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Text 1
①The decision of the New York
Philharmonic to hire Alan Gilbert as its next music director has been the talk
of the classical-music world ever since the sudden announcement of his
appointment in 2009. ②For the most
part, the response has been favorable, to say the least. ③“Hooray! At last!” wrote Anthony Tommasini, a
sober-sided classical-music critic.
①One of the reasons why the
appointment came as such a surprise, however, is that Gilbert is comparatively
little known. ②Even Tommasini,
who had advocated Gilbert’s appointment in the Times, calls him “an unpretentious musician with no air of the
formidable conductor about him.” ③As a
description of the next music director of an orchestra that has hitherto been
led by musicians like Gustav Mahler and Pierre Boulez, that seems likely to
have struck at least some Times readers as faint praise.
①For my part, I have no idea
whether Gilbert is a great conductor or even a good one. ②To be sure, he performs an impressive variety
of interesting compositions, but it is not necessary for me to visit Avery
Fisher Hall, or anywhere else, to hear interesting orchestral music. ③All I have to do is to go to my CD shelf, or
boot up my computer and download still more recorded music from iTunes.
①Devoted concertgoers who reply
that recordings are no substitute for live performance are missing the point. ②For the time, attention, and money of the
art-loving public, classical instrumentalists must compete not only with opera
houses, dance troupes, theater companies, and museums, but also with the
recorded performances of the great classical musicians of the 20th century. ③There recordings are cheap, available
everywhere, and very often much higher in artistic quality than today’s live
performances; moreover, they can be “consumed” at a time and place of the
listener’s choosing. ④The widespread
availability of such recordings has thus brought about a crisis in the
institution of the traditional classical concert.
①One possible response is for
classical performers to program attractive new music that is not yet available
on record. ②Gilbert’s own interest in new
music has been widely noted: Alex Ross, a classical-music critic, has described
him as a man who is capable of turning the Philharmonic into “a markedly
different, more vibrant organization.” ③But
what will be the nature of that difference? ④Merely expanding the orchestra’s repertoire
will not be enough. ⑤If Gilbert and
the Philharmonic are to succeed, they must first change the relationship
between America’s oldest orchestra and the new audience it hopes to attract.
21. We
learn from Para.1 that Gilbert’s appointment has .
[A]incurred
criticism
[B]raised
suspicion
[C]received
acclaim
[D]aroused
curiosity
22.
Tommasini regards Gilbert as an artist who is .
[A]influential
[B]modest
[C]respectable
[D]talented
23. The
author believes that the devoted concertgoers .
[A]ignore
the expenses of live performances
[B]reject
most kinds of recorded performances
[C]exaggerate
the variety of live performances
[D]overestimate
the value of live performances
24.
According to the text, which of the following is true of recordings?
[A]They
are often inferior to live concerts in quality.
[B]They
are easily accessible to the general public.
[C]They
help improve the quality of music.
[D]They
have only covered masterpieces.
25.
Regarding Gilbert’s role in revitalizing the Philharmonic, the author feels .
[A]doubtful
[B]enthusiastic
[C]confident
[D]puzzled
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