Meet The Famous Composers. Part 1

Е. Н. Борисова, П. П. Ростовцева

M E E T  T H E  F A M O U S 
C O M P O S E R S

P a r t  1

Москва
Издательство «Согласие» 2015

УДК 811
ББК 81.2 Англ.
      Б 82

Рецензенты:

О. Р. Рякина, доктор педагогических наук, профессор,
заведующая кафедрой языковой коммуникации РАМ им. Гнесиных

М. Б. Ясинская, кандидат филологических наук,  
профессор кафедры философии, культурологии и политологии МосГУ

Борисова Е. Н., Ростовцева П. П.
Meet The Famous Composers. Part 1. Учебно-методическое пособие по английскому языку. — М.: ООО «Издательство «Согласие», 2015 — 88 с.

ISBN 978–5–906709–25–7

Учебно-методическое пособие предназначено для развития профессионально ориентированной иноязычной компетенции студентов музыкальных специальностей вузов и ссузов. 
Материалы пособия подобраны с учетом требований уровней владения языком А2 и В1 (CEFR), а также программных требований дисциплин «Иностранный язык» и «Профессиональное общение на иностранном языке». 
Цель пособия – овладение профессионально ориентированным иностранным языком.
Пособие состоит из 8 уроков, каждый из которых включает 3 тематических 
текста, контрольно-обучающие и творческие задания.

УДК 811
ББК 81.2 Англ.

The textbook is intended for music students developing their foreign language for 
professional purposes. 
The education materials meet the requirements of CEFR Levels A2 / B1, as well as 
those of Russian academic programmes for disciplines «Foreign language» and «Foreign 
language for professional communication». 
The textbook consists of 8 units. Each unit presents three texts on music followed by 
communication activities. 

ISBN 978–5–906709–25–7                                                     © Борисова Е. Н., 2015
© Ростовцева П. П., 2015

 

СОДЕРЖАНИЕ

ПРЕДИСЛОВИЕ  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

UNIT 1
Johann Sebastian Bach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
SUPPLEMENTARY TEXTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Text 1 
DID BACH’S WIFE WRITE SOME OF HIS BEST-KNOWN WORKS? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Text 2 
IF YOU PUT BEETHOVEN, MOZART AND BACH IN A ROOM, 
WHAT WOULD THEY DISAGREE ON? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

UNIT 2
Domenico Scarlatti  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
SUPPLEMENTARY TEXTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Text 1 
ALESSANDRO SCARLATTI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Text 2 
THE MERCURIAL MAESTRO OF MADRID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

UNIT 3
George Frideric Handel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
SUPPLEMENTARY TEXTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Text 1 
GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL: LIFE AND MUSIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
Text 2 
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT HANDEL’S MESSIAH! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

UNIT 4
Franz Joseph Haydn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
SUPPLEMENTARY TEXTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Text 1 
10 FACTS ABOUT FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35
Text 2 
JOHANN MICHAEL HAYDN: A SHORT BIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

MEET THE FAMOUS COMPOSERS

UNIT 5
Muzio Clementi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
SUPPLEMENTARY TEXTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Text 1 
MUZIO CLEMENTI: BIOGRAPHY  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44
Text 2 
MUZIO CLEMENTI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

UNIT 6
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
SUPPLEMENTARY TEXTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Text 1 
THE FEUD THAT NEVER WAS  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53
Text 2 
68 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT MOZART . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

UNIT 7
Ludwig van Beethoven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
SUPPLEMENTARY TEXTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Text 1 
LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN. BIOGRAPHY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66
Text 2 
WHAT IF BEETHOVEN GAVE YOUR COMMENCEMENT  SPEECH? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72

UNIT 8
Frederic Chopin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
SUPPLEMENTARY TEXTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Text 1 
QUOTES BY CHOPIN . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .80
Text 2 
QUOTES ABOUT CHOPIN DURING HIS TIME  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83

СПИСОК ЛИТЕРАТУРЫ  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87

ПРЕДИСЛОВИЕ

Учебно-методическое пособие «Meet the Famous Composers» (Part 1) предназначено для студентов музыкальных специальностей высших учебных заведений, 
а также для студентов ссузов. 
Материалы пособия могут быть использованы для формирования профессионально ориентированной иноязычной компетенции студентов уровней владения языком А2 и В1 в соответствии с Общеевропейскими компетенциями владения иностранным языком (CEFR).
Цель учебного пособия – формирование умений и готовностей к осмыслению 
и анализу профессионально ориентированного текста на иностранном языке. На 
основе материалов пособия развиваются основные виды речевой деятельности, 
необходимые при овладении студентами иностранным языком.
Учебно-методическое пособие состоит из 8 уроков, каждый из которых включает материалы музыкальной тематики (основной и два дополнительных текста), 
контрольно-обучающие и творческие задания. 
Пособие может быть использовано как в процессе аудиторной работы, так 
и самостоятельной работы студентов.
Дидактические материалы пособия обеспечивают развитие иноязычной компетенции студентов в информативном пространстве музыкального искусства 
и культуры. 
 

UNIT 1

Johann Sebastian Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany, into 
a large family of musicians in 1685. His father played the violin. 
Other relatives were fiddlers, music copyists, town pipers, and 
played the oboe or organ. It was no wonder that Bach grew up 
loving music.
Bach’s parents died when he was 10 years old. He went 
to live with his oldest brother, Christoph, who taught him to 
play the harpsichord and organ. During this time Bach went to 
school where his boy soprano voice was admired. When his voice 
changed, he studied the violin, but soon became interested in the organ 
and decided to pursue church music. At the age of 18, he became organist at Arnstadt 
and began composing.
When he was 22, Bach moved to Muhlhausen and married Maria Barbara Bach. They 
had seven children. He was known as an outstanding church musician and excellent 
organist and was appointed court organist and violinist to the Duke of Weimar. He 
stayed in Weimar for nine years, and during this time Bach composed some of his 
finest organ music, including the great Toccata and Fugue in D Minor as well as church 
cantatas and keyboard suites.
In 1717, when he was 32, Bach accepted the post of master of music to Prince Leopold 
of Anhalt-Cothen. While there he composed much of his orchestral music including 
the six popular Brandenburg Concertos and works for the clavichord and harpsichord. 
Bach’s wife, Maria, died in 1720, and in 1721 he married the beautiful Anna Magdalena 
Wulken, who was a good singer and musician. Bach had 13 more children with her and 
taught most of his children to play a musical instrument. He composed a Little Book 
for the Keyboard for his nine-year-old son, Wilhelm Friedemann. Wilhelm grew up to 
be a respected performer and composer in his own right, as did several of Bach’s sons.
In 1723, Bach accepted the post of music director of St. Thomas’s School in Leipzig. 
Here he composed many of his most famous choral works, including his Christmas 
Oratorio and the St. Matthew Passion.

Johann Sebastian Bach

Bach was deeply religious and a devoted family man. His music was signed 

«S.D.G».  (Soli Deo Gloria) which means «to the glory of God». He spent many musical 
evenings with his family, and boasted he could form a vocal and instrumental ensemble 
just from his family alone.
Bach became blind in 1749 and died in 1750. Johann Sebastian Bach is considered 
to be one of the greatest masters of the Baroque period.

1. Read and translate the text using a dictionary if necessary.

2. Match the following Russian words and phrases with the English equivalents.
1. родиться в большой семье
a. a music copyist
2. играть на скрипке
b. boy soprano voice
3. уличный скрипач
c. to be appointed court organist
4. переписчик нот
d. an outstanding church musician
5. неудивительно
e. a keyboard suite
6. дискант
f. a deeply religious man
7. восхищаться
g. to be born into a large family
8. заняться церковной музыкой
h. an ensemble
9. в возрасте 18 лет
i. to pursue church music
10. выдающийся церковный музыкант
j. to boast
11. получить пост (2 варианта)
k. a fiddler
12. сюита для клавира
l. to be considered to be one of the greatest 
masters of the Baroque period
13. произведения для клавикорда и клавесина
m. to become blind

14. произведения для хора
n. a devoted family man
15. глубоко религиозный человек
o. to play the violin
16. преданный семьянин
p. choral works
17. хвастаться
q. to accept the post of master of music
18. ансамбль
r. to admire
19. ослепнуть
s. at the age of 18
20. считаться одним из величайших композиторов барочной музыки
t. no wonder

u. works for clavichord and harpsichord

3. Give the synonyms and antonyms.

Words and word combinations
Synonyms
Antonyms
1. to love music
2. to admire
3. to become interested in
4. outstanding
5. excellent
6. including
7. devoted
8. to boast
9. popular
10. to marry

MEET THE FAMOUS COMPOSERS

4. Complete the table.

Infinitive present
Past Simple
Participle II
1. to bear
bore
born
2.
grew
3.
gone
4. to teach
5.
became
6.
began
7. to know
8.
done
9. to spend
10
been

5. Unscramble the following words.
1. cimunais
2. drefild
3. booe
4. psihadorchr
5. nagor
6. niovli
7. tatanac
8. tiseu
9. gufue
10. viclodrach

6. Check your comprehension by filling in the blanks with suitable words or word 
combinations.

1. Johann Sebastian Bach was born in __________ .
А. France  
B. Russia 
 
C. Germany  
D. Holland

2. Bach’s parents died when he was 10 years old. He went __________ .
А. to the boarding school 
 
B. to live with his oldest brother
С. for a walk 
 
 
 
D. shopping

3. At the age of 18, he __________ .
А. began composing 
 
 
 
 
В. married Maria Barbara
C. wrote his great Toccata and Fugue in D Minor 
D. stopped composing music

4. When Bach was 22, he __________ .
A. went to Weimar to study law 
B. was appointed court organist and violinist
C. divorced from his wife 
 
D. stopped composing music

5. Being master of music to Prince Leopold of Anhalt-Cothen, Bach __________ .
A. formed a vocal and instrumental ensemble 
B. moved to another country
C. composed much of his orchestral music 
D. went to live with his oldest brother

Johann Sebastian Bach

6. He composed a Little Book for the Keyboard __________ .
A. to sell it and earn money 
B. for his youngest daughter
C. for his pupils  
 
D. for his nine-year-old son, Wilhelm Friedemann

7. Bach became __________ in 1749.
A. fat 
 
B. blind 
 
C. deaf 
 
D. a singer

7. Choose the correct form.

1. It was no wonder that Bach __________ loving music.
A. grew up 
 
B. was grown
C. grew up to be  
D. has grown up to be

2. Bach __________ the organ and decided to pursue church music.
A. became interested in  
B. became interested at
C. became interesting in  
D. became interesting at

3. Bach __________ as an outstanding church musician and excellent organist.
A. has been known 
B. has known
C. was known 
 
D. knew

4. Johann Sebastian Bach lived in Weimar for nine years where he composed some of 
his finest organ music, __________ the great Toccata and Fugue in D Minor.
A. excluding 
 
B. included  
C. excluded  
D. including

5. Bach’s son grew up to be a __________ performer.
A. respecting 
 
B. respect 
 
C. respectable 
D. respected

6. In Leipzig Bach composed many of his __________ choral works.
A. more famous  
B. most famous 
C. less famous 
D. the famousest

7. Johann Sebastian Bach __________ one of the greatest masters of the Baroque period.
A. consider to be  
 
B. is considered to being
C. is considered be 
 
D. is considered to be

8. Complete the sentences with necessary prepositions.

1. Johann Sebastian Bach was born _____ a large family _____ musicians _____ 1685.

2. It was no wonder that Bach grew _____ loving music.

3. When his voice changed, he studied the violin, but soon became interested _____ the 
organ and decided to pursue church music.

4. _____ the age _____ 18, he became organist _____ Arnstadt and began composing.

5. _____ the age _____ 22, Bach moved _____ Muhlhausen and married _____ Maria 
Barbara Bach.

6. He was known _____ an outstanding church musician and excellent organist.

MEET THE FAMOUS COMPOSERS

7. He stayed _____ Weimar _____ nine years.

8. _____ 1717, when he was 32, Bach accepted the post _____ master _____ music 
_____ Prince Leopold _____ Anhalt-Cothen.

9. He composed a Little Book _____ the Keyboard _____ his nine-year-old son, Wilhelm 
Friedemann.

10. He spent many musical evenings _____ his family.

9. Complete the sentences.

1. Bach’s relatives were _________________________________________________ .

2. Bach lived with _____________________________________________________ .

3. Johann Sebastian Bach was interested in ___________________________________ .

4. In Anhalt-Cothen Bach wrote __________________________________________.

5. His wife Anna Magdalena Wulken was ___________________________________ .

6. Wilhelm Friedemann grew up _________________________________________ .

7. Johann Sebastian Bach was the music director ______________________________ .

8. Bach signed ______________________________________________________ .

9. Bach formed an ____________________________________________________.

10. Johann Sebastian Bach became ____________ and ____________________ .

10. Translate the following sentences into English.

1. Иоганн Себастьян Бах родился в большой музыкальной семье в 1685 году.

2. Когда Баху было 10 лет, его родители умерли.

3. Старший брат научил Баха играть на клавесине и органе.

4. В школе Бах научился играть на скрипке и позже занялся церковной музыкой.

5. В возрасте 22 лет Иоганн Себастьян Бах женился на Марии Барбаре, и они переехали в Мюльхаузен.

6. Получив пост придворного органиста и скрипача, Бах прожил в Веймаре девять лет.

7. В возрасте 32 лет Бах был назначен придворным капельмейстером князя Леопольда Ангальт-Кётенского.

8. Для своего сына Иоганн Себастьян Бах сочинил «Органную книжечку».

9. Бах был глубоко религиозным и преданным семьянином.

10. Иоганн Себастьян Бах считается одним из величайших композиторов эпохи 
Барокко.

Johann Sebastian Bach

11. Retell the story:
a) in the name of Johann Sebastian Bach.
b) in the name of his wife, Anna Magdalena Wulken.

12. Make up a dialogue.
a) Between Johann Sebastian Bach and a modern composer (performer, conductor, 
etc.).
b) You have played Bach’s works and is to explain to your fellow-student the 
performance features.

13. Imagine what if …
a) … Bach didn’t write some of his works (* for intermediate level students and 
above: see Supplementary Text 1)
b) … you put Beethoven, Mozart, and Bach in a room, what would they disagree 
on?  (* for intermediate level students and above: see Supplementary Text 2)
c) … (make your own assumption)

SUPPLEMENTARY TEXTS

Text 1 
DID BACH’S WIFE WRITE SOME OF HIS BEST-KNOWN WORKS?

A new documentary claims that Anna Magdalena was the real 
composer of her husband Bach’s best-known pieces. It is generally 
accepted that Anna Magdalena assisted her husband in transcribing 
music scores. But Martin Jarvis, a professor of music at Charles 
Darwin University in Australia, is making the bomb-shell claim 
that J. S. Bach’s second wife was far more than just a copyist.
After conducting forensic analysis of the ink and handwriting 
style in Bach manuscripts, Jarvis has concluded that three of Bach’s 
most celebrated works were actually penned by Anna Magdalena, who 
was his second wife: the aria from the Goldberg Variations; the first Prelude from The 
Well-Tempered Clavier (Book 1) and possibly some of the Cello Suites.
Heidi Harralson, a forensic document examiner, backed Jarvis’s view, saying she is 
sure «within a reasonable degree of scientific certainty» that Anna Magdalena was most 
likely the composer of these works.
The researchers believe that, due to the nature of the corrections and the fact that the 
writing is light, she was actually composing the works as she wrote them down. They 
say that someone copying music would write in a heavy, slow style.
Their findings are presented in a new documentary called Written By Mrs Bach, 
which was screened at BAFTA in London on Wednesday 29 October. British composer 
Sally Beamish, who presents the documentary, said: «What I found fascinating is the 

MEET THE FAMOUS COMPOSERS

questions it raises about the assumptions we make: that music is always written by one 
person and all the great masters were male by definition».

Text 2 
IF YOU PUT BEETHOVEN, MOZART AND BACH IN A ROOM, 
WHAT WOULD THEY DISAGREE ON?

Tom Breton, composer: Composer, Programmer for Rosegarden:
As it happens, one meeting actually happened. Beethoven, as a young man, sought 
Mozart as a teacher and played for him. They both agreed that they had very different 
musical visions and parted company; Beethoven was primarily taught by Haydn. It was 
after this meeting that Mozart predicted of Beethoven, «There is a young man who will 
make a great noise in the world». By all accounts, they had a great deal of respect for 
each other.
Both were born after Bach’s death, but Mozart was good friends with Johann Christian 
Bach (The London Bach, JS Bach’s son). It was JC Bach who taught Mozart the Gallant 
style. This doesn’t necessarily mean that Mozart would have agreed with the father 
about everything on earth, but Mozart loved JS Bach’s music. Loved may actually be too 
weak a term — on first discovering JS Bach’s music at a concert, Wolfgang proceeded to 
ignore everything and everyone and intently study the sheet music for hours.
So according to the historical record, what did they disagree on? Not much. Gallant 
style (Mozart’s) vs transitional Romantic (Beethoven’s). If they had non-musical 
disagreements, history doesn’t record it AFAIK 1. But that doesn’t account for what JS 
Bach might say — what’s German for «you young whippersnappers”?

Wouter Stekelenburg, researcher:
• They had different ideas about what music was for.
• For Bach music was a way to worship God. Mozart and Beethoven would have 
found that silly and old fashioned.
• For Mozart, who probably had the hardest live of the three, music was a means of 
escape. Bach and Beethoven wanted to confront the listener, either with the suffering of 
Christ or with the failure of the French revolution to bring freedom, or something like 
that. Some of their music was meant to be confrontational.
• Beethoven wasn’t as productive as Bach or Mozart, probably because he was more 
of a perfectionist.
I think they would find a lot to disagree on in music alone.

1 As far as I know