Johann Sebastian Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach was one of the greatest composers in Western musical history. More than 1,000 of his compositions survive. He came from a family of musicians. There were over 53 musicians in his family over a period of 300 years. Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany in 1685. His father was a talented violinist. When his parents died, he was only 10 years old. He went to stay with his older brother, Johann Christoph, who was a professional organist, and continued his younger brother's musical education. After several years in this arrangement, Johann Sebastian won a scholarship to study in Luneberg, Northern Germany. A master of several instruments while still in his teens, Johann Sebastian first found employment at the age of 18 as a 'lackey and violinist' in a court orchestra in Weimar; and soon after he took the job of an organist at a church in Arnstadt.

He married his cousin Maria Barbara Bach and assumed the post of organist and concertmaster in the ducal chapel in Weimar. He remained there for nine years, and composed his first major works, including organ showpieces and cantatas. By this stage in his life, Bach had developed a reputation as a brilliant musical talent. His proficiency on the organ was unequaled in Europe, and he toured regularly.

His growing mastery of compositional forms, like the fugue and the canon, was already attracting interest from the musical establishment, which, in his day, was the Lutheran church. But, like many people of uncommon talent, he was never very good at playing the political game, and therefore suffered periodic setbacks in his career. When his wife died, he remarried and had 11 children in both marriages. Several of these children would become fine composers. After conducting and composing for the court orchestra at Cothen for seven years, Bach was offered the highly prestigious post of cantor (music director) of St. Thomas' Church in Leipzig. Bach remained at his post in Leipzig until his death in 1750.

He was creatively active until the very end, even after cataract problems virtually blinded him in 1740. His last musical composition, a chorale prelude entitled 'Before Thine Throne, My God, I Stand', was dictated to his son-in-law only days before his death.

Write an annotation translation of the text

II Grammar

1. Where are the keys? I can’t find ..... .

they

them

their

2. I like skiing ..... as skating.

more

as much

as more

3. They would like to buy ..... chalet house.

not very old, wooden, nice, four-bedroom Swiss

a wooden, Swiss, not very old, nice, four-bedroom

a nice, four-bedroom, not very old, wooden Swiss

4. I really appreciate _____ this opportunity. I’ll do my best.

giving

being given

having been given

5. Look here Sam! I am not going to clean your room. Why don’t you do it .....?

youself

yourselves

yourself

6 That ceremony ......... enacted on Tuesday next.

has been

is

is being

have

7 I am thinking _____ finding a new job.

of

on

to

at

8 If we knew more about history, we ________ of the test.

will not be afraid

would not be afraid

had not been afraid

9 Jerry believed that Sally ..... the book since Monday, but she had read only fifty pages so far.

had been reading

had read

was reading

10. Sharon said she ..... her key in her pocket, but she couldn't find it there.

had been left

left

had left

III Essay Writing

Cultural life in Great Britain.

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I Reading

Date: 2015-12-18; view: 1496