After you have read the text

1. Answer the following questions about the text.

1. What new demands did the arts respond to at the end of the 18th century?

2. What music appeared at that time?

3. Who was one of the greatest representatives of the new musical style?

4. How can we characterize Schubert's music?

5. What impressions does it leave?

6. When and where was Franz Schubert born?

7. What interesting remark is made about Schubert's birth?

8. When did Franz show his uncommon musical gifts?

9. Where did he study?

10. How old was Schubert when he composed his first song “Hagar's Lament”?

11. When did Schubert's first symphony and opera appear?

12. How many works did Schubert compose in all?

13. What features connect two brilliant song cycles by Schubert “The Fair Maid of the Mill” and “The Winter Journey”?

14. Whose English poetry did Schubert set to music?

15. What is the opinion of the author about Schubert's exceptional ill-luck in love?

16. What do you think: can the sincerest friendship replace love?

17. What works did Schubert compose in 1828?

18. At what age did Schubert die?

19. What is the collective title of Schubert's last songs?

20. What work by Franz Schubert do you like best of all and why?

2. Learn the following information.

– Song is a short composition for solo voice, usually accompanied by the piano. Songs are usually based on a poetic text and composed in such a way as to enhance rather than to overshadow the significance of the text.

– The 18th of October 1814 has been called the “birthday of the German lied”, because on that day Schubert, then 17 years old, wrote his “Gretchen am Spinnrad” (“Gretchen at the Spinningwheel”), which opened a new era of song writing.

– Song Cycle is a group of songs based on poems (usually by the same poet). These songs are connected by a general idea. They are designed to form a musical unit and to be performed as such. Famous examples are Beethoven's “An die ferne Geliebte”, Schuber's “Die schoene Mullerin” und “Winterreise”.

– “The Erl-King” is a celebrated song from Schubert's earliest period, composed in 1817 (at the age of 18) and published in 1821 as op. 1. It is a set to Goethe's ballad “Der Erlkoenig”.

3. Choose the correct word.

1. Early romantic ballads (hindered, captivated, anticipated) the young Schubert. 2. Saliery, the old Italian master of opera, (promoted, accepted, published) Schubert when he practised his hand at different music styles. 3. Schubert's mother (took the family apart, took into account, took to the bed) and died in 1812. 4. The boy had to work from early morning till late at night receiving a (shabby, expensive, cheap) fee. 5. The eighteenth year was a (lark, light, landmark) in the creative work of the composer. 6. His genius gradually (riched perfection, affected, stroke awe) among the cultivated young men. 7. Some works of the composer were forgotten but (recovered, played, practised) thanks to musicologists. 8. Goethe's “Faust” (responded, recovered, enchanted) many composers. 9. There is a lack of (large, male, human) voices in the chorus. 10. Chopin is an (expert, annotator, exponent) of early Romanticism. 11. While studying manuscripts the scientist (lighted, appointed, talked) on an unknown ancient hymn. 12. Dickens couldn't (mislay, afford, enjoy) to graduate from the University. 13. The poem proves that the author suffered from (giddiness, gift, ill-luck) in love. 14. The title of the book does not (bring, respond, set) to its content. 15. In every big orchestra there is a main conductor and a (music, part, deputy) conductor.

4. Select the correct meaning of the words.

1) exceptional a) частый

2) demand b) аффектация

3) frequent c) обычный

4) lament d) представитель

5) emperor e) ампир

6) exponent f) быть в состоянии позволить себе

7) swan g) жаворонок

8) afford h) положить не на место

9) recover i) требование

10) mislay j) император

k) исключительный

l) элегия, жалоба

m) обретать снова

n) лебедь

o) соответсвовать

5. Give an oral annotation of text A.

6. Tell how you once learned some work by Franz Schubert.

7. Read and translate text B.