Culture,art

Culture and the Arts are already thousands of year’s expression of human society. People have created lot of masterpieces, which are representing the rich human history and culture. Culture and the Arts are a part of our everyday lives. It´s said to be the food for our souls. We can express our interests and hobbies.

Culture includes lot of kinds. Some people prefer the fine arts. They like to visit picture-galleries, where they can see pictures paint by famous painters. These people can also visit the exhibitions of classical or modern art, that are held mostly in large towns. There they can see photographs, paintings, sculptures and book illustrations. These days there are not many people who are keen on going to galleries. Museums are more popular. We can visit the natural, science, technical museums. There can people learn about history and look at the exhibits showing them what the lives of their forefathers were like.

Music also belongs to culture. There are lot of music genres, like country, rock, pop and classical music too. The older people mostly like the classical and folk music. Concerts of serious music are usually held in the spring and autumn. Most popular among young people are concerts and music festivals. These festivals are held in the summer at big spaces like sports stadiums, airports, open air theatres etc.

Theatre is also very popular. Keen theatregoers 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; 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.

Very popular especially among young people is going to the cinema. You don´t have to book tickets, you can buy them right on the place. The price of admission is quite high; cinemas try to attract visitors by offering wide scale of film genres (comedies, dramas, horrors, fairy-tales and animated films for children). The cinemagoers can buy some refreshment in the cinema bar and they can eat it during the film.

The richest cultural life is in the town, especially in the large town. There you have a lot of possibilities to fill your free time with culture. In the town there is also lot of cinemas, theatres, galleries, museums, music- halls etc. If you live in the village or in a small town you haven´t many chances to fill your free time with culture. The only facility available is the local house of culture. There are usually held the concerts of folk music, discos in the evenings and balls on special occasions. If you want to go to the cinema or to the theatre, you have to go to the nearest town, but it takes a lot of time. You can also watch TV or videos.

Questions:
1. What cultural facilities have you got in the place where you live? Which of them do you prefer? Why?
I live in Trnava, it´s quite large historical town and there are lot of available cultural facilities. We have a theatre, it´s a historical building. It´s called Theatre of Ján Palárik (he was a writer and a playwright too).

In Trnava there are also five cinemas. In the part of town called Modranka is the cinema Stavbár, in the centre of the town there are two cinemas Hviezda and Oko. In the shopping centre Max is the multi-cinema with three cinema-halls. In the summer you can visit the open air theatre, there are concerts held too.

We have also museums. The museum of western Slovakia with many interesting collections and expositions and the museum of Mikuláš Schneider Trnavský(he was a music composer, he was born near Trnava). This museum is called „The house of music“. There is a café too.

In Trnava  there is the Gallery of Ján Koniarek( he was a sculptor) with many interesting statues. In my town there is also a multicultural centre in Synagoga, where are every month held many concerts and expositions.

During a year there are a lot of concerts in Trnava. Trnava´s music autumn and Trnava´s music spring, those are the concerts of classical music. The summer starts and ends every year with a concert of pop music. These concerts are held on the town square and they always end with fireworks. For people who like the folk music are held concerts in the town park called Promenáda.

I prefer going to the cinema or to the theatre, because it´s a big fun and there is always great atmosphere. I sometimes go to the concerts in the summer, because I like pop music.

2. Are you a cinemagoer or a theatregoer? Explain your choice.
I like going to the theatre, because there is always great atmosphere. The actors are near, I can see the play live. I like going to the cinema too. In the cinema there is always a good sound, you can feel like you were right in the story plot.

3. Give a short talk about your last visit to the theatre including information about the play, the cast and the atmosphere
My last visit to the theatre was in the winter. I was in Bratislava with my schoolmates. This play was called Dog´s heart by Michail Bulgakow. But it was a modern version. It was a parody on human beings and their behaving. The lead role was a dog, which was changed to a man. When he was a dog, he was very nice, but when he becomes a man, he was bad . The actors were amazing and very funny, the play was stunning, there was a great atmosphere. In the end they get a standing ovation.

4. How do the fine arts enrich our lives? Why do people go to art galleries?
The fine arts help us to recognize our history and culture. In this masterpieces are painted lot of stories, historical occurrences and famous people. People visit the galleries because they want to learn about history and look at the exhibits showing them what the lives of their forefathers were like.

5. Which do you prefer drawing to painting or sculpture?
I prefer anything else I don´t like fine arts very much. For me it´s too boring to visit a gallery, I don´t understand very well to this kind of art.

6. Choose a Slovak painter you like and give a short talk about his work.
I don´t know the Slovak painters, because I don´t like the fine arts. I think, that every picture is pretty and I can´t distinguish by who was it painted.

7. What dance groups in Slovakia specialise in national dance and music?
I think, that are the folk dance groups, the most known is the group SĽUK, I think they are well known in world too. They are singing, dancing, they wear the national costumes.

8. Have you ever seen a folk dance performance? What did like/dislike about it?
Yes, I have. It was in my town. It was a dance competition in our town. The dancers had the national costumes, they were singing and dancing. It was a nice performance. I liked it, but for me it´s more interesting the pop music and the other dance sorts.

9. What sort of dances do you like the most? Disco, folk, hip-hop and modern dances or ballroom?
I prefer the modern dance. You can dance it everywhere, by discos or by music festivals, by concerts. my favourie dance sort is belly dance. I dance belly dance four years and it´s a great fun for me. I like it, I can loosen up by belly dance. It´s a great relaxation and it´s good for health too.

10. Who is your favourite (or least favourite) performer?
I like lot of music styles and genres, so I haven´t favourite performer. I like everyone who makes good and rhytmical music.

11. What are the positives/negatives of being famous?
I think, that the biggest negative is, that famous people have any privacy. They always have to look good, and behave well because there are always lot of journalists and photographers. You can´t go alone nowhere, you always need bodyguards.
There are some positives too. You are famous, everyone loves you, everyone looks up to you, and you earn lot of money. You can buy everything, which you want. You can travel a lot.

12. What qualities should a person have to become famous?
This person has to look good, because he is often in public. He has to be talented and interesting. He has to captivate people. He shouldn´t be conceited.

13. The Beatles are as popular today as they were 40 years ago. What makes their music so special?
I think their music is good-quality. Everyone can find something for himself in their music.

14. Give a short talk about your favourite singer, performer or group.
I have any favourite singer or group. I can listen to all of music genres. My favourite music genre is the oriental music, because I four years ago started with belly dance and this sort of music is my favourite until now. This music is good to listen and of course for dancing. In all of these songs are used drums and oriental instruments.

15. Have you ever been to a live concert? What did you like/dislike about it?
I usually go to the concerts in the summer. In my town every summer begins and ends with concert of pop music. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the live music was great. What I disliked about this concert, that there were lot of people, the town square was full.

16. What sorts of films do you enjoy watching?
I like comedies, because there are always lot of funny situations and I like to laugh. I like films with good stories too. I don´t like horrors, because I don´t like to be afraid.

17. What are the advantages/disadvantages of watching a film at the cinema, video?
The advantages of watching a film at the cinema are that the atmosphere is very good; there is a big screen, wonderful sound. The disadvantage is, that you don´t have any privacy there.
The advantages of watching film on video are that we are at home, we can do what we want, and we can eat, drink, and put our legs on the table. At home we have more comfortable chairs or sofa. The disadvantage is, that at home isn´t big screen.

18. Who is your favourite movie star?
I have any favourite movie star. For me it isn´t important who plays in the film the most important thing is that the film is good and interesting.