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Who Was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart 莫扎特 Chapter 1 Little Boy, Big Talent

时间:2018-03-05 06:19来源:互联网 提供网友:qing   字体: [ ]
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Papa Leopold Mozart was very strict. He was a composer and violinist in Salzburg in Austria. When he was finished working for the day, Leopold came home and gave his daughter and son music lessons. Over and over they played what he taught them. They spent hours every day practicing. Both children became really good musicians. But the boy, Wolfgang, was even more talented than his sister.

Wolfgang was born on January 27, 1756, in Salzburg, Austria. (On the map, the little star inside the Austrian monarchy1 shows where Salzburg is.) Six children had come before him, so he was the baby of the family. But only Wolfgang and his big sister, Maria Anna, lived past their first birthdays. Back then, when babies or young children got sick, there were no medicines like there are today. So, sadly, it was common for children to die.

Because Wolfgang had such a long name, his family called him Wolferl, or sometimes Wolfie, for short. Maria Anna was called Nannerl. And the family dog was called Bumperl.

When Nannerl was seven, Papa Leopold started teaching her how to play the clavier. Wolfie, who was only three, could not keep away from the lessons. He would sit on the floor, listening to the music while she played. But Wolfie was not satisfied. He wanted more: He wanted to play, too. After Nannerl’s lesson was over, he went up to the clavier. He was so small that he had to stand on his toes to reach the keys. He tried one note and then another. He liked the sounds that came out of the clavier. They made him smile. But when he played two notes he didn’t like, it made his ears hurt. He’d become so upset that he’d cry. Even as a tiny child, Wolfie knew which notes sounded right together and which notes did not.

Papa Leopold started giving Wolfie lessons, too. Soon Wolfie could play all the tunes3 in Nannerl’s music notebook.

As soon as Wolfie heard a tune2, he could play it right back. Papa Leopold could hardly believe it. He made notes on how quickly and easily the little boy learned music.

Once, when Wolfie was about four, Papa Leopold saw a sheet of “music” that the boy had been working on. At first, Papa laughed, thinking it was nonsense. But when he looked more closely, he realized that it was a musical composition. And a complicated one at that. Many of the notes were smudged and written over. He stopped laughing and asked Wolfie about it. Wolfie agreed that it was complicated. He said, “…you must practice until you can get it right…” and then he showed his father how it should be played.

At five, Wolfie composed two more pieces of music for the clavier. This means that he heard tunes in his head and played them. Amazed, Papa Leopold wrote them down in his notebook. Soon Wolfie was reading music. Papa Leopold saw that his son had a rare gift. He gave him special ruled sheets of music paper. That way, Wolfie could write down the music he heard in his head. Wolfie was writing music even before he learned to write words.

Years later, when Wolfie had grown up, his father wrote him a letter describing what he had been like: “As a child and a boy, you were serious rather than childish, and when you sat at the clavier or were otherwise intent on music, no one dared to have the slightest jest with you … your expression was so solemn.”

Yet making music was also great fun for young Wolfie. He thought about it and played it all the time. Music was always part of the games that he invented. His father’s friend, the musician Johann Schachtner, came to live with the family for a while. He wrote, “If we, he and I, were carrying his toys from one room to another, the one of us who went empty-handed always had to sing or fiddle4 a march as we went.” Writing music let Wolfie express all his feelings. When he was happy, he would make up a fast tune, like an allegro5. When he felt sad, he would make up a slow tune, called an andante. These are Italian words that composers and musicians use to describe how music should be played. When a piece of music should be played very slowly, it is called an adagio6. If it should be played fast, it is a presto7. Soft tunes, played lightly, are called piano or pianissimo. Loud tunes are labeled forte8 or fortissimo.

Like many children in the eighteenth century, Wolfie and Nannerl did not go to school. They spent the days in their small house where Papa Leopold was their only teacher—for music and everything else.

With Papa Leopold’s help, Wolfie and Nannerl studied reading, writing, arithmetic, history, and geography. Later, when Wolfie started traveling, he learned foreign languages, like Italian and French. (Wolfie and Nannerl grew up speaking German, as did everyone else in Austria.) He also studied the ancient language of Latin.

Papa was strict with lessons as he was with everything. Wolfie’s mother, Anna Maria, was not as strict. Her father was a bass9 singer, so she knew about music. But although Mama sometimes tried to shield Wolfie and Nannerl from Papa’s anger, she never openly went against him, either. Mostly, she agreed to what Leopold wanted.

One day, Leopold invited some musicians to his house. They were going to practice a piece of music that Leopold had written for the harpsichord10 and two violins. Wolfie, who was not quite seven, came into the room, holding a small, half-sized violin.

Parts of the Violin

Papa Leopold had gotten the violin for Wolfie. But Papa hadn’t started giving him lessons yet. Wolfie wanted to play with his father and his friends. But Papa Leopold said no. Wolfie had to wait until he learned how.

Wolfie began to cry.

One of the musicians was Papa’s friend Johann Schachtner. He felt sorry for the little boy. He invited Wolfie to come play along side him. He told Leopold that if Wolfie played softly, no one would hear him play. That way, Wolfie would not disrupt the practice. Leopold agreed, but only if Wolfie promised to play very quietly. The musicians started playing. Herr Schachtner stopped playing after a few minutes. But Wolfie continued. Everyone was astonished. Wolfie had taught himself to play the violin. He also taught himself to play the organ.

Wolfie loved his father and wanted, more than anything, to please him. “Next to God comes Papa,” he said. Every night before bed, he composed a different melody that he would sing out loud for Papa Leopold. Papa had to sing the second part of the melody. After the singing was done, Wolfie would kiss his father and go to sleep.

Although not as gifted as her brother, Nannerl was also a talented musician. She played the harpsichord. Encouraged by Wolfie, she composed music, too. Soon, news of Wolfie’s and Nannerl’s talents reached Vienna. Vienna was a big city and the capital of Austria.

One day, a messenger on a handsome white horse came to the Mozart home in Salzburg. Wolfie and Nannerl were asked to come to Vienna. There they would play before the Empress Maria Theresa.

It took the family nearly a week to get ready.

Finally, they boarded a stagecoach11 for Vienna. They had a lot of things to take with them. Besides their clothes, they packed a clavier, two violins, and cases of music. But they did not take Bumperl, their dog. He had to stay home.

The trip to Vienna took another whole week. The stagecoach moved slowly over the bumpy12, muddy roads. When it grew dark, the Mozart family stopped for the night at inns along the way. Finally, they arrived in Vienna.

Vienna was a magical city, filled with palaces and castles. It was the home to the University. There were also many beautiful gardens and grand churches. Musicians came for its concert halls. Vienna was known as a center for music and art.

When Wolfie was first introduced to the empress, he ran right over and jumped on her lap. Then he gave her a big hug and lots of kisses. The empress, who was a mother herself, was charmed. Later, when she heard Wolfie and Nannerl perform, she was deeply impressed by their playing.

At the palace, everyone dressed in the most splendid clothes. So the empress gave Wolfie and Nannerl each a special set of clothes to wear. Wolfie’s new suit was lilac-colored and trimmed with wide, gold braiding. Wolfie liked the fancy clothes and wore them proudly. All his life, he would enjoy wearing beautiful and expensive outfits13.

At one point during the visit, Wolfie tripped. He was helped up by the empress’s daughter, Princess Marie Antoinette. Wolfie liked the pretty princess, who was seven. Right on the spot, he asked her to marry him. Everyone burst out laughing. Wolfie didn’t understand that the little princess was already engaged to a French prince. One day, she would be the queen of France.

When the Mozarts returned home, Papa Leopold and Mama had a lot of thinking to do. They realized that Wolfie and Nannerl were highly unusual children. Salzburg was not a big enough or important enough city for their talents. Leopold wanted the world to see—and hear—his exceptional children. Leopold decided14 he would take his children on a concert tour. They would perform for important people throughout Europe.

Leopold knew that they would be paid well for their work. Money was very important to Papa Leopold. He always worried about having enough. A long tour was just the thing to make the children famous—and the parents rich.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 monarchy e6Azi     
n.君主,最高统治者;君主政体,君主国
参考例句:
  • The monarchy in England plays an important role in British culture.英格兰的君主政体在英国文化中起重要作用。
  • The power of the monarchy in Britain today is more symbolical than real.今日英国君主的权力多为象徵性的,无甚实际意义。
2 tune NmnwW     
n.调子;和谐,协调;v.调音,调节,调整
参考例句:
  • He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子,并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
  • The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。
3 tunes 175b0afea09410c65d28e4b62c406c21     
n.曲调,曲子( tune的名词复数 )v.调音( tune的第三人称单数 );调整;(给收音机、电视等)调谐;使协调
参考例句:
  • a potpourri of tunes 乐曲集锦
  • When things get a bit too much, she simply tunes out temporarily. 碰到事情太棘手时,她干脆暂时撒手不管。 来自《简明英汉词典》
4 fiddle GgYzm     
n.小提琴;vi.拉提琴;不停拨弄,乱动
参考例句:
  • She plays the fiddle well.她小提琴拉得好。
  • Don't fiddle with the typewriter.不要摆弄那架打字机了。
5 allegro MLyyu     
adj. 快速而活泼的;n.快板;adv.活泼地
参考例句:
  • The first movement is a conventional symphonic Allegro.第一乐章是传统的交响乐快板。
  • My life in university is like allegro.我的生活在大学中像急速的乐章。
6 adagio RfUy2     
adj.缓慢的;n.柔板;慢板;adv.缓慢地
参考例句:
  • The tempo marking in most cases is andante,adagio,or largo.大多数第一乐章的速度标记是行板、柔板或广板。
  • Play the adagio since that's the only goddamned thing you know.就弹那首慢板吧,那是你唯一会弹的鬼曲子。
7 presto ZByy0     
adv.急速地;n.急板乐段;adj.急板的
参考例句:
  • With something so important,you can't just wave a wand and presto!在这么重大的问题上,你想挥动一下指挥棒,转眼就变过来,办不到!
  • I just turned the piece of wire in the lock and hey presto,the door opened.我把金属丝伸到锁孔里一拧,嘿,那门就开了。
8 forte 8zbyB     
n.长处,擅长;adj.(音乐)强音的
参考例句:
  • Her forte is playing the piano.她擅长弹钢琴。
  • His forte is to show people around in the company.他最拿手的就是向大家介绍公司。
9 bass APUyY     
n.男低音(歌手);低音乐器;低音大提琴
参考例句:
  • He answered my question in a surprisingly deep bass.他用一种低得出奇的声音回答我的问题。
  • The bass was to give a concert in the park.那位男低音歌唱家将在公园中举行音乐会。
10 harpsichord KepxQ     
n.键琴(钢琴前身)
参考例句:
  • I can tune the harpsichord as well as play it.我会弹奏大键琴,同样地,我也会给大键琴调音。
  • Harpsichord music is readily playable.古钢琴音乐可以随时演奏。
11 stagecoach PuQww     
n.公共马车
参考例句:
  • She's getting off the stagecoach.她正在下马车。
  • The stagecoach driver cracked the whip.驿站马车的车夫抽响了鞭子。
12 bumpy 2sIz7     
adj.颠簸不平的,崎岖的
参考例句:
  • I think we've a bumpy road ahead of us.我觉得我们将要面临一段困难时期。
  • The wide paved road degenerated into a narrow bumpy track.铺好的宽阔道路渐渐变窄,成了一条崎岖不平的小径。
13 outfits ed01b85fb10ede2eb7d337e0ea2d0bb3     
n.全套装备( outfit的名词复数 );一套服装;集体;组织v.装备,配置设备,供给服装( outfit的第三人称单数 )
参考例句:
  • He jobbed out the contract to a number of small outfits. 他把承包工程分包给许多小单位。 来自辞典例句
  • Some cyclists carry repair outfits because they may have a puncture. 有些骑自行车的人带修理工具,因为他们车胎可能小孔。 来自辞典例句
14 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
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