Unit 9

Music

Contents

• Background knowledge• Text 1 Asian Music• Text 2 Beethoven’s Place in Music

history• Language points for self-learning• Series on translation• Bits and pieces on writing• Homework• Appendix---Michael Jackson

Background knowledge

A brief history of Western music

Classical music Popular music Chinese music Great musicians

A brief history of Western music

Classical music

Beethoven (1770-1827)

Bach (1685-1750)

Schubert (1797-1828)

Mozart (1756-1791)

Chopin (1810-1849)

Popular music

Beatles Seen here in performance in 1963, the Beatles consisted of (from left) John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison.

Beatles One of the most famous ensembles of the rock-and-roll era, the Beatles greatly influenced the culture and music of the 1960s and beyond. Formed in 1960 in Liverpool, England, the Beatles stayed together for ten years, creating a sophisticated and varied sound that fans continue to enjoy and bands continue to emulate. The Beatles stood at the forefront of the musical phenomenon known as the "British invasion," a name referring to the tremendous effect that British rock-and-roll bands had in the United States during the 1960s.

Rolling Stones Hailed as the "World’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band," the Rolling Stones have maintained a hard-edged, irreverent style during a career of more than twenty years. Complete opposites in style from fellow Brits the Beatles, the Stones’ direct, raunchy music was influenced largely by American rhythm and blues.

Jazz During the 1930s and 1940s, when big bands were at the height of their popularity, American jazz pianist and bandleader Count Basie introduced a sound rooted in the musical styles of blues and New Orleans jazz.

Basie’s band, then named the Count Basie Orchestra, was famous for achieving what many consider to be the epitome of the swing feel. This selection from a 1977 recording demonstrates Basie’s sparse, restrained style of piano accompaniment.

Elvis Presley was the first real rock and roll star. A white southerner who singing blues laced with country and country tinged with gospel, Presley brought together music from both sides of the color line. Presley performed this music with a natural hip swiveling sexuality that made him a teen idol and a role

Elvis Presley

(1935-1977)

Rock and Roll

model for generations of cool rebels. Presley was repeatedly dismissed as vulgar, incompetent and a bad influence. However the force of his music and image signaled to the mainstream culture it was time for a change.

Grave of Elvis Presley The grave of Elvis Presley, lying next to the graves of his parents and grandmother, are found in a meditation garden on his estate, Graceland, in Memphis. Since Presley’s death in 1977, his lavish collections of cars, clothes, and other items at Graceland have drawn millions of fans and tourists.

Chinese music

Great musicians

Text 1 Asian Music

Activities Warming-up exercise Text-listening Words and phrases

learning Discourse analyzing Topics for discussion

Warming-up exercise

Is there any difference between Asian music and Western music? If yes, where does the difference lie?

Speaking of Asian music, we must say Chinese music is a major branch of it. Could you list some principal Chinese musical instruments?

笛子 二胡 箫 竖琴 琵琶 古琴

唢呐

flute alto fiddle vertical bamboo flute harp pi-pa zither-like seven-stringed

musical instrument trumpet-like wind

instrument

Text-listening

Words and phrases learning

• Study the text and then identify the English equivalents to the given Chinese expressions.

音阶 谱曲 京剧 杂技 乐器 弹拨弦乐器 弓弦乐器 打击乐器 鼓

scale set to music Peking opera acrobatics musical instruments plucked stringed

instruments bowed stringed instruments percussion instruments drum

锣 和声 独唱 合唱 背景音乐 器乐伴奏 木偶剧

gong harmony solo choral singing background music instrumental

accompaniment puppet play

Discourse analyzing

Answer the following questions, and then complete the next-page diagram with suitable information from the passage.

How many chief types of Asian music are mentioned in the passage? And what are they?

How does the author develop the essay? Give brief reasons.

Asian music

Chinese Japanese Indian Arab Indonesian

Topics for discussion

Do you like some traditional forms of Chinese music such as Peking opera? Why or why not?

When it comes to some traditional forms of Chinese music, or specifically certain drama forms, do you think we should value and preserve them for our descendents as what is advocated? Give reasons to support your viewpoint.

Text 2 Beethoven’s Place in

music history

Activities Warming-up exercise Text-listening Sentence translation Topics for discussion

Warming-up exercise

Beethoven is well-known in the world as a great musician. Could you share with us your knowledge about him?

Text-listening

Sentence translation

Because of this constant feeling of hidden significance, Beethoven was regarded in the 1800's as one of the founders of musical romanticism. … Beethoven set this fashion by attaching descriptive titles such as "Pastoral" to some of his works. The ninth symphony in particular seems to endorse the notion that his instrumental music was striving for some definite meaning, since its final movement uses the words of an ode by the German writer Friedrich Schiller. (P. 185; Para. 2)

贝多芬的作品总是让人感到一种内隐的含义，所以在十九世纪，他被认为是浪漫主义音乐的奠基人之一。……贝多芬通过赋予其音乐作品一些描述性的标题，如“田园”，从而创造了这一音乐潮流。他的第九交响曲的最后一个乐章引用了德国作家席勒的颂诗诗句，因此这一概念在第九交响曲中的体现尤其突出，即他的音乐要力求表现出某种明确的含义。

He had sustained large, independent works of art from beginning to end with a convincing and highly varied flow of emotion. Yet the unity of each musical work did not rely on this psychological development or on an external course of action.

(P. 185; LL. 2-5, Para. 4)

贝多芬的音乐自始至终都保持了气势磅礴、自成一体的风格，乐曲流露出的情感令人折服且跌宕起伏。然而整个音乐的构成又不仅仅取决于这种心理的演变和外在的演奏过程。

Topics for discussion

Have you ever listened to Beethoven’s music? If yes, do you like them?

Of classical music and popular music, which one do you prefer? Why?

Language points for self-learning

Fundamental reading

Further reading Testing reading

Fundamental Reading

1. Music

– differ from– play a major role in, play an important part in…– date from– take his mind off

2. Folk Music

be noted for make a contribution to… rob them of their power be concerned with

3. Beethoven’s Place in Music History

strive for potential

Further Reading

Test Reading

Passage 3 symbolize innate donate money to…

Passage 4 come to prominence preside over

Series on translation

Conversion (2) The Conversion of Sentence Elements The conversion of sentence elements

and that of parts of speech are closely related to each other. They often take place in the translation of the same sentence. They also overlap sometimes, that is to say, some changes involve both the conversion of sentence elements and that of parts of speech.

Examples • In every corner of the campus, talk of China’s

entering WTO is in the air. 在学校的每个角落，学生们广泛地谈论着中国加入

世贸组织的话题。• His weariness and the increasing heat determin

ed him to sit down in the first convenient shade. 他疲惫不堪，天气也越来越热。于是，他决心只要

一碰到舒适的阴凉处，就坐下来休息。

It is surprising that the naughty boy behaved very well in such a big party.

令人吃惊的是，在这么盛大的晚会上那个顽皮男孩的表现相当不错。

High-tech products of various types also can be manufactured in our country.

我国也能制造各种类型的高科技产品。 There is a large amount of energy wasted due to f

riction. 由于摩擦而损耗了大量的能量。

The earth was formed from the same kind of materials that makes up the sun.

构成地球的物质与构成太阳的物质是相同的。 We should have a firm grasp of the fundamentals o

f computer science. 我们应该牢固掌握计算机学的基本知识。

Bits and pieces on writing

Classification Classification is a sort of useful

organizational strategy in writing. To classify is to sort things into categories according to their characteristics. For example: apples may be classified according to size, color, price, quality, or place of origin.

Parallelism is essential to good classification. If we classify types of sports, we may speak of track and field events, swimming, ball games, gymnastics, etc.

If we classified sports into jumping, ball games, running, floor exercise, we would violate parallelism, for ball games should be considered a general category, while jumping and running are subcategories of the track and field events; gymnastics is a general category, and floor exercise a particular form of it. In short, in good classification, the parts must be parallel, and they should add up to the whole subject. Some words and phrases are often used for classification, such as:

classify, group, divide into, there are … kinds/ sorts/ types/ groups/ etc. When using classification in your writing, keep in

mind the following guidelines: (1) Choose an appropriate principle of classificat

ion suited to your purpose. (2) Apply your principle consistently and thorou

ghly, and avoid overlapping.

In this unit, the technique of classification has been widely used. “Music”, “Classical Music” as well as “Asian Music” have demonstrated clearly how this specific mode of development is employed.

Homework

Words and phrases learning

(P. 171; Ex. I) Diagram completing (P. 172; P. 181) Sentence translation Writing task

表演艺术 作曲家 音乐家 剧作家 演员，表演者 歌剧 管弦乐 戏剧 芭蕾舞

performing art composer musician playwright actor, performer opera orchestra music drama

ballet

Words and phrases learning

电影 电视剧 乐器 交响乐 乡村音乐 民间音乐 爵士乐 摇滚乐 吉他

motion picture TV drama musical instrument symphony country music folk music jazz rock music guitar

Diagram completing

Western music

classical popular

symphony

opera

ballet

country music

folk music

jazz rock music

classical music

instrumental music

vocal music

solo

chamber

orchestra

songs

choral music operas oratorio

Sentence translation

Born in poverty, Elvis used his innate talent to rise above his condition and achieve his dream, without coming from a socially connected, politically powerful, or wealthy family.

(PP. 191-192; LL. 3-5, Para.3)

埃尔维斯的家境与社会背景、政治权利以及富裕殷实之类毫无关联，他出身寒门，但他依靠自己的天赋超越了自身的条件，并实现了自己的梦想。

He spoke eloquently about the dangers of pollution, championed inventions of all sorts, including electric cars and electronic musical-education systems, and put forward his own notions of city planning, all for the benefit of humanity. (P. 193; LL. 3-6, Para. 5)

他陈述污染的种种危害，言辞感人 ; 他支持各种发明创造 , 包括电动轿车和电子音乐教育体系 ; 他还提出城市规划的种种设想。他所做的这一切都是为了人类的利益。

Writing task

After learning this unit, you may have got some knowledge about popular music. For this part, you are required to write an essay titled “Popular Music” by using classification as the mode of development, and your essay should be composed of around 200 words.

The End