Tournament.

The 2012 WTA Championships took place at the Sinan Erdem Dome 23–28 October 2012. It was the 41st edition of the event. The tournament was run by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) and was part of the 2012 WTA Tour. It was the larger of the two season ending championships on the 2012 WTA Tour, the smaller being the latter was only for players who did not qualify for the WTA Championships.

Format.

The singles event featured eight players and began as a round robin event, split into two groups of four. Over the first four days of competition, each player met the other three players in their group, with the top two in each group advancing to the semifinals. The first-placed player in one group met the second-placed player in the other group, and vice versa. The winners of each semifinal met in the championship match.

Round Robin tie-breaking methods.

The final standings of each group shall be determined by the first of the following methods that apply:  The doubles competition has four teams playing in a straight knockout format from the semifinal stage.

Prize money and points.

The total prize money for the 2012 WTA Championships was 4.9 million United States dollars.

Qualified players.

Singles.

On September 6, Victoria Azarenka and Maria Sharapova became the first two players to qualify for the championships.  Victoria Azarenka started the year strongly, winning the Apia International Sydney over Li Na, 6–2, 1–6, 6–3. She then followed this up by winning her maiden grand slam at the Australian Open, defeating Maria Sharapova, 6–3, 6–0. With the win, she claimed the no. 1 ranking for the first time. Her winning streak continued in the Qatar Total Open. She won the title without dropping a set, beating Samantha Stosur, 6–1, 6–2 in the final. She then won her fourth title of the year at the BNP Paribas Open, once again defeating Sharapova, 6–2, 6–3. Her streak ended when she was defeated by Marion Bartoli in the quarterfinals of Sony Ericsson Open. During the clay season, she reached back-to-back finals, in Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, losing to Sharapova, 1–6, 4–6, and the Mutua Madrid Open, losing to Serena Williams, 1–6, 3–6. At the French Open, she lost in the fourth round to Dominika Cibulková, 2–6, 6–7. Seeded second at Wimbledon, she reached the semifinals, where she was defeated by Serena, 3–6, 6–7. At the Summer Olympics, she reached the semifinals, where she once again lost to Serena, 1–6, 2–6. However, she won the bronze medal match against Maria Kirilenko, earning Belarus their first tennis medal in history. She teamed up with Max Mirnyi for the mixed-doubles event, where she won the gold medal after defeating Laura Robson and Andy Murray in the gold-medal match. Seeded first at the US Open, Azarenka defeated the defending champion, Samantha Stosur, in the quarterfinals and Sharapova in the semifinals, but lost to Williams in her first US Open final, 2–6, 6–2, 5–7. She then won the China Open as the top seed, defeating Sharapova 6–3, 6–1 in the final and did not drop a set in the tournament. Azarenka won her sixth title of the year at the Generali Ladies Linz defeating Julia Görges 6–3, 6–4, after blowing a 5–0 in the second. Maria Sharapova started 2012 by reaching the final of the Australian Open. Being the favorite for the title, she succumbed in a 3–6, 0–6 defeat by first time grand slam finalist, Victoria Azarenka, in the final. She followed up her consistent performance with back-to-back final appearances at the BNP Paribas Open, losing to Azarenka, 2–6, 3–6, and the Sony Ericsson Open, losing to Agnieszka Radwańska, 5–7, 4–6. She then won her first title of the year at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, defeating world no. 1 Azarenka, 6–1, 6–4. She then also won the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, defeating Li Na, 4–6, 6–4, 7–6 coming back from 0–4 in the second set. At the French Open, she won her fourth grand slam singles title, defeating Sara Errani, 6–3, 6–2, in the final. The victory gave her a career grand slam and returned her to world no. 1. Entering Wimbledon as the top seed, Sharapova lost in the fourth round to Sabine Lisicki, 4–6, 3–6. She rebounded well at the Summer Olympics, winning the silver medal after being outplayed by Serena Williams in the final, 0–6, 1–6. Despite skipping the US Open Series, she reached the US Open's semifinals, but lost to Azarenka. She then reached the final of the China Open, once again facing Azarenka but lost 3–6, 1–6. On September 10, Serena Williams became the third player to qualify for the championships.  Serena Williams did not enjoy a good start of the season, injuring her ankle at her first tournament of 2012 in Brisbane and succumbing in the fourth round of the Australian Open to Ekaterina Makarova, 2–6, 3–6. In the clay season, she won her first title on clay since 2008 at the Family Circle Cup, losing only 15 games and defeating Lucie Šafářová, 6–0, 6–1, in the final. She then won the Mutua Madrid Open over Victoria Azarenka, 6–1, 6–3. Coming to the French Open as a heavy favorite with a 17-match winning streak, Williams suffered a shocking first-round loss to Virginie Razzano, 6–4, 6–7, 3–6. This marked Williams' first loss in the first round in a Grand Slam. However, she regrouped well and triumphed at Wimbledon by defeating Agnieszka Radwańska in the final, 6–1, 5–7, 6–2, for her 14th Grand Slam title, came back after losing a 4–2 lead in the second. The following week, she defended her title at the Bank of the West Classic, defeating Coco Vandeweghe, 7–5, 6–3. At the Summer Olympics, she won the gold medal after dominating Maria Sharapova, 6–0, 6–1, in the final. She lost just a total of 17 games during the event. This victory completed the career Golden Slam in singles, making her only the second woman (after Steffi Graf) to do so. She also won the doubles gold with sister Venus Williams for the third time, over Lucie Hradecká and Andrea Hlaváčková, 6–4, 6–4. Her 19-match winning streak ended at the Western & Southern Open to Angelique Kerber. At the US Open, she reached the final with the loss of just 19 games. In the final, she defeated world no. 1, Victoria Azarenka, 6–2, 2–6, 7–5, for her second Grand Slam singles title of the year and 15th overall. On September 24, Agnieszka Radwańska became the fourth player to qualify for the championships.  Agnieszka Radwańska began the season with a semifinal appearance at Apia International Sydney and a quarterfinal finish at the Australian Open. She claimed her first title of the year at the Dubai Tennis Championships over Julia Görges, 7–5, 6–4. She claimed her second title of the year at the Sony Ericsson Open by defeating Maria Sharapova in the final, 7–5, 6–4. In the clay season, she reached two semifinals, before losing in her opening match in the Internazionali BNL d'Italia to Petra Cetkovská, 4–6, 6–4, 1–6, her first lost to a player other than Azarenka in the year. However, she bounced back by winning the Brussels Open over Simona Halep, 7–5, 6–0. At the French Open, she fell to Svetlana Kuznetsova in the third round, 1–6, 2–6. At Wimbledon, she reached the first Grand Slam singles final of her career, losing to Serena Williams, 1–6, 7–5, 2–6. At the Summer Olympics, she was upset in the first round by Julia Görges, 5–7, 7–6, 4–6. At the US Open, she lost for the first time to Roberta Vinci in the fourth round, 1–6, 4–6. She reached the final of the 2012 Toray Pan Pacific Open, where she was the defending champion, but was upset in the final by Nadia Petrova, 0–6, 6–1, 3–6. On October 4, three more spots were filled, as Angelique Kerber, Petra Kvitová, and Sara Errani qualified for the championships.  Angelique Kerber enjoyed her best season so far. She reached two semifinals in her Australian Open preparation, before losing in the third round of the Australian Open to Maria Sharapova, 1–6, 2–6. She then claimed her first career title at the Open GDF Suez, defeating Marion Bartoli, 7–6, 5–7, 6–3. She won her second title of the year at the e-Boks Open, defeating defending champion Caroline Wozniacki, 6–4, 6–4. At the French Open, she fell in the quarterfinals to Sara Errani 3–6, 6–7. In the grass season, she reached the final of the Aegon International, losing to Tamira Paszek, 7–5, 3–6, 5–7, despite having five match points and a 5–3 lead. At Wimbledon, reached her second Grand Slam semifinal, but ended up losing to Agnieszka Radwańska, 3–6, 4–6. At the Western & Southern Open, Kerber reached her first Premier 5 final and fourth final of the year, but lost to Li Na, 1–6, 6–3, 1–6. At the US Open, after reaching the semifinals the previous year, she fell in the fourth round to Errani, 6–7, 3–6.  Petra Kvitová came into 2012 as a strong contender. She began the year by winning the Hopman Cup with Tomáš Berdych over France's Marion Bartoli and Richard Gasquet. At the Australian Open, she reached the semifinals, losing to Maria Sharapova, 2–6, 6–3, 4–6. She did not perform well until the French Open, where she reached her second straight Grand Slam semifinal, falling again to Sharapova. At Wimbledon as the defending champion, she lost to eventual champion Serena Williams in the quarterfinals, 3–6, 5–7. She then claimed her first title of the year at the Rogers Cup, defeating Li Na, 7–5, 2–6, 6–3, in the final. She claimed the US Open Series top spot, after winning the New Haven Open at Yale, defeating Russian Maria Kirilenko, 7–6, 7–5. At the US Open, she was upset by Marion Bartoli in the fourth round, 6–1, 2–6, 0–6. Sara Errani is having a breakthrough season. She reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinals at the Australian Open, losing to Petra Kvitová, 4–6, 4–6. She then won her first title of the year at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel, defeating Flavia Pennetta, 5–7, 7–6, 6–0. She then claimed the Barcelona Ladies Open over Dominika Cibulková, 6–2, 6–2. At the Budapest Grand Prix, the Italian claimed her third title of the year over Elena Vesnina, 7–5, 6–4. At the French Open, Errani made a surprising run, reaching the final and earning her first top-10 wins over no. 10 Angelique Kerber, 6–3, 7–6, and no. 6 Samantha Stosur, 7–5, 1–6, 6–3, before losing to Maria Sharapova, 3–6, 2–6, in the final. The result broke her into the top 10. At Wimbledon, Errani was on the receiving end of the first golden set in a Grand Slam, when she lost to Yaroslava Shvedova, 0–6, 4–6, in the third round. However, she bounced back by winning her fourth title at the Internazionali Femminili di Palermo over Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová 6–1, 6–3. At the US Open, she reached her second Grand Slam semifinal, where she lost to Serena Williams, 1–6, 2–6.  On October 5, after reaching the semifinals of the China Open, Li Na became the last qualifier.  Li Na's season was rather lackluster. She started the year by reaching the final of the Apia International Sydney (where she was the defending champion), losing to Victoria Azarenka in the final, 2–6, 6–1, 3–6. At the Australian Open, she lost to Kim Clijsters in the fourth round, 6–4, 6–7, 4–6, after squandering four consecutive match points when ahead 6–2 in the second-set tiebreak. She reached her second final of the year at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, losing to Maria Sharapova, 6–4, 4–6, 6–7, despite leading 4–0 in the second set. At the French Open as the defending champion, she was upset by Yaroslava Shvedova in the fourth round, 6–3, 2–6, 0–6. At Wimbledon, she fell to Sorana Cîrstea, 3–6, 4–6, in the second round. She then reached her third final of the year at the Rogers Cup, losing to Petra Kvitová, 5–7, 6–2, 3–6. She won her first title of the year at the Western & Southern Open over Angelique Kerber, 1–6, 6–3, 6–1, placing her second in the US Open Series. At the US Open, she received a shock exit in the third round to Laura Robson, 4–6, 7–6, 2–6.  The first alternate for the championships is Australian Samantha Stosur. Stosur reached 2 finals in the year, but failed to capture a title. She reached her first final of the year at the Qatar Total Open losing to top seed Victoria Azarenka 1–6, 2–6. She reached her second final at the Kremlin Cup losing to Caroline Wozniacki 2–6, 6–4, 5–7, despite leading 3–1 in the final set. She reached the semifinals of the French Open losing to Sara Errani 5–7, 6–1, 3–6. As the defending champion, she fell in the quarterfinals of the US Open losing to Azarenka 1–6, 6–4, 6–7. The second alternate is Marion Bartoli, who is an alternate for the second straight year. She reached her first final at the Open GDF Suez losing to Angelique Kerber 6–7, 7–5, 3–6. She reached her second final of the year at the Mercury Insurance Open losing to Dominika Cibulková 1–6, 5–7. She reached the quarterfinals of the US Open losing to Maria Sharapova 6–3, 3–6, 4–6.

Doubles.

On September 6, Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci became the first doubles team to qualify for the championships.  Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci had a breakthrough season as a team winning 8 titles. They won their first two title of the year came back-to-back at the Monterrey Open over Date-Krumm & Zhang 6–2, 7–6 and Abierto Mexicano Telcel over Domínguez Lino & Parra Santonja 6–2, 6–1. They won their third title at the Barcelona Ladies Open over Pennetta & Schiavone 6–0, 6–2. They then won 4 titles in a row, this begun in the Mutua Madrid Open winning 6–1, 3–6, [10–4] and Internazionali BNL d'Italia 6–2, 7–5 both times over Makarova & Vesnina. They then won their first slam titles at the Paris against Kirilenko & Petrova 4–6, 6–4, 6–2. They continued their winning ways at the UNICEF Open defeating Kirilenko & Petrova 6–4, 3–6, [11–9]. They won their eight title and second slam at the US Open against Hlaváčková and Hradecká 6–4, 6–2. They also reached two other finals both losing to Russian pairings, at the Australian Open to Kuznetsova & Zvonareva 7–5, 4–6, 3–6 and the Sony Ericsson Open to Kirilenko & Petrova 6–7, 6–4, [4–10].  On September 10, two more teams qualified for the championships. They were Andrea Hlaváčková and Lucie Hradecká from Czech Republic and Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond from the United States.  Andrea Hlaváčková and Lucie Hradecká had a solid season in 2012. They were able to reach 7 finals, winning 3 of them. Their first title came in ASB Classic over Görges & Pennetta 6–7, 6–2, [10–7]. They then won their second title at the Memphis International over Dushevina & Govortsova 6–3, 6–4. They did not reach a final until the grass season, however it came in with 5 straight finals. The first one in the Wimbledon losing to Serena & Venus 5–7, 4–6 They then won the silver medal at the Summer Olympics losing once again to Serena & Venus 4–6, 4–6 They then won their biggest title of the year at the Western & Southern Open defeating Srebotnik & Zheng 6–1, 6–3. The following week, they reach the final of the New Haven Open at Yale losing to Huber & Raymond 6–4, 0–6, [4–10]. They then reached their second slam final of the year at the US Open losing to Errani & Vinci 4–6, 2–6, their first loss to the team.  Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond started early parts of the year strongly, winning 4 successive titles. They won the Open GDF Suez over Grönefeld & Martić 7–6, 6–1 and the Qatar Total Open over Kops-Jones & Spears 6–3, 6–1. They then beat Mirza & Vesnina in the Dubai Tennis Championships 6–2, 6–1 and BNP Paribas Open 6–2, 6–3. They did not win any title until the New Haven Open at Yale over Hlaváčková & Hradecká 4–6, 6–0, [10–4]. At the Summer Olympics, they lost to Maria Kirilenko and Nadia Petrova in the bronze medal match 4–6, 6–4, 6–1. They finished runner-up at three tournaments this year, at the Apia International Sydney losing to Peschke & Srebotnik 1–6, 6–4, [11–13], at the Aegon Classic to Babos & Hsieh 5–7, 7–6, [8–10], and Aegon International to Llagostera Vives & Martínez Sánchez 6–4 RET.  On October 20, the final spot went to the Russian pairing of Maria Kirilenko and Nadia Petrova after defeating co-contenders Raquel Kops-Jones and Abigail Spears in the semifinals of the Kremlin Cup  Maria Kirilenko and Nadia Petrova compiled a solid season. They won in their first final of the year at the Sony Ericsson Open defeating the Italian pairing of Errani and Vinci 7–6, 4–6, [10–4]. They reached their first slam final as a team at the French Open once again facing Errani and Vinci, but this time they lost 6–4, 4–6, 2–6. They once again faced Errani and Vinci for the third time in a final in the UNICEF Open, but once again fell short losing 4–6, 6–3, [9–11]. At the Olympics, the Russians claimed the bronze medals defeating Americans Huber and Raymond. Petrova paired with Vania King at the Mercury Insurance Open and reached the final losing to Kops-Jones and Spears 2–6, 4–6. Petrova also reached another final, this time with Katarina Srebotnik at the Rogers Cup losing to Klaudia Jans-Ignacik and Mladenovic 5–7, 6–2, [7–10].

Groupings.

The 2012 edition of the year-end championships featured three current or former World number ones, five Grand Slam champions, two Grand Slam finalists. Two competitors made their debut at the championships. The competitors were divided into two groups representing the colors of the flag of Turkey. The Red group consisted of no. 1 seed Victoria Azarenka, no. 3 seed Serena Williams, no. 5 seed Angelique Kerber and no. 8 seed Li Na. The White Group was composed of no. 2 seed Maria Sharapova, no. 4 seed Agnieszka Radwańska, no. 6 seed Petra Kvitová and no. 7 seed Sara Errani. Samantha Stosur and Marion Bartoli served as alternates.  In the red group, their respective records in their group, World no. 1 Victoria Azarenka was 7–14, Serena Williams was 16–3, Angelique Kerber was 2–8 and Li Na was 10–10. Leading the group Azarenka, has a poor record against Williams being 1–10 lifetime against her and having lost their last eight encounters, 4 times in 2012. Most recently they met in the finals of the 2012 US Open with Williams winning 6–2, 2–6, 7–5. Against Kerber, she has a 2–0 record winning both encounters in 2012, the last in the quarterfinals of the 2012 London Olympics 6–4, 7–5. Against Li, their head-to-head is tied at 4–4 but Azarenka has won their last three encounters, 2 coming in 2012, last meeting a 3–6, 6–3, 6–3 win in the quarterfinals of the 2012 Mutua Madrid Open. Williams on the other hand, is tied at 1–1 head-to-head against Kerber losing their only encounter of 2012 at the 2012 Western & Southern Open 6–4, 6–4. Against Li, she is 5–1 lifetime having won their last four encounters, the last encounter coming at the 2010 Wimbledon Championships 7–5, 6–3. Kerber and Li, the head-to-head is 5–1 in favor of Li who has won their last two encounters. They met 3 times in 2012, most recently in the finals of the 2012 Western & Southern Open with Li winning 1–6, 6–3, 6–1.  In the white group, in their head-to-heads with players within their group, Maria Sharapova was 12–4, Agnieszka Radwańska was 7–11, Petra Kvitová was 8–4, and Sara Errani was 1–8. Like Williams, Sharapova has a good record against each member of her group. Against Radwańska, she is 7–2 lifetime however lost their only encounter of 2012 in the finals of the 2012 Sony Ericsson Open 7–5, 6–4. Against Kvitová, Sharapova leads their head-to-head 4–2, winning their last three encounters most recently in the semifinals of the French Open 6–3, 6–3. Against Errani, Sharapova leads 1–0 winning their only matchup in the finals of the French Open 6–3, 6–2. Radwańska, on the other hand has a mixed record against Kvitová and Errani. She trails Kvitová 0–3, with their last encounter coming at last year's Championships 7–6(4), 6–3 in a round robin matchup. However, against Errani, Radwańska leads their head-to-head 5–1 winning their last four encounters, most recently in the second round of the 2012 Mutua Madrid Open 6–0, 6–1. In the match-up between Kvitová and Errani, the Czech owns a 3–0 record against Errani with all three meeting coming in straight sets all in 2012 most recently at the New Haven Open at Yale with a 6–1, 6–3 scoreline.  The four doubles teams started the semifinals without group play.

Player head-to-head.

Below are the head-to-head records as they approached the tournament.

Day-by-day summaries.

Round Robin.

Day 1.

The action in this year's Tour Championships began with the White Group with Wimbledon finalist Agnieszka Radwańska and 2011 Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitová. The Czech entered the match with a 25-match winning streak on indoor courts with her last defeat coming in Moscow in 2010. Radwańska never having beaten Kvitová before raced out to an early 3–0 lead only to see Kvitová even things out at 3–3. Radwańska however regrouped to win the next three games to take the first set 6–3. Kvitová dropped her first two service games of the second, was able to break back once, but she was unable to threaten the steadier Radwańska who closed out the match with a 6–3, 6–2 scoreline.  They were followed by Wimbledon, US Open and Olympic champion Serena Williams and Wimbledon semifinalist and first time qualifier Angelique Kerber. Similar to the first match Williams raced out to an early 3–0 lead only to see Kerber even things out at 3–3. However four games later Williams was able to break Kerber to win the first set 6–4. The first three games went on serve until Williams was able to break for a 3–1 lead. She held then broke Kerber again, serving out the match 6–4, 6–1.  The final match for the day featured French Open champion Maria Sharapova and French Open finalist Sara Errani. It was a rematch of the 2012 French Open finals. They went on serve until Errani failed to convert either break point at 15–40 on the Sharapova serve. The Russian then broke serve at the eight game and closed it out 6–3. Sharapova then carried on into the second set winning it 6–2.

Day 2.

The second day began with the Red Group with Wimbledon, US Open and Olympic champion Serena Williams and 2011 French Open champion Li Na. The match began with Williams breaking Li's serve to take an early 1–0 lead. However Li was quick to strike back reeling off four games to take a 4–1 lead only to see Williams comeback to take four straight games herself to take a 5–4 lead to serve for the set. Li was able to break at love for 5–5 but was broken right back. Williams again served for the set but was broken again at love to send the set into a tie-breaker. Williams won it comfortably 7–2 to take a one set lead. The second began in similar fashion with Li breaking for a 1–0 lead only to see Williams again reel off four games to take a 4–1 lead. The rest of the set went on serve until Williams closed out the match 7–6, 6–3.  They were followed by World No. 1 and Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka and Angelique Kerber. Kerber raced out to an early 3–1 lead. Azarenka however was able to level the match at 4–4. The set went on serve and into a near-historic tie-break, where Kerber saved five set points - four with huge forehands - to claim it, 13–11. It was the equal-longest tie-break in the history of the tournament and the first time Kerber had taken a set off Azarenka in their two prior meetings. The second set began with Azarenka building a 4–2 lead only to see Kerber take three straight games to lead 5–4. Serving to stay in the match Azarenka saved 2 match points with some ferocious ball striking to even the set at 5–5. The set again went to a tie-break which Azarenka won 7–2. Both players went toe to toe in the final set until Azarenka was able to break for 5–3 to serve for the match. Kerber was able to break right back but was unable to hold serve while serving to stay in the match, with Azarenka closing out the 3 hour, 6 minute contest 6–7, 7–6, 6–4.  The final match for the day featured Maria Sharapova and Agnieszka Radwańska. It was a rematch of the Sony Ericsson Open finals. The match began with eleven straight holds of serve until Radwańska was able to break Sharapova to take a one set lead 7–5. Sharapova broke Radwańska in the beginning of the first set but Radwańska broke back immediately, Radwasnka then led 4–2 with a break, Sharapova then took 3 games in a row but got broken when serving for the set at 5–4. Sharapova then took the next two games to take it to a final set. At the third set both held serve until the fifth and sixth games where both traded breaks of serve. Sharapove then broke at the eleventh game of the set and served it out to win 5–7, 7–5, 7–5.

Day 3.

The day began with the Red Group with Li Na and Angelique Kerber. Prior to the match Li lead their head-to-head 5–1, and both are looking for their first win in the event. Kerber after an amazing display against Azarenka in a 3-hour loss started well and led 4–2, however Li came back and won the first set 6–4 after a doubles fault from the German. Li then closed it out in the second set winning it 6–3.  They were followed by Victoria Azarenka and Serena Williams in a rematch of the 2012 US Open finals. The match began with seven straight holds of serve until Williams was able to break for a 5–3 lead awith a chance to serve out the set. Azarenka was able to break straight back for 4–5 but was unable to hold serve, double-faulting to give away the set one 6–4. Azarenka began the second by reeling of three straight games for a 3–0 lead breaking Williams twice along the way. However she was unable to hold on as Williams won four straight games herself to take a 4–3 lead. Azarenka was able to hold for 4–4. Williams held for 5–4 with Azarenka now having to serve to stay in the match. She, however was not able to hold serve, double-faulting on match point. Williams have now improved her record against Azarenka to 11–1 and advancing into semifinals as the Red Groups top player with a 3–0 match win record and without the loss of a set. Azarenka will now have to defeat Li Na to advance to the semifinals and secure the year end No.1 or Maria Sharapova will have a chance to end the year at No.1 by winning the title.  The final match for the day featured Sara Errani and 2011 US Open champion Samantha Stosur who entered the event as an alternate due to the withdrawal of defending champion Petra Kvitová. Errani won the match 6–3, 2–6, 6–0 with a doubles fault from Stosur. Stosur ended with 26 more winners but also 24 more unforced errors in an erratic display.  It was Williams' seventh title of the season. It was her third WTA Championships title, having also won in 2001 and 2009.

The 2012 WTA Tour Championships was a tennis tournament played at Istanbul, Turkey from October 23 to October 28, 2012. It was the 42nd edition of the singles event and the 37th edition of the doubles competition. The tournament was held at the Sinan Erdem Dome and was contested by eight singles players and four doubles teams. It was the larger of two season ending championships on the 2012 WTA Tour.

Die WTA Championships 2012 (auch als TEB-BNP Paribas WTA Championships – Istanbul 2012 bekannt) waren ein Damen-Hartplatzturnier. Das nach den vier Grand-Slam-Turnieren bedeutendste Turnier der WTA im Turnierkalender der Damen fand vom 23. bis zum 28. Oktober 2012 im Sinan Erdem Dome statt. Die Tennismeisterschaften der WTA Tour im Dameneinzel und -doppel wurden zum zweiten Mal in Istanbul, Türkei, ausgetragen.


Biographical information.

Education and academic career.

Michael Colacurcio studied at Xavier University (B.A., 1958; M.A., 1959) and the University of Illinois (Ph.D., 1963). He taught English literature at Cornell University from 1963 to 1976 (during the 1968-1969 academic year he taught at the Ohio State University). Since 1980, Colacurcio has taught in California, first at the University of California at Irvine, then at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he currently teaches in the Department of English.

Scholarship.

Colacurcio's main interest is American literature of the colonial and Romantic periods. While he has written extensively on such subjects as Puritanism, Herman Melville, and Ralph Waldo Emerson, he is perhaps best known for his scholarship on the work of Nathaniel Hawthorne.  In "The Province of Piety", Colacurcio argues against symbolist or psychologizing interpretations and maintains that Hawthorne's fiction ought to be understood primarily as historical literature, that is, as it reflects on the moral history of his native New England.  Hawthorne "possessed the mind of a modern intellectual historian," according to Colacurcio, who compares his subject to the American historian Perry Miller: "For like Miller, it may be suggested, Hawthorne carried on a life-long dialectic with the historical 'thesis' of American Puritanism; it was his 'flood subject,' exercising a tyranny that bent the mind and baffled choice." And as a writer of fiction, "Hawthorne had a nearly flawless sense of the way some "text" always comes between the observer and the origins he would observe, making the historian's own tale twice-told at its very most original."  Historian David Levin says, "Mr. Colacurcio's massive study, more powerfully than any other single work I know, advances our understanding of Hawthorne's development and practice as a historical writer," adding: "Whether or not we can read Hawthorne intelligently or profitably without knowing the history of colonial New England, Mr. Colacurcio proves that we will read Hawthorne more intelligently if we take the trouble to see the range and depth of his historical judgment." Literary critic Merton Sealts, Jr. notes that ""The Province of Piety" has significant interdisciplinary implications," and that, "future critics of Hawthorne cannot ignore the impressive argument of this book."  Colacurcio's "Doctrine and Difference" is a collection of writings that demonstrate the lasting influence of Puritan orthodoxy in the New England literary tradition, with essays on Jonathan Edwards, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Emily Dickinson, and others.  His more recent book, "Godly Letters", a study of the Puritan tradition in American literature, is described by a reviewer in The New England Quarterly as "an illuminating and deeply searching compendium that embodies the culmination of a lifelong career in research and teaching."  In 2015, a Festschrift titled A Passion for Getting It Right: Essays and Appreciations in Honor of Michael J. Colacurcio’s 50 Years of Teaching was published in Colacurcio's honor. It includes contributions from former students and colleagues such as Andrew Delbanco and Eric J. Sundquist.

Honors.

Michael Colacurcio is the recipient of several distinguished teaching awards from both Cornell University and UCLA.  In 2007, Colacurcio was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in recognition of his contributions to his field.

Michael Joseph Colacurcio (born July 2, 1939) is a Distinguished Professor of English at UCLA. He specializes in American literature and literary history.

Michael Joseph Colacurcio, Jr. (* 2. Juli 1936 in Cincinnati, Ohio) ist ein amerikanischer Literaturwissenschaftler. Er studierte an der Xavier University of Cincinnati (B.A. 1958; M.A. 1959) und der University of Illinois (Ph.D. 1963). Von 1963 bis 1968 sowie von 1969 bis 1976 lehrte er englische Literatur an der Cornell University, von 1968 bis 1969 zwischenzeitlich an der Ohio State University und seit 1977 zunächst an der University of California in Irvine, dann an der University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), der er bis heute als "Distinguished Professor" verbunden ist.


Candidates Tournament.

The challenger was determined in the 2013 Candidates Tournament, which was a double round-robin tournament. (This was the first time in 51 years that the round-robin format had been used for a Candidates, though it had been used for the 2005 (FIDE) and 2007 World championships). It took place in the Institution of Engineering and Technology, Savoy Place, London, from 15 March to 1 April 2013. The participants were:  The tournament had a prize fund of €510,000 ($691,101). Prize money was shared between players tied on points; tiebreaks were not used to allocate it. The prizes for each place were as follows:

Results.

Before the tournament Carlsen was considered the favourite, with Kramnik and Aronian being deemed his biggest rivals. Ivanchuk was considered an uncertain variable, due to his instability, and the other players were considered less likely to win the event.  During the first half of the tournament, Aronian and Carlsen were considered the main contestants for first place. At the halfway point they were tied for first, one-and-a-half points ahead of Kramnik and Svidler. In the second half Kramnik, who had drawn his first seven games, became a serious contender after scoring four wins, while Aronian lost three games, and was thus left behind in the race. Carlsen started the second half by staying ahead of the field, but a loss to Ivanchuk allowed Kramnik to take the lead in round 12 by defeating Aronian. In the penultimate round Carlsen pulled level with Kramnik by defeating Radjabov, while Kramnik drew against Gelfand.  Before the last round only Carlsen and Kramnik could win the tournament; they were equal on 81⁄2 points, 11⁄2 points ahead of Svidler and Aronian. Carlsen had the better tie break (on the first tie break the score from their individual games was 1–1, but Carlsen was ahead on the second tie break due to having more wins), and this would not change if they both scored the same in the final round. Therefore, Kramnik, who had black against Ivanchuk, needed to outperform Carlsen, who had white against Svidler. Carlsen played to win, since that would guarantee him the tournament victory regardless of Kramnik's result; similarly, Kramnik knew that the odds of Carlsen losing with white were minute, and he went all-in against Ivanchuk with the Pirc defense. This backfired and Ivanchuk obtained an early advantage, while Carlsen got a level position against Svidler. Carlsen later got into serious time trouble and did not defend adequately against Svidler's attack, which gave Svidler a winning endgame. Meanwhile, Ivanchuk had outplayed Kramnik, who resigned a few minutes after Carlsen lost. Thus the tournament was won by Carlsen on the second tiebreak. Carlsen's win earned him the right to challenge the reigning world champion, Vishy Anand for the world title.

Championship match.

The Championship match between Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen was held from 9 to 22 November 2013 in Chennai, India, under the auspices of FIDE.

Previous head-to-head record.

Prior to the match, from 2005 to 18 June 2013, Anand and Carlsen played 29 games against each other at classical time controls, out of which Anand won six, Carlsen won three, and twenty were drawn.

Prize fund.

The prize fund was 2,650,000 Euros, of which 60 percent would go to the winner and 40 percent to the loser if the match ended within the 12 regular games. If the match went to tie-breaks, the winner would have received 55 percent and the loser 45 percent.

Seconds.

Both Anand and Carlsen had a team of seconds to aid in their match preparation. Anand's seconds for the match were Surya Ganguly and Radosław Wojtaszek, who had helped him in four previous World Championship matches; his primary second Peter Heine Nielsen had been hired away earlier in the year by Carlsen, under agreement that he would not help Carlsen during this match against Anand. During the opening press conference, Anand revealed his new seconds to be Krishnan Sasikiran, Sandipan Chanda and Peter Leko.  Carlsen at first declined to reveal his seconds, but after the match revealed that Jon Ludvig Hammer had been doing opening preparation from Norway. Ian Nepomniachtchi and Laurent Fressinet have been supposed as seconds. Over a year after the match Carlsen also revealed that Pavel Eljanov had been among his seconds in the Chennai match.

Schedule and results.

The match between Anand and Carlsen took place at the Hyatt Regency Chennai hotel in Chennai, India, from 9 to 22 November 2013, under the auspices of FIDE. Twelve classical games were scheduled, each starting at 3 pm (09:30 UTC). Rest days were to take place after games 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 11. Had the match been tied after the 12th game on 26 November tie-break games would have been played on 28 November. As the match was decided before the 12th game, the remaining scheduled games were cancelled.  The time control for the games gave each player 120 minutes for the first 40 moves, 60 minutes for moves 41–60 and 15 minutes for the rest of the game, with an increment of 30 seconds per move starting after move 61. Tie-break games were meant to have increasingly limited time controls. Carlsen won $1.53 million while Anand received $1.02 million for this match.

Games.

The player named first plays the white pieces.

Game 1, Carlsen–Anand, 1⁄2–1⁄2.

Carlsen chose a quiet line, but his play was slightly inaccurate, and he accepted a draw after 16 moves in lieu of a threefold repetition.

Game 2, Anand–Carlsen, 1⁄2–1⁄2.

Anand opened with 1.e4, and Carlsen responded with the Caro–Kann Defence, his first time doing so in a competitive game since 2011. Anand castled queenside on move 14, which was followed by a knight exchange in the centre, after which Carlsen advanced his queen to d5 (see diagram). This enabled a trade of queens, and, to the surprise of commentators and the audience, Anand accepted it, rather than pressing forward with 18.Qg4. The resulting endgame was balanced; Anand exerted pressure on Carlsen's kingside pawn shield with his rooks, eliciting a repetition of moves and a draw.

Game 3, Carlsen–Anand, 1⁄2–1⁄2.

Carlsen opened with his king knight as in game 1, but played 3.c4, and Anand took the pawn on the next move. Anand gained some advantage in the middlegame when Carlsen had to retreat his queen to h1 and became short on time. However, with the temporary pawn sacrifice 28.e3 (which chess Grandmaster and commentator Sergei Shipov described as "the best known, boldest and most debatable" move of 2013), Carlsen opened the position and managed to reactivate his pieces. From then on Anand did not play the most aggressive moves (e.g. he chose 29...Bd4 instead of Bxb2; later 34...Rf8 was possible) but began to exchange pieces, and offered a draw after move 41, which Carlsen declined. After the exchange of queens, an opposite-colored bishops endgame was reached, and the players soon agreed to a draw.

Game 4, Anand–Carlsen, 1⁄2–1⁄2.

Carlsen chose the solid Berlin Defence to the Ruy Lopez. He grabbed a pawn at move 18, and a complex position developed. Black remained a pawn up, but "Anand found a fantastic resource in 35.Ne4! which helped him to finally open up the black king and equalise the play."

Game 5, Carlsen–Anand, 1–0.

Anand's 45...Rc1+ was called the decisive mistake, after which White was able to defend the a3-pawn, exchange bishops, and win a second pawn. Instead, 45...Ra1, attacking White's a3-pawn, would have kept the balance. With this win, Carlsen took a 3–2 lead.

Game 6, Anand–Carlsen, 0–1.

After a solid opening, a series of exchanges brought about a heavy-piece endgame that was reckoned to be drawn. With 38.Qg3, Anand sacrificed a pawn in order to reach a drawn rook endgame, and a second pawn was sacrificed with 44.h5 in order to disconnect Black's kingside pawns. Carlsen continued playing and sacrificed both of his extra pawns in order to advance his f-pawn. The decisive error was 60.Ra4; instead, 60.b4 was suggested by analysts and chess engines as the only move that leads to a draw with best play, since the advancing b-pawn gives White queening threats that yield counterplay and make an exchange of rooks acceptable. After 60.Ra4, Carlsen's pawn sacrifice 60...h3 turned his f-pawn into a decisive passed pawn, and Anand resigned a few moves later.

Game 7, Anand–Carlsen, 1⁄2–1⁄2.

In the opening, Anand exchanged his bishop for a knight, which led to a structure similar to that of the Exchange Variation of the Ruy Lopez where Black has doubled pawns. Carlsen defended accurately, and after further exchanges the two players settled for a repetition of moves around move 30.

Game 8, Carlsen–Anand, 1⁄2–1⁄2.

Carlsen opted for 1.e4 for the first time in the match and the game developed into a Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defence in which he managed to trade pieces and reach a symmetrical position with a draw in 33 moves. Many were disappointed that Anand chose the Berlin Defence instead of trying a more combative opening, given that he was down two points. After the game, Anand said he "had not prioritised 1.e4" in his preparation. He also said that the match situation was "fairly clear" and that he would "liven it up" in the next game.

Game 9, Anand–Carlsen, 0–1.

Anand played a sharp line against the Nimzo-Indian Defence that gave him attacking chances. Instead of 20.axb4, which according to Hikaru Nakamura "was not in the spirit of the position at all", either 20.a4 or 20.f5 were suggested as more promising continuations for White. Afterwards, Carlsen defended accurately, creating counterplay on the queenside, and ultimately queening his b-pawn with check while Anand was shifting his heavy pieces over to his mating attack. Anand should have answered 27...b1=Q+ with 28.Bf1. ChessBase gives the best line as 28.Bf1 Qd1 29.Rh4 Qh5 (Black must sacrifice his new queen in order to stave off checkmate) 30.Nxh5 gxh5 31.Rxh5 Bf5 32.Bh3 Bg6 33.e6 Nxf6 34.gxf6 Qxf6 35.Rf5 Qxe6 36.Re5 Qd6, which is probably a draw. Instead, Anand blundered with 28.Nf1 and resigned after 28...Qe1, since after 29.Rh4 Qxh4 30.Qxh4, Black emerges a rook up.

Game 10, Carlsen–Anand, 1⁄2–1⁄2.

Anand played the Sicilian Defence, but with 3.Bb5+ Carlsen avoided the sharpest main lines. Anand's 28...Qg5 was a mistake, allowing Carlsen to play 29.e5 with strong pressure on Black's d6-pawn. Maintaining the tension with 30.Nc3, 30.Ng3, or 30.b4 should have given White a winning game, but Carlsen erred with 30.exd6, releasing the tension and allowing Anand to recoup the pawn soon after. The players traded down to a knight endgame where White had some advantage, and Carlsen may have missed a win by playing 43.Nd6 instead of 43.Nd2. The game ended in a draw due to insufficient mating material.  With this draw, Carlsen won the World Championship match 61⁄2–31⁄2, becoming the new world chess champion.

Timeline of changes.

There were several changes and controversies in the process for choosing the challenger and hosts for the championship. A timeline is found below.

The World Chess Championship 2013 was a match between reigning world champion Viswanathan Anand and challenger Magnus Carlsen, to determine the 2013 World Chess Champion. It was held from 9 to 22 November 2013 in Chennai, India, under the auspices of FIDE (the World Chess Federation).

Die Schachweltmeisterschaft 2013 fand vom 7. November bis 22. November 2013 als Zweikampf um den Titel des Schachweltmeisters zwischen dem Titelverteidiger Viswanathan Anand und Magnus Carlsen als Herausforderer in Chennai (ehemals Madras) in Indien statt. Nach zehn von zwölf angesetzten Partien lag Carlsen mit 6,5:3,5 uneinholbar in Führung und wurde neuer Weltmeister.


Form.

The rhyme scheme for the octave is typically ABBAABBA. The rhyme scheme means the last word of the line should rhyme with the pattern of ABBAABBA or other variants. The sestet is more flexible. Petrarch typically used CDECDE or CDCDCD for the sestet. Some other possibilities for the sestet include CDDCDD, CDDECE, or CDDCCD (as in Wordsworth's "Nuns Fret Not at Their Convent's Narrow Room" [a sonnet about sonnets]). This form was used in the earliest English sonnets by Wyatt and others. For background on the pre-English sonnet, see Robert Canary's web page, "The Continental Origins of the Sonnet". In a strict Petrarchan sonnet, the sestet does not end with a couplet (since this would tend to divide the sestet into a quatrain and a couplet). However, in Italian sonnets in English, this rule is not always observed, and CDDCEE and CDCDEE are also used. Additionally, the Crybin variant uses the rhyme scheme ABBA CDDC EFG EFG.  The octave and sestet have special functions in a Petrarchan sonnet. The octave's purpose is to introduce a problem, express a desire, reflect on reality, or otherwise present a situation that causes doubt or a conflict within the speaker's soul and inside an animal and object in the story. It usually does this by introducing the problem within its first quatrain (unified four-line section) and developing it in the second. The beginning of the sestet is known as the volta, and it introduces a pronounced change in tone in the sonnet; the change in rhyme scheme marks the turn. The sestet's purpose as a whole is to make a comment on the problem or to apply a solution to it. The pair are separate but usually used to reinforce a unified argument — they are often compared to two strands of thought organically converging into one argument, rather than a mechanical deduction. Moreover, Petrarch's own sonnets almost never had a rhyming couplet at the end as this would suggest logical deduction instead of the intended rational correlation of the form.  Poets adopting the Petrarchan sonnet form often adapt the form to their own ends to create various effects. These poets do not necessarily restrict themselves to the metrical or rhyme schemes of the traditional Petrarchan form; some use iambic hexameter, while others do not observe the octave-sestet division created by the traditional rhyme scheme. Whatever the changes made by poets exercising artistic license, no "proper" Italian sonnet has more than five different rhymes in it.  Sir Thomas Wyatt and Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey are both known for their translations of Petrarch's sonnets from Italian into English. While Surrey tended to use the English sonnet form in his own work, reserving the Petrarchan form for his translations of Petrarch, Wyatt made extensive use of the Italian sonnet form in the poems of his that were not translation and adaptation work. As a result, he is often credited for integrating the Petrarchan sonnet into English vernacular tradition.  The form also gave rise to an "anti-Petrarchan" convention which may have revealed the mistress to be ugly and unworthy. The convention was also mocked, or adopted for alternative persuasive means by many of the Inns of Court writers during the Renaissance.

Structure.

The sonnet is split in two groups: the "octave" or "octet" (of 8 lines) and the "sestet" (of 6 lines), for a total of 14 lines.  The octave (the first 8 lines) typically introduces the theme or problem using a rhyme scheme of ABBAABBA. The sestet (the last 6 lines) provides resolution for the poem and rhymes variously, but usually follows the schemes of CDECDE or CDCCDC.

Example of a Petrarchan sonnet: William Wordsworth's "London, 1802".

Octave - introduces the theme or problem  Sestet - solves the problem

The Petrarchan sonnet is a sonnet form not developed by Petrarch himself, but rather by a string of Renaissance poets. Because of the structure of Italian, the rhyme scheme of the Petrarchan sonnet is more easily fulfilled in that language than in English. The original Italian sonnet form divides the poem's fourteen lines into two parts, the first part being an octave and the second being a sestet.

Als Petrarca-Sonett oder italienisches Sonett bezeichnet man die klassische, auf Francesco Petrarca zurückgehende Form des italienischen Sonetts, insbesondere im Unterschied zum Shakespeare-Sonett. Es besteht aus zwei Quartetten (it. "quartine", Vierzeilern) und zwei Terzetten (it. "terzine", Dreizeilern) mit dem Reimschema mit umschließendem Reim in den Quartetten und Terzinenreim in den Terzetten oder mit Kreuzreim in den Quartetten und Dreierreim in den Terzetten oder ähnlich. Kennzeichnend ist, dass höchstens fünf Reime verwendet werden (im Unterschied zu Shakespeare-Sonett) und in den Terzetten kein Paarreim vorkommt (im Unterschied zum Ronsard-Sonett). Das Versmaß ist in der italienischen Dichtung meist der Endecasillabo (Elfsilbler).


History.

Until 2004 an earthen ramp allowed non-Muslim visitors direct access to the Temple Mount through the Mughrabi Gate. An 800-year-old wall holding back part of the hill jutting out from the Western Wall leading up to the Mughrabi Gate partially collapsed. Authorities believed a recent earthquake may have been responsible. During the winter of that year heavy snowfall (by Israeli standards) caused the ramp to collapse.  In 2007, the current wooden bridge was built, originally intended as a temporary measure that would stand for several months until a more permanent bridge was constructed. In order to build a permanent bridge, the remains of the old ramp and the dirt under it had to be excavated, which resulted in accusations by the Waqf that Israel was trying to destabilise the Temple Mount and collapse the Dome of the Rock (400 m from the location of the ramp), which in turn resulted in international criticism, violent protests and calls for a third Intifada. Several of the neighbouring Arab states argued that the work threatened their internal stability, while other states threatened war.  As a result, the bridge was still standing at the end of 2011, when the city engineer of Jerusalem issued an order to close the structure because it was not safe. In 2012 and 2013, the support scaffolding of the bridge was replaced with a large metal beam structure and the area under the bridge was again open for visitors to walk around, resulting in a 1.5–2x increase in size of the Western Wall's women's prayer area (but not greater than the original area prior to construction).

2014 addition.

In August 2014, construction was started on a second bridge to the Mughrabi Gate. The second bridge would be a supplement to the 2007 Mughrabi Bridge. This secondary bridge became controversial, and at the wishes of the Jordanian government, work was halted and what had been built was torn down.

Significance.

The Mughrabi gate is the only gate to the Temple Mount that the Waqf allows non-Muslims to use for visiting the Temple Mount complex. The bridge is the only way to reach the gate.  The bridge and excavation of the historic ramp leading up to the gate, have been a point of contention contributing to the hostility of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

References.

The Mughrabi Bridge is a wooden bridge connecting the Western Wall Plaza with the Mughrabi Gate of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.

Die Mughrabi-Brücke (auch "Marokkanerbrücke", ) genannte Holzbrücke für Fußgänger in der Jerusalemer Altstadt führt vom Platz bei der Klagemauer zur südwestlichen Ecke des Tempelberges hinauf.


Recent use and activities.

The island is managed by the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust which is also responsible for seven other lands around Sydney Harbour. The Harbour Trust is revitalising the island as a landmark harbour attraction with cultural events and heritage interpretation. Today Cockatoo Island retains some remnants of its past. Its prison buildings have been World Heritage listed, part of a serial listing of 11 Australian Convict Sites.  Although some large workshops, slipways, wharves, residences and other buildings remain, major buildings were demolished after Cockatoo Island closed as a dockyard in 1991; pictured right. As the remaining buildings contain few of their original industrial artefacts and none of the remaining industrial heritage including the docks, caissons and cranes is operational, it is difficult to currently see how the island functioned as a dockyard for over a century.  In late March 2005 the Harbour Trust, in partnership with an event organiser, held the Cockatoo Island Festival. The event put the island on Sydney's cultural map and initiated a range of cultural activities including contemporary art installations, exhibitions and festivals.  The Harbour Trust opened a camp and glampsite on the island in 2008. The camp ground attracts some 20,000 campers a year and is a popular spot for watching Sydney's renowned New Year's Eve fireworks. In 2010, the island attracted a capacity crowd of over 2000 campers to view NYE fireworks. Other island holiday accommodation consists of five renovated houses and apartments with harbour and city views.  Sydney Ferries services Cockatoo Island as part of its Woolwich/Balmain ferry route and Parramatta RiverCat route. Day visitors are welcome, and can picnic, barbecue, visit the cafe, wander at leisure or take an audio or guided tour. Cockatoo Island is open daily and there is no admission charge.  Regular events and art installations are a feature of the island.  Cockatoo Island has grown into a versatile cultural venue on Sydney's cultural calendar. In 2008, it was a major venue partner of the 16th Biennale of Sydney, attracting over 80,000 visitors over 12 weeks. In 2010, the event attracted over 156,000 people. In 2009, Cockatoo Island hosted the Sydney Festival's "All Tomorrow's Parties" music festival. The two-day festival included twenty-four bands over four stages across the island, and was curated and headlined by Nick Cave, attracting an audience of over 11,000. The island hosted the World's Funniest Island Comedy Festival in October 2009, with 200 comedy acts appearing over a weekend, attracting over 8,000 visitors.  The island is also increasingly used as a venue for private events both large and small. Part of the blockbuster was filmed there in 2008. Reality television programs have also used the island as a location.

Early history.

Before the arrival of Europeans, Cockatoo Island was used by the indigenous Australian people of Sydney's coastal region. In 1839 it was chosen as the site of a new penal establishment by the Governor of the colony of New South Wales, Sir George Gipps. Between 1839 and 1869 the island was used as a convict prison. Initially, prisoners were transferred to Cockatoo Island from Norfolk Island, and were employed constructing their barracks and rock-cut silos for storing the colony's grain supply. By 1842, approximately of grain were stored on the island.  Later, quarrying on the island provided stone for construction projects around Sydney, including the seawall for Circular Quay. Between 1847 and 1857, convicts were used to dig the Fitzroy Dock, Australia's first dry dock, on the island. An estimated of rock was excavated with forming the dock itself.  In 2009, an archeological dig on the island uncovered convict era punishment cells under the cookhouse. These cells give a valuable insight into the conditions convicts lived under on the island.  One prisoner on Cockatoo Island was the Australian bushranger, Captain Thunderbolt, who escaped in 1863 to begin the crime spree which made him famous. It is alleged that his wife had swum across to the island with tools to effect his escape, following which they both swam back to the mainland. There is no significant evidence to support this claim.  From 1871 to 1913 facilities on the island often referred to the name Biloela instead of Cockatoo Island to avoid the stigma of the island's convict past.

Fitzroy Graving Dock.

The dock was designed by Gother Kerr Mann, the island's Civil Engineer, and built between 1847 and 1857 utilising convict labour. The foundation stone of its ashlar lining was laid on 5 June 1854 by Governor Charles Augustus FitzRoy, with the dock being named in his honour. When completed in 1857, the dry dock was in length and in breadth, with an entrance wide. was the first sailing vessel to enter the dock in December 1857. The Fitzroy Dock was lengthened in 1870–1880 to.

Number 1 (Sutherland) Dock.

The dock was constructed under the supervision of the engineer Louis Samuel between 1882 and 1890. The dock was named after John Sutherland, the Secretary for Public Works and was large enough to accommodate ships of. The dock was modified in 1913 and in 1927 to accommodate Royal Australian Navy ships.

Industrial School, Reformatory and Gaol.

In 1864, the island was split between the NSW Department of Prisons and the Public Works Department, which expanded the dockyard around the foreshores. In 1869, the convicts were relocated to Darlinghurst Gaol and the prison complex became an Industrial School for Girls and also a Reformatory.

Cockatoo Island Dockyard.

Shipbuilding began on Cockatoo Island in 1870. In 1913, Cockatoo Island was transferred to the Commonwealth Government to become the Naval Dockyard of the Royal Australian Navy. Over a period of several years prior to World War I, five slipways were either upgraded or constructed in the island, with Numbers 1 and 2 still retained by the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust.  The torpedo boat destroyer was the first naval ship launched at Cockatoo Island, after being built in the United Kingdom, disassembled, then sent to the Australian shipyard for reassembly. During World War I, the dockyard built, repaired and refitted many ships. At its peak during the war, some 4,000 men were employed on the island.  In 1933, Cockatoo Island was leased to the Cockatoo Docks & Engineering Company for 21 years. The lease was renewed in 1954 for a further 20 years and again in 1972 for 21 years.  In 1995, community action played an important role in the preservation of the place. A group "'"Friends of Cockatoo Island""' was founded by Jack Clark and his wife Mary Shelley Clark, to fight for the preservation of the Island and other former Defence sites around Sydney Harbour. Their and other group's campaigns resulted in the Federal Government's decision to establish the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust which aimed to protect many Harbour sites including the Cockatoo Island.

Heritage listings.

In July 2010, at the 34th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee, Cockatoo Island and ten other Australian sites with a significant association with convict transportation were inscribed as a group on the World Heritage List as the Australian Convict Sites. The listing explains that the eleven sites present "the best surviving examples of large-scale convict transportation and the colonial expansion of European powers through the presence and labour of convicts". Of the eleven sites, as well as Cockatoo Island, the Hyde Park Barracks, Old Great North Road, and Old Government House at Parramatta are also within the Sydney region.  Parts of Cockatoo Island are the subject of other heritage listings. Listed on the Commonwealth Heritage List are:

Cockatoo Island events.

Since 2005, Cockatoo Island has hosted a number of major events. They range from collaborations with the Sydney Writers' Festival to an international freestyle motocross competition. A summary is provided in the following table:

Planning and projects.

Stewardship of Cockatoo Island was handed to the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust in 2001 to plan a new chapter for the island as publicly owned urban park. In 2003 the Harbour Trust completed a comprehensive plan for Cockatoo Island and other sites around Sydney Harbour managed by the Trust. The initial plan, approved by the Minister in 2003, proposed the revitalisation of Cockatoo Island as a landmark harbour attraction with the revival of maritime activities, the interpretation of its rich colonial and industrial heritage, and the creation of parklands and spaces for cultural events. In 2010, the Harbour Trust produced a revised management plan for the island.

Urban Islands.

In 2009 the Urban Islands masterclass was taught "by 3 groups of international emerging architects on and about the controversial site of Cockatoo Island":  Cross disciplinary creativity, experimental tactics and broad based participation are needed to inject Cockatoo Island with renewed life. The proposals developed in the 12-days play an active role in generating tangible proposals for Cockatoo Island, producing outcomes such as large-scale installations, futurologist proposals, media activism experiments, and greater harbour master planning visions.  One of the masterclass leaders was Geoff Manaugh, author of the influential BLDGBLOG. A second masterclass was planned for 2011.

Transport.

When a working dockyard, Sydney Ferries Limited and its successors operated services from Circular Quay to the island at shift changeover times.  In April 2007, the wharf reopened for a three-month trial coinciding with the reopening of the island as a tourist attraction. Since then services have expanded, and today it is served by Sydney Ferries Parramatta River services operating between Circular Quay and Parramatta. Its is also the terminus for all stops Cockatoo Island ferry services from Circular Quay. The single wharf is served by First Fleet and RiverCat class ferries.

Cockatoo Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site at the junction of the Parramatta and Lane Cove River in Sydney Harbour, New South Wales, Australia.

Cockatoo Island ist die größte Insel im Hafen von Sydney in New South Wales, Australien. Sie liegt an der Einmündung des Lane Cover River in den Parramatta River.


Life and works.

Hans G. Conrad grew up in modest circumstances and graduated from the so-called Werkschule of Brown, Boveri & Cie. in Baden, Switzerland. In the late 1940s he met the artist, architect, designer and publicist Max Bill in Zurich, Switzerland. Conrad worked for Bill, who, at that time, had been commissioned to design the Swiss Pavilion for the Milan Triennial IX in 1951. At that time, Conrad was also working for the Swiss architect and designer Alfred Roth (not to be confused with the German politician). Later, between 1952 and 1954, Conrad designed promotional advertising for the German-American furniture manufacturer Knoll International belonging to Florence Knoll and Hans Knoll. By way of Max Bill, who was one of the co-founders of the Ulm School of Design (Hochschule für Gestaltung, HfG) alongside Otl Aicher and Inge Scholl, Conrad relocated to Ulm during the HfG's founding period, most likely on 1 December 1952. He was the first student at the HfG: his student ID was valid from 1 January 1953, although classes did not officially start until 3 August 1953. At first he studied product design and then visual communication. Conrad met his first wife, Eva-Maria Koch, who was also a student at the HfG, in Ulm. Otl Aicher and Conrad developed an exhibition system for the electrical appliance manufacturer Max Braun (company) that was used for the first time at the Deutsche Rundfunk- Phono- und Fernsehen Ausstellung (German Broadcasting, Phonograph and Television Exhibition) in Düsseldorf in 1955. In 1956, the combined phonograph-radio device Phonosuper Braun SK 4, later known as the Schneewittchensarg (Snow White's Casket), which is one of the most influential design developments of the 20th century (design: Hans Gugelot, Dieter Rams and Otl Aicher), was introduced in this design setting. He designed an exhibition bus for Braun as a final project, which was, however, never realized.  Conrad worked as the head of trade fair and exhibition design at Braun from 1958 until 1962. Thereafter, he took over as head of worldwide advertising for Lufthansa. He engaged Otl Aicher and his design group E5 of the HfG in Ulm to develop a visual corporate design concept for Lufthansa. Otl Aicher's concept from 1962 is seen today as a milestone for the development of rationally derived corporate design concepts and is, in its most substantial and essential elements, still utilized today.  Hans G. Conrad was a member of the committee for visual design of the Olympic Games in Munich between 1969 and 1972. (Chairman: Anton Stankowski). Otl Aicher led the department XI (visual design).  Conrad became a member of the editorial staff of the business magazine "Capital" in 1970 (position comparable to today's Creative Director). Adolf Theobald was the publisher of the magazine and Ferdinand Simoneit its editor in chief until 1974 at which time Johannes Gross took over the position. The magazine developed into one of the most influential and predominant in Germany's media under his leadership.  In 1989 Conrad left "Capital". In October 1992 he suffered a stroke. He died on 26 December 2003 in a nursing home in Cologne-Rodenkirchen.

Hans G. Conrad (*11 June 1926 in Remetschwil, Switzerland as Johann Gerold Konrad; † 26 December 2003 in Cologne, Germany) was a photographer and graphic designer in the 20th century.

Hans G. Conrad (* 11. Juni 1926 in Remetschwil als "Johann Gerold Konrad"; † 26. Dezember 2003 in Köln), war ein einflussreicher Fotograf und Designer des 20. Jahrhunderts.


Club career.

Nice.

In May 2014 Niklas Hult was signed by OGC Nice for a fee around €1 million, the French Ligue 1 club as they looked to strengthen for the 2014–15 season. He was described as a midfield workhorse with attacking and defensive qualities.

Panathinaikos.

On 30 June 2016, he signed a three-years contract with Greek Super League club Panathinaikos for a transfer fee of €300,000. His contract, which ran until 2019, was worth €250,000 per year.  During the summer of 2017, the Swedish international rejected a suggestion from Standard Liège, and at the same time he filed an appeal claiming his late payment from Panathinaikos. Later in the summer, the player's side claimed that the international left-back could leave as free from the club, either for Konyaspor or Standard Liège that was once again interested in his acquisition. Hult had no trouble withdrawing his appeal as long as he had a raise in his annual salary and extending his contract for another year. The greens put all the odds down, and as they figured that the player was one of the best player in the roster, on 21 July 2017, took the decision to table a new proposal for co-operation and increase his annual earnings by more than €100,000 while expanding his contract by 2020, that make the player's side to respond positively. Unfortunately during the 2017–18 season the financial problems of the club remained unresolved with Hult reportedly looking his next step in his career.  On 30 January 2018, after his first appeal, Hult took again legal actions against Panathinaikos because of the money the Greens owe to him. He had not received his December's fee and in order to ensure his money decided to sue financially struggling greens. Nevertheless, between two sides there are negotiations in order to find a mutual solution and Panathinaikos receive money from his possible transfer in January's window.

AEK Athens.

On 31 January 2018, Hult signed a two-and-half-year contract with rivals AEK Athens for an estimated amount of €200,000.

Honours.

Elfsborg  AEK Athens

Niklas Hult (born 13 February 1990) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Greek club AEK Athens and the Sweden national team.

Niklas Hult (* 13. Februar 1990 in Värnamo) ist ein schwedischer Fußballspieler. Der Mittelfeldspieler, der 2012 für die schwedische Nationalmannschaft debütierte, gewann mit IF Elfsborg den schwedischen Meistertitel und den Landespokal.


Education.

Irvine was born in Inverness, Scotland, and educated at the fee-paying private school, Hutcheson's Grammar School in Glasgow.  Later Irvine read Scots law at the University of Glasgow and became involved in debating with the Glasgow University Dialectic Society and at the Glasgow University Union, where he befriended contemporary Labourites Donald Dewar and John Smith. After reading English law at Christ's College, Cambridge, he taught law briefly at the London School of Economics and was called to the Bar in 1967. In the late 1960s, Dewar's wife, Alison, left Dewar for Irvine. Irvine later stated that the two men had remained on speaking terms, contrary to reports of a rift. They later served in the same Cabinet. His first marriage ended in divorce, with his ex-wife subsequently moving to Canada.

Career.

Irvine joined chambers headed by Morris Finer QC (later as a judge, Sir Morris Finer). In 1970 he contested the Hendon North constituency as a Labour Party candidate. He became a QC in 1978 and head of chambers in 1981, on founding 11 King's Bench Walk Chambers. Among his pupil barristers were Tony Blair and Cherie Booth; at their wedding he dubbed himself "Cupid QC" for having introduced them. In the 1980s he became a Recorder, and then a Deputy High Court Judge.  He was a legal adviser to the Labour Party through the 1980s, and he was given a life peerage as Baron Irvine of Lairg, of Lairg in the District of Sutherland, on 25 March 1987. He was appointed as Lord Chancellor after Blair's election victory in 1997 after serving for five years as Shadow Lord Chancellor. Blair's predecessor as Labour leader, John Smith, had chosen Irvine as Shadow Lord Chancellor.  A highlight of Irvine's period in office was the incorporation of the European Convention on Human Rights into United Kingdom law. Irvine devised a measure to maintain the supremacy of Parliament while allowing judges to declare Acts of Parliament not to be in compliance with the Convention. He caused controversy by ditching part of the Lord Chancellor's traditional attire.  In addition to his traditional role of supervising the legal system, in 2001 he gained responsibility for a wide range of constitutional issues, including human rights and freedom of information.

Reputation.

Irvine regularly faced controversy as Lord Chancellor. Soon after his appointment in 1998, the Lord Chancellor's official residence in the Palace of Westminster was redecorated at a cost to the taxpayer of £650,000. Hand-printed wallpaper alone accounted for £59,000. Much of the criticism devolved on Irvine, despite responsibility for the renovations lying with the House of Lords authorities rather than Irvine himself. Contractors working on the renovations were forced to sign the Official Secrets Act to avoid revelations of the expenditure leaking out to the public. Irvine came under further criticism after saying that the expenditure was worth it because the redecorations wouldn't "collapse after a year" like products from B&Q, a well-known British D-I-Y store.  Early in 2003 he was awarded a pay rise of £22,691 as a result of a formula designed to keep his salary ahead of that of the Lord Chief Justice. After an outcry he accepted a more modest increase. Irvine became an object of ridicule after he provided a copy of a speech - initially given at a private event - in which he compared himself to Cardinal Wolsey, to a reporter from "The Times" newspaper. He was frequently thereafter drawn by political cartoonists wearing a Cardinal's hat and robes.

Removal.

After Blair dismissed him in June 2003, Lord Falconer of Thoroton was named his successor. At the same time, it was announced that the post of Lord Chancellor would be abolished. The plan to abolish the office was later abandoned, though it was partially reformed in the Constitutional Reform Act 2005, and is now used as a secondary title to the Secretary of State for Justice.

Alexander Andrew Mackay Irvine, Baron Irvine of Lairg (born 23 June 1940), known as Derry Irvine, is a Scottish lawyer, judge, and political figure who served as Lord Chancellor under his former pupil barrister, Tony Blair.

Alexander „Derry“ Irvine, Baron Irvine of Lairg PC QC (* 23. Juni 1940 in Inverness, Schottland) ist ein britischer Jurist und Politiker der Labour Party, der unter anderem von 1997 bis 2003 Lordkanzler war.


Career.

Fryer started out at Blackwing Studios in south London, working with bands on the 4AD, Mute, Rough Trade and Beggars Banquet record labels, including Depeche Mode, Fad Gadget and Cocteau Twins. His work with the Cocteau Twins, helping to develop their ethereal and ambient sound, led Watts-Russell to recruit Fryer as his musical and producing partner for This Mortal Coil.  Fryer is also known for his production work in the industrial rock genre, working with Nine Inch Nails, Stabbing Westward and Gravity Kills. He worked with the Italian band Dope Stars Inc on their debut album, "://Neuromance". He also produced, engineered and mixed The Schools "Espionage", which was nominated for a Norwegian Grammy (Spellemannsprisen, the rock category), and mixed the US breakthrough album for Jesus Jones, "Doubt". More recently, Fryer has also started his own label, Something To Listen To.  In early 2010, Fryer began collaborating with Stripmall Architecture vocalist Rebecca Coseboom under the name Dark Drive Clinic. The pair released their debut album, "Noise in My Head", in October 2011.  In 2013 Fryer formed the band Silver Ghost Shimmer with Pinky Turzo, and their debut album "Soft Landing" was released on 1 May 2015. In 2014 Fryer started collaborating with Louise Fraser in the band Muricidae, which released two EPs in 2015, "Tales From A silent Ocean" and "Tears Are Stronger Than Waves". In 2016 Fryer launched a music project named Black Needle Noise, collaborating with a vocalists from many genres of popular music, including Jarboe (Swans), Ledfoot, Elena Alice Fossi of Kirlian Camera, Betsy Martin of Caterwaul, Bill Leeb (Front Line Assembly, Delerium), Mimi Page, Jennie Vee, Sivert Høyem and Beca (musician).  You Know The Way / Get Out 2019

John Fryer (born 1958) is an English record producer. Best known for his production work, he has also performed as a musician, as one of the two constant members of This Mortal Coil (along with Ivo Watts-Russell), providing keyboards, strings and synthesizer sequencing for the band, and its offshoot, The Hope Blister.

John Fryer (* 1958 in London, England) ist ein britischer Toningenieur und Musikproduzent. Fryer begann seine Karriere 1979 als Assistent in den Blackwing Studios, mit denen er beruflich neun Jahre verbunden blieb. Er produzierte zwischen 1981 und 1989 ausschließlich für Bands der Musiklabels Mute Records und 4AD. Über 25 Jahre wirkte er als Produzent in den Feldern Pop, Alternative Rock und "geistiger Stimmungsmusik". Das Ergebnis waren dutzende Alben, Singles und Remixes unter anderem mit Depeche Mode, den Cocteau Twins oder Nine Inch Nails und der finnischen Rock-Band HIM. 2003 begründete er das Label "Something To Listen To Records".


Plot.

A tearful Jane Eyre runs away from Thornfield Hall, finding herself alone on the moors. She collapses at the doorstep of Moor House, home of St. John Rivers and his sisters Diana and Mary; they take Jane in and nurse her back to health.  The film flashes between Jane’s recovery and her grim childhood. An orphan, she is treated cruelly by her cousin John and aunt Mrs. Reed. Jane is sent to the Lowood School for Girls; under the strict Mr. Brocklehurst, the girls are beaten, but Jane befriends fellow pupil Helen Burns, who dies of consumption.  Eight years later, Jane, now eighteen, leaves Lowood for a position at Thornfield Hall. Welcomed by the kindly housekeeper Mrs. Fairfax, Jane begins her plain but isolated life as governess to Adèle Varens, the young French ward of Thornfield’s owner. One day, Jane sees a rider thrown by his horse and comes to his aid. Returning to Thornfield, she learns the man is Edward Rochester, master of the house. He grudgingly praises her instruction of Adèle, and her own “openess and unpolluted mind;” the two find themselves curiously attracted to one another.  One night, Jane discovers Rochester's room on fire, which they manage to extinguish; he warns her not to speak of the incident, and they share a chaste but passionate moment. The next day, Rochester leaves suddenly to call on Blanche Ingram, whom Mrs. Fairfax tells Jane is Rochester’s prospective wife; she and her family return with him a few weeks later on a grand visit to Thornfield. Rochester confronts Jane, who is hurt by Blanche’s presence, but is interrupted by an unexpected guest – Richard Mason from Spanish Town, Jamaica, whose arrival disturbs Rochester. That night, the household is awakened by a scream. Rochester reassures the guests, but brings Jane to tend to Mason, who has been badly injured. Jane notices a hidden door in Rochester’s room before Mason is taken away by a doctor. Rochester confides in Jane, cryptically, that he is haunted by a past mistake but has fallen for a new woman in his life; Jane believes he means Blanche.  Jane receives word that her cousin John has committed suicide, leading her aunt to suffer a stroke. Jane returns to her dying aunt, who gives her a letter from Jane's paternal uncle, John Eyre, asking that Jane live with him in Madeira as his heir. The letter is three years old, and Mrs. Reed admits to writing John that Jane had died at Lowood. Jane forgives her aunt and returns to Thornfield, beginning a correspondence with John. Faced with Rochester’s impending marriage to Blanche, Jane tells Rochester she will leave Thornfield and confesses her true feelings for him. Rochester declares that Jane is his only love and proposes; she accepts. At their wedding, Mason appears with a lawyer and reveals that Rochester is already married to Mason's sister, Bertha. Rochester admits the truth and takes Jane to meet his violently deranged wife, kept in a hidden room at Thornfield. Rochester explains that he was made to marry Bertha for her money, but she rapidly descended into madness and he locked her away rather than subject her to an asylum; she was responsible for the strange happenings in the house. Jane, wounded at his deception, leaves Thornfield.  After her recovery at Moor House, St. John gives Jane a teaching position and a cottage. One night, she imagines a knock at her door to be Rochester, but instead finds St. John with news that her uncle John has died and left her his fortune of £20,000 (). Jane offers to share her inheritance with St. John and his sisters, and the four live together at Moor House. St. John asks Jane to marry him, but she rejects him.  Jane returns to Thornfield to find the house a blackened ruin. She learns from Mrs. Fairfax that Bertha set fire to the house; Rochester was able to rescue everyone but his wife. Jane visits Rochester, who lost his eyesight in the fire, and the two are reunited.

Production.

The film was produced by Alison Owen's company Ruby Films, with financial support from BBC Films, Focus Features and Lipsynch Productions. The script by Moira Buffini appeared on the 2008 Brit List, a film-industry-compiled list of the best unproduced screenplays in British film. The story is largely presented by way of flashbacks. In October 2009, it was announced that Cary Fukunaga would direct the adaptation. Fukunaga had been in England promoting a film when he met with the BBC and learned about their plans for a new adaptation. The filmmakers decided to play up the Gothic elements of the classic novel. Fukunaga stated, "I've spent a lot of time rereading the book and trying to feel out what Charlotte Brontë was feeling when she was writing it. That sort of spookiness that plagues the entire story... there's been something like 24 adaptations and it's very rare that you see those sorts of darker sides. They treat it like it's just a period romance and I think it's much more than that."

Casting.

Mia Wasikowska starred as the title character and Michael Fassbender as Edward Rochester. Fukunaga and the producers wanted an actress close to Jane Eyre's age in the novel, in contrast to many previous versions. Fukunaga liked Wasikowska's "sense of observation in her eyes" and that "[she] could communicate [Jane's inner turmoil] in a way that didn't feel theatrical". He felt her looks could be played down as required for the role. On casting Rochester, the director stated that while there were actors closer in appearance, he felt Fassbender had the spirit of the character. Jamie Bell, Judi Dench, Sally Hawkins, Simon McBurney, Imogen Poots, Holliday Grainger and Tamzin Merchant also joined the cast.

Filming.

Principal photography began on 22 March 2010 and concluded in mid-May. Filming locations included London and various locations in Derbyshire and the Derbyshire Dales, including Chatsworth House, Haddon Hall, the village of Froggatt and the Fox House pub in Sheffield, as well as Broughton Castle in Oxfordshire. The score is composed by Academy Award winner Dario Marianelli. Another Academy Award winner, Michael O'Connor, designed the costumes. Although they estimated the setting was the late 1830s, they settled on four to five years later in 1843. Fukunaga commented that "the clothing style of the '30s was just awful. Every woman looked like a wedding cake." However, they decided to allow a few characters in older fashions to reflect that some would not have updated their style. He looked at some 60 residences for one to represent Thornfield Hall but settled on Haddon Hall as it had not undergone much redecorating; the same location was also used in the 2006 BBC version of "Jane Eyre". The conditions were very cold and Fukunaga admitted that Wasikowska nearly got hypothermia on the second day while shooting the rain sequence; however, he could not imagine filming anywhere else, saying "Northern England – Yorkshire and Derbyshire, the moors and dales – they look like they're something straight out of a Tim Burton horror film. The trees are all twisted by the wind; the bracken and the heather on the moors have this amazing hue. And the weather is so extreme and it changes all the time. The house even, Haddon Hall, is just so steeped in history, the spaces, the galleries, they sort of just breathe and you feel the presence of the history." Key scenes were filmed in Broughton Castle.

Release.

The film had a limited release on four screens in the United States on 11 March 2011. It grossed $182,885, for a per cinema average of $45,721 – the best speciality debut of 2011., its North American total stood at $11,242,660. After the United States, it was released in a number of countries during the spring and summer of 2011, but not until 9 September was it released in the United Kingdom and Ireland. In its opening week, "Jane Eyre" moved to third place in the UK box office, behind "The Inbetweeners Movie" and "Friends with Benefits".

Critical reception.

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval score of 84% based on 164 critical reviews, with an average rating of 7.33/10. The site's consensus reads, "Cary Fukunaga directs a fiery and elegant adaptation, while Mia Wasikowska delivers possibly the best portrayal of the title character ever."  A. O. Scott made the film an "NYT Critics' Pick", saying "This "Jane Eyre", energetically directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga ("Sin Nombre") from a smart, trim script by Moira Buffini ("Tamara Drewe"), is a splendid example of how to tackle the daunting duty of turning a beloved work of classic literature into a movie. Neither a radical updating nor a stiff exercise in middlebrow cultural respectability, Mr. Fukunaga's film tells its venerable tale with lively vigor and an astute sense of emotional detail."  Richard Corliss of "Time" named Mia Wasikowska's performance one of the Top 10 Movie Performances of 2011.

Jane Eyre is a 2011 romantic drama film directed by Cary Fukunaga and starring Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender. The screenplay is written by Moira Buffini based on Charlotte Brontë's 1847 novel of the same name, a classic of the Gothic, bildungsroman, and romance genres. The film was released on 11 March 2011 in the United States and 9 September in Great Britain and Ireland. The film's costume design, led by Michael O'Connor, was nominated for an Academy Award.

Jane Eyre ist ein britisches Romantikdrama aus dem Jahr 2011 mit Mia Wasikowska und Michael Fassbender in den Hauptrollen. Die Regie führte Cary Fukunaga, das Drehbuch stammt von Moira Buffini und basiert auf dem 1847 von Charlotte Brontë verfassten gleichnamigen Roman.


Background.

The composition was written during the first of the composer's two visits to London. It is believed that Johann Peter Salomon asked Haydn to compose the work because of the success of similar works written by Pleyel and performed in a rival concert series.  Manuscript evidence indicates that the work was written in some haste and Haydn is known to have complained of eyestrain while working on it.  The first performance was given on 9 March 1792, with Salomon as lead violinist in the solo group. The other members of the solo group are only known by their surnames, Harrington (Oboe), Holmes (Bassoon) and Menel (Cello). The performance was highly successful and not only was the work encored the following week, it was performed again during Haydn's 1794 visit to London with equal success.  Reviewing the first performance, T"he Monday Herald" commented as follows: "The last performance at SALOMAN'S Concert deserves to be mentioned as one of the richest treats which the resent season has afforded. A new concertante from HAYDN combined with all the excellencies of music; it was profound, airy, affecting, and original, and the performance was in unison with the merit of the composition. SALOMON particularly exerted himself on this occasion, in doing justice to the music of his friend HAYDN... The room had a very brilliant attendance."  "The Oracle" was also enthusiastic, giving the performance this notice: "Haydn directed for the first time the Performance of a New "Concertante" -- the third movement of which seemed expressly calculated to shew the brilliancy of SALOMON'S, and the sweetness of his tone. The prevailing manner of this Master pervaded every movement -- it had all his usual grandeur, contrasted by the levity of airy transition, and the sudden surprises of abrupt rests... The Company were very brilliant."

Structure.

There are three movements:  A typical performance will take between 21 and 25 minutes.

The Sinfonia Concertante in B flat major (Hob. I/105), by Joseph Haydn was composed in London between February and March 1792. The work is a sinfonia concertante with four instruments in the solo group: violin, cello, oboe and bassoon. It is believed to be a response to similar works composed by Ignaz Pleyel, a former student of Haydn's who London newspapers were promoting as a 'rival' to Haydn. In addition to the solo group the Sinfonia Concertante is scored for flute, 2 oboes, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani and strings.

Joseph Haydns Sinfonie Nr. 105 in B-Dur wird auch als Sinfonia concertante bezeichnet, da in dieser Sinfonie die Solo-Instrumente Oboe, Fagott, Violine und Cello dem Orchester wie bei einem Instrumentalkonzert gegenübertreten. Haydn komponierte das Werk Anfang 1792 während seines ersten England-Aufenthaltes. Die „Concertante“ (Haydns Bezeichnung auf dem Autograph) ist im Hoboken-Verzeichnis unter der Sinfonie-Nummer 105 aufgeführt, obwohl sie vor Haydns chronologisch letzter Sinfonie (Nr. 104 im Hoboken-Verzeichnis) komponiert wurde.


History.

The name "Braamfontein" dates from as early as 1853, when a farm with this name to the north-west of Randjeslaagte belonged to Gert Bezuidenhout. In that year he applied to the government to have his farm surveyed. In 1858, Gert sold his farm to F.J. Bezuidenhout.  Like many farms on the Witwatersrand, Braamfontein was subdivided early on, indicating a fairly dense population in the area. Two other Bezuidenhouts, Gerhardus Petrus and Cornelis Willem, each purchased one third of the farm in 1862, and a third part went to Frans Johannes van Dijk. Between 1862 and 1886 different portions were further subdivided.  Three other well-known owners were Johannes Jacobus Lindeque, who in 1884, bought a section where the Country Club was later established in 1906, and Frans Eduard and Louwrens Geldenhuys.  The first suburb established on the farm Braamfontein in 1888-1889 was unofficially named after the farm, as an official extension of the city of Johannesburg. This area is still called Braamfontein. There was, however, an earlier but unsuccessful effort to create a suburb prior to this.  On February 19, 1896, a freight train containing 56 tonnes of dynamite exploded in Braamfontein, killing 78 people.  During the apartheid era, large-scale commercial development in the area was encouraged. Until the middle of the 1980s an electric trolley-bus line traversed some of the area's roads. After the abolition of apartheid, the area began to deteriorate. However, intervention by both the city of Johannesburg and large corporate business, acting as the "Braamfontein Management District", initiated a process of urban renewal in this district. Urban renewal efforts and the establishment of the Braamfontein Management District by the Johannesburg Development Agency and property owners have prevented the district from decaying to the same extent as the Johannesburg CBD; however, considerable work remains to be done in order to restore the area's economic infrastructure to developed-country standards, eliminate dangerous and unsanitary buildings owned by the private sector, eliminate violent crime, reduce petty crime to tolerable levels, and prevent infringements of road traffic laws.  As of February 2018, the Hollard Group has commenced with refurbishing the area's iconic Rennie House building, named after the South African shipping magnate Thomas Rennie.

Braamfontein (English: "blackberry fountain"; also known as Braam) is a central suburb of Johannesburg, in South Africa, seat of the Constitutional Court of South Africa and some of South Africa's major corporations such as Liberty Holdings Limited, JD Group (part of Steinhoff Africa), Sappi, Bidvest (formerly Rennies) Bank and Hollard. Situated due north of the city centre, Braamfontein is the fourth-largest office node in the city of Johannesburg containing many multi-storied buildings representing various architectural styles including Art Deco and Brutalist. Numerous office buildings have and are in the process of being converted to residential apartments. The offices of the Johannesburg City Council and the University of the Witwatersrand are situated in Braamfontein. The Nelson Mandela Bridge is a landmark that connects Braamfontein to the city centre, traversing South Africa's most extensive passenger train marshalling yard. Jan Smuts Avenue and Empire Road are two major road thoroughfares that run through the suburb.

Braamfontein (deutsch etwa „Brombeerquelle“) ist ein zentraler Stadtteil der südafrikanischen Metropole Johannesburg. 2001 hatte er 7007 Einwohner. Der Stadtteil liegt nordwestlich des Stadtzentrums zwischen "Jan Smuts Avenue" und "Empire Road". Die Nelson Mandela Bridge verbindet Braamfontein mit dem Stadtteil Newtown, mit dem es ein kulturelles Zentrum bildet. So befinden sich in Braamfontein die Witwatersrand-Universität, der Constitution Hill und das Civic Centre. Außerdem gibt es das Jan Smuts House, wo das Arbeitszimmer von Jan Smuts zu besichtigen ist, ein Planetarium und das Origins Centre, das eine Ausstellung über die Ursprünge des Menschen beherbergt. Die "Gertrude-Posel-Galerie", die Johannesburg Art Gallery und die "Standard Bank Collection of Tribal Art" sind weitere Touristenattraktionen.


Early life and education.

Abramson was born in New York City and grew up in a Jewish home. She received her high school diploma from Ethical Culture Fieldston School and a BA in History and Literature from Radcliffe College of Harvard University in 1976.

Career.

While a Harvard undergraduate, she was the Arts Editor of "The Harvard Independent", and worked at "Time" magazine from 1973 to 1976. Subsequently, she spent nearly a decade as a senior staff reporter for "The American Lawyer". In 1986, she was appointed as editor in chief of "Legal Times" in Washington, D.C., serving for two years. From 1988 to 1997, she was a senior reporter in the Washington bureau of "The Wall Street Journal", eventually rising to deputy bureau chief. She joined "The New York Times" in 1997, becoming its Washington bureau chief in December 2000.  Abramson was the "Times"' Washington Bureau chief during the turbulent period of Spring 2003 during the run-up to the war in Iraq and the Jayson Blair scandal, which led to the resignation of Executive Editor Howell Raines and Managing Editor Gerald Boyd. In a February 2013 interview, Abramson spoke of the conflict she had with Raines as D.C. bureau chief, saying, "Howell from the get-go just had no use for me.... I did think about quitting." Abramson was named to the news managing editor position (with co-Managing Editor John M. Geddes) by Raines' successor Bill Keller.  In 1995, Abramson and her "The Wall Street Journal" colleague (and fellow Fieldston alumna) Jane Mayer co-authored "Strange Justice: The Selling of Clarence Thomas", which detailed circumstances surrounding the confirmation hearings of Justice Clarence Thomas. Maureen Dowd would later write of having bonded with Abramson during that time. From 2000 to 2001, she was a professor at Princeton University. She was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2001.  In February 2007, Abramson testified in the perjury trial of Scooter Libby, "United States v. Libby". She was called as a defense witness to undercut the credibility of Judith Miller.  In 2010, Abramson worked on news content on the "Times" website for six months.  On June 2, 2011, Abramson became the executive editor of the "Times" in September 2011, replacing Bill Keller who stepped down from the position to become a full-time writer.  Abramson was scheduled to address the commencement exercises of Barnard College on May 14, 2012. Her speech was canceled after President Barack Obama requested to speak instead. She received an honorary degree at Fairleigh Dickinson's 69th Commencement Ceremony in May 2012.  In April 2013, Abramson was the subject of a sharply critical profile in "Politico" written by Dylan Byers entitled "Turbulence at the Times," in which anonymous "Times" staffers called her "impossible" and "very, very unpopular." Abramson was deeply distressed by the report, later saying it made her cry.  On May 14, 2014, Abramson was fired from her position as executive editor of the "Times", and Dean Baquet succeeded her in that role. Abramson was reportedly fired because of "her arbitrary decision-making, a failure to consult and bring colleagues with her, inadequate communication, and mistreatment of colleagues". Five days later, she delivered the commencement address at Wake Forest University.  During the run-up to the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Abramson argued in a column for "Guardian US" that Hillary Clinton, whom she had covered as a reporter and editor since the Whitewater controversy, was "fundamentally honest and trustworthy."  On February 19, 2018, Abramson followed up her 1995 book on Clarence Thomas and the Anita Hill hearings with a discussion concerning new evidence that Thomas had committed perjury which might be tied to possible impeachment. Abramson indicated that her reporting was initiated by an article by the journalist Marcia Coyle from 2016 when Abramson stated, "Tipped to the post by a Maryland legal source who knew Smith (who made the allegations), Marcia Coyle, a highly regarded and scrupulously nonideological Supreme Court reporter for "The National Law Journal", wrote a detailed story about (Moira) Smith’s allegation of butt-squeezing, which included corroboration from Smith’s roommates at the time of the dinner and from her former husband. Coyle’s story, which Thomas denied, was published October 27, 2016". In December 2018, Fox News reported that Abramson's book "Merchants of Truth" criticized her former employer the "Times" of abandoning objectivity and becoming "anti-Trump" to bolster profits. Abramson responded by stating that the "Fox News" review "distorts and takes what I wrote totally out of context" and praised the "Times" along with "The Washington Post" for their "superb coverage of the corruption enveloping the Trump administration, the best investigative reporting I’ve seen."  In February 2019, Vice News correspondent Michael C. Moynihan said Abramson's book "Merchants of Truth" contained several instances of plagiarism, posting a series of tweets comparing passages of the book to passages of other publications, including "Time Out", "The Ryerson Review of Journalism", "The New Yorker", "The Columbia Journalism Review", and other works. In a February 7 interview on Fox News, Abramson said she had no comment on the plagiarism accusations, but later that evening said she would review the passages in question. However, in an interview with NPR's Michel Martin, Abramson admitted that she "fell short" in attributing her sources for some passages of the book. In an interview with CNN's Brian Stelter, Abramson said that most of the plagiarized text was cited in footnotes, but that was she was sorry that a few piece of text were not. Stelter pointed out to Abramson that lifting words from other sources and citing footnotes is still considered plagiarism.

Personal life.

In 1981, she married Harvard classmate Henry Little Griggs III. Griggs was then president of Triad, a political public relations company. He is self-described as a "writer, editor and media-relations consultant specializing in nonprofit advocacy campaigns." They have two children.  In May 2007, Abramson was seriously injured in a truck-pedestrian crash near the "New York Times" headquarters in Times Square. She subsequently filed a lawsuit against the truck's driver, owner, and operator, who was involved in the crash, as well two companies involved in the crash.  Abramson has four tattoos on her body that she describes as "telling the story of me." They include a New York City Subway token; the letter "H," representing her alma mater, Harvard University, and her husband, Henry; and the letter "T" in the Gothic font of the "New York Times" logo. Abramson first unveiled her "New York Times" tattoo on a New York interview show less than a month before being fired from the paper, saying that it, along with the 'H' tattoo represent "the two institutions that I revere, that have shaped me." She has called her "Times" tattoo, which is emblazoned on her back, her "personal hieroglyphic." However, although she worked at "The Wall Street Journal" for 10 years, she elected to not be similarly marked by that newspaper because "It just wasn't in my family's blood."

References.

Notes Further reading

Jill Ellen Abramson (born March 19, 1954) is an American author and journalist. She is best known as the former executive editor of "The New York Times"; Abramson held that position from September 2011 to May 2014. She was the first female executive editor in the paper's 160-year history. Abramson joined the "New York Times" in 1997, working as the Washington bureau chief and managing editor before being named as executive editor. She previously worked for "The Wall Street Journal" as an investigative reporter and a deputy bureau chief.

Jill Ellen Abramson (* 19. März 1954 in New York City) ist eine US-amerikanische Journalistin und war von September 2011 bis Mai 2014 Chefredakteurin der New York Times. Sie war die erste Frau in dieser Position.