It reflects the powerful personality of the The lyrics of the songs deal withcomposer and… the young people’s world…as… Those who can appreciate it, enrich their… ancient tunes of… It enables… to discover They capture and convey the People with outstanding musical abilities… prevailing moods of the time andthat’s why … Pop music, especially rock, reflects the ideas of our time. Of course rock is loud but… It gives me a kick I can dance to it… …new rhythms and styles… It helps to learn and appreciate… I can get acquainted with the life and vigorous… The guitar sounds like the second voice and… It you don’t understand it, it doesn’t mean that it’s worthless… It’s rather forced on us by the older generation as… Musical reflection of… Tastes and interests broaden with the time. There is time and place for all kinds of music Are you for or against classical music? Study the following arguments and develop the idea. Imagine that you are fond of classical music. Your friends are against it. Try to prove your points of view. FOR 1) Classical music gives the listeners a keen sensual delight and pleasure. 2) Classical music has a deep intellectual appeal. 3) Classical music has a strong ethnical effect: it ennobles the listener, makes him better, and more humane. 4) Classical music condemns evil and supports the ideas of good. 5) Classical music creates a special spiritual world for the listener, which immensely enriches his inner life and makes him happy. AGAINST 1) Classical music is a complicated art: it’s difficult to find one’s way into it. 2) It’s an exclusive art: most people don’t like or understand it. It’s not a popular art. 3) The very length of most classical music pieces can send any listener to sleep. People want the kind of music to, which they can dance or just talk to friends. It should be simple, cheerful and up-to-date. Here’s some help, but you can think of other reactions of your own to avoid confrontation. Do you think you could…? Oh – well – what about…? Would you mind…? Oh, really? I’m sorry, but … I’m sure that’s not really…I don’t think that’s…Well, I’m afraid I don’t agree but…Couldn’t you…? Well, I don’t know. My Favorite Composer ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER is one of the outstanding contemporary English composers. He is famous for his electric, rock-based works which helped revitalize British and American musical theatre in the late 20th century. Lloyd Webber was born on March 22, 1948 in London. He studied at Magdalen College, Oxford, and at the Royal College of Music. While a student he began collaborating with Timothy Rice on dramatic productions. Rice wrote the lyrics to Lloyd Webber’s music. Their first notable venture was “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” (1968), a pop oratorio for children. It earned world-wide popularity. It was followed by rock opera “Jesus Christ Superstar” (1971), an extremely popular work that blended classical forms with rock music to tell the story of Jesus’ life. This show was one of the longest-running musicals in British theatrical history. Lloyd Webber’s last major collaboration with Rice was on “Evita” (1978), a musical about Eva Peron, the wife of the Argentine dictator Juan Peron. In his next major musical, “Cats” (1981), Lloyd Webber set to music verses from a children’s book by T.S. Eliot. Cats became the longest-running musical in the history of British theatre and eventually (1996) eclipsed the record-setting Broadway performance run of A Chorus Line. In 1986 Lloyd Webber composed a hugely popular musical version of “Phantom of the Opera” with lyricist Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe. It strikes the spectators’ imagination with superb music, powerful and captivating melodies, which have become classical. Lloyd Webber’s other musicals include ‘”Song and Dance” (1982), “Starling Express” (1984), and “Aspects of Love” (1989). Lloyd Webber’s best musicals were flashy spectacles that featured vivid melodies and forceful dramatic staging. He was able to blend such disparate genres as rock and roll, English music-hall song, and operatic forms into music that had a wide popular appeal. In 1992 Queen Elizabeth II dubbed Webber a knight.
|
