Section I : Language Development
Chapter:18 Music and Creation
Working with words
A. Find the single words for the following definitions. The words are given in the jumbled letters at the end.
a. A person who hates or distrusts
mankind misanthrope
b. A sensation of noise, such as a ringing or
roaring tinnitus
c. An examination of a body after death to
determine the cause of death autopsy
d. A musical composition or movement for five
instruments or voices quintet
e. A severe life-threatening illness caused by
a bacterium meningitis
f. An object that directs one’s attention away
from something else distraction
g. The action or process of becoming impaired
or inferior in quality, functioning, or condition deterioration
h. Failing to perceive something impercipience
i. A hearing disorder that makes it hard to
deal with everyday sounds hyperacusis
j. A bacterial infection usually spread by
sexual contact syphilis
B. Put the musical instruments into different categories as below.
Wind Instruments : trumpet, harmonica, clarinet,
conch, trombone
Stringed Instruments : violin, viola, cello, double bass
Percussion Instruments : drum, tabls, cymbal, bell,
tambourine
C. Use a dictionary and find the definition of these
genres of music.
rock music : a form of popular music that
evolved from rock and roll and pop music during the mid and late 1960s.
pop music : commercial popular music, in
particular accessible, tuneful music of a kind popular since the 1950s and
sometimes contrasted with rock, soul, or other forms of popular music.
hip hop : a style of popular music of US
black and Hih4ic origin, featuring rap with an electronic backing.
jazz : a type of music of black American
origin which emerged at the beginning of the 20th century, characterized by
improvisation, syncopation, and usually a regular or forceful rhythm.
folk music : music that originates in
traditional popular culture or that is written in such a style.
classic music : music written in the European
tradition, when forms such as the symphony, concerto, and sonata were standardized.
blues : melancholic music of black
American folk origin, typically in a twelve-bar sequence.
heavy metal : a type of highly amplified
harsh-sounding rock music with a strong beat, characteristically using violent
or fantastic imagery.
Gospel music : a fervent style of black American
evangelical religious singing, developed from spirituals sung in Southern
Baptist and Pentecostal Churches.
country music : a form of popular music
originating in the rural southern US. It is a mixture of ballads and dance
tunes played characteristically on fiddle, banjo, guitar, and pedal steel
guitar.
grunge : a style of rock music
characterized by a raucous guitar sound and lazy vocal delivery.
breakbeat : a sample of a syncopated
drumbeat, usually repeated to form a rhythm used as a basis for dance music,
hip-hop, etc.
reggae : a style of popular music with a
strongly accented subsidiary beat, originating in Jamaica.
disco : a club or party at which people
dance to recorded pop music.
dubstep : a form of dance music, typically
instrumental, characterized by a sparse, syncopated rhythm and a strong
bassline.
Comprehension
A. Put the following events in the life of Beethoven in
chronological order.
c. Beethoven was born
into a musical family in Bonn, Germany.
e. He learned to play the organ, piano,
violin, and viola.
a. He migrated to Vienna.
h. At the age of twenty-seven, he felt the
deafness to high-pitched sound.
d. His deafness got gradually worse: He could
hear but not understand.
g. He lived a life in seclusion.
b. He even made suicidal attempts.
f. He died of hepatitis at the age of
fifty-six.
B. State whether the following statements are True or
False.
a. Beethoven became blind
in a gradual process over two decades. False
b. He became a celebrity musician in his
teenage. True
c. He did not disclose his hearing problem for
a long time. True
d. He knew that he misunderstood the speakers
and gave up his public performances. False
e. He tried to get his deafness treated until
his death. False
f. Beethoven died in his early fifties. False
g. Doctors found the cause of his deafness
after his death. False
C. Answer the following questions.
a. What does Hellen Keller think about deafness and
blindness?
Hellen Keller thinks that
blindness separates people from things whereas deafness separates people from
people.
b. Why does the author compare Beethoven with Milton, Van
Gogh and Toulouse-Lautrec?
The author compares
Beethoven with Milton, Van Gogh and Toulouse-Lautrec because those people have
similar types of disabilities like that of Beethoven.
c. When and how did Beethoven notice him being deaf?
Beethoven noticed himself
being deaf at the age of 27. At that time, he lost his ability to hear high
pitch sounds, an indication of nerve deafness. He noticed that he had some sort
of disabilities like deafness.
d. What psychological effects did he have when he noticed
that he was being deaf?
When he noticed that he
was being deaf, he suffered from fear, lack of self-esteem, emotional disarray,
increasing isolation, self-neglect and lack of confidence at work.
e. How did he triumph over his suicidal thoughts?
He triumphed over his
suicidal thoughts with the help of his life’s ethics and interest in music.
Also, he had read somewhere that a man should not give up his life as he can do
many other good deeds in life. These things inspired him to conquer suicidal thoughts.
f. How did he accept his deafness?
He accepted his deafness
by saying that no one can save him from deafness and to go further in his life,
he must eventually accept it.
g. How was his deafness ironically good for the world?
His deafness was ironically
good for the world in the sense that his deafness resulted in extra creativity
within him. It also allowed him to listen to his inner sounds and feelings
without any distraction.
h. When did Beethoven give up his musical performances
forever?
Beethoven gave up his
musical performances forever during his mid-forties. During that time, it was
some sort of embarrassing faux pas for him.
i. What did Stephen von Breeuning comment on Beethoven’s
reactions?
In 1804, when Beethoven
had problems in hearing the wind instruments during a rehearsal for the Eroica,
his friend, Stephen von Breuning commented that Beethoven had become withdrawn
and mistrusted by his best friends.
j. How did Beethoven express the conflict in his mind?
Beethoven expressed the
conflict in his mind by isolating himself from social functions, mistrusting
his best friends and thinking to have suicidal attempts repeatedly in his mind.
Critical thinking
a. Suicidal thoughts came in Beethoven’s mind several
times but he did not commit suicide and kept on composing music. Write a
monologue in about 150 words from Beethoven’s perspectives describing his
suicidal thoughts and his will to live.
I was the life of the
party. Even when there was no party. I made one happen. I made people laugh. I
made myself laugh. I worked good and hard to make myself laugh. Lord, you could
hear my laugh from a block away.
“Isn’t he something, that Beethoven?,” people
would say. “Always happy. Look at him. Always with the smile.” In this
situation, I’m feeling quite lonely and helpless. My condition has isolated me
from my coworkers and relatives. They think negatively about me. They consider
me a deaf guy. The entire efforts of my life to make music alive and people of
the world proud would go in vain. I can’t stand this situation in my life.
There is no hope within me to get cured. It wore me out sometimes, working like
that, keeping the motor running, the horn honking, the smoke pouring out.
Sometimes I just wanted to come to rest. So today, I made a mistake. I stayed
alone. And then I decided, that’s what I’ll do. I’ll just stop. I’ll rest.
Later the day, I think it’s bad to kill my own
life. I must try to conquer these suicidal thoughts. I should think about the
ethics of life and my interest in music. People say that a man should not give
up his life because he can do many other good things in life. Why do I have
those thoughts? I can make everyone think that I am normal, that I am coping,
and that I am fine. I think to myself, suicide is not a permanent solution to a
temporary problem’. Human life is precious and important. I’m ready to leave
this miserable thoughts! I’m ready for a real life. It doesn’t matter if I
can’t listen to others. I’m going to listen to my inner sounds and feelings!
b. Was it divine inspiration or rigorous practice that
made Beethoven one of the world’s greatest musicians? Give the reasons.
No, it wasn’t divine
inspiration but rigorous practice and his belief in music that made Beethoven
one of the great composers of the world. Ludwig van Beethoven was a German
pianist and composer widely considered to be one of the greatest musical
geniuses of all time. His innovative compositions combined vocals and
instruments, widening the scope of sonata, symphony, concerto and quartet.
Beethoven’s personal life was marked by a
struggle against deafness, and some of his most important works were composed
during the last 10 years of his life, when he was quite unable to hear. He went
on singlehandedly to change the musical world forever. Due to his deafness, he
became quite sad and serious. In that suffering too, he didn’t give up his
passion for his music and continued his creative works further. He kept on
composing his best music even after his deafness. Due to his rigorous practice
and musical devotion, his music career reached its height and made him quite
popular not only within his country but across the globe. It has been said that
he alone dragged music out of the Classical age and into the Romantic. But that
doesn’t go far enough. I believe passionately that Beethoven both defined and
deserves his own musical era.
Writing
Who is your favourite Nepali musician? Write his/her
biography in about 300 words.
Swar Samrat Narayan Gopal Guruacharya
Narayan Gopal was born to
a Newar family in Kathmandu in 1996 Bikram Sambat (BS). His father was a
classical musician and wanted his son to follow his footsteps. Narayan Gopal
was interested in music from an early age but not exactly into classical field.
Regarded one of the most significant cultural icons in Nepal, he is referred as
“Swar Samrat” in Nepal. He is also known as “King of Tragedy” owing to his
numerous tragedy songs. He also sang in Nepal Bhasa.
Narayan Gopal is by far the most prominent and
popular singer in Nepali music. When people think or talk about Nepali music,
the name most associated is that of Narayan Gopal. For most people, he is the
singer. He was also an accomplished music composer in his own right. Not only
was he gifted with a great voice, he was very versatile. His voice range
allowed him to sing songs of every genre. His songs are often richly
orchestrated with the sitar, harmonium and the flute. Some of his most popular
songs include: Euta Manche Ko Maya le Kati, Jhareko Paat Jhai, Yo Samjhine Man
Cha, Saawan ko jhari bani, Manche ko Maya and many more.
He has sung over 500 songs, including in
films, ballets and drama. Most of his songs are melodies. It is said that he
was very selective about which songs he sang. Although 500 songs is not a lot
for some of his caliber, they are outstanding in some ways–be it the lyrical
depth or superb rendition. In recognition of his contribution in the field of
Nepali music, he has received several national honors and awards, Trishakti Patta,
Chinnalata Puraskar to name a few.
Continued sales of his albums attest to his
immense popularity. Even more than a decade after his death, his songs are
equally liked, loved and sung. His legacy lives on.
Grammar
B. Fill in the blanks with appropriate prepositions.
a. I was accompanied to the hospital by my
friend.
b. I have great respect for my
teachers.
c. The culprit was sentenced to death.
d. His arguments are not based on truth.
e. He has not contributed to the
development of our nation.
f. He died because of
Corona at the age of thirty-five.
g. The young generation of Nepali people don’t
take interest in politics.
h. Our village was not infected by Corona.
i. Why do you sneer at me?
C. Fill in the blanks with for, since, until, by or in.
a. The classes will be over by 5 PM.
b. Karma Sherpa reached the top of Mt.
Everest in 8 hours.
c. We had met after five years. So we kept on
talking until three in the
morning.
d. She has been living in America since she got married.
e. He has been playing video game for ten hours.
f. She practices the Sitar every day for five hours.
g. He lived in Jumla until he passed high school
examinations.
h. There is no chance of dry weather even
today. It has rained since last Saturday.
i. I can type 120 words in a minute.
j. We take an early breakfast. It’s generally
ready by six in the morning.
