Christopher Willebald Gluck 1714-1787 Gluck entered the history of musical culture as a great reformer, who for many decades determined the ways of the development of the opera. His demands for dramatic truth, simplicity and naturalness corresponded to the advanced trends of the era. In place of court-aristocratic ceremonial performances with conventional plot and virtuosic … Read more
Ricarda Houx The life of Count Federigo Confalonieri The young count of Federigo Confalonieri is a recognized idol of the secular youth of Milan. He is listened to, he is imitated in clothes and habits, and his dexterity in fencing, dancing and riding is admirable. The count is clever, penetrating, ambitious, he has the imperious … Read more
P. P. Ershov Humpbacked Horse In one village there lives a peasant. He had three sons: the elder – Danilo – smart, average – Le Havre – “and so, and syak” younger – Ivan – fool. Brothers make a living by growing wheat, transporting it to the capital and selling it there. Suddenly a misfortune … Read more
The action takes place on the well-known Greek island of Lesbos in the Aegean Sea, and not even on the whole island, but in the village alone on its outskirts. There lived two shepherds, one co-op, another sheep-breeder, one slave, another free. Once, he saw: a goat feeds his abandoned child – a boy, and … Read more
It is very important to find something that you are really passionate about. Awareness of your passion simplifies the adoption of all decisions and allows you to determine the ultimate goal. Doing what you like is more important than earning a lot of money on hateful work. Decide if you are ready “to stop chasing … Read more
Provincial French city of Saumur is the habitat of wine growers, landowners, forest merchants, bocharas, innkeepers and ship-keepers who sell their goods on the ancient Great Street. The life of the townspeople goes on in everyone’s mind. They have breakfast, lunch, and quarrel each at their porch. In the upper part of the Great Street … Read more
Dimka, Peter and Seryozhka were friends of the three. The leader in this three was Petya. He studied already in the seventh grade, and Dimka and Seryozhka – in the fifth. “Malyavkam”, as Peter sometimes called friends, the oldest friend seemed the most intelligent and strong. Between Dima and Serezha there was always a private … Read more
The sun is not red in the sky. Then the terrible king Ivan Vasilievich sits in a golden wreath at a table. Behind him are the stewards, against him all boyars and princes, on his sides are all oprichniki. Everyone is having fun, only the out-and-out oprichnik Kiribeyevich “lowered his head to the wide chest … Read more
Efimia Alexandrovna conjures her son: when he goes to walk around Kiev, to avoid the alley on which the Queen’s son Marina Kaidalievna lives. She has already enticed a lot of noble and simple people with her magic charms and killed them all mercilessly. On her account destroyed nine Russian heroes, and Dobrynya can expect … Read more
On the first Monday of April 1625, the population of the town of Meng in the suburbs of Paris seemed to be agitated as if the Huguenots had decided to turn it into the second fortress of La Rochelle: a young man of eighteen entered the Meng, wearing a red gelding without a tail. His … Read more