DOCSLIB.ORG

A Tormented Genius

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
A Tormented Genius Grade 10 ELA Unit 3 Post Test (Teacher Edition) Assessment ID: ib.195766 Directions: Read the passage below and answer the question(s) that follow. A Tormented Genius "As for me, I am rather often uneasy in my mind, because I think that my life has not been calm enough; all those bitter disappointments, adversities, changes keep me from developing fully and naturally in my artistic career," wrote Vincent van Gogh on June 16, 1889. Van Gogh was a tormented, genius artist. Born on March 30, 1853, he suffered much in his lifetime. Some historians say that the reason Van Gogh was such a depressed man was because his mother bore a child named Vincent who died at birth exactly one year before Vincent, the artist, was born. Perhaps because of this family tragedy, he always felt that he was an inadequate substitute for the first Vincent his mother lost. However, this is a theory that has yet to be supported with historical evidence. Vincent van Gogh loved English life. In fact, he spent many years as an art dealer in England and loved English art and literature. This would later influence his career as an artist. In the 1870s, Van Gogh taught at various boys' schools and studied the Bible. Even while teaching, he visited art galleries. He made a determined effort to become a minister, but he was not a gifted preacher, and he failed in his studies of Greek, Latin, and mathematics. Though he was dismissed by the Church, he still ministered to the poor, to the point of giving away all his own provisions to the needy. It was a pivotal moment in his life when he walked seventy kilometers to visit the French painter, Jules Breton. Shyness overcame him, and he never knocked at the painter's door, but from that point on, Van Gogh began to sketch. While studying art, Van Gogh lived in poverty and blundered through a series of failed relationships. In 1883, Van Gogh moved from sketching and drawing to painting with oil paints. He wandered through the Netherlands, painting the landscape and the people. He enjoyed painting peasant life because he always identified with poor laborers. During this period in his life, Van Gogh painted some of the works for which he would later be universally known. In the late 1880s, Van Gogh suffered from mental illness and broken friendships, but at this low point, he began to achieve fame. Ironically, the fame Van Gogh earned for such familiar masterpieces as "Starry Night" did not come in his lifetime. His life ended on July 29, 1890. His coffin was covered with yellow dahlias and sunflowers because his favorite color was yellow. He had often painted sunflowers. Maybe their brightness cheered his unhappy heart. If only he'd known that he would one day be a household name and that his paintings would be favored and collected by millions, his outlook wouldn't have been so bleak. Vincent van Gogh deserves a great deal of credit for his perseverance and his devotion to art in the face of mental anguish and poverty. Illuminate Itembank™ Continue: Turn to the next page. Generated On September 23, 2014, 10:34 AM PDT Page 1 Grade 10 ELA Unit 3 Post Test (Teacher Edition) Assessment ID: ib.195766 Directions: Answer the following question(s) relating to the passage titled "A Tormented Genius". 1 TEACHER READS: 2 TEACHER READS: Read the question to yourself and select the Read the question to yourself and select the best answer. best answer. Which sentence from the passage best Which is the central idea of the passage? reveals admiration for Van Gogh? A. Even though Van Gogh was very confident with A. In the 1870s, Van Gogh taught at various boys' his abilities as an educator, he had feelings of schools and studied the Bible. uncertainty associated with his art. B. In fact, he spent many years as an art dealer in B. Although plagued with feelings of inadequacy, England and loved English art and literature. Van Gogh was one of the most talented artists C. While studying art, Van Gogh lived in poverty of all time. and blundered through a series of failed C. As a result of visiting the French painter, Jules relationships. Breton, Van Gogh began spending more time D. Vincent van Gogh deserves a great deal of sketching. credit for his perseverance and his devotion to D. Because Van Gogh visited the Netherlands, he art in the face of mental anguish and poverty. was inspired to create his most famous works. Master ID: 88683 Revision: 1 Master ID: 88643 Revision: 1 Correct: D Correct: B Rationale: Rationale: A. Student(s) may have understood that A. Student(s) may have understood that Van teaching was an admirable profession. Gogh felt uncertain about his art. Student(s) Student(s) may not have realized that may not have realized that although Van although his profession at the time was Gogh worked as a teacher in his younger admirable, this sentence was not intended to years, there is no evidence in the passage show admiration for Van Gogh, it was that supports the idea that he felt "very intended to simply explain what he was confident" as an educator. doing during this time period. B. Correct answer B. Student(s) may have understood that C. Student(s) may have understood that pursuing a goal was very admirable. traveling to this painter's house inspired Van Student(s) may not have realized that Gogh to begin sketching. Student(s) may not although pursing a goal is admirable, this have realized that this is a minor detail in the sentence was not intended to show passage, not the main idea. admiration for Van Gogh, it was intended to D. Student(s) may have understood the effect show how this experience would later the Netherlands visit had on Van Gogh's influence his art. work. Student(s) may not have realized that C. Student(s) may have understood that living although this was important to his work, this in poverty as a sacrifice to be an artist was was not the central idea of the passage. admirable. Student(s) may not have realized Standards: that although sacrifice is admirable, the CCSS.LA.9-10.RI.9-10.2 words "blundered through a series of failed relationships" do not show admiration for Van Gogh. Student(s) may not have realized that these words actually put Van Gogh in a negative light rather than showing admiration for him. D. Correct answer Standards: CCSS.LA.9-10.RI.9-10.1 Illuminate Itembank™ Continue: Turn to the next page. Generated On September 23, 2014, 10:34 AM PDT Page 2 Grade 10 ELA Unit 3 Post Test (Teacher Edition) Assessment ID: ib.195766 Directions: Read the passage below and answer the question(s) that follow. Barter by Sara Teasdale Life has loveliness to sell, All beautiful and splendid things, Blue waves whitened on a cliff, Soaring fire that sways and sings, And children's faces looking up Holding wonder like a cup. Life has loveliness to sell, Music like a curve of gold, Scent of pine trees in the rain, Eyes that love you, arms that hold, And for your spirit's still delight, Holy thoughts that star the night. Spend all you have for loveliness, Buy it and never count the cost; For one white singing hour of peace Count many a year of strife well lost, And for a breath of ecstasy Give all you have been, or could be. Illuminate Itembank™ Continue: Turn to the next page. Generated On September 23, 2014, 10:34 AM PDT Page 3 Grade 10 ELA Unit 3 Post Test (Teacher Edition) Assessment ID: ib.195766 Directions: Read the passage below and answer the question(s) that follow. 3 TEACHER READS: Read the question to yourself and select the best answer. What is the theme of the poem? A. Work hard to achieve goals. B. Teach children about love and nature. C. Appreciate the beauty and splendor of nature. D. Spend time with loved ones. Master ID: 88414 Revision: 1 Correct: C Rationale: A. Student(s) may have understood that the poet speaks about hard work, "Count many a year of strife..." Student(s) may not have realized that the theme centers around the beauty and splendor of nature, not the work involved to get there. B. Student(s) may have understood that the poet sees a connection between children and nature, "And children's faces looking up, Holding wonder like a cup." Student(s) may not have realized that the poet isn't asking parents to teach children about love and nature, but simply mentioning the connection between children and nature. C. Correct answer D. Student(s) may have understood that the poet is asking readers to appreciate life and all it has to offer. Student(s) may not have understood that when the poet said, "Eyes that love you, arms that hold," she was referring to nature loving people, not people loving each other. Standards: CCSS.LA.9-10.RL.9-10.2 Illuminate Itembank™ Continue: Turn to the next page. Generated On September 23, 2014, 10:34 AM PDT Page 4 Grade 10 ELA Unit 3 Post Test (Teacher Edition) Assessment ID: ib.195766 Directions: Answer the following question(s). 4 TEACHER READS: Read the question to yourself and select the best answer. Read this sentence. Everyone knows that good nutrition keeps the body strong, but it can also boost your brain power, too. Which of the following does not provide additional support for the main idea above? A.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Vincent Van Gogh, Who Grew up Walking the Dutch Countryside
    "Sorrowful yet always rejoicing," Vincent van Gogh, who grew up walking the Dutch countryside, traveled through life seeking the eternal "Light that rises in the darkness"- like these swans readying for flight south of Amsterdam. From the pain and beauty of his journey, he created masterworks of passion, including penetrating self-portraits, such as this one at age 34. Van Gogh likened painting to performing music. "Whether I really sang a lullaby in colors," he wrote, "I leave to the critics." National Geographic, October, 1997 By JOEL L. SWERDLOW, ASSISTANT EDITOR Photographs by LYNN JOHNSON THE LETTERS FROM VINCENT VAN GOGH to his brother Theo are yellowed. Some are torn at the corners or have holes from aging. Acid from ink eats through the cheap paper. I have come to this bombproof vault in the cellar of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam to begin my search for Vincent. Who was this man who said he "sang a lullaby in colors:' and why does he have such a hold on us? His paintings sell for the most money; his exhibitions attract the highest number of visitors; reproductions of his work-on socks, sheets, party napkins, coffee cups-permeate homes and offices; the song "Vincent" has sold more than ten million copies since 1971; movies mythologize his life. No other artist, at any time in any culture, has been more popular. THE 650 LETTERS from Vincent to Theo fill three volumes. Their first surprise is immediate: I knew that Theo financed Vincent's painting and had assumed Theo was the big brother.
    [Show full text]
  • Van Gogh: Heartfelt Lines
    Jane Van Nimmen exhibition review of Van Gogh: Heartfelt Lines Nineteenth-Century Art Worldwide 8, no. 1 (Spring 2009) Citation: Jane Van Nimmen, exhibition review of “Van Gogh: Heartfelt Lines,” Nineteenth- Century Art Worldwide 8, no. 1 (Spring 2009), http://www.19thc-artworldwide.org/ spring09/76-van-gogh-heartfelt-lines. Published by: Association of Historians of Nineteenth-Century Art Notes: This PDF is provided for reference purposes only and may not contain all the functionality or features of the original, online publication. ©2009 Nineteenth-Century Art Worldwide Nimmen: Van Gogh: Heartfelt Lines Nineteenth-Century Art Worldwide 8, no. 1 (Spring 2009) Van Gogh: Heartfelt Lines Albertina, Vienna, 5 September 2008 – 8 January 2009 Catalogue: Van Gogh: Heartfelt Lines Edited by Klaus Albrecht Schröder and Heinz Widauer, Sjraar van Heugten and Marije Vellekoop; with an introduction by Klaus Albrecht Schröder; with essays by Martin Bailey, Sjraar van Heugten, Fred Leeman, Teio Meedendorp, Marije Vellekoop, and Heinz Widauer. Catalogue entries by Stefanie Chaloupek, Fred Leeman, Heinz Widauer, and Denise Willemstein. Cologne: DuMont, 2008. 455 pages; 338 color illustrations, 32 b-w; bibliography Cost: €24,90 ($36, in museum); €49,90 ($73, in bookstores) ISBN: 978-3-8321-9158-0 (museum edition); 978-3-8321-9133-7 (trade edition) Van Gogh: Gezeichnete Bilder ISBN: 978-3-8321-9157-3 (museum edition); 978-3-8321-9157-2 (trade edition) “To bring the art of drawing out of quarantine” became a mission statement of the new Albertina Director Klaus Albrecht Schröder long before he re-opened the meticulously restored museum. Assuming his post at the beginning of the millennium, Schröder accelerated renovations for the palace of Albert, Duke of Saxe-Teschen (1738–1822); the building behind the opera had housed his remarkable collection for two centuries and had closed for urgent repairs in the 1990s.
    [Show full text]
  • Evangelii Gaudium”
    July-September 2014 GENERAL CURIA CONGREGATION OF THE MISSION Year - N. 3 INCENTIANA th 58 on “Evangelii Gaudium” Vincentian Bishops Reflect Vincentian V VINCENTIANA — 58th Year - N. 3 - July-September 2014 Table of Contents VINCENTIANA Journal Published quarterly Introduction Congregation of the Mission 225 Editor’s Nore General Curia - Rome - Italy In our next 227 About our Authors 58th Year - N. 3 July-September 2014 issue... From the General Curia Editor 229 Meditation Moment. Reflection on the Vow of Obedience by the General Curia John T. Maher, C.M. 236 Tempo Forte Summary (June 2014) Editorial Board 243 New Appointments at the General Curia Jean Landousies, C.M. Javier Álvarez Munguia, C.M. Jorge Luis Rodríguez, C.M. From the Superior General Giuseppe Turati, C.M. 245 Letter to the Vincentian Family for the feast of St. Vicent Publication 249 Letter to the Vincentian Family on the Plight of Christians in Iraq General Curia of the Congregation of the Mission 251 Sunday Mass Homily for JMV Moderators (Paris, 20 July 2014) Via dei Capasso, 30 00164 Rome (Italy) Tel. +39 06 66 13 061 Spotlight Interview The Fax +39 06 66 63 831 255 An Interview with Fr. Manuel Ginete, C.M. Member of Province of the Philippines [email protected] John T. Maher, C.M., with Manuel Ginete, C.M. Authorization Ratio Tribunal of Rome Theme: Vincentian Bishops Reflect on “Evangelii Gaudium” 5 December 1974 - N. 15706 Formationis 263 The Social Dimension of Evangelization Legal Representative Bishop Vicente Bokalic Iglic, C.M. (Argentina) Giuseppe Carulli, C.M. 272 The Social Dimension of Evangelization Bishop George Bou Jaoudé, C.M.
    [Show full text]
  • Vincent Van Gogh in Arles
    VINCENT VAN GOGH IN ARLES “Van Gogh sur la route de Tarascon” Known also as “The painter on his way to work”, July 1888, 48 x 44 cm Formerly in the Kaiser-Friedrich-Museum, Magdeburg, Germany (Destroyed by fire in 1945) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Vincent_Van_Gogh_0013.jpg A Walk-Around of Selected Sites L. M. Boring Membre de l’Association des Artistes Alpicois, Le Pecq 28 February 2019 Vincent Van Gogh arrived in Arles by train on Monday, February 20, 1888, with an idea to found an artist colony in the south “Wishing to see a different light, thinking that looking at nature under a bright sky might give us a better idea of the Japanese way of feeling and drawing. Wishing also to see this stronger sun, because one could not understand Delacroix’s pictures from the point of view of execution and technique without knowing it, and because one feels that the colors of the prism are veiled in the mist of the North.” Oddly and by happenstance, when he arrived, he found the countryside covered in snow, and among his first paintings were soft landscapes of snow covered fields. He found lodging in the Hotel-Restaurant Carrel, but his stay ended badly over a billing dispute after only two months. Vincent signed a lease on May 1st for a small four-room two-story semi-detached house on the Place Lamartine, not far from the train station. Its stucco exterior was bright ochre, and it became known by Van Gogh’s paintings as La Maison Jaune, the Yellow House.
    [Show full text]
  • Teen Study Guide and Extension Activities
    “Well, then, what can I say: does what goes on inside, show on the outside?” -Vincent to Theo, June 1880 Vincent van Gogh is among the world’s most famous artists, known for his vibrating colors, thick, encrusted paint, exhilarating brushstrokes and very brief career. In a mere ten years he managed to create an astonishing 900 paintings and 1000 drawings! The art he suffered to create tried to answer the introspective question he put forth in a letter from 1880, “does what goes on inside, show on the outside?” Born in The Netherlands on March 30, 1853, he never knew fame for his art while he was alive. Neither did he know prosperity or much peace during his frenetic life. Vincent was known to be emotionally intense, highly intelligent and socially awkward from the time he was a young boy, and though he never married, he had a deep and driving desire to connect with others. Unfortunately, he was unable to maintain most of his relationships due to his argumentative, obsessive nature and bouts of depression. But it was a divided temperament Vincent possessed - disagreeable, melancholy and zealous on one hand; sensitive, observant and gifted on the other. His beloved brother Theo thought that he had “two different beings in him” and that Vincent often made his life “difficult not only for others, but also for himself.” This disconnect was obviously painful to Vincent, as he once compared himself to a hearth - as someone who “has a great fire in his soul and nobody ever comes to warm themselves at it, and passers-by see nothing but a little smoke at the top of the chimney and then go on their way.” It was this friction of selves that created a lonely lifetime of seeking - for home, family, truth, balance and acceptance, which he ultimately never found.
    [Show full text]
  • Van Gogh Educator Guide
    Van Gogh and His Inspirations Presented by The Blanchard Family Educator Guide Premier Programming Sponsor: First Citizens Bank Van Gogh and His Inspirations October 4, 2019 – January 12, 2020 Greetings, educators! Guide at a Glance The Columbia Museum of Art is Van Gogh excited to offer you this Educator timeline Guide as a teaching tool and resource pages 2-3 supplementing Van Gogh and His Elementary Inspirations. We hope that you and lesson plans your students find lots of creative and pages 4-7 inspiring ways to learn about Van Gogh’s Middle/high life and art through history, English school lesson language arts, visual arts, and beyond. plans pages 8-11 We also invite you to experience the exhibition through a CMA field trip for an opportunity to enrich Resources students’ creative, critical, sensorial, and academic learning. page 12 Join us! Glossary page 12 Keep your brushes wet, More information Jackie Adams page 13 Director of Education and Engagement Book Your School Trip! Don’t miss your chance to see Van Gogh in Columbia! Reserve a tour for your students to experience Van Gogh and His Inspirations. School programs include an hour-long guided gallery tour and an hour- long studio session. Please complete an online booking form at least one month before your anticipated visit. Van Gogh school tours are free courtesy of Premier Programming Sponsor First Citizens Bank. Quantities are limited so book early. www.columbiamuseum.org/school-tours Major Themes in the Exhibition Spirituality Van Gogh was deeply religious Raised as a Christian, he studied theology and even served briefly as a preacher.
    [Show full text]
  • Gallery Texts Van Gogh En Japan
    Gallery texts exhibition Van Gogh & Japan Inhoud Gallery texts exhibition Van Gogh & Japan ................................................................ 1 Inhoud......................................................................................................................... 1 Floor -1 ....................................................................................................................... 4 Introduction Van Gogh & Japan .............................................................................. 4 Painting: Vincent van Gogh, Flowering Plum Orchard (after Hiroshige), 1887 .... 4 Gallery text: Discovering Japanese prints ............................................................... 4 Colour woodcut: Utagawa Hiroshige, Ishiyakushi: The Yoshitsune Cherry Tree near the Noriyori Shrine, from the series Famous Places near the 53 Stations [Along the Tōkaidō], 1855 .................................................................................... 5 Colour woodcut: Togaku, Finches and Pomegranates, from the series Illustrations of Plants, Trees, Flowers and Birds .................................................. 5 Magazine in showcase: Cover of Paris Illustré, Le Japon, 1 May 1886 ............... 5 Gallery text: Japonisme in Paris .............................................................................. 5 Painting: Vincent van Gogh, In the Café: Agostina Segatori in Le Tambourin, 1887 .................................................................................................................... 6 Painting:
    [Show full text]
  • Looking East: Vincent Van Gogh and Japan
    Looking east: Vincent van Gogh and Japan CLIVE YOU Abstract During the formative years of his life in Arles, Vincent van Gogh became deeply enamoured with the art of Japan. This vision, while short-lived, was crucial for the eventual flowering of his unique painting style. Therefore, it is vital for us to understand the Japanese aesthetics and philosophy hidden in his paintings. This article commences with a discussion on the origins of van Gogh’s Japonism interests, and then proceeds with an analysis of how this manifested itself in three periods of his ‘Japanese Era’, including where it drew on Japanese study, philosophy and utopia as well as paintings and prints. The visual analysis technique is widely utilised in this article to consider van Gogh’s paintings and the Japanese influences on their colour, line, texture and size. The research shows that van Gogh established a rich connection to Japanese aesthetics and created the largest numbers of masterpieces of his career in his ‘Japanese Era’. Origin Vincent van Gogh first expressed an interest in Japonaiserie in 1885 while he stayed in Antwerp. At that time, he already owned some Japanese prints; their exotic nature was the primary reason for his fondness of them. In one of his letters, he wrote that he was very much delighted by the Japanese prints he pinned on his walls. Later, when he moved to Paris, he read far more about Japan, and studied a substantial number of Japanese prints. The countryside played a more important role in his career and in his existence as an artist because of the inspiration of peace and beauty that nature provided to his work.1 Eventually, while he lived in Arles, Japanese art and philosophy became major inspirations for van Gogh, affecting his paintings, behaviours and values.
    [Show full text]
  • Vincent Van Gogh：The Flaming Soul
    Vincent van Gogh：The Flaming Soul 投稿類別：英文寫作類 篇名： Vincent Van Gogh：The Flaming Soul 作者： 徐 彤。北一女中。高三仁班 (Hsu Tong。Taipei First Girls’ Senior High School。Class 3-Ren) 指導老師： 姜文娟 老師 Vincent van Gogh：The Flaming Soul Table of Contents I. Introduction -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- P.02 A. Motivation of the Study ----------------------------------------------------------------------- P.02 B. Purpose of the Study --------------------------------------------------------------------------- P.02 C. Scope & Methods of the Study --------------------------------------------------------------- P.02 II. Thesis -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- P.02 A. Biography --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- P.02 1. Early Life – Intellectual Formation (1853~1880) ---------------------------------- P.02 2. The Beginning in Holland (1880~1885) --------------------------------------------- P.02 3. Apprenticeship Years in Paris (1886~1888) ---------------------------------------- P.03 4. Artistic Breakthrough Period in Arles (1888~1889) ------------------------------- P.03 5. Final Years in Saint-Rémy & Auvers (1889~1890) -------------------------------- P.03 B. Artistic Influences from Predecessors ------------------------------------------------------ P.04 1. Baroque ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- P.04 2. Ukiyo-e -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    [Show full text]
  • St Vincent and the Grenadines
    Important Bird Areas in the Caribbean – St Vincent and the Grenadines ■ ST VINCENT & THE GRENADINES LAND AREA 389 km2 ALTITUDE 0–1,234 m HUMAN POPULATION 102,250 CAPITAL Kingstown IMPORTANT BIRD AREAS 15, totalling 179 km2 IMPORTANT BIRD AREA PROTECTION 31% BIRD SPECIES 152 THREATENED BIRDS 6 RESTRICTED-RANGE BIRDS 14 LYSTRA CULZAC-WILSON (AVIANEYES) Ashton Lagoon IBA on Union Island in the southern Grenadines. (PHOTO: GREGG MOORE) INTRODUCTION Brisbane, 932 m) lies to the south of La Soufriere, and then Grand Bonhomme (970 m), Petit Bonhomme (756 m) and St Vincent and the Grenadines is a multi-island nation in the Mount St Andrew (736 m) are south of this. A large number Windward Islands of the Lesser Antillean chain. St Vincent is of very steep lateral ridges emanate from the central massif the main island (c.29 km long and 18 km wide, making up culminating in high, rugged and almost vertical cliffs on the c.88% of the nation’s land area) and lies furthest north, c.35 (eastern) leeward coast, while the windward coast is more km south-south-west of St Lucia. The chain of Grenadine gently sloping, with wider, flatter valleys. In contrast to St islands (comprising numerous islands, islets, rocks and reefs) Vincent, the Grenadines have a much gentler relief, with the extends south for 75 km towards the island of Grenada, with mountain peaks on these islands rising to150–300 m. There Union Island being the most southerly. Other major islands are no perennial streams in the Grenadines (although there is of the (St Vincent) Grenadines are Bequia (which is the a spring on Bequia), and unlike much of the mainland, these largest), Mustique, Canouan, Mayreau, Palm (Prune) Island islands are surrounded by fringing reefs and white sand and Petit St Vincent.
    [Show full text]
  • Teresa Costigan 1 Resting on Vincent My Room, Like Most of My Life Is A
    Teresa Costigan 1 Resting on Vincent My room, like most of my life is a mess. Several piles of clothing loom high a top my mahogany dresser creating a mountain range with sock covered peaks. My walk in closet is stuffed to the brim with forgotten remnants of my past: half finished paintings, stacks of journals, boxes of pictures, and a pristine white sewing machine sit blanketed in dust. A smorgasbord of summer clothes and winter sweaters spill out of my closet onto my fuzzy tan carpeted floor; creating a colorful river of mismatched clothing. My queen sized bed sits pushed against one of the white washed walls that holds my room together; covered in a neon pink Sherpa blanket the bed is a peninsula of chaos made of pillows, sheets, and stuffed animals. Books of all shapes and sizes are scattered throughout my entire room. There is one book that stands alone from the rest. Sitting idle on my fake oak nightstand is a book covered in a transparent parchment jacket. The faintest outline of a strong jaw covered with red hair emerges from beneath the jacket, a red beard trails around his thin lips and ear; a dark almond shape where his blue eyes sit pop beneath the parchment. The pages that fill the book are torn, ruffled, and marked with fading yellow post its. The spine of the book reads Van Gogh the Life in bold, orange block letters. This book that is the heart of my messy living space holds more than just the life and paintings of Vincent Van Gogh.
    [Show full text]
  • Ballad Opera in England: Its Songs, Contributors, and Influence
    BALLAD OPERA IN ENGLAND: ITS SONGS, CONTRIBUTORS, AND INFLUENCE Julie Bumpus A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF MUSIC August 7, 2010 Committee: Vincent Corrigan, Advisor Mary Natvig ii ABSTRACT Vincent Corrigan, Advisor The ballad opera was a popular genre of stage entertainment in England that flourished roughly from 1728 (beginning with John Gay's The Beggar's Opera) to 1760. Gay's original intention for the genre was to satirize not only the upper crust of British society, but also to mock the “excesses” of Italian opera, which had slowly been infiltrating the concert life of Britain. The Beggar's Opera and its successors were to be the answer to foreign opera on British soil: a truly nationalistic genre that essentially was a play (building on a long-standing tradition of English drama) with popular music interspersed throughout. My thesis explores the ways in which ballad operas were constructed, what meanings the songs may have held for playwrights and audiences, and what influence the genre had in England and abroad. The thesis begins with a general survey of the origins of ballad opera, covering theater music during the Commonwealth, Restoration theatre, the influence of Italian Opera in England, and The Beggar’s Opera. Next is a section on the playwrights and composers of ballad opera. The playwrights discussed are John Gay, Henry Fielding, and Colley Cibber. Purcell and Handel are used as examples of composers of source material and Mr. Seedo and Pepusch as composers and arrangers of ballad opera music.
    [Show full text]