 | Night of Cultural Refinement Jon and Candice and a Night of Cultural Refinement, Scholars style. |
 | "Für Elise" - The real LOVE story. Did you know..? Please do not comment about the tempo.I play each time differently and I am not going to record another video just to please someone out there ..... This is the real LOVE story about "Für Elise" (Voor Elise, For Elise, Za Elizu....etc) Did you know that the original title was Fur Therese? ------------------------------------------- Fur Elise" (Für Elise) is probably Beethoven`s most popular piano work, which he dedicated to one of his female piano pupils in 1810. Beethoven had made the acquaintance of the Malfatti family in Vienna in 1809 through Count Gleichenstein. He, Beethoven, was not only impressed by the culture, refinement and musical taste of the parents, but also by the beauty and intellect of the daughters Therese and Anna. Therese was a very good piano player and became Beethoven`s pupil; she was also the niece of Beethoven`s physician Dr. Malfatti. All this made the Malfatti house very attractive for Beethoven and also resulted in an unusually warm relationship between Beethoven and the Malfattis and a less severe regard for conventional forms. Though Beethoven almost certainly fell in love with Therese, the social difference was too great and nothing is known of a particular intimacy. Experts are very sure that "Fur Elise" (Für Elise) is dedicated to Beethovens beloved Therese Malfatti. L. Nohl, Beethoven`s biographer possessed the original script and published the work in 1867, but he misinterpreted Beethoven`s handwriting -- instead of Therese he read "For Elise on 27. April, a dedication from L. v. Bthvn." This kind of work for solo piano is often referred to as a bagatelle because it is quite short. It is in a-minor and is arranged like a short rondo. The initial melody of „Fur Elise" (Für Elise) is repeated several times and is interrupted by contradictory episodes in neighbouring keys ------------------------------------------- This Bagatelle was written in about 1810. One of the versions of the story goes like this: Beethoven wrote it as a birthday present for one of his pupils, Miss Therese Malfatti. He was probably broke or didn't realize what women would really enjoy!? He was in love with her and even asked her to marry him. Unfortunately, nothing came out of this, as Therese's father (Dr.Giovanni Malfatti, who treated Beethoven in his final illness) objected to the union and she married Baron Von Drosdick in 1816. Because of his very scruffy handwriting ( he probably wrote in old German) his publisher just spelled it as Fur Elise. In a letter of May 1810 to Therese, Beethoven refers to the Bagatelle - "In this letter, beloved Therese, you are receiving what I promised you." |
 | Allez la France Only soccer and french cultural refinement could allow such an exquisite and delightful moment of poetry. |
 | Centro Cultural Vila Flor - Guimarães Steps from the heart of the city centre, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage site, is the Centro Cultural Vila Flor, a heralded new cultural space and a mark of refinement for the City of Guimarães. An architectural design project conceived from the ground up, the Centro Cultural Vila Flor is dedicated not only to providing a stage for the traditional range of shows in the performing arts, but also to making available all its high quality resources to create a multi-purpose space allowing for an even wider variety of events. |
 | Chinese Civilization for Five Thousand Years6-1Buddhism VI，Buddhism's Prevalence 六、佛道盛行 During the devout years of Wei,Jin & Northern and Southern Dynasties.There everywhere are Shadows of Buddha, enormous caves and sculptures caved of stone over China. 魏晋南北朝,一段虔诚的岁月,庞大的石窟、石刻,到处都是佛的身影 The Southern and Northern Dynasties (Chinese: 南北朝; pinyin: nánběicháo; 420-589 AD) followed the Sixteen Kingdoms and preceded Sui Dynasty in China. It was an age of civil war and political disunity. However it was also a time of flourishing in the arts and culture, advancement in technology, and the spread of foreign Mahayana Buddhism and native Daoism. Distinctive Chinese Buddhism was also matured during this time and shaped by the northern and southern dynasties alike. Despite (or perhaps because of) the political disunity of the times, there were notable technological advances in China. With the invention of the stirrup during the earlier Western Jin Dynasty, not only were cavalry tactics improved immensely, but heavily armored Chinese cavalry also became the norm in this age. Advances in medicine, astronomy, mathematics, and cartography are also noted by historians. The famous Chinese mathematician and astronomer Zu Chongzhi (429 - 500 AD) belonged to this age, an intellectual and social product of the elite culture shaped and developed in southern China during this period of time. The Chinese arts of poetry, calligraphy, painting, and music flourished during this period like never before, as Chinese aristocrats mainly in the south were socially expected to master these as their pastimes. Although the north had its cultural achievements, the south (specifically at the capital of Nanjing) was the place for higher cultural achievement, elitist culture, artistic refinement, and new standards of art that ranked artists according to their various abilities. The Northern Wei Dynasty (北魏, pinyin: běi wèi, 386-534), also known as the Tuoba Wei (拓拔魏) or Yuan Wei (元魏), is most noted for the unification of northern China in 439, it was also heavily involved in funding the arts and many antiques and art works from this period have survived. In 494 AD the dynasty moved its capital from Datong to Luoyang and started the construction of the artificial Longmen Caves. More than 30,000 Buddhist images from the time of this dynasty have been found in the caves. It is thought the dynasty originated from the Tuoba clan of the non-Han Xianbei tribe. The Tuobas renamed themselves the Yuans as a part of systematic Sinicization. Towards the end of the dynasty there was significant internal dissidence resulting in a split into Eastern Wei Dynasty and Western Wei Dynasty. ------------------------------------------------- VIII，Eastern Jin Dynasty东晋(3170420) IX,Northern and Southern Dynasties南北朝 1,Southern Dynasty南朝 1)，Song宋(420-479) 2),Qi齐(479-502) 3),Liang梁(502-557) 4),Chen陈(557-589) 2,Northern Dynasties北朝 1),Northern Wei北魏(386-534) 2),Eastern Wei东魏(534-550) 3),Northern Qi北齐(550-556) 4),Western Wei西魏(535-556) 5),Northern Zhou北周(557-581) X,Sui Dynasty隋朝(581-618) |
 | Project Libuser Capital of Culture.... Ahem... Liverpool Central Libraries |
 | Spanish school in Lima, Peru - Hispana Visit our website: http://www.hispanaidiomas.com/spanish-school/ Peru, the Land of the Incas, is a magical and millennial country with an uncommon diversity and richness that offers visitors the possibility to live out a unique experience. History, culture, nature, adventure and more, all in one destination. Lima, the capital of Peru, is a cosmopolitan city combining modernity with historical and cultural richness. Located on the central coast of Peru, it is connected with the principal cities of the world through daily direct flights and connections. Declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, Lima is a city that offers all the tourist services, the most demanding modern hotel infrastructure, the most varied cultural and nightlife entertainment in the country, the best cuisine of the Americas, and the gateway to all the natural, archaeological and historical tourist attractions of Peru. These reasons, and because Peru is recognized as one of the countries where Spanish is spoken most clearly and is the easiest for foreign visitors to understand, inspired us to open Hispana Spanish School in the district of Miraflores. One of the most beautiful and commercial areas of the city, where there are cafes, parks, crafts markets, movie theaters, bars, night clubs and the best restaurants in Lima, as well as hotels and hostels for every budget. Our school is located just a few minutes away from amazing views of the Pacific Ocean, and sports such as surfing, paragliding and hang gliding. Hispana Spanish School is a cultural center that specializes in teaching Latin American Spanish and culture to foreign residents, immigrants and travelers of all nationalities, occupations and ages. Our specialty is the teaching of Latin American Spanish, and our mission is to facilitate the acquisition of the Spanish language to our students from culturally diverse backgrounds so that they can effectively communicate within the Spanish-speaking world, whether to work, study, travel or vacation in Peru, or just to learn more about our fascinating and rich culture. Our Spanish courses and programs have been designed principally for adult students who want to learn Spanish correctly, through a communicative and effective methodology, in a pleasant, dynamic and culturally enriching learning environment. The study plan for Hispana Spanish School follows the guidelines and the classification of levels established by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages and the Cervantes Institute of Spain. Additionally, the curricular structure of the Spanish Program is divided into 6 levels, from Basic to Superior, or Refinement. Our communicative methodology emphasizes oral and functional communication from the first day, without leaving out grammar, writing, pronunciation and intercultural competence. We also have a wide variety of private courses such as the Spanish Course for Portuguese speakers, Business Spanish, Medical Spanish, Spanish for Children and Teenagers, and DELE Preparation, the Official Spanish Diploma. Our Spanish teachers, who are university graduates, are certified as Professors of Spanish as a Foreign Language and have extensive experience teaching students from diverse countries and native languages. The flexibility of our courses allows us to offer students different options according to the length of their stay and their learning objectives. For this reason, we have daily intensive programs that can be taken from 1 to 19 weeks, and private courses in which students choose the frequency and number of hours per class. But what makes studying Spanish at Hispana easy and fun is the cultural immersion experience. Every weekday we organize social and cultural activities that allow students to learn more about the Peruvian culture and lifestyle, our city, and of course, to practice Spanish in a spontaneous and fun environment. Studying at Hispana was really helpful for me. Before I couldn't speak any Spanish, but now I can speak to anyone in almost any situation. All the teachers and staff here are very friendly. And it was also really fun because there are always activities like dance classes or cooking classes so it was easy to learn! The Exploring Lima program in which we go to interesting places in the city such as pre-Incan archaeological sites, the historic center of Lima, museums, or outdoor walks. Latin Dance Classes, Salsa and Merengue presented by an experienced instructor. Experiential Peruvian cooking classes, where students participate in the preparation of delicious traditional dishes and drinks. |
 | Yogyakarta Lying in the shadow of the aptly named "Fire Mountain", (2914 meter-high active volcano, Mt.Merapi), is the seat of the once mighty Javanese Empire of Mataram, Ngayogyakarto Hadiningrat. Yogyakarta (Yogya) came into being in 1755, when a land dispute split the power of Mataram into the Sultanates of Yogyakarta and Surakarta (solo). Prince Mangkubumi built Kraton of Yogyakarta and created one of the most powerful Javanese states ever. The Kraton is still the hub of Yogyakarta's traditional life and despite the advance of the refinement which has been the hallmark of its art and people for centuries. Yogyakarta is one of the supreme cultural centers of Java. Full Gamelan orchestras keep alive the rhythms the past, classical Javanese dances entrance with visions of beauty and poise, shadows come to life in the stories of the Wayang kulit and a myriad of traditional visual art forms keep locals and visitors alike spell-bound. Yogya has an extraordinary life force and charm which seldom fails to captivate. Contemporary art has also grown in the fertile soil of Yogyakarta's sophisticated cultural society. ASRI, the Academy of Fine Arts, is the centre of the arts in the region and Yogyakarta has given its name to an important school of modern painting in Indonesia, best illustrated by the renowned impressionist, the late Affandi. The province is one of the most densely populated areas of Indonesia. It stretches from the slopes of mighty Mount Merapi in the North to the wave - swept beaches of the powerful Indian Ocean to the South. |
 | Boeotia: Hellenic Refinement The song is 'ΕΝΑ ΜΟΝΟ ΜΕ ΠΕΙΡΑΖΕΙ' (One thing that truly bothers me), by Παντελής Θαλασσινός (Pantelis Thalassinos). The story answers what the song says. The models are Olga Farmaki and Alexandros Parthenis. I try to show the spirit of each place in Greece, and for Boeotia (Βοιωτία), it is an overwhelming confidence. The area includes Thebes, Thespia, Platea and Tanagra, all important cities and places in Ancient Greece. The Thebans had a rich culture, from its famous writers (Hesiod, Pindar, Plutarch), to its art and music, to its fashion (like the hats of tanagra). It also has many great warriors, like the Sacred Band led by Epaminondas and Pelopidas. They defeated the Athenians and Spartans, but then lost to Philip II of Macedon. Boeotia is also one of the oldest parts of Greece, and is the place of many myths such as Narcissus and Echo, Antiope and Zeus, the birth place of Heracles, and Amphion who built Thebes by lifting stones with music. |
 | Young Artists at Work For the past 15 years, the Arts Commission of Greater Toledo has sponsored the award winning Young Artists at Work (YAAW) program. This six-week summer employment opportunity enables diverse youth to benefit from an intense exposure to the arts. The objective of YAAW is to provide an intensive arts experience that fosters artistic self-expression and a quality work ethic that can impact the youth throughout adulthood. The program encourages expression, refinement, cross-cultural sharing, and the exchange of ideas. The opportunity provides exposure to the concept of art as a business, as well as the creation of public art for the greater Toledo community. YAAW serves the City of Toledo by instilling pride and the importance of shared experiences in the youth it employs as artists. To quote a past YAAW participant on the value of this program: "I cannot express my immense fondness of the time I spent at YAAW. Without it, I would not be leading the incredible life I am currently. Toledo needs YAAW. Every city needs a YAAW, really." Visit www.acgt.org and www.yaaw.org for more details...... |
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![Don\](images/articles/thumbs/beachrainthumb.jpg "Don\")
