Text 15

Task 1. Read and translate the text.

What is Chamber music?

Thought by most to be "music written for a small ensemble," this definition is correct, but incomplete. A form of classical music, chamber music is generally written for a small group of instruments, with no two parts doubled and no conductor in sight. Initially created for performances in a bedroom or palace "chamber," the artform gained fashion as an intimate activity among friends.

Some of history's greatest composers used chamber music as a vehicle to create their most profound and important works. Others used the medium as an outlet for fun and lighthearted entertainment. The best composers often did both. Many string quartets of Haydn and Mozart were cheerful and humorous, intended for intimate groups, of which they were each a member. Beethoven had a different agenda altogether, creating in his late years some of the most challenging music for string quartets in the history of the genre.

Although the art form takes its name from those early performances in "chamber" settings, it was eventually elevated to the concert hall. While the works of Haydn or Mozart could often be undertaken by amateurs and were well suited for the private homes of friends, Beethoven's works were much more technically complex.

Individual parts became difficult even for professional musicians and nearly impossible for the amateurs that had once championed the medium. Although it remained an intimate medium, chamber music gravitated to the concert halls, bringing a new level of musicianship to the works of the great masters.

Spanning four centuries, chamber music, as we understand it began in the Baroque era with early trio sonatas (pieces written for two solo instruments and a basso continuo line) by Bach and Telemann. The Classical era saw the expansion of chamber music with the development of the string quartet - attributed to Haydn.

Although string quartets overshadow other chamber music combinations in their popularity, there are a tremendous variety of instrumental groupings. String trios (violin, viola and cello), piano trios (violin, cello and piano), and piano quartets (violin, viola, cello and piano) are but a few of the additional string combinations.

Many combinations also exist for winds and strings, including a clarinet trio (violin, clarinet and piano) by Mozart and one by Beethoven, flute quartets (violin, viola, cello and flute) by Mozart and a clarinet quintet (two violins, viola, cell and clarinet) by Brahms.

The 20th Century saw the rise of chamber music combinations for woodwinds and brass. Works range from trios such as Poulenc's masterpiece (trumpet, horn, and trombone) to woodwind quintets (flute, oboe, clarinet, horn, and bassoon) by Carter, Neilson, and Schuller and brass quintets (two trumpets, horn, trombone and tuba) by Arnold, Dahl, and many others.

Vocabulary

a conductor – диригент

artform – художня форма

an outlet - вихід

profound – проникливий

cheerful – веселий

intimate – близький

agenda – програма, план

altogether – цілком

amateur – любитель

medium – засіб

to overshadow – затемнювати

а trumpet - труба

Task 2. Translate into English

Камерна Музика

За старих часів, коли не було концертних залів, філармоній, інструментальна музика і невеликі вокальні твори виконувалися, в основному, в будинках любителів музики. Збиралися декілька друзі-музикантів, розставляли підставки для нот - пульти, виймали з чохлів і футлярів скрипки, альти, віолончелі, а інколи і флейти і гобої, хтось сідав за клавесин, і починався домашній концерт. Звучали сонати, тріо, квартети. Інколи хто-небудь співав під акомпанемент клавесина або інших інструментів. Серед слухачів зазвичай було лише декілька чоловік родичів і знайомих. Музичили таким чином і в скромних будиночках ремісників, і в аристократичних салонах. Звідси-то і пішло вираження - камерна музика (camera по-італійськи - кімната), тобто музика, призначена для виконання не у великому залі театру або в церкві, а в кімнаті, музика домашня. Зрозуміло, що в кімнаті не можна було грати симфонії, виконувати опери або ораторії. Тому камерними називали твори, написані для невеликого числа виконавців, - сольні інструментальні п'єси, дуети, тріо, квартети, пісні і романси, які можна було виконати в домашніх умовах. І хоча з часом камерна музика вийшла з віталень в концертні зали, стара назва її збереглося. Втім, і зараз її прагнуть виконувати не у великих концертних залах, де зазвичай звучать симфонії і ораторії, а в менших за розміром камерних залах.

Task 3. Put the questions to the underlined words:

a. A form of classical music, chamber music is generally written for a small group of instruments, with no two parts doubled and no conductor in sight.

b. Some of history's greatest composers used chamber music as a vehicleto create their most profound and important works.

Task 4. Answer the following questions:

1. How did composers use chamber music?

2. What kind of music did Beethoven create in his late years?

3. When did chamber music begin?

4. What instrumental grouping plaing chamber music exist?

5. What is the 20-th century characterized by?

Task 5. Retell the text.