- The Deschutes River (/dəˈʃuːts/ də-SHOOTS) in central Oregon is a major tributary of the Columbia River. The river provides much of the drainage on the eastern side of the Cascade Range in Oregon, gathering many of the tributaries that descend from the drier, eastern flank of the mountains. The Deschutes provided an important route to and from the Columbia for Native Americans for thousands of years, and then in the 19th century for pioneers on the Oregon Trail. The river flows mostly through rugged and arid country, and its valley provides a cultural heart for central Oregon. Today the river supplies water for irrigation and is popular in the summer for whitewater rafting and fishing.
- Richard Wagner, Bayreuth and Italy (german-way.com)
Richard Wagner (1813-1883) revolutionized classical music with his Tristan und Isolde (1859) and The Ring (1874). His tremendous influence on opera came from his “musical dramas,” including the “Ring Cycle” and the Meistersinger von Nürnberg. Because Wagner wanted the perfect stage for his productions, he custom built his now famous Festival Hall in Bayreuth, still today the home of the annual Bayreuth Festival (Bayreuther Festspiele). Wagner’s supporters say his music transcends his dark side as an antisemite, a deadbeat, and a philanderer. His life was also intertwined with that of King Ludwig II of Bavaria, who supported Wagner financially over many years beginning in 1864, but did not agree with the composer’s antisemitic views.