30 Тексты для чтения. 9-11 классы

•  Composers

MOZART

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is one of the greatest composers ever born. Thousands of books have been written about Mozart, and yet he is one of the most mysterious figures in the world.

Mozart was born in 1756 in Salzburg, Austria. He began playing the piano at the age of 4, and when he was 5 years old, he already composed serious mu- sic. Then the prodigy ripened into genius. The genius conquered Vienna and the world. Mozart's fame was great. But then he suddenly fell from favour. The Vienna aristocracy grew tired of him. He lost pupils and contracts, had to move from his comfortable house in the centre to a modest flat in the suburbs. The genius was forgotten.

Mozart died in 1791, when he was only 35 years old. There's a legend that Mozart was poisoned by his rival composer Antonio Salieri. There's no truth in this legend, though it inspired many great poets, writers and composers. But it has been proved that in the last months of his life Mozart really believed that he was pursued by a spirit, who appeared and ordered him to write a requiem. In a state of depression Mozart imagined that he was to write the requiem for himself.

His works include 41 symphonies, nearly 30 piano concertos, 19 operas, a vast quantity of band and other instrumental music, and volumes of church mu- sic (he wrote it mostly for financial reasons). His most famous operas are Don Giovanni, The Magic Flute and The Marriage of Figaro.

Vocabulary:

achievement [ə`t∫i:vmənt] – достижение aristocracy [,æris`tokrəsi] – аристократия band music – оркестровая музыка church music – церковная музыка composer – композитор

fame – слава, известность

for financial reasons – по финансовым причинам

genius [`d3i:niəs] – гений

instrumental music – инструментальная музыка in the suburbs [`sΛbə:bz] – на окраине города in a state of depression – в состоянии депрессии luckless – несчастливый, злополучный

modest – скромный

mysterious [mis`tiəriəs] figure – таинственный, загадочный человек

piano concerto – концерт для фортепьяно

prodigy [`prodid3i] – зд.: одарённый человек

requiem [`rekwiem] – реквием, заупокойная месса

serenade [,seri`neid] – серенада symphony [`simfəni] – симфония to believe – верить, полагать

to compose – сочинять музыку

to conquer [`koŋkə] – завоёвывать

to fall from favour – впасть в немилость

to pursue [pə`sju:] – преследовать, гнаться, to be pursued – быть преследуемым

to ripen [`raip(ə)n] – созревать, превращаться vast quantity [`kwontiti] – огромное количество volume – зд.: книга, том

Questions:

1.  When and where was Mozart born?

2.  When did he begin playing the piano?

3.  How old was he when he began composing serious music?

4.  How did he spend the last years of his life?