Контроль навыков чтения 8 класс
материал для подготовки к егэ (гиа) по английскому языку (8 класс)

One day Robert came to the agent to check the number of concerts his rock group had during the month. When he came into the room, the agent was talking to a man whose elegant style and manners gave away that he was a classical musician. The agent introduced the stranger as Kevin, an opera singer. “We are colleagues,” Robert said. “I’m a classically trained pianist myself, but I chose to play in a rock band.”

From Kevin’s look Robert understood his words were a surprise to the opera singer. Kevin didn’t seem to believe Robert. That’s why Robert continued, “I know most people think rock musicians never do any classical stuff. But you can come to my concert tonight and see for yourself”, added Robert and handed Kevin his card. Kevin seemed intrigued and accepted the card.

At 9.00 the rock club was full as usual. From his central position on the stage, Robert could clearly see the crowd waving enthusiastically and cheering each song with their hands up. There were many of his friends and colleagues and there was Kevin, rocking with the crowd. He was enjoying the rock concert but didn’t seem to take it seriously.

During the break Robert came up to Kevin. “Are you still sceptical or have you changed your opinion about rock music?” he asked. “It’s been a good concert, you know, but this rock music is not my kind of thing”, said Kevin, “It’s not for professionals.” Feeling hurt, Robert decided to show the stereotype was not true.

He named many world famous rock stars like Elton John or Freddie Mercury who began as classical pianists. Bon Jovi also took lessons from professional singers. Kevin smiled but still stood his ground. He did not believe that classical and rock music could be ranked equally. In spite of the famous names Robert had mentioned, Kevin did not accept his point of view.

Suddenly Robert jumped on the stage and picked up his guitar. “Ladies and gentlemen, we are going to change today’s programme. A few classical pieces will be presented to you. We’ve never done it in our rock club but today is a special occasion. We have an opera singer with us tonight, and I’m going to show him that Bach’s and Beethoven’s music can be as modern as Queen and Michael Jackson”.

He started playing the ‘Moonlight Sonata’ by Beethoven very softly as it had to be played in the classical style but made the second part sound more like the blues. The crowd kept swaying silently. In the next famous classical piece, ‘The Flight of the Bumble-Bee’, his rock band joined in and they finished triumphantly with the crowd cheering. Kevin looked impressed.

“That was moving. Sorry, I’ve been a snob”, said Kevin. Robert realized he had won and smiled. “Why don’t we arrange a project together to mix rock with classical music?” he suggested. “Good idea!” exclaimed Kevin. They agreed to have an official meeting before the next concert in the club. When Kevin left, Robert was sitting on the stage playing Mozart.

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Guy Laliberté was born in Quebec, Canada, in 1959. From childhood he dreamt of doing something risky in his life. He got out of his parents’ control very early and started earning money as a street performer. To amuse people, Guy played the accordion, danced and did fire eating. After several years of being on the road at the age of twenty three he decided to settle down.

In 1982 Guy Laliberté started a serious business that made him one of the richest Canadians. He began learning world circus techniques professionally. Additionally, his travel experience and his friends’ support helped him arrange the first national circus in Quebec. For the first time, Guy Laliberté managed to combine circus arts with street performance, which finally made his circus extremely popular.

When it was time to decide on a name, Guy Laliberté didn’t discuss it with anybody. He called his project Cirque du Soleil or Circus of the Sun. The decision was not made by chance, because the image of the sun reminded him of the youth and energy his artists personified.

Montreal authorities let Laliberté rent a piece of land far from the city centre. In 1984 the district was a waste land that needed major reconstruction. In spite of the high cost, the first Cirque du Soleil hall for eight hundred people was built in that area. The main office never changed its location and has become a new cultural centre in Quebec.

The main office is located in an unusual building that consists of the Studio and the Parlour, painted blue and yellow. The Studio is the place for training and the artists’ offices, while the Parlour is the home for set and costume designers. They always have a lot of work to do, because all the cloth bought for performances is initially white. To make the costumes bright, different colours are printed according to designers' sketches.

Initially the company had about seventy employees. Today it has more than four thousand artists, acrobats, divers, dancers and singers from about forty countries, speaking about twenty languages. It enables Cirque du Soleil to perform in different parts of the world at the same time. Its offices are also located in London, New York, Hong Kong, Amsterdam, Singapore, Moscow and several other cities.

Since its foundation, Cirque du Soleil has visited more than one hundred and thirty cities and welcomed more than forty million spectators. The company offers a series of thematic shows. For example, Saltimbanco invites the audience on a city tour, Love tells the story of the Beatles, and Alegria creates an optimistic mood.

However, performing is not the only priority of the company. It has initiated an international program for teenagers who are at risk. The company also organizes training courses to support circus schools in Canada. This is how Guy Laliberté keeps the right balance between business, art and philanthropy.

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