Culture

The 80-th aniversary of the star  

 The king of Rock-n-roll, Elvis Presley, sold millions of records, made dozens of films and broke thousands of hearts. Many people think that no one else could sing like him and no one else will.

Elvis Presley

Elvis Aaron Presley was born on January 8, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi.  The Presley family was not a wealthy one but his mother always made sure he had enough, both of necessities like food and drink, and of little luxuries.

In 1948 the Presley family moved to Memphis, Tenn., in search of work. Elvis had been singing since he was a child. He had won a talent contest at a fair when he was ten, and also took the first prize in his high school talent show in his senior year.

For several months after graduation Presley was a truck driver, until on one fateful day in 1953 he passed a recording studio with the sign: ”Make your own records - $2 for 4 songs”. Elvis returned to that studio, Sun Studios, and recorded “That’s When Your Heartache Begins”, supposedly as a gift for his mother. Sam Phillips, the owner of the studio, overheard Elvis and knew he was on to something – he had been searching for a white performer who could sing “Negro” music and Elvis fit the bill. The owner of the studio put Elvis together with a guitarist called Scotty Moore and a bass-player called Bill Black. They practiced together for months until in June, 1954, they made their first record “That’s All Right, Mama”. Elvis Presley developed a style that would soon be known throughout America and around the world. In 1955, Presley signed a recording contract. Soon his song “Heartbreak Hotel” was the first - shot to the top of both pop and country music charts.

Parents of teenagers thought Elvis horrible for Elvis didn’t just sing and strum – he swiveled, wriggled his hips and pouted his lips. The fans loved it, and they squealed and screamed and mobbed the stage. In some cities, radio stations banned Elvis’ records. All over the USA women’s groups were trying to get Elvis from TV. They didn’t like his singing, and they couldn’t stand his dancing. But the singer in the gold lame (ламе –парчовая ткань для вечерних туалетов) suit just get gaining new fans and selling more records.

Elvis Presley died on August 16, 1977. Despite his flaws as a human being, Elvis remains astonishingly popular even today. More than just “The King” and the founder of rock’-n-roll – Elvis Presley is an American icon, almost godlike figure. 

Oscar Wilde is famous for his wise quotations. As we explore the quotes we learn more about this charming but excessive individual.

Is the name of Oscar Wilde familiar to you? Certainly. You probably remember his fairy tales "The Happy Prince", "The Selfish Giant", "The Nightingale and the Rose". I'm sure you have watched animated cartoon "The Canterville Ghost".  Nowadays Oscar Wilde's 160-th anniversary is celebrated.

                                           

Oscar Wilde

(1854 – 1900)

    Oscar Wilde was born in Dublin on October 16, 1854. His father was a famous Irish surgeon. His mother was well-known in Dublin as a writer of verse and prose.

     At school, and later at Oxford, Oscar displayed a considerable gift for art.

     While at the University, Wilde became one of the most prominent personalities of the day. He wore his hair long, decorated his rooms with lilies, sunflowers, blue china and other beautiful things. His witty sayings were quotes everywhere.

      After graduating from the University, Wilde turned his attention to writing, and traveling.

     The next years saw the appearance of all his major works. The most popular of them are “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, written in 1891, and his comedies “Lady Windermere’s Fan”, “An Ideal Husband” and some other.

     Wilde also wrote poems, essays, reviews, political tracts on every subject he considered worthy of attention – history, drama,painting. Some of them were serious, some satirical. At home and abroad Wilde attracted the attention of his audiences by the brilliance of his conversation, the scope of his knowledge, and the sheer force of his personality.

     Oscar Wilde’s works reflect the emotional protest against social conditions in England at the end of the 19^th century. At all the evils of society he despised bourgeois morality most of all. His opinion on the subject is expressed in the theory of “immoral aestheticism”, in which he glorifies beauty.

     Like most writers and poets, Wilde glorifies natural beauty, but at the same time he is an admirer of artificial colors. In his works he compares the blue sky to a sapphire, a man’s beauty to that of silver, gold, ivory and precious stones. Wilde admires unselfishness, kindness and generosity – “The Nightingale and the Rose". He shows deep sympathy for the poor – “The Devoted Friend”. He despises egoism and greed – “The Selfish Giant”.

Painting in England

     Painting in England in the period of the XV-XVII centuries was represented mostly by foreign artists.

     In the 16-th century Hans Holbein the Younger, a well-known painter was invited to London by the King Henry VIII. Though he did not create any painting school in England he nevertheless played an important part in the development of English portrait art.

    Later Charles I made the Flemish painter Van Dyck his Court painter. Van Dyck founded a school of aristocratic portrait painting.

   Another painter Peter Lely came from Holland in 1611. He became famous for his portraits of the idle and frivolous higher classes.

    The XVIII century was the age during which a truly national painting school was created in England. Portrait art at that time was the main kind of painting. It depended on the conditions under which the English painting school developed. 
                                        

 William Hogarth
(1697-1764)

     William Hogarth was the first man to raise British pictorial art to a level of importance. He was born in London. His father was a schoolmaster. His early taste for drawing was remarkable and after schooling normal for his day he was apprenticed to a silverplate engraver.

     His success he attributed to hard labour, "I know of no such thing as genius", he wrote - "genius is nothing but labour and diligence".

    Hogarth painted many pictures. "The Marriage Contract" is the first of the series of his pictures forming the famous "marriage a la mode". The subject of the picture is a protest against marriage for money and vanity.

     Hogarth was the first great English artist.

The State Rooms

The term ‘State Rooms’ is applied to those rooms that were designed and built as the public rooms of the Palace, in which monarchs receive, reward and entertain their subjects and visiting dignitaries. Today the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace are used extensively by The Queen and members of the Royal Family to receive and entertain their guests on State, ceremonial and official occasions.

The Palace's nineteen State Rooms predominantly reflect the taste George IV (r.1820-30), who commissioned the architect John Nash to transform what had previously been known as Buckingham House into a grand palace. Many of the pieces of furniture, sparkling chandeliers, candelabra and other works of art in these rooms were bought or made for Carlton House, George IV's London home when he was Prince of Wales. Today the State Rooms are furnished with many of the greatest treasures from the Royal Collection, including paintings by Van Dyck and Canaletto, sculpture by Canova, exquisite pieces of Sèvres porcelain, and some of the finest English and French furniture in the world.

Many of the other State Rooms also have particular uses today. It is in the Throne Room, for example, that The Queen, on very special occasions like Jubilees, receives loyal addresses. On 29 April 2011 this room was the setting for the formal photographs following the wedding of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. In the Music Room, guests are presented to The Queen, The Duke of Edinburgh and the visiting Head of State on the occasion of a State visit. The White Drawing Room, perhaps the grandest of all the State Rooms, serves as a royal reception room for The Queen and members of the Royal Family to gather before official occasions.

Do you want to see Buckingham Palace from inside? You are welcome!

The Royal Mews has magnificent polished state carriages and coaches, together with their horses and equipage. These carriages are the very essence of British State occasions, epitomized by Her Majesty's gold state coach, which has been used at every Coronation since 1931.

The Royal Collection

     The Royal Collection was assembled over 4 centuries by successive sovereigns. It is owned by the Queen as Sovereign in trust for her successors and the nation. It is administered by the Royal Collection Trust to which a portion of admission fees and other income from visitors is given.

     A few words about the Queen's Gallery exhibits. Over 5 hundred pieces of Faberge, ranking among the finest in the world, are in the display there.

     The most enthusiastic of royal collectors were King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra. The series of pictures depicting animals: pets, race and shire horses and farmyard animals, were commissioned by the King especially for the Queen. King George V and Queen Mary also enriched the collection, their most notable contribution being three Faberge Easter eggs. Cigarette cases collected by King George VI are included in the exhibition, as well as a wide range of items from the collection of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.