Culture and arts

Culture and arts

The word culture has several different meanings. It may be used to speak about a group of people who share the same beliefs /presvedčenia/ and attitudes/postoje/, but it is also used to speak about music, fine art, literature, exhibitions, going to the cinema, theatre or concerts.

Art can be divided to:

1. a) fine arts –galleries, exhibitions ,architecture, statue
2. b) performing arts-theatre (drama, tragedy, comedy, romance, satire,) dance, music, circus, cinema, TV

The importance of culture and arts

- to entertain (baviť) and educate
- to develop and cultivate (podporovať rozvoj) inner life of a human being (človeka)
- feed the mind and stimulate imagination (povzbudiť, posilniť predstavivosť)
- give the impression and emotions
The arts in all their forms attract large audience (publikum, diváci).

Cultural facilities:

Theatre, cinema, gallery, concert halls, museum, stage,

Cultural life in Slovakia

Cultural life in towns is richer than in villages. Villages and small towns provide little opportunities to see theatre performances, concerts, usually there isn’t any cinema, gallery or museum. There is usually library, cultural house folk group and church with organ music.

Cultural events in Slovakia: Vychodná, festivals, concerts, fairs, balls, castle festivals.

Youth culture: Young people prefer to go to cinemas or go to concerts.

My favourite kinds of arts

Music: I don’t prefer only one genre of music. I can listen to all of music genres. I like listen to music charts on TV or in radio. There are always my favourite songs. These are my favourite foreign singers and groups: Pendulum, The black eyed peas, Kesha, LMFAO, Rihnna … But I have favourite singers and groups which are from Slovakia too : Majk Spirit, Robert Burian,

Cinema: I don’t go to cinema very often because in my town there isn’t any. When I want to watch a new film in cinema I must go to the Kosice. Film is much more real and I can feel atmosphere better. I like comedies science fiction films. I go to the cinema with my friends or with my brother.

Literature:I like reading books because I can use my own imagination, I can see it how I want to see it and I can get much more sights into character, we know what he or she is thinking. My favourite books are Twilight, The secret and so on.

TV: I don´t watch Tv every day. I prefer news and music channels.

Music

Music can be divided to:

a)folk music- Slovak folk music is very old. We don´t know authors of songs. Nowdays we have some folk groups: SĽUK, Lučnica which every year take part in folk festivals (Výchona, Terchová). Some typical Slovak musical instrument: fujara, cymbalo, contrabass.

b)classical music- This type of music is written by a composer (skladateľ) and performed by an orchestra (= a large group of musicians – violinists, cellists, pianists, guitarists, drummers..). The orchestra has a conductor (a person at the front who directs the musicians). 

c)pop music-Pop music styles - punk, rap, hip-hop. Most bands/groups have a lead singer, a lead guitarist, a bass guitarist and a drummer (bubeník). 

A person who sings songs for people is singer. We know a lot of foreign singers or groups, for example Louis Armstrong – he is a famous trumpeter /trúbkar/ in jazz history
The Beatles – an English music group famous in 1960’s – it had 4 members: John- - Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Star Elvis Presley – the king of rock-and-roll 
Madonna, Shania Twain, Lady Gaga, David Guetta…

and Slovak singer and groups e.g. : Elán, Desmod, No name, Polemic, H16Majk Spirit, Rytmus, Tina, Bacil

Music instruments: French horn, trombone, trumpet, cymbals /činely/, drum, gong, kettle

drum, piano, triangle, banjo, cello , guitar, harp, viola, violin, clarinet,

flute, piccolo, recorder, saxophone, harmonica, keyboard

Famous composers: Ludwig van Bethowen, Giuseppe Verdi, Richard Wagner, Franz Schubert

CINEMA

Films are shown on a screen (plátno, obrazovka). Films made in foreign languages, e.g. in English usually have subtitles (titulky) or they are dubbed (dabované). 3D cinemas have special effects. There are a lot of cinemas in big shopping centres. I think it is good when under one roof are shops and cinema together. Cinema is modern type of art.
The person who makes the filmis the director, e.g. Steven Spielberg, and the people in the film are actors or actresses. Very famous actors are often called film stars.

Types of films: war film, wester= horse opera, triller, disaster movie(katstrofický), action film
horror film, detctive film, comedy, romantic film, sciene fiction film, cartoons

Film stars and directors
- Charlie Chaplin – an American actor of the “Silent Era”
- Woody Allen – the American comedy film director, actor
- Walt Disney – a producer of animated cartoon films
- Alfred Hitchcock – a film director – he directs horrors and thrillers
- Dustin Hoffman, Marilyn Monroe, Julia Roberts, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Bruce Willis…

Oscar films: It is very prestigious price. Only the best films get it. At first the film must be nominated for Oscar. The winners get a small gold statue.

The most interesting film which I have ever seen

The best film I have ever seen is TITANIC. Titanic is a American epic romantic disaster film directed and written by James Cameron. A fictionalized account of the sinking of the Titanic, it stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet as members of different social classes who fall in love aboard the ship during voyage.

THEARE

Theatre is also very popular. Keen theatregoers/diváci/ can choose the performance( a drama, a comedy, an opera, a musical or a ballet). Going to the theatre is a social event for most people. They buy tickets in advance because the best performances are sold out long before they open. Theatre performances are usually held in the evenings and the theatregoers usually dress up their best clothes. They leave their coats in the cloakroom/šatňa/, the attendants show them their seats. Between acts they can get refreshments in the theatre bar. After the performance the audience applauds and if people think, that the performance was stunning, the cast can get the standing ovation. In theatre we can watch various plays, musicals, operasand ballets . Theatre is popular by rich and clever people.

TV

Everybody in our country has TV at home. Nowadays almost every TV is colourful, but in the past time there wasn’t colourful TV but they were only black and white. TV has various types of size. You can have every type you want. Small, normal size or gigantic. Nowadays almost every TV has its own remote control. You can comfortably sit in your couch and control your TV from your position.

Types of programmes: war film, wester= horse opera, triller, disaster movie(katstrofický),
horror film, detctive film, comedy, romantic film, sciene fiction film, cartoons

Soap opera, news, political, sports, adventure, fairy-tales/ rozpravky/

Channels: Markíza, JOJ, Doma, Eurosport,…

One big advantage is that we can get new profits from TV but on the other hand TV is dangerous for our eyes.

LITERATURE

Literature is a part of art which includes novels, short stories, biographies, drama and poetry. Writers and novelists have a gift to put their ideas on paper and brilliantly create a story. When a book is well-written, it is a joy to read and hard to put down.

Types of books: poetry, satire, spiritual, cooking…

Writers from Slovakia: Jozef Miroslav Hurban, Ľudovít Štúr, Martin Rázus,

Writers from world: Wiliam Shakespeare, Homer, Platon…

In newspapers there are articles, TV programme, horoscopes

PAINTING

Styles:
Abstract - the art consists of colour and shape to represent emotion. Sonia Delaunay
Cubism - the painting uses many geometric shapes. PABLO PICCASO
Expressionism - the artist is more concerned on how the feel about the object rather than what - is looks like.
Impressionism – Claude Monet, Manet
Pop art - contains interesting everday objects in bright colours. Andy Warhol