The composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s remarkable musical talent was apparent even before most children can sing a simple nursery rhyme. Wolfgang’s older sister Maria Anna (who the family called Nannerl) was learning the clavier, an early keyboard instrument, when her three-year-old brother took an interest in playing. As Nannerl later recalled, Wolfgang “often spent much time at the clavier picking out thirds (三度音), which he was always striking, and his pleasure showed that it sounded good.” Their father Leopold, an assistant concertmaster at the Salzburg Court, recognized his children’s unique gifts and soon devoted himself to their musical education.
Born in Salzburg, Austria, on January 27, 1756, Wolfgang had composed his first original work by age five. Leopold planned to take Nannerl and Wolfgang on tour to play before the European courts. Their first venture was to nearby Munich where the children played for Maximillian III Joseph, elector of Bavaria. Leopold soon set his sights on the capital of the Hapsburg Empire, Vienna. On their way to Vienna, the family stopped in Linz, where Wolfgang gave his first public concert. By this time, Wolfgang was not only a skilled harpsichord player, but he had also mastered the violin. The audience at Linz was amazed by the six-year-old, and word of his genius soon traveled to Vienna. In a much attended concert, the Mozart children appeared at the Schonbrunn Palace on October 13, 1762. They completely attracted the emperor and empress.
Following this success, Leopold received a lot of invitations for the children to play, for a fee. Leopold seized the opportunity and booked as many concerts as possible at courts throughout Europe. A concert could last three hours, and the children played at least two per a day. Today, Leopold might be considered the worst kind of stage parent, but at the time, it was not uncommon for prodigies to make extensive concert tours. Even so, it was an exhausting schedule for a child who was just past the age of needing an afternoon nap.
小题1:
A good title for this passage would be ________.
| A．Classical Music in the Eighteenth Century: An Overview. |
| B．Stage Parents: A Historical Point of View. |
| C．Mozart: The Early Life of a Musical Genius. |
| D．Mozart: The Short Career of a Musical Genius. |
小题2:
What was the consequence of Wolfgang’s first public appearance?
| A．He attracted the emperor and empress of Hapsburg. |
| B．Word of Wolfgang’s genius spread to the capital. |
| C．Leopold set his sights on Vienna. |
| D．Invitations for the miracle children to play poured in. |
小题3:
Each of the following statements about Wolfgang Mozart is directly supported by the passage except ________.
| A．Mozart’s father made full use of his children’s talent |
| B．Maria Anna was also talented in music |
| C．Wolfgang’s childhood was devoted to his musical career |
| D．Wolfgang preferred the violin to other instruments |
小题4:
The word “prodigies” in the last paragraph probably means “________”.
| A．unusually talented people | B．strict parents |
| C．greatest composers | D．generous people |