz      | 0734939 DVD |
|             | Michaela    | Salzburg    |             | – DG –      |
|             | Schuster,   | Easter      |             | 0735036     |
|             | Stephen     | Festival,   |             | Blu-ray     |
|             | Milling,    | Staatskapel |             |             |
|             | Wolfgang    | le          |             |             |
|             | Koch,       | Dresden     |             |             |
|             | Wolfgang    |             |             |             |
|             | Koch,       |             |             |             |
|             | Milcho      |             |             |             |
|             | Borovinov   |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 2014        | Simon       | Antonio     | Stephen     | 2-DVD set:  |
|             | O'Neill,    | Pappano,    | Langbridge  | Opus Arte,  |
|             | Angela      | Royal Opera |             | ASIN:       |
|             | Denoke,     | House,      |             | B00O2YFDLG  |
|             | René Pape,  | Orchestra   |             |             |
|             | Gerald      | of the      |             |             |
|             | Finley,     | Royal Opera |             |             |
|             | Willard     | House       |             |             |
|             | White,      |             |             |             |
|             | Robert      |             |             |             |
|             | Lloyd       |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+
| 2014        | Jonas       | Daniele     | François    | 1-DVD set:  |
|             | Kaufmann,   | Gatti,      | Girard      | Sony        |
|             | Katarina    | Metropolita |             | Classical,  |
|             | Dalayman,   | n           |             | ASIN:       |
|             | René Pape,  | Opera,      |             | B00CU55HHY  |
|             | Peter       | Orchestra   |             |             |
|             | Mattei,     | of the      |             |             |
|             | Evgeny      | Metropolita |             |             |
|             | Nikitin,    | n           |             |             |
|             | Rúni        | Opera       |             |             |
|             | Brattaberg  |             |             |             |
+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+-------------+

[1] Holloway, Robin (1982) in “Opera on Record”, Harper and Row

[2] Blyth, Alan (1992), “Opera on CD” Kyle Cathie Ltd,

[3]

[4] _Parsifal_, Deutsche Grammophon

[5]

title: Parsifal discography

question: Who wrote "Parsifal"?

answer: "Parisfal" is an opera that was written by Richard Wagner.

question: Who conducted what is considered some of the best performance of the opera on disc?

answer: Karl Muck conducted excerpts from the opera, and these recordings are considered some of the best performances of the opera on disc.

question: What recording did music critic David Nice recommend?

answer: David Nice recommended the 1980 recording by the Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, conducted by Rafael Kubelik, as the best available choice.

question: Are there any video recordings of "Parsifal"?

answer: There are partial recordings of "Parsifal".

question: Write a ~1 sentence summary.

answer: "Parsifal" is an opera in three acts written by Richard Wagner.


split: train

text:
A 32-month study at the Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center found that among sexually active gay men who were taking PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) — the HIV-prevention treatment program using the drug Truvada — no new HIV infections were reported. This is the first "real-world" study of the drug, after clinical trials convinced the FDA and CDC to recommend its use in preventing HIV infection among at-risk individuals, such as those who are HIV-negative with HIV-positive sexual partners.

The study results were published in the journal _Clinical Infectious Diseases_.

As the Chronicle reports, the study followed 657 people, 99 percent of whom were men who have sex with men, with an average age of 37. All of the participants considered themselves sexually active, and not all used condoms.

The average length of Truvada use in the study was seven and a half months.

Critics of PrEP have cited the fact that other sexually transmitted diseases would be likely to rise among those taking the drug and eschewing the use of condoms, and the study found that yes, there was a 30-percent instance of other STDs within six months, and that went up to 50 percent after a year. However, HIV was not among those STDs.

As study co-author Julia Marcus tells HIVPlusMag, “Without a control group, we don’t know if these STI rates were higher than what we would have seen without PrEP. Ongoing screening and treatments for STIs, including hepatitis C, are an essential component of a PrEP treatment program."

Behavior, it seems, was not drastically different among those newly taking the dug, however condom use did go down. 74 percent of participants said there was no change in the number of sexual partners they had while taking the drug, and only 11 percent said they had more sexual partners. Also, 41 percent said they decreased their use of condoms, while 51 percent said their condom use was unchanged.

The initial clinical study of the drug happened here in SF as well, and this short film from 2014 was meant to highlight its effectiveness as an HIV prevention strategy for anyone who wanted to take it. UCSF medical professor Robert Grant, who took part in the first trial, compared its use and the stigma around it to the early years of the birth control pill, saying, "It takes a while for people to get used to new ideas, especially when it relates to sexuality."

Last year, openly gay Supervisor Scott Wiener came out as a PrEP user, and Supervisor David Campos subsequently pushed for greater access to the drug among low-income people.

PREVIOUSLY: More HIV-Negative Gay Men Should Consider Taking Truvada, Say SF Porn Stars

question: How many cases of HIV infection did they find in the group studied over the course of the study?

answer: None

question: Did STIs increase in the group studied over the course of the study?

answer: Besides HIV, yes. 30% instance of other STDs within six months, 50% after a year.

question: Did participants use condoms less as a result of being on PrEP?

answer: 41% decreased their use of condoms, 51% no change

question: Who said "It takes a while for people to get used to new ideas, especially when it relates to sexuality?"

answer: UCSF medical professor Robert Grant

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: A 32-month study at the Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center found that among sexually active gay men who were taking PrEP, no new HIV infections were reported. Besides HIV, participants in the study were found to have an increase of 40% more STIs after six months, 50% after a year. 41% of participants lowered their use of condoms.


text:
right|thumb|upright=1.5|Detail of “The Busy-Body No.2” THE BUSY-BODY was a pen name used by Benjamin Franklin and Joseph Breintnall in a column printed in _The American Weekly Mercury_, an early American newspaper founded and published by Andrew Bradford. There are 32 letters in “The Busy-Body” series. The essays were printed in 1729.

History

In 1728 Franklin and Hugh Meredith conspired to start a newspaper that would compete with Andrew Bradford and his _The American Weekly Mercury_. Franklin mentioned their intentions to a journeyman seeking employment named George Webb. Samuel Keimer in turn learned from Webb about Franklin and Meredith's enterprise and labored to launch his own newspaper, _Pennsylvania Gazette_ before Franklin and Meredith. The first issue of Keimer's _Gazette_ appeared December 24, 1728. Franklin describes the events in his _Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin_ (1791):

“The Busy-Body” was intended to suppress Keimer's readership by bolstering Bradford's sales of _The American Weekly Mercury_. “The Busy-Body No.1” appeared February 4, 1729; “The Busy-Body No.32” ended the run abruptly on September 25, 1729, the same week that Franklin and Meredith bought the failing _Pennsylvania Gazette_ from Keimer.

Authorship

Since the 1790s, it has been widely held that Franklin wrote the first four letters in “The Busy-Body” series, contributed to numbers five and eight, while Breintnall wrote the remaining twenty-six (Albert Smyth, II, 100n. in Tolles, 247). Marginalia on the issue of _The American Weekly Mercury_ from February 18, 1729 held by the archives of The Library Company of Philadelphia (most likely made by Franklin) suggest that, “The Busy Body was begun by B.F. who wrote the first four Numbers, Part of No. 5, part of No. 8, the rest by J. Brintnal [sic].”[1] Franklin's _Autobiography_ is the primary source of our knowledge that it was Breintnall who took over “The Busy Body.” [2]

Letters

No. 1

The first article in “The Busy-Body” series was written by Benjamin Franklin and published February 4, 1729. In “The Busy-Body no. 1” Franklin establishes the character of the anonymous Busy-Body as a self-declared “Censor Morum”, or a critic of morals.

“The Busy-Body No.1” was the lead-off article of Andrew Bradford's _The American Weekly Mercury_ the week that it appeared. The letters stayed at the front of the publication for 32 weeks.

No. 18

“The Busy-Body No. 18” was written by Joseph Breintnall. Published on June 19, 1729, No. 18 is notable for its inclusion of the poem, “A plain Description of one single Street in this City.” The poem, which offers a glimpse into colonial Philadelphia in 1729, is attributed to Breintnall, though the narrative persona of The Busy Body only names the author of the poem as “a Friend.” [3] The poem describes a progressive walk down Market Street in the city of Philadelphia, from the Delaware River to the Schuylkill River. “A plain Description of one Single Street in this City” opens with an account of the Market Street docks and the nearby homes of merchants. The poem then goes on to describe local landmarks of colonial Philadelphia, including the courthouse, the “Stocks, Post and Pillory,” and the Quaker Meeting House that once stood at the intersection of Market and Second. The poem also catalogs some of the various tradesmen's shops that once populated this central street.

[1]

[2]

[3]

title: The Busy-Body (pen name)

question: Who used the Busy Body as a pen name?

answer: Benjamin Franklin and Joseph Breintnall used Busy Body as a pen name.

question: How many letters are in the Busy Body series?

answer: There are 32 letters in the Busy Body series.

question: What was the Busy Body series supposed to compete with?

answer: It was supposed to compete with Andrew Bradford and his "The American Weekly Mercury".

question: Who wrote the first article in the Busy Body series?

answer: The first article was written by Benjamin Franklin in the Busy Body series.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: This article describes the Busy Body series which was written by Benjamin Franklin and Joseph Breintnall. The history, authorship, and letters are all discussed about the Busy Body series.


text:
[York, England] PERCIVAL LEVETT (1560–1625) was an early merchant and innkeeper of York, England, Sheriff of the city,[1] member of the Eastland Company and father of English explorer Capt. Christopher Levett.

Levett was born in Harewood, Yorkshire, and removed early to the city of York, where he was listed as a freeman in 1581, and where he served the city as chamberlain and subsequently Sheriff in 1597.[2] His daughter Ann married another York Sheriff, Christopher Topham (father of Member of Parliament Christopher Topham), and on his death married Dr. Joseph Micklethwaite.[3][4]

The ancestors of Percival Levett came from Bolton Percy, Yorkshire, and they shared a coat-of-arms with the Levetts of Normanton,[5] High Melton and Hooton Levitt, Yorkshire, indicating that a cadet branch of the family probably relocated to Bolton Percy during medieval times.[6]

Levett was a contributor from York to the Queen's Loan in 1590.[7] He was a member of the Eastland Company,[8] an English company established in the sixteenth century in an attempt to wrest Baltic trade from the Hanseatic League.

Percival Levett was buried at St. Martin's Micklegate in York on 13 February 1625.[9] Levett had done well enough as a merchant to acquire the title of gentleman, a title he assuredly was born without,[10] and sold his home in Coppergate, in central York, to Matthew Hutton, Archbishop of York.[11] Levett's sons, aside from Capt. Christopher the explorer, also became merchants, including his son Percival, a merchant at Beverley and York.[12][13] Percival Levett's brother Richard Levett was a long-serving mayor of Doncaster, South Yorkshire. [Ancestry of Percival Levett of York, Visitation of Dorset, 1623]

[1] _History and description of the ancient city of York_, William Hargrove, William Alexander, York, 1818.

[2] _Walks through the city of York, by R. Davies, ed. by his widow_, Robert Davies, Chapman and Hall Limited, London, 1880

[3] The Register of Burials in York Minster, Robert H. Skaife, The Mount, York, GENUKI.ORG

[4] [https://books.google.com/books?id=1DEGAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA367&lpg=PA367&dq=levett+peerage&source=bl&ots=iB9F0hUX01&sig=DOoUIPH2KcDIchG5iFTziXjFs0M&hl=en&ei=lTsjS-SVH4iOtAOZ3fjgDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CCwQ6AEwCTgK#v=onepage&q=&f=false A Genealogical History of the Dormant, Abeyant, Forfeited and Extinct Peerages of the British Empire, Sir Bernard Burke, Printed by Harrison, London, 1866]

[5] Miscellanea Genealogica et Heraldica, Vol. I, Third Series, G. Milner-Gibson-Cullum, Mitchell and Hughes, London, 1896

[6] The arms of the Levetts of Bolton Percy (and subsequently of York) and those of the Levetts of Normanton and High Melton were: Sable, a fess embattled, between 3 lions' heads erased, argent.1

[7] Chapters in the History of Yorkshire, James Joel Cartwright, B.W. Allen, Wakefield, 1872

[8] The Acts and Ordinances of the Eastland Company, Maud Sellers, Offices of the Royal Historical Society, London, 1906

[9] The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Henry Fitz-Gilbert Waters, Vol. LXVII, Published by the Society, Boston, 1913

[10] In deeds of covenant of about 1590, 'Percyvall Levitt' is referred to as 'yeoman.'2 By 20 May 1617, referring to Levett and his 'son and heir Christopher,' Percival Levett is referred to as 'Gentleman.'

[11] Archaeologia Aeliana, or Miscellaneous Tracts Relating to Antiquity, Vol. V, Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, J.G. Forster, 1861

[12] 'Percivallus Levett, mercator, fil. Percivalli Levett, generosi,' Register of the Freemen of the City of York: Vol. 2: 1559-1759, Francis Collins, 1900, British History Online

[13] The Publications of the Surtees Society, Wills & Administrations from the Knaresborough Court Rolls, Vol. II, Published for the Society by Andrews & Co., Durham, 1905

title: Percival Levett

question: What does the article say about Levett's family history?

answer: His ancestors were from Bolton Percy, Yorkshire. They are a cadet branch of the Levetts of Normanton, High Melton, and Hooton Levitt, Yorkshire, which is indicated by their shared coat-of-arms. His parents weren't nobility or rich.

question: What does the article say about Levett's legacy?

answer: Levett was a successful merchant, evidenced by his earning the title of gentleman. After a career of being a merchant and innkeeper, he served as the Sheriff of York. He was also a member of the Eastland company. In 1590, he contributed to the Queen's Loan. Levett's sons also became merchants except for one, Captain Christopher Levett, who became an explorer.

question: What does the article say about Levett's influence on modern times?


text:
Adonis Stevenson is set to defend his light heavyweight title. (Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images)

[Adonis Stevenson ]

• What a mess. What a politically fueled, fan-maddening mess. On May 24th, Adonis Stevenson will defend his light heavyweight title against Andrzej Fonfara. Stevenson’s trainer, Sugar Hill, confirmed the fight to me last week and it was formalized on Monday. HBO–which televised three of Stevenson’s fights last year — planned to televise this one, with an eye towards matching Stevenson in a highly anticipated 175-pound title unification fight against Sergey Kovalev later in the year.

That was the plan, anyway. Then HBO moved slowly executing the contracts, Stevenson signed with adviser Al Haymon and now we have the mess we’re in now: HBO uncertain if it will televise Stevenson-Fonfara and the growing possibility that Stevenson will head to Showtime and attempt to unify the titles against Bernard Hopkins later this year. This could be a potential nightmare for HBO.

And while it’s easy to blame Haymon -- HBO has no interest in working with him, believing his business model to be toxic for the network -- network executives have to shoulder some of the responsibility. Representatives for Stevenson and Kovalev say the key deal points for a two-fight deal that would have ultimately pitted Stevenson against Kovalev in the fall were agreed to well before Haymon got involved. Stevenson was set to receive the larger share of the license fee, Montreal or Las Vegas were being discussed as possible venues.

From HBO’s perspective, agreeing to deal points and finalizing a deal are two different things, but the delay allowed Haymon to slide in, sign Stevenson and produce more money from Showtime for a Fonfara fight while dangling the carrot of a future Hopkins fight, a fight that was always more appealing to Stevenson. Showtime, which under Executive Vice President Stephen Espinoza has been aggressively pursuing big fights, is now in a strong position to put on one of the biggest light heavyweight fights in recent years.

Over the last few days, HBO executives have been attempting to convince Stevenson to pass on Showtime's offer, pushing the idea that a long term association with HBO will ultimately be more lucrative. Stevenson hasn't budged.

If Stevenson bolts, Kovalev becomes collateral damage. Kovalev is scheduled to fight Cedric Agnew on Saturday on HBO. Without Stevenson, Kovalev doesn’t have a natural future opponent. Andre Ward is there, but Ward is embroiled in a contract dispute with promoter Dan Goossen and has not indicated he is ready to move up to 175-pounds anyway. Main Events, which promotes Kovalev, has a handful of rising light heavyweights in its stable (Isaac Chilemba, Lonnie Thompson) but none that belong on HBO right now. What once looked like a big year for Kovalev could be flushed down the drain.

And a fight between Stevenson and Kovalev, the most relevant fight in the light heavyweight division, will be washed away with it.

• In an effort to lure Floyd Mayweather to Brooklyn, Barclays Center executives put together one of the most lucrative site fees in U.S. boxing history: $17 million, according to multiple industry sources. In addition to the cash, Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark was prepared to roll out one of the most aggressive marketing plans in boxing history. From New York-based talk shows to promoting the fight in the financial community and on Madison Avenue, Yormark said the event would have given Mayweather “a platform like he had never had before. We would have made his brand dominant for the six weeks leading up to the fight. It was going to be our Super Bowl.”

Ultimately, Mayweather chose to stay in tax friendly confines of Las Vegas and at the MGM Grand, where he has fought his last eight fights. However Yormark told SI.com he hopes to lure Mayweather to Brooklyn before his career is over.

“At the end, Floyd probably decided the comforts of where he has been were better for him,” Yormark said. “Maybe one day it happens. We feel we gave them a lot to think about.

• Great to see ESPN get more involved in boxing, as they're set to televise the heavyweight title fight between Chris Arreola and Bermane Stiverne on May 10th from the Galen Center on the campus of USC. The success of ESPN, NBC Sports Network and Fox Sports 1 as boxing friendly outlets is critical to the growth of the sport.

• That Vivian Harris beat Jorge Paez Jr. last week is irrelevant; Harris, 35, shouldn’t be fighting. Harris has been knocked out five times in the last four years, some in absolutely brutal fashion, and recently he was denied a license by the British boxing commission for medical reasons. No respectable commission should ever license him again.

• Amir Khan says he plans to challenge Floyd Mayweather in the ring if Mayweather beats Marcos Maidana next month. Khan’s obsession with Mayweather is just weird. Khan should be focused on his opponent that night, Luis Collazo, a veteran welterweight who is coming off a career defining win over Victor Ortiz. If Khan looks like he did in his last few fights, Collazo will walk all over him.

• Tony Thompson keeps his career going ... again. A win over Odlanier Solis last weekend will position Thompson, the heavyweight division’s gatekeeper, for another notable fight. Amazing.

-- BY CHRIS MANNIX

question: Why is Stevenson heading to Showtime and attempting to unify the titles against Bernard Hopkins a nightmare for HBO?

answer: If Stevenson heads to Showtime, it could be presumed that that is a lot of money lost for HBO.

question: Why was Stevenson going to get the larger share of the license fee?

answer: That information can't be found in the article, but it could be assumed it's because is a light heavyweight champion who could bring in a lot of money to a network.

question: What were some of the benefits for Mayweather if he went to Brooklyn?

answer: Barclays Center executives claimed the move would give Mayweather a huge platform, and presumably would get him a lot of money and press.

question: Why would no respectable commission license Harris?

answer: Fighting is probably a lot more dangerous for him now. A respectable commission wouldn't endanger Harris' health.

question: Summarize the paragraph about Amir Khan.

answer: The author discusses how Amir Khan was planning to challenge Floyd Mayweather in the ring at the time of the article, and how Khan should focus on his fight with Luis Collazo instead of his obsession with Mayweather.


text:
The River
Since I was young I had always found closure in the river next to my home.  I would always go and camp by the riverside whenever I had the chance.  The feeling was like no other to get away from the business of life and relax in the stillness that nature had to offer.
I recall one time I went camping.  The day started off like every other day, I woke up in my one man tent to the comfort of my Colman sleeping bag.  The crisp, morning air scorched my nostrils as I slowly rose from my slumber.  I exited my tent and stood still in my camp listening to the slow, rhythmic splashes of the river.  The sound put my mind into a trance as I tried to shake the sleepiness that the morning brings.  While standing still I heard the giggling of a group of girls.  An early morning tubing brigade was in the making.  One could tell just by looking at this group that this was not their first time around the bend.  There were about four of them, each with their individual coolers that were probably not filled with pop and bottled water.
Knowing the history of the Crow Wing River I assumed that these girls were going to slowly float down to the bridge trying to catch an early morning buzz.  With each empty beer they would gossip about boys and try to one up each other with their “personal” experiences.  I had to chuckle softly to myself, thinking of what those girls were going to talk about, and knowing that I was going to join them on the river in the hours to come.
I turned my back to the river and headed for my cooler, trying to find something to cure my morning hunger.  I opened the lid and found six beers, a loaf of wheat bread, some venison steaks, and a freezer bag of premade pancakes.  I pulled out the pancakes and opened the bag. A brief smell of stale bread brushed my nose, but I was too hungry to care.  I sat in my folding chair as I ate my breakfast.  While I sat and ate, I listened to the music of the woods.  The birds were singing their good morning song, the trees creaking to the light wind that wisped over the land.  I ate half of the bag of pancakes and threw the rest into the woods so the birds could have breakfast as well.
I started to clean up my camp a bit and get ready for the day’s activities.  I had planned on tubing the river that day, and that is what I was going to do.  I retrieved my tube from the back of my car and took out the cold Bud Light’s that were in my cooler.  Being only sixteen at the time I was at risk of getting caught, but the area was so remote that there was only a slight chance.  I made my way down to the river, slowly wading in to check the water.  The water was cold, but not shockingly cold.  I was only knee deep in the water and I threw my tube in.  With beer in hand I submerged my body underneath the water.  There was a momentary pain in my trunks, but it went away fast as my whole body was chilled.  I came up next to my tube and climbed in.  The sun was beaming down on my body and it felt good on my freshly chilled skin.  I started rowing with my hands trying to find the right spot in the river where I could just sit and let the current do all the work.
 I made my way down the river, sipping on my beer and lost in my thoughts.  My mind started running with all of my life’s stresses, school, grades, football and girls.  I, not knowingly, entered the first of many bends in the river and became stuck on the edge.  On one side there was a forest filled with brush and on the other was a small meadow where deer were known to bed.  I was brought back from my thoughts as I was stuck for a short while.  When I looked up I was presented with a picturesque scene.  A faun was jumping around in the meadow, happy to be alive.  I could tell it was young from the spots it still had.  The faun seemed to have not a care in the world, rolling in the grass that grew thick in the meadow.  I slowly pushed off from the shore, still looking at this being full of life.  I quietly passed by the faun, yet midway through I had to cough.  The noise shook the little deer and its ears perked up.  The faun found my position in the river and I froze solid, trying not to make it run away. We stared at each other for what seemed like an eternity.  As I slowly moved with the river I lost contact with the faun, but heard it resume frolicking in its meadow.
I started to think of the faun, how it didn’t scare when it saw me, how it found me nonthreatening and how its will to play was greater than its will to run.  I pondered our meeting while the river swept me away.  The faun was stricken with fear when it saw me, yet it overcame that fear so it could play and be happy.  I was transfixed by this topic until the river brought me to a group of five children; all of them not older then thirteen.  They were swinging from a rope tied onto a tree that grew over the river.  They were taking turns grabbing onto the rope and swinging into the water.  Nothing could break their happiness.  They were laughing as each one hit the water and came up with a huge grin.  As I watched I thought how lucky they were, to be young and not care about the stresses that I had to endure.  All they knew was that swinging off the rope into the river was fun and that is all they needed to know.
I made my way farther down the river still thinking about the faun and the children when I came across a tree that had fallen into the river.  I put my hands in the water and maneuvered around the fallen tree.  As I passed I started wondering how that could be, how the tree was so tall and scraping the sky one day and the next it was dead in the water.  The idea hit me that all trees do is stay stationary in one spot all of their life, waiting for death to fall upon them.  They wait and watch as the world around them bustles with life, not able to do anything about it.  They wait for their roots to give out and just the right amount of wind to push them over.  All they can do is sit and wait for their demise.
The current then took me farther down the river and I could see my destination.  My destination was Mary Brown Bridge.  The bridge was covered in graffiti from each graduating class of the surrounding schools.  As I came closer I could hear the slurred yelling from the group of girls that left before me.  They were standing on the side of the bridge jumping into the river like it was their job.  After each one would jump they would whoop and holler, while they took another chug of beer.  I made it to the bank of the bridge and slowly rose from my tube, I didn’t realize how much I had actually drunk on the river, and I stumbled my way up onto the bridge.  The girls noticed my presence and beckoned me to join them in their end of float fun.  As I walked to the side of the bridge fear overcame my body.  The risk of drowning subdued me from jumping as I placed my hands on the wall and looked down at the water.  The river was high this year so the current was really strong, especially under the bridge.
My legs started to buckle in fear as the girls provoked me to jump.  I started thinking about the children that didn’t care if they got hurt jumping into the river; they were having too much fun.  I thought of the faun and how it overcame its fear so it could frolic around, not caring who was watching.  I thought about how the tree stood still its whole life, and then died without any accomplishments, how it was alive one day and gone the next.  The risk of drowning started to die down and courage arose within me.  Life is too short to not take risks, to not have fun.  I then got up on the edge of the bridge, the girls started to cheer, and I jumped.

title: I wrote this awhile back, hope you guys like it.

question: Where does the story take place?

answer: Crow Wing River.

question: Who are the giggling girls and what is their relationship with the narrator?

answer: They're strangers, but the narrator sees them while still at camp and encounters them again when he reaches Mary Brown Bridge after tubing the river. The girls were standing on the bridge and jumping into the river. They invite the narrator to jump into the river with them.

question: What is the narrator doing by the river?

answer: He's camping and plans to go tubing until he reaches Mary Brown Bridge.

question: Why does the narrator love spending time by the river?

answer: He always finds closure in the river and feels like it's a place to get away from the business of life and relax in nature.

question: Write a ~13 sentence summary.

answer: The narrator is a 16-year-old guy who loves to spend time by the Crow Wing River near his home. He always finds closure in the river and feels like it is a place to get away from the business of life and relax in nature. He camps alone and wakes up planning to go tubing the river. The narrator sees a group of four girls with the same idea. He goes tubing and lets the current take over his journey. The narrator sees the beauty of the riverside and even comes close to a faun playing by the meadow, overcoming its initial fear of him to continue playing. After he sees a dead tree in the water, he thinks about how a tree lives its life rooted to the same spot and dies there. He manages to float to his destination, Mary Brown Bridge, and sees the girls he saw earlier. The girls are inebriated now, on top of the bridge and jumping into the river. They beckon him to join them. The narrator is a little drunk too and is afraid he will get injured. The narrator remembers the faun overcoming its fear, and the dead tree dying in the same spot. He thinks life is too short not to take risks and jumps while the girls cheer him on.


text:
Will his top target Jordy Nelson be there right alongside him in 2023? Don't count on it.

"I got two more years left on this deal, it would be great to play those out and kind of see where we're at," Nelson explained. "Me personally, how I feel, how the body feels. And then, obviously, it's up to the organization what they would want to do."

Nelson continued: "I would say anywhere between two to four more years. I think four more -- so this one and three more -- would be my max. That would put me at 13 years. I'd be happy with that, obviously. At some point, I have to get my family back to Kansas."

As he described, Nelson's four-year pact, his third deal signed with Green Bay, concludes at the end of the 2018 season. He'll be 33 years old and finishing his 11th year in the league.

Star receivers have found success in the back half of their thirties in the past. Wideouts with 34 years or more of life experience have posted 37 seasons of 1,000 or more receiving yards in NFL history. Steve Smith and Anquan Boldin both went over 1,060 receiving yards in 2014 at ages 35 and 34, respectively.

But considering Nelson's injury history -- ankle in 2012, ACL tear in 2015, ribs in 2016 -- he might be better off retiring when his body tells him it's the right time, not the calendar.

question: Who is Jordy Nelson?

answer: A player of Green Bay.

question: When is Nelson going to retire?

answer: He is going to play for two to four more years.

question: When does Jordy's current deal conclude?

answer: It concludes at the end of the 2018 season.

question: What is Nelson's injury history?

answer: He injured his ankle in 2012, ACL in 2015, and ribs in 2016.

question: Write a ~5 sentence summary.

answer: Jordy Nelson, a player of Green Bay, signed the third deal with Green Bay. It concludes at the end of the 2018 season. At that time, he'll be 33 years old and finishing his 11th year in the league. The interviewer (the author of the article) asks Jordy if he will be still playing in 2023, and he replies that he has two more years left on his current deal and feels he would play for two to four more years. The author mentions Jordy's injury history and concludes that Jordy might be better off retiring when his body tells him it's the right time, not the calendar.


text:
Her feet burn as she walks down the pavement. Her hands rest upon her very pregnant stomach and her shirt that was stained from dirt and sweat. Sarah runs her toes through the puddle of blood that had collected by a sewer run off to soothe her sore feet. She lowers her head and watches her feet as she passes the little boy that is screaming under the stop sign, his body is covered in scabs and blisters.

Amongst the screaming of the demons that soar like vultures in the ashy sky, which would occasionally mutilate a person with its claws or tackle them and rip their flesh with their rows of tiny pointed teeth, she stares at Bryson’s house across the street.

Gene and Tommy are sitting in a dying maple tree on a September afternoon. Hey, Tommy. Look at that girl down there,” Gene says as he nudges Tommy in the ribs.

Tommy is busy staring at the green circles of fungi on the rotting park bench below them. “Huh,” he responds. “What do you think she’s doing,” Tommy asks after realizing he heard the question.

“I don’t know. She’s been staring at that house for two days now.

Heh. I still can’t believe that sky, sure is something,” Gene says. “Like the way the red sun clashes with the grey sky and how the orange horizon looks like it’s dripping down the sky.”

The two watch her standing in the street, her reflection looking just as scared as her in the broken windows of an abandoned building.  A few leaves fall from the maple tree only adding to the chaos.

“Not many of them around anymore are there Gene,” Tommy asks.

Gene shakes his head. “No, not really.  The rays from the conceding sun beam down on Gene and Tommy’s glistening black backs.

When the world was supposed the end in December, it didn’t really. But it was the end of how things used to be and the beginning of something new. On the twenty-first, some were saved-those who believed and those who were forgiven. Some were asked to stay behind- angels to act as warriors against the demons. Bryson was chosen because of his strength and his heart. No one knew why children were left behind, or husbands and wives who attended church every Sunday.

Months of uncertainly passed until March when the asteroids hit, damaging all the power lines and many homes. And this month, September, was when the demons appeared. But those who were left were not in total gloom, for they were given a second chance. To prove themselves through their struggles and conquer the evil that had overtaken their lives. The angels that stayed and fought represented hope for mankind, that God had not totally given up faith in man and that in their struggles and they could find rebirth and washed pure in the blood and tears of Christ.

Sarah finally moves and makes her way further down the road. She walks past a yellow house, it’s siding smeared in charcoal covered ashes and notices through the big glass window a woman can be seen in the kitchen making dinner. Her husband and three children sit around the dinner table. The littlest girl with her hair in a pony tail grabs her fathers hand and with the other hand waves to her mother to come to the table. They bow their heads and pray. She continues walking.

“She’s getting awfully close. I think she’s finally going to go inside,” Gene says excitedly cocking his head to the side to better watch her with his round black eye.

She walks up the steps of the house of interest, taking a deep breath causing her chest to rise and she knocks on the door. It creaks as it slowly swings open. She looks inside, his brown hair can be seen off the side of the couch as he lays motionless. She slowly walks inside, turning to face him. She looks at his face, his solid black eyes lifeless and his massive wings rested peacefully on his back. She screams and turns away running down the steps, leaving the door open just as it was.

“Did you hear that,” Tommy asks.

Sarah runs down the street, tears streaming down her face. She trips on the stairs of the deck of her house and falls and she lays there sobbing. She rolls over to her side, clutching where her unborn child rests inside of her.

 Gene and Tommy watch two old men in rocking chairs crack open beers, rifles sitting in their laps. Intrigued by the cackling of their voices they listen as the men relay stories about how they weren’t going to let anyone take them until they were damn well ready. One of the men raises his gun and shoots and a hovering demon, bringing Gene and Tommy’s attention back into focus.

“Hey, where’d that girl go,” Gene asks.

From inside her house, clamor can be heard as she rummages through drawers and closets, emptying their contents on the dusty floor. A gunshot echoes through the trees and the startled blackbirds fly away.

title: Walking without Wings

question: What is the state of the world in the story?

answer: It seems that some sort of doomsday happened. Some people ascended, some were chosen to stay behind as angels, and some were just left on the planet which is ravaged by asteroids and demons.

question: What does Sarah see when she enters Bryson's house?

answer: She sees him dead and motionless, even though he was one of the angels.

question: What are Gene and Tommy doing?

answer: Just sitting in a maple tree and watching everyone around, especially Sarah.

question: What does Sarah do at the end of the story?

answer: It is unclear, but it seems that she kills herself.

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: The text is a short story about the world after some sort of doomsday. Some people ascended, some were turned into angels, are some were left on the planet which is ravaged by asteroids and demons. Sarah, a pregnant woman, enters Bryson's house, sees him dead, and upon running back to her own house, she presumably kills herself.


text:
The Maniac

By: Leah Pagano

Chapter 1: Introducing a maniac
Brett grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania. He went to church every Sunday and had a very loving family. But from the time he was a small boy he knew there was something different about him. He could always feel this rage inside of him waiting to burst out. He always held it in for fear of his parents sending him away to the looney bin. But one day when he was about thirteen years old, he stumbled upon a stray cat when he was walking home from school. Normally these cats were afraid of people, but not this one. He was very friendly. So Brett picked him up and took him home knowing his parents wouldn't be home for hours. This was the first time Brett would kill. He thought about it the whole way home. Every step he took the rage grew stronger. He started perspiring profusely. He finally hit the front door of his house but instead of going in he just stood there a few minutes. He turned and decided to go into the basement. He would remain down there for two hours. No sounds. No wails. Just a pool of blood spilling out from under the door. Brett had just unlocked his rage. The worst was yet to come.
	He had just figured out the way to control his rage. Killing. He knew it was wrong but he figured it was just animals so it was okay. What he didn’t realize was that he was slowly turning into a monster. Day after day he slaughtered these poor animals and each day he became stronger, more violent. His fits of rage lasted longer and longer until he finally snapped. This was it. Today would be the day he took it one step further.
Chapter 2: It’s only A Crime If You Get Caught
	He waited patiently outside the grocery store day after day looking, hoping to find The One. The One that would set him free. The One that would finally unlock his brain and let him be normal. Or so he thought inside his twisted head. He saw little girls, little boys and their parents. He decided it would be an adult. Someone bigger than him so he could feel faster, stronger and smarter than them. He knew it would be hard to get them alone. So he went home and thought about his plan. In the middle of the night it came to him. Act like he was lost and ask for a ride. No one would leave a little boy stranded would they? His plan would be put into action Friday night. His parents would be gone for the weekend and no one would be around to interrupt his deadly deeds.
	He waited anxiously through the whole week for Friday to finally arrive. When the day came he quickly packed up his backpack and got on his bike to head to the grocery store. He walked in and saw that the store manager was working the evening shift and would be leaving around midnight. He thought this was the perfect opportunity.
	He waited in the bushes until the manager was walking towards her car. He waited until she had the key in the door and then jumped out, hit her in the head with a rock and then he dragged her body into the bushes. He only lived a few blocks from the store so he knew he had to move in the darkness to not be seen. He slowly and carefully moved the body step by step through yards and driveways. He had left the basement door open for easy access. He quickly threw the body down the steps, closed the door and locked it behind him. What madness lies in store for the night shift manager? Only Brett knew and he was about to unleash a whole new kind of evil.
Chapter 3: In The Torture Chamber
	A few hours passed and there was a lot of clinks and clanks during this time. The manager started to open her eyes. She didn't know where she was. Brett had a mask on his face just in case she would escape. He didn't want to be incriminated for his crime. He walked up to her and saw her name tag. It said Ashley. He looked into her eyes and he could see she was weak. She opened her mouth to speak but then realized she was tied up and gagged. Before she could process all this Brett slammed a white hot brand into her side. With this Ashley screamed and her eyes filled with tears. Brett took great pleasure in this. After all, he was just beginning. He seared her flesh over and over again with the brand before she passed out again. He then moved onto phase two of his plan.
	He grabbed his fathers nail gun. He put Ashley's hands and feet flat against the table and then woke her up with smelling salts. Just as her eyes opened he pulled the trigger on the nail gun and shot a nail into her right hand. He followed the same pattern with the rest of her limbs. He couldn't stand it anymore. He had to end it. He was too pumped to handle anymore. He grabbed a bucket, put it underneath the table and turned around. He returned with a butcher knife. He took his mask off. He told Ashley he wanted her to know what her murderer looked like. And with that, he slit her throat. She was dead in minutes. Now what to do with the body? This had already been planned out as well.
Chapter 4: The Master Plan
	Brett watched as the last few drops of blood left Ashley's body. He was so proud of himself. He finally got all the rage out. He felt “normal”. Now what to do? Get rid of the body of course. He got out his dads saw and began the slow process of hacking her body to pieces. He boiled them up and put them into mason jars. He buried the blood in the backyard. You may ask, what happened to the pieces of her body? Well Brett was slowly feeding his dog Milo the pieces little by little in his dog food. He thought he had committed the perfect crime. How would anyone ever find out. Three months had past and everything was going fine. Brett only had a few pieces left to feed Milo and it would be over forever. That is, until Milo got sick. He begged his dad not to take him to the vet. He said he just had an upset stomach for a few days. But his dad took him anyway. And that's when the truth finally came out. When they x-rayed Milo's stomach they saw all of Ashley's fingernails in there. Brett's dad had no idea what happened. Brett told him he didn't know how they got there. But the vet called the police after they had left and told them what had happened. A few hours later the police arrived at Brett's house with the surveillance tapes from the grocery store. They had seen everything Brett had done until he reached the neighbors yard. Brett ran out of the house as fast as he could. The police said when they caught him he would go to trial for murder. They found the blood in the backyard and the few pieces left of Ashley down in the deep freeze. Brett was done for and he knew it. How long could he avoid the police?
Chapter 5: The Death Of A Maniac
	Brett ran for what seemed like hours. Had it been worth it? All the years of rage finally gone only to go to jail for the rest of his life. No way. He stayed hidden for a few days before the police finally caught up with him. They pulled him out of his hiding space and put handcuffs on him. He went to trial, was found guilty, and sent to a maximum security prison. His first night in he couldn't stand it. He waited until everyone had gone to sleep and the guards were busy bringing in a new prisoner. He tied his bed sheets into a noose and hung himself. By the time the guards found him it was too late. Brett killed himself at age eighteen. Two months shy of graduating and starting his life for real. His parents grieved for him. Ashley's family was happy to have justice served. So this brings us to the end of the story. Or does it? It turns out Brett's girlfriend had just found out she was pregnant a few weeks before he was caught. Will his child have the same mental problems? Will he be a maniac like his father? Or would he live a normal, peaceful life like everyone else? We may never know. Or will we?

title: The Maniac

question: What does the text say about the cat?

answer: The cat was a stray that Brett came across going home from school. He brought it to the basement and killed it to get his rage out and feel normal. This was his first time killing.

question: What does the text say about Brett's first time killing a person?

answer: When Brett got bored of killing animals, he decided to step up his game and kill a person. His victim was Ashley, a night-shift store manager. He ambushed her as she was walking towards her car, hit her head with a rock, dragged her to his basement, and tortured her there before finally killing her.

question: What does the text say about how it was found out that Brett murdered Ashley?

answer: To dispose of Ashley's body, Brett chopped it into pieces, boiled the body parts, and store them in mason jars. For quite some time, he fed his dog, Milo, with pieces of Ashley's body until one day Milo got sick and Brett's father took the dog to the vet. Milo's X-ray showed Ashley's fingernails, and the vet called the police. Upon thorough investigation, Brett was found guilty of Ashley's murder.

question: What does the text say about how Brett developed his psychological disorder?


text:
MANILA, Philippines – Hovering "in a close and dangerous distance," a Chinese navy chopper harassed a Philippine Navy rubber boat in Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal) in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), a lawmaker said.

In a statement on Wednesday, May 30, Magdalo Representative Gary Alejano said the alleged harassment in Ayungin Shoal happened on May 11.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday, however, did not categorically call it a form of "harassment," as he preferred to label it an "incident." He said the Philippines, in any case, has filed a diplomatic protest.

Citing his sources from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Alejano explained that "the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has lodged a complaint with the DFA" regarding this recent case.

He said the Chinese Coast Guard and the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) "challenged and harassed" the Philippine Navy.

The Philippine Navy was then conducting "a reprovisioning mission for our troops" at the _BRP Sierra Madre_ in Ayungin Shoal.

"When the Philippine Navy ship launched a rubber boat to resupply _BRP Sierra Madre,_ a chopper of PLAN hovered in a close and dangerous distance. The PLAN chopper was so close that seawater splash entered the rubber boat," Alejano said.

He added that "the said Chinese forces were aboard Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) with bow number 3368 and PLAN ship with bow number 549."

"Before, it was only CCG that was challenging and harassing our troops. Now, the CCG was already accompanied by the PLAN. This is a clear threat to our security forces by no less than the Chinese Coast Guard and Navy which obviously requires condemnation from our end," added Alejano.

Ayungin Shoal is a tiny group of islets and reefs about 200 kilometers (120 miles) northwest of the Philippine island of Palawan, the nearest major landmass. This is where a handful of Marines living on a grounded World War II-era ship serve as the Philippines' last line of defense against China's efforts to control the West Philippine Sea.

CAYETANO: IT'S AN INCIDENT

In his statement about the recent Ayungin Shoal case, Alejano then criticized Cayetano for supposedly not filing a diplomatic protest against China's moves.

"Secretary Cayetano should not feign ignorance and act clueless as if his office is not receiving pertinent information," Alejano said.

Alejano also brought up this alleged harassment when he spoke in a hearing at the House of Representatives regarding the West Philippine Sea.

"While we are talking and we want to have a good relationship with China, why are we being harassed on the ground?" Alejano asked in a mix of English and Filipino.

Cayetano acknowledged this incident at the House of Representatives hearing on Wednesday.

He said this is the only incident "on a different level" for the past two years.

Other instances only involve China "telling us on the radio that 'this is Chinese territory, you are entering it,'" while the Philippines responds, "You are in Philippine territory."

"We are dealing with that. We filed a protest regarding that. We had a meeting. The President had strong instructions," Cayetano said, adding that he preferred to give more details in an executive session.

In an interview with reporters before the executive session, Cayetano was also asked about this reported harassment.

_"Eh ang problema naman kasi sa mga kritiko, tingnan ka lang ng Chinese, harassment na eh_ (The problem with critics is that if the Chinese only look at you, they consider it harassment)," Cayetano said.

A journalist later asked Cayetano regarding the May 11 incident: "You don't consider it harassment?"

Cayetano answered: "I'm not saying it's not harassment. I'm saying harassment is a generic word and we're talking why it happened. The military does not report it as harassment. The military reports it factually _kung ano_ (as it is). Harassment is _ano eh_ (what), what's it, an adverb?"

Another reporter interjected, "Therefore, _ano po ang tamang nangyari, sir _(what really happened, sir)?"

"It's an incident. It's an incident," Cayetano said.

"What incident _po_, secretary?" the reporter asked.

The Philippines' top diplomat answered, "That's what we don't discuss in public." – WITH REPORTS FROM AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE/RAPPLER.COM

@paterno_II
Paterno R. Esmaquel II, news editor of Rappler, specializes in covering religion and foreign affairs. He obtained his MA Journalism degree from Ateneo and later finished MSc Asian Studies (Religions in Plural Societies) at RSIS, Singapore. For story ideas or feedback, email him at pat.esmaquel@rappler.com.

[image]

question: Who is the author of this article?

answer: Paterno R. Esmaquel II.

question: Where did the alleged harassment of a Philippine Navy rubber boat occur?

answer: In Ayungin Shoal.

question: What is the closest land to Ayungin Shoal?

answer: The Philippine island of Palawan.

question: Which two groups harassed the Philippine Navy?

answer: The Chinese Coast Guard and the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: A Chinese navy chopper is accused of harassing a Philippine Navy rubber boat in Ayungin Shoal, an area in the West Philippine Sea and South China Sea. Those aboard the Philippine Navy boat claim that a boat from the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and a chopper from the Chinese Coast Guard came in a dangerously close distance to their boat. The Philippines has since filed a diplomatic protest for what is the first major incident in two years.


text:
The 36TH CENTURY BC was a century which lasted from the year 3600 BC to 3501 BC.

Events

[Ggantija temple]

-   Civilization in Sumer (Uruk period).
-   Beginning of the construction of the megalithic Ggantija temple complex in Malta.
-   Mnajdra solar temple complex, Malta.
-   Colombia, first rupestrian art at Chiribiquete (Caquetá).
-   Maize is domesticated at Balsas River by the Tehuacán culture
-   In Egypt, evidence found of mummification around this time at a cemetery in Nekhen (Hierankopolis).[1]
-   Fortified town at Amri on the west bank of the Indus River.

Cultures

-   Baden culture (present-day Moravia, Hungary, Slovakia and Eastern Austria)
-   Funnelbeaker culture (north central Europe and southern Scandinavia)
-   Boian culture, Phase IV or Spanţov Phase (also known as the Boian-Gumelniţa culture) (lower Danube river)
-   Chasséen culture (present-day France)
-   Pfyn culture (present-day Switzerland)
-   Cucuteni-Trypillian culture (present-day Romania, Moldova and Ukraine)
-   Beginning of Wartberg culture (present-day Germany)

Inventions, discoveries, introductions

-   First known evidence of popcorn. Excavations of the Bat Cave in Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico in 1948 and 1950 discovered ears of popcorn dated to circa 3600 BC.[2]

[1] Timeline Egypt Timelines of History.

[2] Popcorn: Ingrained in America's Agricultural History. National Agricultural Library.

title: 36th century BC

question: What was the most significant culinary discovery of the 36th century BC?

answer: Popcorn


text:
CHIPINDO is a town and municipality, with a population of 64,714 (2014 census), in the province of Huíla, Angola.[1][2]

It is situated 450 km North of Lubango, Huila province capital.

Geography & Territory

With an extension of 4.038 km2, and a population density of 19 per km2, it is limited with the towns of Caála and Tchicala Tcholoanga in Huambo Province in the North, with Jamba town in the South, with Kuvango in the East and with Caconda and Chicomba in the West.

Its population is 64,714 at the 2014 census, distributed in two communes, Chipindo Sede and Bambi, that are constituted by seven regedorías, Tchitata, Camoanha, Sangueve, Capembe e Bundjei (Chipindo Sede), Catapua, Bambi sede (Bambi), and a great number of aldeias in each comuna. During the raining season traffic is strongly reduced due to the bad shape of the roads.

It has a small landing runway.

Climate

Chipindo has a subtropical highland climate (Köppen: _Cwb_) with two differentiated seasons, a wet season from October to April and a dry season from May to September. Temperatures are somewhat lower during the dry season.

Population

Mother tongue of most of the population is Umbundu, spoken by the majority of Umbundu people, although it exist a part of the population belonging to Gangela people, especially in the West, close to Kuvango. The population is in its majority of strong traditional beliefs.

Administration

Since the end of the war, for the first time in 14 years, since March 19, 2002, a local administration was established.

COMUNAS

-   CHIPINDO SEDE: town center. Local Administration, police, Catholic church, Health center, School and Hospital (under construction in 2004). Aldea de Mbuandangui: 2 km from Chipindo sede, Action Against Hunger base (as of 2005). Regidurias: Sangueve, Camoanha, Tchitata, Capembe and Bundjei.
-   BAMBI: South of the town. Health post.

Regidurias: Catapua, Bambi sede.

SECTOR

-   Bundjei: North of the town. Health center.

[1]

[2]

title: Chipindo

question: Where is Chipindo?

answer: In the province of Huila, Angola

question: Why is traffic reduced during the raining season?

answer: The roads are usually in bad shape

question: What is the most common native language of the population?

answer: Umbundu

question: What is the population of the town?

answer: 64,714

question: Write a ~3 sentence summary.

answer: Chipindo is a town with a population of around 65 thousand in Huila, Angola. The most common native language in the community is Umbundu. The town has had a local administration since March 2002.


text: BRUNNWINKL is a hamlet at the edge of Wolfgangsee close to St. Gilgen in Salzkammergut, Austria. It is perhaps best known as the place where ethologist Karl von Frisch decoded the waggle dance of honey bees.

title: Brunnwinkl

question: What is Brunnwinkl?

answer: It is a hamlet at the edge of Wolfgangsee close to St. Gilgen in Salzkammergut, Austria.

question: What is Brunnwinkl best known for?

answer: The place where ethologist Karl von Frisch decoded the waggle dance of honey bees.

question: Who is Karl von Frisch?

answer: He was the ethologist who decoded the waggle dance of honey bees.

question: Write a ~2 sentence summary.

answer: Brunnwinkl is a hamlet at the edge of Wolfgangsee close to St. Gilgen in Salzkammergut, Austria. It is perhaps best known as the place where ethologist Karl von Frisch decoded the waggle dance of honey bees.