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CHICAGO BLUESMAN COMES TO MOSCOW
Read the text and find out who is being described in it. Moscow has a population of approximately 10 million people. According to conservative estimates, this includes about 1 million guitarists and guitar lovers. Even excluding the admirers of the classic guitar and "bard" singers/songwriters, it is inconceivable how the rest of them will be able to fit into the concert hall of the Central Artist's House (TsDKh). But failing to come for the September show by Chicago bluesman John Primer would be tantamount to abandoning the guitar. Primer, 60, is a Mississippi native, while his life story seems to come straight from a classic blues book: As a boy, he sang spirituals at the local Baptist Church, learned to play blues, and picked cotton. At age 19, he moved to Chicago. In the late 1970s, Primer was playing at Teresa's Lounge, the "blues Mecca," when master songwriter and bassist Willie Dixon persuaded him to join his band The Chicago All-Stars. Later John Primer played with the Muddy Waters band, until the great bluesman died in 1983. The following 13 years Primer spent with the legendary Magic Slim. In all of these wonderful setups, Primer was not only a good sideman but also an opening act as singer/guitar player. John began a solo career at age 50; he formed his own band, releasing nine albums on such respectable labels as Atlantic, Vernon, Telarc, and Wolf, and was nominated for Grammy and Handy Awards - quite an impressive record for the last Chicago blues traditionalist as he is sometimes called. Electric blues originated in postwar Chicago. It is distinguished from ordinary blues by a more aggressive sound and harder rhythm. Black musicians were the first to start using electric guitars, microphones, and valve amplifiers. They say these innovations were used to drown out the noise of the crowd and boost the sale of alcoholic beverages in bars and clubs. Be that as it may, Chicago Blues, as glorified by the names of Muddy Waters, Howlin Wolf, Elmore James, and Little Walter, became the core of all rock music - from The Rolling Stones to Eric Clapton to Jimi Hendrix. John Primer is now in his prime, playing real Chicago blues that he understands and has spent his whole life playing. In Moscow, John Primer will perform on Sept. 22 and 23 at the TsDKh, the Domu-dorogi club, and the Rhythm-n-Blues cafe. (From Moscow News, 2005) Exercise Correct the mistakes: 1. Moscow has a population of approximately 20 million people. 2. This includes about 3 million guitarists and guitar lovers. 3. As a boy, he sang pop-songs at the local Baptist Church. 4. John began a solo career at age 40. 5. Electric blues originated in postwar New York. 6. White musicians were the first to start using electric guitars, microphones, and valve amplifiers.
THE GLOBE THEATRE Read the text about a famous theatre and find out why it was rebuilt In 1949, an American actor Sam Wanamaker came to London and decided to visit the site of the famous Globe Theatre where Shakespeare had staged his plays. All he found, however, was a plaque on the wall of a brewery: "Here stood the Globe Playhouse of Shakespeare". Wanamaker was so shocked that he decided to rebuild the Globe. It took many years to raise the money, get permission and find out exactly what the place looked like in the old days. On June 12 1997, Her Majesty the Queen opened the International Shakespeare Globe Centre, the re-creation of Shakespeare's theatre. Unfortunately, Sam Wanamaker died in 1993 and wasn't in the audience to see his dream finally come true. Today, you can visit the beautiful new Globe, and in summer you can even see a play performed as it would have been in Shakespeare's day. The architects who have worked on the building believe the new theatre is as close to the original as it is possible to be. Shows at the new Globe are staged in much the same way as they were then - with no scenery, spotlights or microphones. And, as in Shakespeare's time, the crowd is free to join in, calling out to the actors and getting involved in the story. Women now play on the stage of the Globe, but on special occasions you can experience Shakespeare's plays the way his audience would have: an all-male performance in original clothing and without interval. If it rains, however, you'll be given a rain hat so that you wouldn't get wet to the skin. The theatre's artistic director, Mark Rylance, says that his dream is "to reawaken a love of words —- a theatre for the heart, not just the intellect". He expects the audiences to move around, talk, drink beer and throw fruit at the actors as they did in Shakespeare's time. (from Speak Out, abridged)
Exercise Find the correct ending: 1. An American actor Sam Wanamaker came to London a) in 1849; b) in 1949; c) in 1749.
2. Wanamaker was so shocked that he a) decided to rebuild the Globe. b) decided to break the Globe. c) decided to leave London.
3. On June 12 1997, Her Majesty the Queen a) closed the theatre. b) thanked Wanamaker. c) opened the International Shakespeare Globe Centre.
4. If it rains, you'll be a) given a rain hat. b) given an umbrella. c) asked to leave the theatre.
CHOPIN IN BRITAIN Read the text about Chopin’s living in Britain. Find the names of the places where he stayed. The revolution of 1848, which dethroned the Orleanist monarchy, also brought to an end the musical world which Frederic Chopin had known in Paris. For the time being, the French capital no longer offered him a livelihood, and Chopin decided to accept the invitation of his Scottish pupil and friend, Jane Stirling, to come to Britain. As a result of the months he spent In this country, Britain cherishes many relics and souvenirs of the great pianist and composer. He arrived in London just before Easter, on April 20th, and was soon moving in a fashionable and aristocratic society very different from the revolutionary turmoil he had left behind in Paris. He took an attractive and expensive apartment in Dover Street, he appeared at the opera and at important dinners and receptions, and he met many of the leading figures of the day including the novelist Charles Dickens. On May 15th, less than à month after his arrival in London, he was invited to play before Queen Victoria. Afterwards he wrote: "I played at the Duchess of Sutherland's before the Queen, Prince Albert, the Princess of Prussia, Wellington and all the elite of the Garter — a select gathering of eighty persons... Her Majesty addressed some very gracious remarks to me. Chopin's first public recital in London was at the soiree held for him by Mrs. Sartoris at 99 Eaton Place, where the occasion has been commemorated by a blue wall plaque. One evening Chopin was invited to the home of Thomas Cerlyle, the great historian. The following day Mrs. Carlyle wrote to her friend Helen Walsh: "Chopin has been here! I never heard the piano played before — could not have believed the capabilities that are in it!" The autographed manuscripts of Chopin's two most famous polonaises are in the British Museum, as well as other Chopin autographs. His writing, as is revealed by these precious manuscripts, is incredibly fine and elegant. The end of the London season, when the fashionable world moved north, provided Chopin with the opportunity to visit the homes of his Scottish friends. He arrived In Edinburgh in early August, and stayed for a time at Calder House, Midlothian, as the guest of Lord Torphichen, brother-in-law of Jane Stirling. Several private houses had the honour of receiving the distinguished visitor -in particular, of course, the homes of various members of the Stirling family. From Calder House Chopin travelled to Manchester, where he took part in a public concert on August 28th. "They received me very well," he wrote. "1 had to sit down to the pianoforte three times. The hall is fine, seating 1,200 persons. I stayed in the country, all the rich people live outside the city." In Manchester we may see the most treasured of all the Chopin relics in this country — the original death mask by Jean Baptiste Clesinger, taken a few hours after the composer's death in Paris on October 17th, 1849. In 1936 the mask was placed in the Henry Watson Music Library, Manchester, on permanent loan, together with a cast of Chopin's right hand. After his Manchester concert, Chopin stayed at Johnstone Castle near Glasgow, the home of Mrs.Houston, Jane Stirling's widowed sister. He saw something of the Highlands, and gave recitals in Glasgow and Edinburgh. Chopin's fatal illness was now advancing apace. After his return to London at the end of October, he remained indoors for three whole weeks at his lodgings in St. Jame's Place — with the single exception of the evening of November I6th, when, 'exhausted by suffering but inspired by a desire to help his fellow-countrymen, he went to the Guildhall to play at a concert and ball given in aid of Polish refugees. It was, he wrote, a "very brilliant" occasion — and it was the last time he ever played In public. He left London, for Paris on November 23rd, promising to return the following year. That was not to be; but in the metal box which Jane Stirling placed at the base of the monument erected in 1850 in the Pere Lachaise Cemetery was one last souvenir of Chopin's stay in Britain — a rose petal from her birthplace atKippenress.
Exercise Complete the sentences: 1. At the invitation of his Scottish pupil and friend, Jane Stirling, Chopin ... ... ... 2. He arrived in London ... ... ... 3. On May 15th ... ... ... 4. Mrs. Carlyle wrote to her friend Helen Walsh: ... ... ... 5. In Manchester he took part in ... ... ... 6. In Manchester we may see ... ... ... 7. After his return to London at the end of October, ... ... ....
COVENT GARDEN Read the text and find the information about the history of the theatre. The Royal Opera House Covent Garden stands not far away from one of the most famous of London streets, The Strand, in the West End. Even so, a Visitor only realizes this and discovers the opera house with difficulty. There are no notices pointing the way towards Bow Street, and you have to go up and down small turnings to find it. Yet there is nothing to apologize for at Covent Garden, except the approach to it. It is the best opera house in Europe, with one of the finest possible orchestras. You may be wondering about the actual name. 'Covent' comes from 'Convent', a nunnery. In the Middle Ages the area near Bow Street was occupied by a convent and now the name alone keeps up the memory. After King Henry VIII closed the convent, the area was developed into a most beautiful piazza with fashionable houses all round it. This was still long before the theatre came. What came next was far worse and has still not been removed; the vegetable market. In 1671 one of the owners in the district let property to a market gardener and the vegetables arrived. When the cabbages came the duchesses left, and the cabbages, cauliflowers and oranges are still on the pavement, giving a distinct smell to the whole quarter. Perhaps only in England could the national opera house be lost among sacks of potatoes and crates of bananas. The theatre you see today was the third to be built: twice in two centuries Covent Garden has been burned down. Outside you see tall pillars, flags and lights. The inside is far more beautiful. The large auditorium is in the shape of a horseshoe. There you can see the great dark velvet curtains with the royal initials EIIR (Elizabeth II Regina) at the bottom and much more dark velvet and plush all round. The boxes and pink-shaded candles stretch around the horseshoe under a dome and a light-green ceiling. This is the real Covent Garden and on a gala night when there are flags, draperies and flowers in the boxes it asks you to forgive it for standing in so obscure a corner of the city.
Exercise Find the correct ending: 1. The Royal Opera House Covent Garden stands a) in the West End. b) in the East End c) in the suburb of London. 2. It is the best opera house a) in Asia b) in the world c) in Europe 3. The theatre you see today was a) the second to be built. b) the third c) the first.
DIANA ROSS Read the text about a famous pop star. Find out how she started her singing career. There are lots of superstars these days, but one person who really deserves the name is Diana Ross. At thirty-nine, she's been making hit records for nearly twenty years. Her career began in the 1960's with The Supremes. Then she left The Supremes and became a solo performer. Now, in the I980's, Diana Ross is more successive than ever before. She describes the 1980's as: "The Golden Age. There's so much opportunity. This is the information age, the computer age, the age of the future." Things haven't always looked so good. Diana Ross started singing with school groups in a very poor area of Detroit, the home of America's motor industry. Together with two friends she approached the Motown record label. The Supremes, as they were called, impressed Motown's boss, Berry Cordy, and decided to add them to the other artists on his label. It was the start of an enormously successful period for Motown. Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, The Four Tops, Marvin Gaye and The Temptations were just some of their stars in the 1960's. But none were as successful as The Supremes. Diana Ross was the lead singer from the start, and after The Supremes became The Supremes, no one was surprised when Diana Ross decided to go solo at the end of the 60's. In the years that followed she made TV appearances, three movies and recorded several albums. But it wasn't until she moved into disco in the late 70's that Diana Ross caught the public's imagination. Songs like "My Old Piano", "Upside Down" and "Work that Body" were big international hits. So, at an age when many performers begin to think about slowing down, Diana Ross' career seems to be at its peak. She's married with three children, needs only six hours sleep per night and is working harder than ever. She will star in a new film called "Josephine Baker", the story of a Parisian cabaret singer. She also has plans for records, tours and TV work. Many people have tried to define what makes Diana Ross a superstar. Her voice? Her looks? Her elegance? Her ability to make you feel emotion? Diana Ross herself doesn't know the answer. About her long and varied career she says: "I just know that I'm still here and I'm still working." (from "Clockwork")
Exercise Find in the text : 1) how Diana’s career began; 2) what groups she worked with; 3) what songs of hers were the most popular; 4) about her family life.
1. 56. "OKLAHOMA!" Read the text about one of the first musicals. What is its difference from the modern ones? On March 31, 1943, the curtain went up at the St. James Theatre on a musical that became a Broadway legend: "Oklahoma!" Beyond a shadow of doubt, "Oklahoma!" has been one of the most popular, most beloved, most widely-produced around the world musical shows in theatrical history. The New York run of five years and 2,212 performances was greater than any other in stage annals, until it was surpassed by "My Fair Lady" in 1961. It received a special Pulitzer Prize and a national tour that lasted for 10 years, with presentations in almost every corner of the world. Looking back over the years in 1968, on the 25th anniversary of the show, Richard Rodgers recalled that he asked his old college school chum, Oscar Hammerstein 2nd, to join him and write the libretto and lyrics for a musical version of Lynn Riggs play "Green Grow the Lilacs." Hammerstein had not had a real hit since 1929, when he wrote the book and lyrics for "Sweet Adeline." The show was to be based on Riggs fond remembrances of his childhood in Oklahoma - "Green Grow the Lilacs" was produced by the Theatre Guild in 1931, starring Franchot Tone as Curly, and ran for merely eight weeks. It wasn't exactly a smash hit. Under the title of "Away We Go", the show opened a pre-Broadway tryout in New Haven, Connecticut, March 11, 1934. The critical reception was mild, for the show had many aspects which were then rather revolutionary for "musical comedy": a plausible plot; a ballet; songs that, like opera, sprang out of the plot and continued the action - hence no "hit songs" that had meaning outside of the plot's context; and finally, no "chorus line" or glamorous, rich society characters. Audience reaction was quite different. The standing ovation they gave to the number "Oklahoma!" brought a change in the title of the play - everyone knew there and then what the title should be. Commented Rodgers in 1968, "Some people might have thought we were being pretentious to name a musical after a state. But we simply left the old title on for the rest of the tour because a change would have meant a big printing bill." In Boston, vital changes were made, and audiences demanded encore after encore of the song "Oklahoma!" - at this point, the exclamation point was added. Then the show rolled into New York. It was a historic event with electrifying success. Never before had a musical show draw in such ecstatic reviews. Never before had a whole metropolis and its visitors - all tried at once to see a single show. Every day for five years after the opening performance, people stood in line for hours - a line that never stopped - in order to buy tickets for performances as much as six months in advance. The Theatre Guild was saved by this smash hit, and a new team - Rodgers and Hammerstein - formed, which over the next 17 years would collaborate on some of the durable giants of American repertoire - "Carousel", "South Pacific," "The King and I" and "The Sound of Music." Further, most theatre historians and theatre buffs agree that "Oklahoma!" revolutionized the form of the American musical comedy. Its influence was so widespread that all musicians since owe much to it: what was exciting, strange and different in 1943, is now taken for granted. "Oklahoma!" set a standard of style. Exercise Complete the sentences:
1.57. TARKOVSKY: A NEW LOOK Read the article and say why it’s called so. Tarkovsky the film director never made it a point to be understandable to everyone. Great popularity always put him on his guard, if not frightened. Tarkovsky believed the mass character of a work of art to be the first symptom of falsehood and the choice of a wrong path. Nikolai Boldyrev's book is about the life trajectory of an artist seeking to comprehend the essence of man and his unpredictable nature, to discover a point of contact between man and the sacrosanct, and to help man to find sanctity within himself. The author is a well-known poet, a translator of Rilke, Kafka, and Trakl; a researcher of Zen Buddhism and one of the best Russian orientalists. This is not his first book about Tarkovsky. His Stalker, or The Works and Days of Andrei Tarkovsky was the first valuable biography of the film director. In his works, Nikolai Boldyrev sets out to determine the extent of Zen's impact on Russian and European culture. The present book is a fresh attempt to look at Tarkovsky's creations through the prism of oriental philosophy. Having grasped the spiritual essence of Tarkovsky's films, Boldyrev makes quite unexpected discoveries, comparing the famous Russian melancholy with Zen contemplativeness, and Christian humility with oriental "non-acting." Tarkovsky's precepts amazingly combine in themselves inherent Russian and Eastern religiosity, which once again makes us ponder over the unity of world cultures. The book is based on vast documentary material - letters, interviews and diaries of the film director. It takes into account all the diverse viewpoints on Tarkovsky's life and works. This enables Boldyrev to portray him as objectively as possible, and at the same time recreate his unique creative quests. A special charm is lent to the book by verses of the film director's father, Arseny Tarkovsky, an extraordinary poet who has gone down in the history of Russian and world literature. He is also the subject of many memoirs. (From “Moscow News”, abridged)
Exercise True or false:
PART II. Date: 2015-12-24; view: 1000
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