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Chopin—The Beautiful Soul of Music

Can Frederic Chopin, who wrote no 1)symphonies, no operas, and no 2)string quartets, who wrote only for the piano, be considered one of the greatest classical composers of all time? Instrument makers and composers have long devoted their lives to creating sounds that capture the range and essence of the most emotional instrument of all: the human voice. From the outset, Chopin 3)incorporated the singing or 4)cantabile style into almost all of his piano compositions. For those who heard Chopin play it seemed like the piano was invented for him and he for it. Today his compositions continue to be performed more than any others for the piano. Chopin proved that the full 5)scope and range of an 6)orchestra can be experienced from a solo piano.

Frederic Chopin was born in 1810 in a small Polish town near Warsaw. His mother was Polish, his father French. Chopin’s incredible talent was apparent at a young age; by the time he was seven he had already written several pieces. By the 7)ripe old age of nine he was performing publicly in Warsaw. Like every other European 8)wunderkind that showed great talent on the piano, he was being 9)touted as the new Mozart. Chopin studied music at the celebrated Warsaw 10)Conservatory. After graduating in 1830, he 11)embarked on a solo tour to find fame and fortune in Europe. While performing in Vienna, he learned of Russia’s invasion of Poland. Unable to return home, he went to Paris where he found himself among thousands of Polish 12)exiles. Chopin decided to stay among them and pursue a career in performing and teaching. The 13)frail sickly soft-spoken and elegant Chopin became a favourite of Paris high society.

Another thing that also astonished his 14)contemporaries was how he buried the traditional roles of the left and right hands. The D Flat Major 15)Prelude is a good example of this: the left hand begins with the raindrop 16)accompaniment while the right hand carries the melody. Note how a few bars in they switch. Chopin was a master of short forms: he had popularized his native 17)polonaises and 18)mazurkas and was known for the brilliance of his 19) ètudes and preludes. But it is Chopin’s 20)nocturnes that will be forever synonymous with his name. As their title suggests, they are dreamy night pieces, with melodies many people consider among the most beautiful ever written.

【生词注释】
1) symphony n. 交响乐，交响曲
2) string quartet 弦乐四重奏曲
3) incorporate v. 加入，结合
4) cantabile a. 歌唱般的
5) scope n. 发挥作用或能力的余地
6) orchestra n. 交响乐队，管弦乐队
7) ripe old age 高龄，通常指人活到较老的年龄，这里指肖邦在九岁时，他的作品与演奏已是炉火纯青。
8) wunderkind n. （德语）尤指音乐方面的神童，少年得志者
9) tout v. 吹捧
10) conservatory n.音乐学院
11) embark v. 登上
12) exile n. 流放, 流亡者
13) frail a. 身体虚弱的
14) contemporary n. 同时代的人
15) prelude n. 前奏
16) accompaniment n. 伴奏
17) polonaise n. 波洛奈兹舞曲
18) mazurka n. 玛祖卡舞曲
19) ètude n. 练习曲
20) nocturne n. 夜曲, 夜景

参考译文


钢琴诗人肖邦

弗雷德里克•肖邦没有写过交响曲,没有创作过歌剧，连一首弦乐四重奏曲作品也没有，他只写过钢琴曲，那么，他算不算得上是有史以来最伟大的古典作曲家之一？人声是世界上所有乐器中最富情感的，一直以来，乐器制造者和作曲家们都毕生致力于创作出一种能体现人声的音域和精髓的声音。而从一开始，肖邦便将歌唱或者说歌唱般的流畅风格融入到他几乎所有的钢琴作品之中。对那些聆听过肖邦演奏的人来说，钢琴仿佛就是为他而发明的，而他也似乎是为钢琴而生。直到今天，人们仍在不断地演奏他的作品，演奏次数超过其他人创作的任何一首钢琴曲。肖邦已经向人们证明，一支交响乐队所能发挥的神韵及所有音域范围都能从一首钢琴独奏曲中得到体现。

弗雷德里克?肖邦在1810年生于邻近华沙的一个波兰小镇里。他的母亲是波兰人，父亲是法国人。肖邦的惊人才华在他很小的时候便展露无遗，他七岁时就已经写了几首曲子。到了九岁高龄时，他已经在华沙进行公开演奏。像其他在钢琴方面显露出非凡才华的欧洲神童一样，他被称为莫扎特再世。肖邦曾在著名的华沙音乐学院学习音乐。1830年毕业后，为了在欧洲寻求声名和财富，他只身踏上了旅途。在维也纳演出的时候，他得知了俄国入侵波兰的消息。因为有家不能回，他便来到了巴黎，在那里他发现有数千名流亡国外的波兰人。肖邦决定生活在他们这个圈子里，并继续他的演奏和教学的生涯。体质羸弱、面色苍白、轻言轻语而又举止文雅的肖邦得到了巴黎上流社会的垂青。

肖邦创作的钢琴曲摒弃了在钢琴演奏中传统的左右手分工，让与他同时代的人震惊不已。降D大调前奏曲就是一个很好的例证。一开始，左手以雨滴般的伴奏切入，同时旋律从右手流淌而出。注意: 在几个小节后，两手进行互换弹奏。肖邦是小型曲式大师：他使祖国的波洛奈兹舞曲和玛祖卡舞曲得以广泛流传，并以他的练习曲和前奏曲所表现出的卓越才华闻名于世。然而肖邦的夜曲才是他永远的代名词。曲如其名，在这些梦幻般的夜曲中流淌的旋律被许多人誉为最美妙的传世佳作之一。