UNDER THE MIDNIGHT SUN:
A SCANDINAVIAN CLASSICAL MUSIC FESTIVAL
Come and enjoy a feast of some of the most colourful and melodic music in the world! In this enchanting survey of Scandinavian classics, Don Anderson takes you beyond the familiar works of Grieg and Sibelius (although they’re included, of course!) to mine a treasure chest of engaging, mostly folk-flavoured works from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Iceland, spanning the eighteenth to the twentieth centuries. Examples of authentic folk melodies will show you the roots of this music. Featured performers on CD and DVD include conductors Leonard Bernstein, Sir Simon Rattle, Neeme Järvi, Sir Colin Davis, Herbert von Karajan and Sir Thomas Beecham, pianist Emil Gilels, violinists Maxim Vengerov and Gil Shaham, singers Barbara Bonney and Anne Sofie von Otter, and percussion superstar Dame Evelyn Glennie.
Five Tuesdays, March 13 to April 10, 2018
10:00 am to 12:00 pm
Fee: $100
GREAT BOOKS GREAT MOVIES 2
By popular demand, Don Anderson presents another collection of superlative screen adaptations of classic novels. The five books were written by revered authors from England, the USA, and France, and appeared over more than a century of time: 1831 to 1939. The films were released over a period of 40 years, 1939 to 1979. They received 31 Oscar nominations – four of them were nominated for best picture – and won 10 Academy Awards. Don will introduce each film with extensive background information, and absorbing interviews and documentaries will enhance your enjoyment.
Wuthering Heights (1939): The mist-shrouded moors of central England are the setting for this passionate romance, from Emily Brontë’s celebrated 1847 novel. The cast is headed by Laurence Olivier in his star-making role, and Merle Oberon in her finest performance. Eight Oscar nominations (including picture, director and actor) and one win.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939): In this greatest of all screen versions of French author Victor Hugo’s 1831 novel, the pathetic bell-ringer of Paris’s Notre Dame Cathedral falls in love with a beautiful gypsy girl. Charles Laughton gives an unforgettable performance in the lead role, ably supported by Maureen O’Hara in her Hollywood debut. This lavishly produced and deeply moving film received Oscar nominations for music and sound.
The Grapes of Wrath (1940): This superlative adaptation of John Steinbeck’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 1939 novel follows a family of migrant workers through the dust bowl years of the Great Depression. It received seven Oscar nominations and won for director (John Ford, the second of his four Academy Awards) and supporting actress (Jane Darwell). Henry Fonda heads the cast.
The Heiress (1949): Henry James’s 1880 novel Washington Square was the basis for this excellent drama set in New York high society. Olivia de Havilland took home an Oscar for her brilliant performance as a shy young woman who lives under the thumb of her cold-hearted father (Sir Ralph Richardson). Montgomery Clift co-stars as her suitor. Master director William Wyler’s film was nominated for eight Oscars and won four.
Tess (1979): Thomas Hardy’s 1891 novel Tess of the d’Urbervilles came to the screen in this gorgeously photographed and touching film. Nastassia Kinski, Peter Firth and Leigh Lawson head the cast, in the story of an innocent young country girl beset by the strict moral standards of her day. The film received six Oscar nominations and won for cinematography, art direction and costume design. Please note: this session will run approximately three hours and 30 minutes.
Five Tuesdays, April 17 to May 15, 2018
1:00 pm to 4:00 pm, except as noted
Fee: $80
All these courses take place in the Community Classroom at McNally Robinson Booksellers, 1120 Grant Ave. To register, please call 204 475 0483, drop by the store, or log on to www.mcnallyrobinson.com and click on Community Classroom. Please note that contents, fees and dates are subject to change.
