Benjamin Britten

Benjamin Britten is the most important English composer of our time. He was born in England in 1913. Benjamin Britten's father was a doctor and loved music very much. Benjamin's mother played the piano and sang well. The friends of the family often came to the house to play music in the evenings. Benjamin had a great interest in music and he started to play the piano and compose music when he was only five. While he was at school, Benjamin continued to compose songs. He worked hard at other subjects too, but he was only fond of music. By the time he was fourteen he wrote many musical pieces. When he left school, he went to the Royal College of Music for three years. When he was 19, he began to work for a-small film company as a musician'. The company produced documentary films and had very little money, so Britten wrote music not for large orchestras but for six or seven instruments. During his work for the films, radio and theatre-he met young progressive poets of the day⁴. They played an important part in Britten's intellectual deve­lopment. He loved children and wrote many songs for them. In 1934 he wrote a book of songs "Friday Afternoons". His children's operas, such as "Let's Make an Opera", are simple and very nice. He also wrote a "Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra"-' - "Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Purcell", which tells' us about the various in­struments of the orchestra.

B.Britten follows the musical traditions of realism. He is fond of the suite, the song cycle and the opera. Two of his most important works are the opera "Peter" Grimes" and the "War Requiem". He often appears as conductor and pianist in England and abroad.

Notes to the Text:

1. by the time he was ... - к тому времени, когда ему было ...

2. the Royal College of Music - Королевский Музыкальный Колледж

3. as a musician - как (в качестве) композитор

4. of the day - того времени

5. "Young Person's Guide[(jaid] to the Orchestra" - "Путеводитель по оркестру для юного слушателя"

6. song cycle [saiki] - песенный цикл

7. Purcell -Переел (англ.композитор).

Active Vocabulary; to play the piano (violin, cello, flute)...- играть на

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to have a great interest in - очень интересоваться.проявлять большой

to compose - сочинять интерес к ...

composer - композитор

musician - композитор, музыкант

to play an important part in ... - играть важную роль в ...

Answer the Questions:

1. What do you know about B.Britten's,childhood and his parents ?

2. Where did B.Britten study and work ?

3. What musical pieces did he write ?

4. What musical traditions does he follow ?

5. What are his most important works ?

TEXT 9

The Moscow State Conservatoire

13, Herzen Street. At about nine o'clock every morning lots of young people hurry here. These are people devoted to music. And this impressive-looking house with the monument to Tchaikovsky in front of it is the Moscow State Conservatoire.

The Moscow Conservatoire opened in 1866 on the first of Septem­ber. The opening ceremony was very solemn. At the beginning of the ceremony a young professor, a graduate of the first Russian Conser­vatoire in Petersburg, made a speech. The young professor was speak­ing of the importance of professional musical education in Russia. He was speaking about the importance of developing national music. The man making this speech was P.Tchaikovsky. The people listening to him liked his speech and they also approved of his idea to begin the festive, concert with the music of Glinka, the first great composer of Russian national music. And so immediately after his speech Tchaikovsky sat down at the piano-to play the overture to the opera "Ruslan and Ludmila". The festive concert began. Among many other teachers taking part in the concert was N.Rubinstein. He was playing Beethoven's sonatas so well that many felt sorry that the festive event was coming to an end. On the second of September classes began.

The Moscow Conservatoire was always the leading musical centre in Moscow and now it is a very important musical centre in the Soviet Onion.

Young people studying to be professional musicians and theorists in music get knowledge and professional training .in different subjects.

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Many of the teachers training students are famous musicians and theorists in the USSR.

There are five departments at the Conservatoire: Piano, Orchest­ral, Musicology and Composition, Singing and Choral Conducting, with more than a thousand students studying here. Many of them are from National Republics and from other countries. Students get training and knowledge not only in their classes. They use the library which has a richest collection of musical works. They also attend concerts at the Maly and Bolshoi Halls of the Conservatoire. Besides this, they themselves give concerts and take part in music competitions.

Active Vocabulary:

to attend - посещать

to approve - одобрять

event - событие

speech - речь

knowledge - знание

impressive-looking – внушительный solemn

solemn -торжественный

immediately - немедленно

Answer the Questions:

1. Where is the Moscow State Conservatoire?

2. What monument is there in front of the house?

3. When and how did' the Moscow Conservatoire open?

4. Who made a speech at the opening ceremony?

5. What idea of Tchaikovsky did the people listening to him approve of? 6. Who opened the festive concert?

7. Who else was among the teachers taking part in the concert?

8. When did classes begin?

9. Who trains the students there?

10. What departments are there at the Moscow Conservatoire?

11. How many students study at the Moscow Conservatoire?

12. Where do students come from to study at the Moscow Conservatoire?

13. Do they (you) take part in music competitions and concerts?

TEXT 10