About music

About music

Many books have been written on the mysteries of musical form, yet few make it clear that form is not a mould into which the composer pours his music, but a logical process of presenting those ideas most effectively.
In most symphonies, concertos and other compositions there are three or four movements, each of which has its own form. It is the business of the composer to choose a suitable form for the movement of his composition and if he knows his job, the logic will be there.

As the world-famous composer Shostakovich said, “Music is a weapon and I have endeavored to vest my symphony with those feelings which grip our people. We fight for light against barbarity. Let us muster all our strength for an active and decisive struggle in the name of triumph and righteousness”.

When the audience heard the inspiring first performance of Shostakovich’s Seventh Symphony, they followed the composer’s train of musical thought which he had embodied in his work. It cheered them up and moved them deeply.

During the Great Patriotic War music helped our people to fight the enemy at the front. A large number of patriotic war songs written as one of the immediate responses of the musical world to the Hitler invasion heartened our people and our warriors too.

Now we live a peaceful and creative life. The musical life in our country is not limited to the activities of composers alone. Our singers and composers, pianists and violinists make concert tours of our country and abroad.

But speaking about music we must mention about some of the most outstanding representatives, such as Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Mikhail Glinka. The traditions established by Glinka were brilliantly developed by Dargomyzhsky, Rubinstein, Balakirev, Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov.

Tchaikovsky’s name is closely connected with our today’s life. It was Tchaikovsky who wrote music that changed the ballet art. The wordless but expressive language of the dance has appeared with “Swan Lake” and “The Sleeping Beauty”. His many compositions include 10 operas, 3 ballets, 6 symphonies, 4 concertos, romances, songs and instrumental pieces. He won renown as a conductor, a teacher and a critic. Tchaikovsky’s music can be heard in every corner of our land.

Словарик к тексту

Упр. 1. Ответьте на вопросы по тексту

What is a musical form?
Whose business is to choose a suitable form?
What did the world-famous composer Shostakovich compare music with?
What did music do during the Great Patriotic War?
What do our singers and composers, pianists and violinists do now?
What outstanding representatives must we mention speaking about music?
What were the greatest achievements by Tchaikovsky?

⇐ Предыдущая 12