China's classical music holds Russian musician spellbound

河北乐亭第一中学 胡金莹

在“我”进行的众多采访当中，让“我”印象最深的就是对俄罗斯钢琴家弗拉基米尔·阿什肯纳齐的采访。在他和阿姆斯特朗等人的共同努力下，中国歌剧《红楼梦》将在2019年进入欧洲，这将会让更多的人了解中国音乐。

Whenpeopleaskmeaboutmymost memorable interview I have done,there is usually little hesitation in my response.

Although there are others that stand out,the one I did with the great Russian pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy is the one I most fondly recollect.Even the way it was set up was slightly strange.I happened to be listening to one of his performances when the phone rang.

“Ashkenazy here,”said the deep voice on the line.Of course,I hadbeen in contact withhis agent but the last thing I expected was to be telephoned directly by the great man himself.

We agreed to do the interview in the Hilton Beijing Wangfujing on the eve of him performing at the National Center for the Performing Arts.He could not have been more responsible.He even agreed to play the hotel's piano in honkytonk(下等酒馆)for our photographer.

Iwasremindedoftheencounter(邂逅)after recently catching up with Wray Armstrong,the Beijing-based classical music promoter behind the recent successful production in China of Dream of the Red Chamber.

Ashkenazy,now 80 and a regular performer in China for many years,played a significant role inthis.

When he worked in London,Armstrong did more than anyone from the West in reestablishing this musical form in China.

The progress in this area often goes under the radar（受人关注）.For one,China's classical music audiences themselves often come in for criticism.People noisily eating and mobile phones going off during performances are among the usual stereotypes（陈腔滥调）.

As anyone who regularly goes to concerts knows,there is,however,a real hard core of very knowledgeable enthusiasts.There are also more imaginative and less conservative programs being performed here.It is no longer just about serving up an endless diet of Tchaikovsky and Beethoven symphonies（交响曲）tobring inthe numbers.

The standard of China's musicians has improved.Many of the world's best orchestras（管弦乐队）now have Chinese players.

According to Armstrong,we are now only about two decades away from China having a number of world-class Chinese orchestras.He says the playing talent is already there but what islacking is“the traditions of interpretation”.

Chinese orchestras going round the world would certainly show Chinese cultural soft power.

Armstrong,himself,plans to take the Dream opera on a European tour in 2019 when it may feature in the Proms season in London.Although it is a San Francisco Opera production,many of the performers will be from China.

What we see is a top of the work over many decades of Stern,Ashkenazy and not forgetting others such as Yu Long,founder of the Beijing Music Festival and chief conductor of the China Philharmonic,finally producing results.

Although it has yet to grab the headlines,music might be one of the surprising areas where China becomes center stage.

Reading Check

Complete the following summary according to the text.

When it comes to my most 1._________（memory）interview,I will think of the one with Russian 2_______.__（piano） Vladimir Ashkenazy.He is a regular 3.________（perform）in China and played an important role 4_______.__the production of Dream of the Red Chamber.Thanks to 5______.__interview,I also thought of Armstrong,6.________thinks highly of Chinese orchestra.In his eye,Chinese orchestras 7._________（improve）over the past decades and will show Chinese 8._________（culture）soft power to the world.He intends 9._______（take）the Dream opera on a European tour in 2019.If so,Chinese music 10.________（bring）great influence to the world.

Language Study

Difficult sentences

1.Although there are others that stand out,the one I did with the great Russian pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy is the one I most fondly recollect.

翻译_____________________________：

【点石成金】本句中Although there are others that stand out为让步状语从句；第一个the one之后的I did with the great Russian pianist Vladimir Ashkenazy为定语从句，修饰the one，省略了关系代词that或which；第二个the one之后的I most fondly recollect为定语从句，省略了关系代词that或which。

2.He says the playing talent is already there but what is lacking is“the traditions of interpretation”.

翻译_____________________________：

【点石成金】本句中says之后为宾语从句，省略了连接词that；宾语从句中含有两个分句，其中，在第二个分句中，what is lacking为主语从句，what在从句中作主语。

3.Although it has yet to grab the headlines,music might be one of the surprising areas where China becomes center stage.

翻译：____________________________

【点石成金】although引导的为让步状语从句，在主句中，where China becomes center stage为定语从句，修饰先行词the surprising areas，where在从句中作地点状语。

Using Language

Ⅰ.Important phrases in the text

1.stand out突出；显眼

2.be in contact with...接触；与……有联系

3.remind...of...使……想起……

4.play a significant role in...在……中起重要作用

5.bring in引进；带来

Ⅱ.Complete the following sentences in correct forms with the phrases given above.

1.The old photo _______me ______my precious time when I worked in the small village.

2.The girl ________among others in the competition because of her excellent performances.

3.Although we have never seen each other,we have been _________each other for almost ten years.

4.Our school decided to _________some advanced equipment to be used for teaching.

5.My friend Tom _________winning the football match that was held last week.