When criticising someone, describe, don't judge. Always focus on, and confine criticism to observable behaviour.

For instance, telling your pupil who is not practising his music "Of late you've been practising less than usual and we need you in the concert" is more likely to encourage practice than snapping "You are irresponsible and lazy. Practise more from now on."

a) Below are statements about music which express different opinions. Imagine that they are your opinions and change them into subjective arguments. (Use the expressions showing critisism.):

1. "There is only one way to come to understand music by learning to play a musical instrument whether an external one like the piano or flute or by training the human voice to become an instrument."

2. "However good recorded music might be, it can never really take the place of a live performance. To be present at an actual performance is half the enjoyment of music."

3. "I find I have to defend jazz to those who say it is low class. As a matter of fact all music has low class origin, since it comes from folk music, which is necessarily earthly. After all Haydn minuets are only a refinement of simple, rustic German dances, and so are Beethoven scherzos. An aria from a Verdi opera can often be traced back to the simplest Neapolitan fisherman."

B) Team up with your partner who will be ready to give critical remarks on the statements given above. Use the cliches expressing criticism.

C) As a group, now decide which event you will all attend together. When giving your criticism try to be honest, but tactful.

5* 131

9. Group work. Discuss the effect of rock music on young people. After a proper discussion each group presents its critical remarks. First read this:

There are world-wide complaints about the effect of rock. Psychologists say that listening to rock music results in "escapism" (abandoning social responsibilities). They also add that some rock music (for example certain heavy metal songs) affect young people like drugs. There are well-known cases of antisocial and amoral behaviour on the part of young "music addicts". How do you feel about this opinion?

Most of the expressions which you found in the dialogue (Ex. 7) are used to criticise something or somebody.

Below is a review of the Russian Festival of Music in which a Scottish journalist extolls the virtues of Russian music, a) Read the text and note down any useful expressions in giving a positive appraisal of music. b) Discuss the text with your partner.

A Feast ofRussian Arts

The strong and impressive Russian theme at this year's Edinburgh Festival commemorates the 70th anniversary of the Russian Revolution.

The festival opened on August 9 with three giant companies,the Orchestra of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow and Leningrad's Gorky Drama Theatre, and the spectacular young traditional folk music and dance groupSiverko, from the arctic city of Arkhangelsk.

Other musicians in the first week included the Bolshoi Sextet, and the final week sees the arrival of the Shostakovich Quartet.

The first of the four programmes by the Orchestra of the Bolshoi Theatre, in an Usher Hall draped with garlands, was a fascinating demonstration of Russian tone quality and Russian interpretation.After the two national anthems the rustling, atmospheric opening movement of the suite from Rimsky-Korsakov's Invisible City of Kitezh, with some particularly expressive strandsof oboe tone, was sufficiently promisingto make the thought of even a familiar piece of Tchaikovsky seem exciting.

Nobody, at any rate, could have called the Rimsky familiar. Though it was performed in an arrangement by Maximilian Steinberg, this did not preventthe brazen battle scene, with its ferocious side-drum, from being a sensational displayof Russian strength, or the woodwind passages in other movements from being an exquisite display of Russian sweetness.

The account of the symphony was quite remarkable.It was played with thrilling velocity(yet with sufficient breathing-spacewhere Tchaikovsky asked for it), with beautifully characterized woodwind, keenly defined texturesand a penchant for highlighting inner parts, especially if they happened to involve the horns. The conductor, Mark Ermler was more in his elementin Tchaikovsky's fifth symphony.

Whether or not one actually liked the horn tune was beside the point.It was authentically Russian,and though, at the start of the slow movement, it sounded like an amplified saxophone, its eloquence was not to be gainsaid.In small details — such as the effect of the cellos and basses doing entirely different things at points in the finale — just as in the symphony's grand design, this was a stunning performanceand perhaps, after all, a Festival event.

What one did expect and received was a performance of massive vocal integrity and a grand convincing enunciation of the musicby Irina Arkhipova, with a recurring arm movement — hand stretched towards the audience.

In the event, the curtains of the Playhouse Theatre opened to reveal a company that were the epitome of everything we have come to expectfrom a Russian folk dance group — vast numbers, and endless variety of colourfuland beautifully-embroided costumes,and — most important of all — boundless energy and infectious enthusiasm.The musicians, all extremely accomplished,performed on zither and some remarkable varieties of shawm.

It all finished with the entire company lined up in front of the stage singing Auld Lang Syne — a characteristically warmhearted gesture to end a programme that was irresistibly good-natured, impeccably presented, skilfully performed, entertaining and enjoyable — and which left the audience clamouring insatiably for more.

(From: "The Scotsman," August 11, 1987)

Unit Five

TEXT From: THE LUMBER-ROOM

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