Review 4.

"The Great Getsby."

Director: Baz Luhrmann
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton.

Synopsis:
This movie is a screen version of the novel of the same name by American writer Scott Fitzgerald who had crrated his famous mesterpiece in the middle of the 1920s. The main character Nick Carraway comes to New York in the early 20th century. It is the time of the introduced "dry law", gradually decomposing moral, incomparable jazz and at the same time it's a period of a prosperous crime. Carraway follows his father's advice -  to learn not to judge people. However, he is fascinated by the mysterious past and luxurious present lifestyle of his neighbor, Jay Gatsby. Carraway appeares in the circle of Getsby's friends, but he becomes a witness to obsession and tragedy...

Review:
Any film adaptation possesses some kind of the fascination that lies in seeing how the director has perceived the source material, with some new interpretation. "The Great Gatsby" has exactly the same fascination. Beautiful, dizzy, amazing but at the same time very profound plot from the point of view of outstanding director Luhrmann will not leave indifferent viewers. Luhrmann created vivid 1920s backdrops: everybody sing and dance that conveys an unique atmosphere of jazz, the Age of  jazz. There are black-and-white footage and depthless digital panoramas of New York,  hyper-real street scenes through which Gatsby roars in his sports car. All of these create a great impression of mad rhythm of 1920s.

The cast is wonderful, especially Leonardo DiCaprio who performed his role perfectly. And Mulligan's Daisy has gentleness and charm in her image. Their initial meeting over tea in Nick's cottage, has some charge, and DiCaprio and Mulligan handle it well.

In general the film is worth to watch. The classics is always the classics, even in the modern intepretation. 

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The article "Still Young, Even at 50" was published on the website of  The New York Times newspaper by Vivien Schweitzer on May 28, 2013. It reports about New York Youth Symphony at Carnegie Hall.

Speaking of the symphony it's neccessary to note that since 1984, it has awarded commissions to 102 composers age 30 and under, whose works have won three Pulitzer Prizes and the Grawemeyer Award, among other accolades. Those commissioned by the ensemble include Michael Torke, Aaron Jay Kernis, Augusta Read Thomas, Kevin Puts and Derek Bermel.

As part of this impressive commitment to music by living composers, the Youth Symphony — which offers tuition-free instruction to talented musicians ages 12 to 22 — presents a new piece at each of its Carnegie Hall concerts. On Sunday afternoon it was the premiere of John Glover’s “Natural Systems,” performed as part of the orchestra’s 50th-anniversary celebrations.

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The article "New York Grand Opera Cancels Central Park Performances" was published by Allan Kozinn on the website of The New York Times newspaper on May 13, 2013. This artical reports about course of events that are connected with a cancellation of the New York Grand Opera.

It was revealed that he conductor Vincent La Selva has canceled this year’s season which was to have opened with Verdi’s “Aida” on Wednesday. The reason he gave was the increasing unpredictability of the weather. Speaking of this situation Vincent noted that the weather spoiled his performances in recent years. He had to cancel a number of performances in recent summers due to heavy rainstorms. For this reason he have decided to plan indoor performances and will not present a season in Central Park this summer.

Speaking of this situation it's neccessary to note that Mr. La Selva’s decision to stop the outdoor series will leave a small but significant gap in New York’s operatic life. The company’s projects have included a complete chronological traversal of Verdi’s 28 operas, all presented fully staged and without cuts, as well as most of the Puccini operas. And although recent seasons have included only two productions, in the company’s early years it offered five, as well as performances in all of New York’s boroughs and on Long Island and in New Jersey. Mr. La Selva estimated that between three million and four million listeners have attended the company’s performances.

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The article "Denmark's folksy ballad wins Eurovision" was published on the website of Euronews on May 19. The article reports about winner of Eurovision Song Contest 2013, Emmelie de Forest from Denmark.
Before the contest, she had been the favourite, and now it's necessary to note that this is third Eurovision win for Denmark.

It's interesting to note that the song was made up by Emmelie. She believed in it and won. In Copenhagen, the news of the victory of Emmeli was greeted with glee. The Danes pined large hopes on Emmelie. She went to school for gifted children and since 14 years she have been appearing on stage.

There are no appraisals from the reporter concerning Emmelie's victory, but as for me the representative from Denmark sang with dignity. Emmelie de Forest's song deserved the title of the best song of Europe in 2013.     

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The article "George Benson - Inspiration: a Tribute to Nat King Cole- exclusive album stream" was published on the website of the Telegraph on May 31, 2013. It reports about Grammy Award-winning guitarist and singer George Benson who released his new album Inspiration: A Tribute to Nat King Cole.

The reporter writes about Benson, a Americam musician who is most famous as a jazz guitarist and about his interest in the creative work of other American musician Nathaniel Adams Coles, known professionally as Nat King Cole. According to Benson's acknowledgement, Cole was indeed one of his biggest inspirations for him as for a young musician getting started in his career. It was revealed that at the age of eight, Benson recorded a version of Cole's song "Mona Lisa" under the moniker Little Georgie Benson.

Benson's dream to work with songs of his idol came true. He recorded an album, dediceted to Cole, with the help of the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra. In interview Benson expressed his critical view that Cole put his heart into everything he did. And Benson in his turn got the same approach to his own music from him.

In conclusion the reporter writes tha Benson has been sharing his love for the music of Nat King Cole through his live concerts called An Unforgettable Tribute to Nat King Cole for several years.       

Individual Reading. "The Moon and Sixpence" by S. Maugham (Chapters 24 - 34)

Shortly before Christmas Dirk Sroeve learnd that Strickland became seriously ill. Dirk brought him to his own home and together with his wife Blanche he helped Strickland to restore him to health. Some times later, Blanche fell in love with Strickland and left Dirk for the sake of the artist. Strickland in turn felt nothing towards Blanche, because the only sense of his life was painting. Strickland used her as a nude sitter, but when he was bored with her, he left her.

It hurted Blanche seriously,  she couldn't stand it. But at the same time she couldn't come back to her husband. Not having found the right solution of such situation, Blanche made the decision to commit suicide.

Dirk Stroeve was shoked. He couldn't believe in it. Blanche didn't die, but she lay in hospital being near death. Stoeve forgave her. He often visited her in hospital, but Blance didn't want to speak to him. One day she died and Dirk, broken-hearted, returned home to Holland forever.   

Individual Reading. "The Moon and Sixpence" by S. Maugham (Chapters 12-23)

On the author's arrival in Paris, he learnd that Strickland lived alone in the cheapest room of the poorest hotel. The author asked him to come back. Strickland in turn confessed that his deed was terrible and immoral, however he cared of neither his family nor the social opinion. He intended to devote his life to himself. Strickland wanted to become the true artist. The author realized that an irresistible force captured a soul of the artist and he went mad.

Meanwhile Mrs. Strickland was deeply insulted that her husband left her for the sake of the art. Nevertheless she was ready to forgive him and awaited him. But for the sake of her own reputation she continued to keep the rumour about Strickland's romance with his beloved.

Five years later the author went to Paris again. There he met his old friend Dirk Stroeve, a writer and artist. Dirk told the author about Strickland, he saw his art works and considered him to be the artist of genius. Dirk helped him with money because Strickland often starved. The author learnd that Strickland didn't care about means of subsistence. He was only obsessed by his drawings. Moreover he even didn't sell and exhibit his pictures.