3. Learn new words (from the text about us Opera Lafayette Orchestra and Chorus):

chamber concert	[’tÐeımbə]	камерний концерт
an ensemble	[ã׃n'sã׃mbl]	ансамбль
a venue	[’venju׃]	місце зустрічі
to establish	[ıs’tæblıÐ]	встановлювати, влаштовувати
Semi-staged	[semı steıdžd]	напівсценований
including	[ın’kludıŋ]	включаючи
to emerge	[ı’mə:dž]	з’являтися
An acclaim	[ə’kleım]	бурхливо аплодувати
outstanding	[aut’stændıŋ]	відомий
recital	[rı’saıtl]	концерт одного артиста
scope	[skoup]	кругозір, простір
repertoire	[’repətwa:]	репертуар
to encompass	[ın’kšmpəs]	оточувати, містити
oratorio	[ֽorə’té:rıo]	ораторія
flexible	[’fleksəbl]	гнучкий
acting skills	[’æktıŋ skılz]	акторські здібності, вміння, навички
unwavering resonance	[šn’weıvərıŋ ’reznəns]	непохитний, стійкий, резонанс
sturdy range	[’stî:dı ’reındž]	сильний діапазон
renown	[rı’naŠn]	слава, популярність
to hold	[hoŠld]	тримати
rapidly	[’ræpıdlı]	швидко
stature	[’stætÐә]	зріст, стан, фігура
contribution	[ֽkéntrı’bju:Ðәn]	внесок
current revival	[’kšrәnt rı'vaıvәl]	теперішнє пожвавлення, оживлення

4. Listen, read, translate and retell the text. Time-line: 1808-1824

T he house where Michael Balfe was born in Pitt Street, Dublin.  Photo, circa 1880-90s.

Balfe early days in Dublin Michael W. Balfe was born on
15 May 1808, at 10 Pitt Street (changed to Balfe Street, in 1917), Dublin, Ireland. The family lived at this address until 1818 when they moved a short distance away to 2 Hamilton Row, (now known as Fenian Street), off Cumberland Street. This area was reasonably fashionable at the time, though not as good as Pitt Street. The Balfe Pitt Street home where he was born, and the entire block on which it stood was demolished in the 1960s and replaced by a hotel. Today, there is a plaque commemorating the composer’s birthplace on the wall at the rear entrance to the hotel, not on Balfe Street. The street on which the hotel’s main entrance is located is still called Balfe Street.

Balfe was the son of a dancing-school master named M. William Balfe who offered classes in Dublin and Wexford. Balfe’s mother was Catherine (Ryan) Balfe.  It has been reported that she was a niece of the lawyer, operatic librettists and songwriter, Leonard McNally, but because of his political allegiances, probably someone the family wished to forget.

Young Balfe demonstrated significant musical abilities from an early age. In Dublin he took violin and music lessons with the well established musician James Barton and composer William (Rourke) Rooke (1794-1847), and with others in Wexford. Balfe, a child prodigy performed on the violin at a concert in the Rotunda Concert Rooms at the age of nine. As far as it is known, this was his first public concert.  Other concerts quickly followed, at the Crow Street Theatre and again at the Rotunda all with great success over the next few years. The young performer’s first musical composition “The Lover’s Mistake,” was published in December 1822 by Isaac Willis.

On the death of his father early in January 1823, Balfe left Dublin for London where he took music lessons with Charles Horn. During this time he also participated in selected concerts as a soloist on the violin.  His first concert was on March 19, 1823, at Drury Lane when he performed a concerto for violin. The concert was arranged by the great French harpist, Nicholas Bochsa. It was conducted by Sir George Smart. Balfe was not a great success according to the critics, but he did have youth on his side. Shortly thereafter, Balfe, joined the orchestra at the Drury Lane Theatre.