Tretyakov Gallery

The State Tretyakov Gallery is one of the best-known picture galleries in Russia. It takes its name from its founder Pavel Tretyakov, a Moscow merchant and art connoisseur.

In the mid-19th century, Tretyakov began to collect Russian paintings.

He visited all the exhibitions and art studios and bought the best pictures of contemporary artists. He was especially fond of the works of the Peredvizhniki (or Wanderers) — the artists who belonged to the Society of Travelling Art Exhibitions. Little by little Tretyakov extended his range of interest and began to collect earlier Russian paintings. More than once he had to add wings to his house in Lavrushinsky Pereulok, because his collection grew larger and larger.

In 1881 Pavel Tretyakov opened his collection to the public. 11 years later he donated it to the city of Moscow. Since then the gallery has received hundreds of pictures from other museums and private collections.

The Tretyakov Gallery reflects the whole history of Russian art, from the 11th century to the present day.

It has a rich collection of old Russian icons. The world-famous icon is The Trinity, painted in the early 15th century by Andrei Rublev.

The gallery contains halls devoted to the magnificent works of such 18th-century celebrities as Rokotov, Levitsky, Borovikovsky, Shchedrin.

The first half of the 19th century is represented by brilliant paintings by Bryullov, Tropinin, Ivanov, Venetsianov. The second half of the 19th century is especially well represented. The gallery has the best collection of the Peredvizhniki, such as Kramskoy, Perov, Ghe, Yaroshenko, Myasoyedov, and others. Linked with the Peredvizhniki are such great names in Russian art as Surikov, Repin, Vereshchagin, Vasnetsov, Levitan. There you can see historical paintings, portraits, still-lifes, landscapes, seascapes, etc.

Further on we find the cream of turn-of-the century Russian art: Serov, Vrubel, Kustodiev...

Canvases of modern painters are housed in the new building situated on Krymskaya Naberezhnaya (Crimean Embankment).

The Tretyakov Gallery is not only Russia's biggest and most important museum of Russian Art. It's also a research, cultural and educational centre.

Names

the State Tretyakov ['tretjakof] Gallery ['gaelari]

Государственная Третьяковская галерея

the Society [sa'saiati] of Travelling Art Exhibitions

Товарищество передвижных выставок

The Trinity ['triniti] Троица

Vocabulary

merchant ['rrratjant] купец

connoisseur [,koni's3:] знаток

studio ['stu:(stju:)diau] студия

contemporary [kan'temprari] современный

little by little мало-помалу, понемногу

to extend [iks'tend] расширить

range [reinds] of interest круг интересов

wing крыло, флигель, пристройка к дому

to open to the public открыть для посетителей

to donate [dau'neit] преподносить в качестве дара,

передавать в дар

private f'praivit] collection частная коллекция

to reflect [ri'flekt] отражать

icon [ aikan] икона

to contain [kan'tein] содержать

to devote [di'vaut] to посвящать (чему-либо, кому-либо)

magnificent [mag'nifisant] великолепный

celebrity [si'lebriti] знаменитость

to represent [/epri'zent] представлять

to link связывать

portrait ['po:trit] портрет

still-life натюрморт (мн.число still-lifes)

landscape [Isenskeip] пейзаж

seascape ['si:skeip] морской пейзаж

further on далее

cream [krhrn] цвет, "сливки", самое лучшее

turn-of-the century начало века

canvas ['kaenvas] холст, полотно

to house [hauz] помещать, размещать

research [ri'sartf] научно-исследовательский

Questions

1. When did Pavel Tretyakov begin to collect Russian paintings?

2. Whose works was he especially fond of?

3. What do you know about the Peredvizhniki?

4. Where did Tretyakov keep his collection?

5. When did he open his collection to the public?

6. What did Tretyakov do with his collection?

7. Who was The Trinity painted by?

8. Do you know any other famous icon-painters?

9. What 18th century portrait-painters do you know?

10. Why is the second half of the 19th century especially well represented at the Gallery?

11. What great Russian names are linked with the Peredvizhniki?

12. What tum-of-the-century Russian artists do you know?

13. Where are canvases of modern painters housed?

14. When did you last go to the Tretyakov Gallery?

15. Who are your favourite Russian painters?

VALENTIN SEROV

One of my favourite artists is Valentin Serov. When I first saw his famous pictures - - the Girl with Peaches and the Girl in the Sunlight - - in the Tretyakov Gallery, frankly speaking, I wasn't too impressed. The girls seemed quite ordinary and I couldn't understand what was so special about these portraits.

Some years later I happened to be in Abramtsevo, where these two pictures had been painted. It's a very beautiful place. Abramtsevo belonged to Savva Mamontov, a well known patron of arts. Our guide told us about the people who had been invited there. It seemed that all artists, actors and writers of that period had stayed at Abramtsevo or at least visited it.

When I went to the Tretyakov Gallery after that and looked at the Girl with Peaches again, I suddenly remembered that day in Abramtsevo, and for the first time I noticed the play of light and shade in the picture, the atmosphere of a sunny summer day.

It's surprising that Serov painted this picture when he was only 22 years old. I read somewhere that at the time he had not seen the works of French Impressionists, who tried to catch the sunlight and the air and transfer it to the canvas. But he managed to do it perfectly.

Serov was born in 1865. His father was a well-known composer and the boy grew up in the atmosphere of creative activity. His first art teacher was Repin, who noticed that the boy could catch the likeness of a model often more quickly and surely than older artists.

Later Serov studied at the Academy of Fine Arts and graduated from it when he was 20.

For several years he taught at Moscow School of Painting Sculpture and Architecture. But teaching did not interfere with his painting. Probably now he would be called a workaholic. He painted almost 700 canvases, though, unfortunately, his life was not very long — he died in 1911.

He was a brilliant landscape painter, he created genre scenes, but he is mostly remembered as a portraitist. The list of his portraits reads as "who-iswho" in Russian culture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He painted Sawa Mamontov, Konstantin Korovin, Ilya Repin, Isaak Levitan, Nikolai

Leskov, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, the great actress Yermolova... The list can be continued. And practically all his portraits are excellent from the technicalpoint of view — the colours, the composition, but there is more than that - they show people's personality.

Names

Valentin Serov [vaelan,tin si:'rof] Валентин Серов

Tretyakov Gallery [,tretjakof 'gaelari]

Третьяковская галерея

Abramtsevo [a:'bra:mtsavau] Абрамцево

Sawa Mamontov Lsa:va tnarmantof] Савва Мамонтов

Girl with Peaches Девочка с персиками

Girl in the Sunlight Девушка, освещенная солнцем

Academy of Fine Arts Академия изящных

искусств

Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture ['skAlptfa]

and Architecture ['arkitektja] Московское учили-

ще живописи, ваяния и зодчества

Vocabulary

frankly speaking откровенно говоря

to be impressed [im'prest] быть под впечатлением

ordinary [-o:danri] обыкновенный

special ['spejl] особенный

to belong [bi'loq] принадлежать

patron ['peitrn] of arts покровитель искусств

guide [gaid] гид, экскурсовод

atmosphere [ aetmasfia] атмосфера

Impressionist [im'prejanist] импрессионист

to transfer [trans'fa:] переносить

canvas ['kaenvas] полотно

composer [kam'pauza] композитор

creative [kri'eitiv] activity творческая деятельность

likeness [laiknis] сходство

to interfere [jnta'fia] with мешать

workaholic [.waika'holik] трудоголик

landscape ['laenskeip] painter пейзажист

genre scene ['зэпгэ,si:n] жанровая сцена

portraitist fportratist] портретист

reads as читается как

"who-is-who" "кто есть кто"

from the technical ['teknikl] point of view [yju:]

с точки зрения техники

personality [.paisa'naeliti] личность, характер

Questions

1. What is Abramtsevo famous for?

2. Who did Sawa Mamontov invite to Abramtsevo?

3. When was Valentin Serov born?

4. Who was his first teacher?

5. Where did Serov study?

6. How old was he when he painted the Girl with Peaches!

7. How many canvases did he paint?

8. What kind of pictures did Serov paint?

9. Can you name any of his famous portraits?

10. Who is your favourite painter?

11. Have you ever been to the Tretyakov Gallery?

12. What kind of pictures do you prefer — portraits, landscapes, genre scenes?

13. Somebody said that when an artist creates a portrait it is not a portrait of his sitter, but a portrait of the artist himself. Do you agree?

ISAAC LEVITAN

Isaac Ilyich Levitan, the great Russian artist, became the first painter of the Russian scenery, who revealed all its beauty. He is a real poet of the Russian countryside. He continued and developed the traditions of painters of the Russian realistic school — Savrasov, Polenov, Serov. Levitan found significant meaning and poetry in what would seem the most everyday subjects.

He is a very individual sort of painter. You can't but appreciate his paintings, because there is something in his landscapes that reflects our own moods.

He deeply felt what he wished to express and his brush transferred these feelings to the canvas. It is interesting to note that a master of landscape, he never introduced figures into it. Though if you look at the Autumn Day in Sokolniki — everything seems to bring out the loneliness of the figure in the centre: the trees losing their leaves, the remote, indifferent sky, the path going off into the distance. But the fact is that it was not Levitan who painted the figure. It was Checkov's brother Nicolai who did it.

His travels over the Volga region influenced Levitan's art, the impression made on him by the great Russian river was unforgettable. For his life and painting he chose Plyoss — a small beautiful town on the Volga. His paintings Evening, Golden Plyoss, After Rain reflect his love for nature.

Last summer I visited Plyoss and saw the places where the great pictures were painted. Many people admire his pictures Deep Waters, Evening Bells, Springtime, The Last Snow and, of course, his famous Golden Autumn. All his paintings are very emotional, lyrical and realistic.

In the closing years of his life Levitan made several journeys abroad to France, Italy and Germany where he painted a number of landscapes, although his best works of the period were devoted to Russia. He was only 40 when he died in 1900.

Levitan's influence on the painters of lyrical landscapes was great.

Levitan's feeling for nature, his great love for his native land, his ability to reveal and depict the poetry of the Russian land have won his paintings the love and gratitude of people.

Names

Isaac Ilyich Levitan [i'sa:k ilj'itj,levi'ta:n] Savrasov [ssvra:sof] Саврасов А.К. (русский

Исаак Ильич Левитан (1860-1900) живописец, передвижник)

Polenov [po'lenof] Поленов В.Д. (русский

живописец, передвижник)

Serov [sh'rof] Серов В.А. (русский живописец,

передвижник)

Plyoss [pljos] Плес (город на берегу Волги)

Vocabulary

scenery ['shnari] пейзаж

to reveal [rivkl] открывать, обнаруживать

countryside ['kAntrisaid] сельская местность

to develop [di'velap] развивать, совершенствовать

realistic [ria'listik] реалистический

significant [sig'nifikant] важный, значительный

individual [jndi'vidjual] индивидуальный,

особенный, оригинальный

you can't but нельзя не...

to appreciate [a'prifieit] ценить

landscape [Isenskeip] пейзаж

to reflect [ri'flekt] отражать

mood [mu:d] настроение

to express [iks'pres] выражать, отражать

brush кисть

to transfer [traens'fa:] переносить

canvas ['kaenvas] холст, полотно

to introduce [,intre'dju:s] вводить, представлять,

вносить

figure ['figa] фигура

to bring out выявлять, обнаруживать

loneliness ['iaunlinisj одиночество

remote [ri'maut] отдаленный

indifferent [in'difrant] безразличный, равнодушный,

холодный

to influence ['influans] влиять

to make an impression [im'prejn] on производить

впечатление на

unforgettable [yvnfa'getabl] незабываемый

to admire [ad'maia] восхищаться

emotional [i'maufanl] эмоциональный, волнующий

lyrical [lirikl] лирический

closing ['klauzig] years последние годы (жизни)

journey f'd33:ni] поездка, путешествие

abroad [a'bro:d] за границей, за границу

although [э:1'Ээи] хотя

to devote [dhreut] to посвящать (кому-либо,

чему-либо)

to depict [di'pikt] изображать, рисовать

gratitude ['grsetitju:d] благодарность

Questions

1. What is Levitan famous for?

2. Levitan is a very individual sort of painter. Can you prove it?

3. What traditions did Levitan continue and develop?

4. What place did Levitan choose for his life and painting?

5. Did the Volga influence his art?

6. How old was Levitan when he died?

7. Why do so many people like his pictures?

8. Who is your favourite Russian painter?

MOZART

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is one of the greatest composers ever born. Like Shakespeare, he stands at the summit of human achievement. In every form, from serenade to fugue, from piano concerto and symphony to the heights of grand opera, his music amazes, enchants and invades the memory.

Thousands of books have been written about Mozart. Few lives have ever been so well documented as his, and yet he is one of the most mysterious figures in the world.

Mozart was born in 1756 in Salzburg, Austria.

He began playing the piano at 4, and when he was 5 years old, he already composed serious music. His father took him on tours of Western Europe and Italy and the boy was always a success.

Then the prodigy ripened into genius. The genius conquered Vienna and the world. Mozart's fame was great. He met all the great figures of his time, from Haydn to Goethe, from George III to the luckless Marie Antoinette. But then he suddenly fell from favour. The Vienna aristocracy grew tired of him. He lost pupils and contracts, had to move from his comfortable house in the centre to a modest flat in the suburbs. The genius was forgotten.

Mozart died in 1791, when he was only 35 years old. There's a legend that Mozart was poisoned by his rival composer Antonio Salieri. There's no truth in this legend, though it inspired many great poets, writers and composers. But it has been proved that in the last months of his life Mozart really believed that he was pursued by a spirit, "the grey messenger", who appeared and ordered him to write a requiem. In a state of depression Mozart imagined that he was to write the requiem for himself.

Not long ago a 150-volume edition of Mozart's works was published.

His works include 41 symphonies, nearly 30 piano concertos, 19 operas, a vast quantity of orchestral and other instrumental music, and volumes of church music (he wrote it mostly for financial reasons). His most famous operas are Don Giovanni, The Magic Flute and The Marriage of Figaro.

Names

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ['wulfgaerj 8ema,deias Haydn ['haidn] Гайдн (знаменитый австрийский

'meutsa:t] Вольфганг Амадей Моцарт композитор)

Salzburg ['saeltsbaig] Зальцбург Goethe ['дз:1э] Гете (знаменитый немецкий поэт,

Austria ['ostria] Австрия автор "Фауста")

Vienna [vi'ena] Вена Salieri |>aeli'eri] Сальери

George III [,d3o:d3 da '03:d] Георг III (король ])on Giovanni [,don d3au'va:ni] Дон-Жуан

Великобритании и Ирландии с 1738 по 1820 г.; Пе м.. рШе ^,flu.t] Волшебная

считался безумным).

Marie Antoinette [,maeri sentwa'net] Мария

Антуанетта (королева Франции, жена The Marriage of Figaro [,maerid3 av 'figarau]

Людовика XVI; была гильотинирована во Свадьба Фигаро

время Великой Французской революции)

Vocabulary

composer [kam'pauza] композитор luckless [>klas] несчастливый, злополучный

summit ['SAmit] вершина to fall from favour ['feiva] впасть в немилость

achievement [a'tfkvmant] достижение aristocracy [,aeris'tokrasi] аристократия

serenade [,seri"neid] серенада modest ^^1} скромный

fugue [fiu:g] фуга in the suburbs ['злЬз:Ьг] на окраине города

piano concerto [kan'tf3:tau] фортепьянный концерт voiume [volju-m] том

symphony ['simfani] симфония е(,Шоп [Щп] юдание

grand opera [,grand 'эрага] большая опера,е

(в противоп. комической опере или оперетте)

to amaze [a'meiz] изумлять, поражать to Polson К50*1! ° травлять, отравить

to enchant [in'tja:nt] околдовать, очаровывать r*va" t'raivl] соперник

to invade [in'veid] овладевать, охватывать to inspire [in'spaia] вдохновлять

(о чувствах и т.п.) to pursue [pa'sju:] преследовать

genius ['d3i:nias] гений spirit ['spirit] дух, призрак

mysterious [mfstiarias] таинственный, загадочный messenger ['mesindsa] посланник

to compose [kam'pauz] сочинять музыку to order ['o:da] приказывать

tour [tua] гастроли, выступления, поездка requiem ['rekwiem] реквием (хоровое произведение

prodigy ['prodid3i] вундеркинд, необыкновенно траурного характера)

одаренный человек vast quantity f'kwontiti] огромное количество

to ripen ['raipn] созревать, превращаться orchestral [o:'kestral] оркестровый

to conquer ['korjka] завоевывать instrumental [ jnstra'mentl] инструментальный

Questions

1. Why is Mozart so often compared with Shakespeare?

2. Is Mozart's life well documented?

3. When did he begin playing the piano?

4. How old was he when he began composing serious music?

5. Was Mozart's fame long?

6. How did he spend the last years of his short life?

7. Was Mozart poisoned?

8. Have you read Pushkin's Mozart and Salieri? Do you remember the end of this "little tragedy"?

9. Have you heard Rimsky-Korsakov's opera Mozart and Saliertf

10. What made Mozart write his famous requiem?

11. Mozart was an unusually prolific (плодовитый) composer, wasn't he? What kind of music did he write?

12. What do you think of Mozart's music?