Топик: Arts

- When was the name of the group adopted?

- The name the "Beatles" was adopted in 1960. They were per forming at clubs in Liverpool and in Hamburg, which served as a proving ground for popular musicians of the period.

- What songs made them the most popular rock group in Eng land!

- Such songs as "Love Me Do," "Please Please Me," "She Loves You," and "I Want To Hold Your Hand" made them the most popular rock group in England. Early in 1964 what soon came to be called "Beatlemania" struck the United States with the release there of the two last-named records and their first U.S. television appearance on the "Ed Sullivan Show."

- Who was inspired by the music of the "Beatles"!

- Such U.S. performers as Chuck Berry, Elvis Presley, and Bill Haley were inspired by the music of the "Beatles". The "Beatles'" long hair and tastes in dress proved influential throughout the world.

- What kept the "Beatles" at the top of popularity charts for several years?

- The freshness and excitement of the earliest days of rock and roll and, in combination with the simple but engaging lyrics of Lennon and McCartney, kept the group at the top of popularity charts for several years. They won recognition from the music industry in the form of awards for performances and songs. With a solid financial basis they could experiment with new musical forms and arrangements. The result was a variety of songs ranging from ballads such as "Yesterday" to complex rhythm tunes like "Paperback Writer," from children's songs such as "Yellow Submarine" to songs of social comment, including "Eleanor Rigby."

- When did their public performances end?

- Their public performances ended in 1966.

- Do you know any other long-lived and popular rock band?

- The "Rolling Stones", English musical group, was one of the most long-lived and popular of all rock bands.

- What can you tell us about this rock band?

- The name "Rolling Stones" was adopted from a song by the American blues musician Muddy Waters. The "Rolling Stones" began to perform in England in 1963, and a series of outstanding songs had made the band second in popularity only to the "Beatles" among rock and roll audiences by 1966.

- What albums made the "Rolling Stones" popular?

- The group reached the height of its popularity in the late 1960s and early '70s with such albums as "Beggar's Banquet", "Let It Bleed", "Sticky Fingers", and "Exile On Main Street".

- When were the "Rolling Stones" performing?

- The "Rolling Stones" were still performing in the late 20th century, long after the "Beatles" and other classic rock bands of the 1960s had disbanded.

- What was the "Rolling Stones" music marked by?

- The "Rolling Stones'" music was marked by a driving back- beat, biting and satirical lyrics, simple but expressive instrumental accompaniments, and Jagger's blues-influenced singing.

- Well, now let us talk about painting. Are you fond of painting?

- To me painting is second only to music. I take a special liking to masters' masterpieces. I have several albums with the greatest Russian and West European paintings.

- Which painting do you prefer Russian or West European?

- It is almost impossible to say which painting I prefer Russian or West European. Each of them has its own peculiarities. I like the colour of Andrew Rublev's masterpieces and I enjoy the Impressionists works of art. I am also fond of the "Little masters'" works of art. But most of all I admire Giotto. He is regarded the founder of modern painting. Giotto introduced perspective, three dimensional forms, landscape background, one scale for the people and another for the surroundings, light without indication of source and foreshortening in perspective. 1 also like the art works created by the Russian painters - members of the "World of Art" group, such as Aleksandr Benois, Yevgeny Lansere, Konstantin Somov, Bakst.

- What was the goal of the painters of the "World of Art" group?

- They strove to achieve a synthesis of new western European trends and certain elements of traditional Russian folk art. They attacked the artistic standards of the realist painters, the deadening influence of the Russian Academy of Arts, and emphasized individualism and artistic personality.

- Whose works of art of the painters of the "World of An" group do you like most?

- I like the works created by Konstantin Somov. He was a painter and graphic artist. Somov attended the St. Petersburg Academy of Fine Art from 1888 to 1897, then he went to Paris to attend the studios of Filippo Colarossi and Whistler. Neither the Realism of the Russian teachers nor the fleeting quality of Whistler's art was reflected for long in Somov's work. Somov was associated with the "World of Art" Journal from 1898. He concentrated on the subjects from the eighteenth century. In the "Lady in Blue", of 1897-1900, an oil portrait of the artist Yelizaveta Martynova, the outmoded dress of the figure in the foreground, and the park-like setting creates the atmosphere of a reverie. Somov's paintings are characterized by a melancholy nostalgia in line with the gallant age of Watteau. The artist shared his moods with the symbolism.

- Do you like the works of art of other Russian painters?