Do you like music? Can you play any musical instrument? Music usually plays an important part in people’s life. With the development of technology we can listen to music wherever we are, we are not confined to our home or concert halls. Music is as varied in style as are the people who listen to it. Some people listen to classical music or opera only, while others prefer jazz, rock-, pop- or country music. Young people listen to rap, soul, heavy metal or contemporary bands. Their taste in music is usually very different from the style their parents are used to.
Classical music doesn’t change as rapidly and fundamentally as pop or rock music. Opera used to be more popular in the previous centuries than it is nowadays, but the music of famous composers like Bach, Beethoven or Chopin still attracts a lot of people to concert halls if they want to listen to live music especially if it is conducted by a world famous conductor.
There are four different sections in an orchestra: strings, woodwind, brass and percussion.In chamber music a small number of musicians plays music together, while in symphonic music a whole orchestra performs.
The best time for learning how to play a musical instrument is when you are a child, but it’s never too late to start. Music brings joy into people’s life, it soothes, has a calming effect and it can even heal. The most popular musical instruments are the guitar, the piano, theviolin, the flute and the recorder. Fewer people choose to play the trumpet, the double bass, the viola, the clarinet, the harp the bassoon or the French horn.
You can listen to music on different devices. Your phone is of course always available, but some people still like the more old fashioned way and listen to music on an iPod, CD or on the radio. The good oldrecords are coming back into fashion, not just vintage ones, but new, contemporary music is recorded on vinyl records again.
Music festivals are very popular especially in the summer. Not only young people attend these events. Folk music festivals are well-attended by middle-aged or elderly people as well.
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musical instrument – strumento musicale
to be confined to somet – essere limitato a qualcosa
concert hall – sala concerti
contemporary – contemporaneo
band – gruppo musicale
rapidly – rapidamente
fundamentally – fodamentalmente
composer – compositore
live music – musica dal vivo
to conduct – dirigere
conductor – direttore (d’orchestra)
section – sezioni
orchestra – orchestra
strings – archi/strumenti a corda
woodwind – legni (una categoria degli strumenti a fiato, per esempio: flauto e clarinetto)
brass – ottoni (un’altra categoria degli strumenti a fiato, per esempio: tromba e tuba)
percussion – percussioni /strumenti a percussione
chamber music – musica da camera
to play music – suonare
symphonic music – musica sinfonica
to soothe – dare sollievo
calming effect – effetto calmante
to heal – curare/guarire
violin – violino
flute – flauto
recorder – flauto dolce
trumpet – tromba
double bass – contrabbasso
viola – viola
harp – arpa
bassoon – fagotto
French horn – corno francese
device – strumento
old fashioned – vecchio stile
record – disco
to come back into fashion – ritornare di moda
vintage – vintage/retro
vinyl – vinile
folk music – musica folk
