Exam preparation reading, translating, retelling. Учебное пособие по английскому языку для студентов музыкальных вузов

that many seemingly unrelated but essentially very important events interweave into multi-level structures and forms.

Exercise 1. Give English equivalents to the following:

критика существующих эстетических условностей, в пользу, занимать крайнюю позицию, на всем протяжении, отличие, за пределами традиции, цель авангардной музыки, на протяжении творческой карьеры, стремиться к новизне музыкальной формы и стиля, выше всего остального, поток сознания, многослойные структуры и формы.

Exercise 2. Give Russian equivalents to the following:

at the forefront of innovation, deliberately challenging or alienating audiences, lie outside tradition, rejection of tonality, by provoking or goading audiences, а prominent feature, break through various rules, transcend established creative principles, excavate the mystery of human heart, interweave.

Exercise 3. Fill in the missing words:

unrelated, used, unique, values, within, mysterious, forefront, structures, experimental, creative

1)at the ___________of innovation

2)established _________principles

3)in favor of __________elements

4)create a ___________sound world

5)be distinguished from _________music

6)widely _____in avant-garde music

7)__________a certain tradition

8)seemingly ___________events

9)challenge social and artistic _______

10)multi-level ____________and forms

Exercise 4. Fill in the missing phrases:

a)on the contrary

b)insisting that art

c)widely used

d)a distinction can be made

e)in their early works

f)post-war tendency of modernist music

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g)creative principles and appreciation habits

h)instructs the performer(s) not to play

i)is considered to be

1.Avant-garde music is music that ______________________at the forefront of innovation in its field.

2.The term may also be used to refer to any ______________

______________ not definable as experimental music.

3.A commonly cited example of avant-garde music is John Cage’s 4’33”, a piece which _____________________ their instrument(s) during its entire duration.

4.Although some modernist music is also avant-garde, _________

_____________ between the two categories.

5.Igor Stravinsky, Richard Strauss, Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern, George Antheil and Claude Debussy may reasonably be considered to have been avant-gardists _________________________.

6.Composers such as John Cage and Harry Partch, _________

_________, remained avant-gardists throughout their creative careers.

7.A prominent feature of avant-garde music is to break through various rules and regulations of traditional culture, in order to transcend established ______________________________.

8.Avant-garde music pursues novelty in musical form and style,

______________ is above everything else.

9.Hint, metaphor, symbol, association, imagery, synesthesia and perception are ____________ in avant-garde music techniques.

Witold Lutosławski

In January 1993 when Lutosławski was eighty he was celebrated by the music world everywhere as the great living classic of new music and the doyen of European musical modernism. Witold Lutoslawski had particularly many admirers in Germany, and he experienced important triumphs in German concert halls with his symphonic works and chamber music. Commissions from German symphony orchestras brought about some of his most important creations. For Anne Sophie Mutter, the German violinist, he wrote works with which this celebrated artist created a sensation on concert platforms across the world.

Even as an eighty year-old Lutoslawski himself conducted much applauded performances of his most important pieces with such prominent orchestras as the Munich Philarmonic. These Munich concerts

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were his last public appearance. In February, two weeks after his 81st birthday, Witold Lutosławski died in his home city of Warsaw.

As a composer Lutoslwski exerted an initial impact as a mediator between the great tradition of Polish national music exemplified by Szymanowski and the more recent Polish avant-garde of the post-war period. After the war he was one of the founders of the Polish Composers Association, and in summer 1948 he made his debut abroad when his Symphonic Variations were performed in Paris. The following year his First Symphony brought a breakthrough, gaining the recognition of at least the general musical public in Poland. However, the piece was damned by the cultural authorities as being formalistic and withdrawn from further performances in Poland.

In 1954 the Concerto for Orchestra, which later became the most frequently performed of his works, marked the declared conclusion of Lutosławski’s first creative period, still strongly influenced by the modern classics (Bartok, etc.), but also already showed signs of surprising developments to come.

Convinced by and enthusiastic about innovations introduced by young composers, from the late fifties Lutoslawski devoted himself to serial technique and then also to forms of aleatoric composition. Such strictly composed aleatory alongside the quarter tone passages and other progressive manipulations of sound made the masterpieces of his mature period — the symphonies and concerti (for cello, oboe and harp, violin and piano) and choral works — well-rounded complete works, which orchestras all over the world liked playing and the general public celebrated as significant events within contemporary music.

Exercise 1. Give the derivatives to the words in brackets:

1.When Lutosławski was eighty he was celebrated by the music world everywhere as the doyen of (Europe) ____________ (music)

___________ (modern) ___________.

2.Witold Lutosławski had particularly many (admire) __________ in Germany.

3.Commissions from German symphony orchestras brought about some of his most important (create) ________________.

3.Even as an eighty year-old Lutosławski himself conducted much (applause) _______________ (perform) _____________ of his most important pieces.

4.These Munich concerts were his last public (appear) ______________.

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5.Lutoslwski exerted an initial impact as a mediator between the tradition of Polish (nation) ___________ music (example) ___________

by Szymanowski and the more recent Polish avant-garde.

6.His First Symphony brought a breakthrough, gaining the (recognize)

___________ of the general musical public in Poland.

7.In 1954 the Concerto for Orchestra, marked the (declare) ___________

(conclude) _________ of Lutoslawski’s first (create) __________ period, still strongly (influence) _________ by the modern classics, but already showed signs of (develop) ______________ to come.

8.(Enthusiasm) ___________ about (innovate) __________ introduced by young composers Lutoslawski devoted himself to serial technique.

9.Such aleatory alongside the quarter tone passages and other (progress) ___________ (manipulate) _______________of sound made the masterpieces of his mature period.

Exercise 2. Answer the following questions on the text:

1.When was Lutoslawski celebrated as the living classic of new music and the doyen of European musical modernism?

2.Where did Witold Lutosławski experience important triumphs with his symphonic works and chamber music?

3.Which celebrated artist did he write special works for?

4.When did he make his last public appearance?

5, When and where did Lutosławski die?

6.Which musical traditions was he a mediator between?

7.What organization did he found after the war?

8.When did he make his debut abroad?

9.Which of his compositions made a breakthrough?

10.Why was this composition withdrawn from further performances in Poland?

11.Which composition became the most frequently performed of his works?

12.What did Lutoslawski devote himself to from the late fifties?

13.What masterpieces did he create in his mature period?

14.Why could they be called masterpieces?

Exercise 3. Retell the text about Witold Lutosławski.

Concerto for Orchestra

Witold Lutosławski’s Concerto for Orchestra was written in the years 1950–54, on the initiative of the artistic director of the

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Warsaw Philharmonic, to whom it is dedicated. It is written in three movements, lasts about 30 minutes, and constitutes the last stage and a crowning achievement of the folkloristic style in Lutosławski’s work. Having written a series of small folkoristic pieces for various instruments and their combinations (piano, clarinet with piano, chamber ensemble, orchestra, human voice with orchestra), Lutosławski decided to use his experience of stylisation of Polish folklore in a bigger work. However, the Concerto for Orchestra differs from Lutosławski’s earlier folkloristic pieces not only in that it is more extended, but also that what is retained from folklore is only melodic themes. The composer moulds them into a different reality, lending them new harmony, adding atonal counterpoints, turning them into neo-baroque forms.

The score calls for a large orchestra consisting of three flutes (two doubling piccolo), three oboes (one doubling English horn), three clarinets (one doubling bass clarinet), three bassoons (one doubling contrabassoon), four horns, four trumpets, four trombones, tuba, timpani, snare, tenor and bass drum, cymbals, tambourine, tam-tam, xylophone, bells, celesta, two harps, piano and strings.

The three movements are: Intrada, Capriccio notturno ed Arioso and Passacaglia, Toccata e Corale. Intrada (Allegro maestoso) is a sort of extended two-subject overture beginning in 9/8 on an ostinato drum beat more threatening, if anything, than that which begins the Brahms First Symphony. Capriccio notturno is an airy, virtuoso scherzo, the main subject of which is intoned by the violin, followed by the remainder of the strings and woodwinds. It is followed by an expressive Arioso initiated by the brass section. The reprisal of the capriccio is intoned by the cellos and harp, the theme bowed, then with pizzicato. It is concluded with the ominous rumblings of the drums, doublebasses and bass clarinet.

The Passacaglia is a set of variations on a brooding theme played by the double-basses; followed by a vivacious and dynamic Toccata; and the (instrumental) Corale.

The Corale’s second appearance produces a solemn finale for the monumental construction, the material for which is borrowed from a nineteenth-century collection compiled by the Polish ethnologist Oskar Kolberg. The concerto finishes with a dramatic flourish and climax from the whole orchestra.

The work was first performed in Warsaw on 26 November 1954, and was responsible for making Lutosławski’s name recognised in the West. However, once Lutosławski embarked on a style marked by heavy

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aleatoricism in the early 1960s, he attempted to distance himself from the Concerto for Orchestra, though he conducted it in Copenhagen in August 1967.

Exercise 1. Fill in the missing prepositions:

1.Witold Lutosławski’s Concerto ____ Orchestra was written ___ the years 1950–1954, ___ the initiative ___ the artistic director ___ the Warsaw Philharmonic, ___ whom it is dedicated.

2.Having written a series ___ small folkoristic pieces ____ various instruments, Lutosławski decided ___ use his experience ___ stylisation

___ Polish folklore ___ a bigger work.

3.However, the Concerto ____ Orchestra differs ____ Lutosławski’s earlier folkloristic pieces ___ that what is retained _____ folklore is only melodic themes.

4.The composer moulds them _____ a different reality.

5.The score calls ____ a large orchestra.

6.It is followed ___ an expressive Arioso initiated ___ the brass section.

7.The reprisal ___ the capriccio is intoned ___ the cellos and harp, the theme bowed, then _____ pizzicato.

8.It is concluded _____ the ominous rumblings ___ the drums, dou- ble-basses and bass clarinet.

9.The concerto finishes ____ a dramatic flourish and climax _____ the whole orchestra.

10.The work was first performed __ Warsaw ___ 26 November 1954, and was responsible ____ making Lutosławski’s name recognised ___

the West.

11.However, once Lutosławski embarked ___ a style marked ___ heavy aleatoricism ___ the early 1960s, he attempted to distance himself

_____ the Concerto ___ Orchestra.

Exercise 2. Mark the following statements true or false:

1.Witold Lutosławski’s Concerto for Orchestra was dedicated to the artistic director of the Warsaw Philharmonic.

2.It is written in four movements and lasts about 30 minutes.

3.It constitutes the opening stage and a crowning achievement of the folkloristic style in Lutosławski’s work.

4.The Concerto for Orchestra is different from Lutosławski’s earlier folkloristic pieces.

5.The score calls for a chamber orchestra.

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6.Intrada is an extended two-subject overture beginning on an ostinato drum beat more threatening than that which begins the Brahms First Symphony.

7.Capriccio notturno is an airy, virtuoso scherzo, the main subject of which is intoned by the viola.

8.The reprisal of the capriccio is intoned by the cellos and harp.

9.The Passacaglia is a set of variations played by the string section.

10.The concerto finishes with a dramatic flourish and climax from the whole orchestra.

11.The work brought Lutoslawski world recognition.

12.In the early 1960s Lutosławski embarked on a style marked by heavy aleatoricism.

13.He made an attempt to distance himself from the Concerto for Orchestra.

14.Lutosławski never conducted this composition.

Exercise 3. Describe any other avant-garde composition.

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