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READING A dream concert
Understand new words
SPEAK AND READ
1 What kind of concert is in the picture?
1.35 Read the concert program and answer
the questions.
y
2
1 Why did José Ángel Salazar become famous?
Who is the most important person in
an orchestra?
3 What does José Ángel want to do in the future?
3 a Read the tips in the HOW TO box.
b Read the text again and try to understand
the underlined words.
4 Match the dictionary definitions to the
underlined words in the text.
1 (adj) knowing about a situation or
a fact
2 (v) communicate ideas or feelings
3 (v) criticize someone for doing
4
something wrong
(n) the ability to understand
something
OM
5 (v) performed a short song, dance,
or act, hoping to be selected for a
play or concert
6 (n) movements that communicate
a feeling or instruction
5 Which tips in the HOW TO box did
you use for help with Exerclone #b
and 4? Check (✓) them.
A season of dream concerts
The Youth Orchestra of Nueva
Esparta, Venezuela
performs Schubert's
5th Symphony
with José Ángel
Salazar as conductor
HOW TO
understand new words
rep
edt so evitininkdrig ogu enoltreup en
now my mi
01691 oy \alnemunten
Identify the part of speech (verb, noun,
adjective, adverb).
3
Is there a similar word in your language? Does its
meaning help you?
Look at the words and sentences before and
after the new word.
Guess what the new word might mean and check
your idea in the sentence.
When José Ángel Salazar was 14 years old, he became the youngest
conductor in the world. Born in Nueva Esparta, Venezuela, José Ángel didn't
listen to much classical music during his childhood. When he was eight
years old, his father and grandfather took him to a brass band concert, and
his life changed forever. He stopped going to karate lessons and learned to
play the flute. Soon afterward, he decided to learn the violin.
n 2011 José Ángel auditioned to join the Symphony Orchestra of Nueva
Esparta, where he continued studying violin and music theory. The
following year, he was asked to become the orchestra's conductor.
Although conductors usually have their backs to the audience, they are
the most important person in an orchestra. Apart from indicating the beat
of the music, the conductor interprets how the music is played. He uses
different movements, gestures, and expressions to communicate with
every individual musician.
There are between 70 and 80 musicians in the Youth Orchestra of Nueva
Esparta, and more than half of them are older than José Ángel. "It's hard
because I have to find the way to communicate, or sometimes tell off kids
who are much older than me," he said in an interview with the Guardian
newspaper. "Conducting is a wordless language. I have to convey
confidence to the musicians in order to get a confident performance back
I have to coordinate my body's movements with the music."
from them...
José Ángel is also aware of the importance of words for a conductor. "I'd like
to study languages. I don't want to go on tour and have to use a translator.
Or if I'm interpreting Mahler, there are certain criteria, or feelings, that I'd
have a better grasp of if I spoke German."
