托福机经听力加试拉格泰姆音乐RagtimeMusic原文及试题Nowlistentopartofalectureinamusichistoryclass.P:Oftentimeswetalkaboutthepopularityofmusic,butwedon'talwaysthinkabouttherolethattheinstrumentsplayintheirpopularity.TogiveyouanideaofwhatImean,justtakeRagtimemusicforinstance.Withoutthepiano,Ragtimemusiccertainlywouldn'thaveevolvedinthelate1800'sthewaythatitdid.Imean...characteristicslikethekeys,andthechords,madethepianosuitableforplayingtheseparatepartsofthemusic:themelodies,rhythms,harmonies,atthesametime.So,withonehandyoucouldplaythemelody,whileplayingtheharmonywiththeother.Allthewhilemaintainingtherhythm,allcharacteristicofRagtimemusic.Inotherwords,thepianoallowedmusicianstocreatethelivelysoundofRagtimemusicunlikeanyotherinstrumentsoftheirtime.Andforabout20years,RagtimemusicwasAmerica'smostpopularmusic,particularlythepianorag,althoughsomepeopledidn'texactlyembraceragtime,youngpeopleingeneralespeciallylikedit.S:KindoflikeRockandRollinthe'50s?P:Withoutadoubt.ImeanofcourseRagtimein1900didn'tsoundatalllikeRockandRolldidin1950,butI'dsaythat'safaircomparison.RagtimegeneratedthesamekindofexcitementthatotherkindsofmusiclikeRockandeventuallyRapdid.S:Really?Well,withRockandRap,Igetwhytheyarepopular,butwhenitcomestoRagtime,well...Idon'tgetit.P:Ok,letstakeamomenttolookatwhatRagtimemusicwasabout;itwasfreshandnew,itwasthefirstkindofmainstreammusicthatusedAfrican-Americanrhythmsandthatwasexciting,andfinallythemusicandeventhelyricsreflectedtherestlessenergyandoptimismofyoungpeople.CanyouseehowitcouldcapturethespiritofAmericanyouth?JustlikeRockwoulddo50yearslater?So,gettingbacktothepiano,ofallinstruments.AsIsaidbefore,itsuniquedesignwaspartoftheappeal,whichwaswellsuitedtothestyleandrhythmofRagtimemusic,buttherewereotherreasonswhyitwassopopular.Remember,thiswasthetimebeforetheadventoftheautomobile.Thepianowasasymbolofrespectability,asymbolofsuccess.Otherthanahouse,ithadrepresented,formanyfamilies,theirbiggestsinglepurchase,andeventhoughnoteveryonecouldaffordit,everyonewantedtoenjoy.So,whereveryouwouldgo,restaurants,theaters,themaininstrumentusedforindoorpublicmusicalentertainment,wasthepiano.Butlet'snotleaveoutthesoundquality.Fewpeoplerealizehowpowerfulthepianosusedatthattimewere,theyusedthebigtypesofpianosthen,beforethesmallerpianoslikeSpinetscameintofashion.TheRagtime-erapianoscouldproduceasoundthatwassofull,itwouldevenresonatethroughthewoodenfloorsofanybuilding,beitahome,concerthallorwhatever!Thisfullsounditselfhadthelistenersactuallyfeelingtheseuniqueandexcitingpianovibrationsthoughtheirfeetandbones.S:Wow!Ineverthoughtofthat.So...they...thepianoandtheragtimestylewereperfectforeachother.P:Well...inasense...yes.Butgranted,althoughthepiano'ssoundqualitywasexceptional,therewerebenefitstousingotherinstrumentstoplayragtime.Forinstance,eventslikeparades,andparkconcerts,requiredinstrumentsthatwereeasiertotransport,likethebanjoandthecomet.Nevertheless,thepianoplayedsuchafundamentalroleinRagtime.Infact,itssoundqualityalonecontributedtopianosalespeakingin1909—roughlythemid-pointoftheRagtime-era.It'snocoincidencethatthenumberofpublishedpianorags,orsheetmusic,alsoreachedtheirpeaktheirverysameyear.S:It'stoobadthatRagtimemusicisn'tstillaround,Ikindoflikedsomeofthemusicfromthatera.P:Well,justlikeallmusic,itwentthroughsomemajortransitions.Itbeganasafixedformofmusic;italwayshadtobeplayedaswritten,butt...
