Module 3. THE ARTS

Introduction		2
uNIT 1. defining THE ARTS .....................................................................................................		4
	1.1.  THE ARTS .....................................................................................................................................	4
	1.2.   WHAT IS ART? ......................................................................................................................	6
	1.3. REVISION ..........................................................................................................................................	8
unit 2. MUSIC .................................................................................................................................		8
	2.1.  man and music .......................................................................................................................	8
	2.2.   understanding music ..................................................................................................	11
	2.3.  DESCRIBING MUSIC ..................................................................................................................	16
	2.4.   describing a music event ..........................................................................................	18
	2.5.   MOZART’S DON GIOVANNI OPENS IN PRAGUE ...........................................................	21
	2.6.   THE STORY OF JAZZ ...........................................................................................................	25
	2.7. REVISION ..........................................................................................................................................	29
uNIT 3. PAINTING ..........................................................................................................................		29
	3.1.  describing a painting ........................................................................................................	29
	3.2.   british lanscape painters .........................................................................................	31
	3.3.   lanscape painting .........................................................................................................	34
	3.4.   impressions of light .....................................................................................................	37
	3.5.   Édouard manet ...............................................................................................................	40
	3.6.  modern art .............................................................................................................................	41
	3.7.   pop art .................................................................................................................................	43
	3.8.   american pop art painters .......................................................................................	44
	3.9. REVISION ..........................................................................................................................................	45
Unit 4. CHECK YOURSELF ........................................................................................................		45
Appendix 8. Writing a formal letter.....................................................................................................................		48
Appendix 9. Reviewing songs and music..............................................................................................................		49
Appendix 10. Writing a film review......................................................................................................................		50
Appendix 11. Reviewing a song...........................................................................................................................		54

Module 3. THE ARTS

Art is the only way to run away without leaving home.

Twyla Thar

Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.

Henry Ward Beecher

To send light into the darkness of men's hearts - such is the duty of the artist.

Schumann

We all know that Art is not truth.  Art is a lie that makes us realize truth, at least the truth that is given us to understand.  The artist must know the manner whereby to convince others of the truthfulness of his lies.

Pablo Picasso

Without art, the crudeness of reality would make the world unbearable.

George Bernard Shaw

I ntroduction

Task 1. Discuss the following questions with the group:

• How great is your interest in the arts?

• What kinds of the arts do you know? Which of them are you fond of?

• Do you have a favourite artist?

• What kind of the arts is your country famous for?

Task 2. Study the quotations above and think what functions the arts perform. Discuss it with the group.

Task 3. What is art? Look at the pictures and information below and discuss the following questions with your group:

• Are these examples of art?

• Are some of them more arty than others?

• What does art imply? What is art?

Snow, Winter in Vitebsk, 1911 By Marc Chagall (French, born in Russia, 1887–1985)	Chrismatory, ca. 1200-1220
The Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer, 19th–20th century. By Edgar Degas (1834–1917); Cast by A. A. Hébrard	Vegetarian Vegetable from Campbell's Soup II, 1969 By Andy Warhol (American, 1928-1987)
Jean Monet on His Hobby Horse By Claude Monet (French, 1840–1926)	The Accommodations of Desire, 1929 By Salvador Dalí (Spanish, 1904–1989)
	Terracotta lekythos (oil flask) Greek, Attic, black-figure, Archaic, ca. 550–530 B.C. Attributed to the Amasis Painter On the shoulder, a seated woman, perhaps a goddess is approached by four youths and eight dancing maidens. On the body, women are making woolen cloth.

Task 4. Use the cluster diagram in Appendix 1 to brainstorm the ideas related to the topic of “The arts”. Compare your ideas with the group.

Unit 1. defining the arts

 VOCABULARY PRACTICE

1.1. The arts

Task 1. Study carefully all the given information and learn the vocabulary you have not been familiar with.

A. Things which generally come under the heading of 'the arts'

The arts (plural) covers everything in the network.

Art (singular, uncountable) usually means fine art, but can also refer to technique and creativity.

Have you read the arts page in The Times today? [that part of the paper that deals with all the things in the network]

She's a great art lover. [loves painting and sculpture]

Shakespeare was skilled in the art of poetry. [creative ability]

Dance usually refers to modern artistic dance forms; ballet usually has a more traditional feel, unless we say modern ballet.

Remember: a novel is a long story, e.g. 200-300 pages; a short prose fiction, e.g. 10 pages, is a short story.

Use of the definite article

When we refer to a performing art in general, we can leave out the article.

Are you interested in (the) cinema/ballet/opera/theatre?

Would you like to come to the cinema/ballet/opera/theatre with us next week? [particular performance]

B. Describing a performance

We went to see a new production of Hamlet last night. The sets (1) were incredibly realistic and the costumes (2) were wonderful. It was a good cast (3) and I thought the direction (4) was excellent. Anthony O'Donnell gave a marvellous performance (5). It got rave reviews (6) in the papers today.

(1) scenery, buildings, furniture on the stage or in a studio

(2) clothes the actors wear on stage

(3) all the actors in it

(4) the way the director had organised the performance

(5) and (6) note these typical collocations; (6) means 'got very enthusiastic comments'

C. Words connected with events in the arts

There's an exhibition (Am. Eng.: exhibit) of paintings by Manet on in London.

They're going to publish a new edition of the works of Cervantes next year.

The Opera Society are doing a performance of Don Giovanni.

Our local cinema's showing Bergman's Persona next week.

Note: What's on at the cinema/theatre, etc. next week?

Task 2. Which branch of the arts do you think these people are talking about?

Example: 'It was a strong cast but the play itself is weak.' Theatre

1. 'It's called Peace. It stands in the main square.'

2. 'Animation doesn't have to be just Disney, you know.'

3. 'It was just pure movement, with very exciting rhythms.'

4. 'It doesn't have to rhyme to be good.'

5. 'Oils to me don't have the delicacy of water-colours.'

6. 'Her design for the new shopping centre won an award.'

7. 'I read them and imagine what they'd be like on stage.'

8. 'The first chapter was boring but it got better later.'

9. 'I was falling asleep by the second act.'

Task 3. Definite article or not? Fill the gap with the if necessary.

1. The government doesn't give enough money to ................ arts.

2. She's got a diploma in ................ dance from the Performing Arts Academy.

3. I've got some tickets for ................ ballet. Interested?

4. ................ art of writing a short story is to interest the reader from the very first line.

5. I can't stand ................ modern poetry; it's so pretentious.

6. I was no good at................ art at school. What about you?

Task 4. Each one of these sentences contains a mistake of usage of words connected with the arts. Find the mistake and correct it. You may need a dictionary.

Example: The scene at this theatre projects right out into the audience.

not 'scene but 'stage (the place where the actors perform)

1. What's the name of the editorial of that book you recommended? Was it Cambridge University Press?

2. 'I wandered lonely as a cloud' is my favourite verse of English poetry.

3. He's a very famous sculpture; he did that statue in the park, you know, the one with the soldiers.

4. Most of the novels in this collection are only five or six pages long. They're great for reading on short journeys.

5. There's an exposition of ceramics at the museum next week.

6. The sceneries are excellent in that new production of Macbeth, so dark and mysterious.

7. What's in the Opera House next week? Anything interesting?

Task 5. Ask questions for which these remarks would be suitable answers.

Example: It's an oil on canvas. What sort of painting is it?

1. Yes, it got rave reviews.

2. No, I'm not really a concert-goer, but thanks anyway.

3. Oh, some beautiful old buildings and some ugly new ones.

4. The cast were fine, but the direction was weak.

5. A new Hungarian film; fancy going to see it?

Task 6. Sort these words into three columns.

country and western fiction opera ceramics sculpture biography rock poetry painting ballet novel

performing arts	literature	fine arts
country and western

Task 7. Put the definite article the where it is necessary. Leave the gap blank if it is not necessary.

1. The government is increasing the amount of money it gives every year to ............... arts.

2. She was trained in ............... ballet and ............... modern dance.

3. We've got some tickets for ............... theatre. Would you like to come with us?

4. ............... art of writing a biography is to try to imagine the world in which the person lived.

5. I prefer ............... modern poetry; it's easier to read than the classics.

6. He was very good at............... art at school. Now he works as a book illustrator.

Task 8. Choose the correct answer of the choices underlined.

We went to see a new produce/production/producing of Romeo and Juliet last week. The sceneries/sights/sets were very atmospheric and realistic and the costumes/suits/dresses were wonderful, with a good persons/list/cast, and the actions/acting/acts was excellent. Cerise O'Donnell put/took/gave a marvellous performance/show/play. It did/took/got some brave/rave/crave recences/reprieves/reviews in the papers the day after.

Task 9. Answer the questions or fill in the gaps.

1. What's ....... ....... the opera house next week?

2. Our local cinema is .............. a James Bond film all this week.

3. Which of the arts are these associated with?

(a) a beautiful, hand-painted china vase.

(b) a newly-designed shopping centre.

(c) a water-colour.

4. Where in a newspaper would you look for a review of a new play?

5. What do we call a person who likes art very much?

6. NINA: I've just bought a new e............... of the complete works of Shakespeare.

BOB: Oh, yes. Who p............... it?

7. Have you seen the e.............. of paintings by Picasso in the City Gallery?

8. RORY: Who did that fabulous new piece of s............... in the main square?

FRAN: Oh, it's by a Norwegian s............... called Erik Fossberg.

  READING&SPEAKING