Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

The two film adaptation of Nikolay Gogol’s The Overcoat, the 1959 Russian film by Aleksey Batalov and the 2011 Canadian film, The Girl in the White Coat by Darrell Wasyk, end in different ways. One film depicts a scene of supernatural revenge while the other ends with a quiet death. As films set in realistic environments, the supernatural element found in Gogol’s work presents a challenge for the directors. However, when compared to the original work, both films have a similar meaning even when…

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri, is a fictional novel detailing the struggle of finding yourself in another country, and learning how to survive- while slowly becoming less like yourself as you adapt.The main characters are a Indian couple from Calcutta at the beginning, but it eventually changes to become their son Gogol after he reaches a certain age. Gogol struggles with finding his identity, believing for a majority of his life that it is associated with his name, which is yet another thing…

In Nikolai Gogol’s short story, The Overcoat, evil within 19th century Russian society is criticized. Evil in this short story takes on many forms. The main character, Akaky Akakievich, is a rather unfortunate man who is continuously failed by the systems put in place to keep society running smoothly. The way that bureaucracy functions in society is oppressive and evil. Though Akaky is a hard working citizen, and he is never rewarded for his efforts. After Akaky struggles to purchase his new…

The United States of America is still one of the most heavily immigrated to countries in the world and obtaining the “American Dream” is a widely held ideal for many. Both Jhumpa Lahiri’s novel The Namesake and the film Brooklyn, directed by John Crowley, delve into the lives of newcomers to America. The Namesake and Brooklyn both deal with issues regarding identity and how it relates to family and culture, and assimilation, or lack thereof, to a new society. While these themes are similar, how…

The Nose The Nose features a twisted ending which is hard to conclude on what exactly happened. The narrator here tries to convince us that social rank plays an important part in determining a person’s life. The events of the story indicate that appearance was important for a man with a high rank. The value of fellow government official’s opinions is very high as Kovalyov says, “If the major doesn’t split his sides when he sees me, then everything is in the right place. (Gogol, 21).” At this…

When a name is chosen for you, the name becomes your personality, appearance and you. In the book The Namesake, Lahiri compares Gogol/Nikhil's struggle with the struggle of growing up in two different cultures. America is a free country, which allows Gogol to change his name and be anything he wants to be. On the other hand, the culture of his parents and them giving him that name, is anything but free. The name they chose was chosen by respect and honor towards their homeland. The author…

In comparison to other notable composers of Western art music, Stravinsky enjoyed one of the longest careers, actively composing for nearly seven decades. Having reached critical acclaim for his work in The Firebird in 1910, Stravinsky continued to compose for the next sixty-one years, during which numerous world-changing events took place. Also, throughout this time, Stravinsky was exposed to a variety of cultures, having migrated to multiple places around the globe in the interest of…

he heard a lot with music, such as Tchaikovsky, Glinka, and Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Therefore, these music styles influenced a lot to Stravinsky’s style later on. Igor Stravinsky’s career, as a composer, began after he met and worked with Rimsky-Korsakov in 1902 until Rimsky-Korsakov died at 1908. In 1902, after Stravinsky’s father passed away, Stravinsky lived with Rimsky-Korsakov and his family members. At this time, Rimsky-Korsakov was not only became Stravinsky‘s musical tutor, but he also…

who reportedly considered Stravinsky unmusical, and thought little of his skills. Even though he had a great love for music, his parents wanted him to study law. He attended fewer than fifty class sessions during his four years of study. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov suggested that he should study composing by taking private lessons. A piece he wrote One of Stravinsky's most famous pieces was called ¨The Firebird.¨ It is a ballet and orchestra concert. It was first performed in Paris on June 25,…

I chose to listen to Scheherazade composed by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, consisting of four movements. I had never listened to music in this type of manner prior to this assignment, using my imagination helped me fall in love with the piece. This experience was so beautiful, a pure fantasy. The music was just so vivid and it was perfect for the makings of my own personal adventure through imagination. Right from the start of the piece, during the first movement, I picture myself surrounded by the…