The Moscow State Conservatoire

13, Herzen Street. At about nine o'clock every morning lots of young people hurry here. These are people devoted to music. And this impressive-looking house with the monument to Tchaikovsky in front of it is the Moscow State Conservatoire.

The Moscow Conservatoire opened in 1866 on the first of Septem­ber. The opening ceremony was very solemn. At the beginning of the ceremony a young professor, a graduate of the first Russian Conser­vatoire in Petersburg, made a speech. The young professor was speak­ing of the importance of professional musical education in Russia. He was speaking about the importance of developing national music. The man making this speech was P.Tchaikovsky. The people listening to him liked his speech and they also approved of his idea to begin the festive, concert with the music of Glinka, the first great composer of Russian national music. And so immediately after his speech Tchaikovsky sat down at the piano-to play the overture to the opera "Ruslan and Ludmila". The festive concert began. Among many other teachers taking part in the concert was N.Rubinstein. He was playing Beethoven's sonatas so well that many felt sorry that the festive event was coming to an end. On the second of September classes began.

The Moscow Conservatoire was always the leading musical centre in Moscow and now it is a very important musical centre in the Soviet Onion.

Young people studying to be professional musicians and theorists in music get knowledge and professional training.in different subjects.

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Many of the teachers training students are famous musicians and theorists in the USSR.

There are five departments at the Conservatoire: Piano, Orchest­ral, Musicology and Composition, Singing and Choral Conducting, with more than a thousand students studying here. Many of them are from National Republics and from other countries. Students get training and knowledge not only in their classes. They use the library which has a richest collection of musical works. They also attend concerts at the Maly and Bolshoi Halls of the Conservatoire. Besides this, they themselves give concerts and take part in music competitions.

Active Vocabulary:

to attend - посещать

to approve - одобрять

event - событие

speech - речь

knowledge - знание

impressive-looking – внушительный solemn

solemn -торжественный

immediately - немедленно

Answer the Questions:

1. Where is the Moscow State Conservatoire?

2. What monument is there in front of the house?

3. When and how did' the Moscow Conservatoire open?

4. Who made a speech at the opening ceremony?

5. What idea of Tchaikovsky did the people listening to him approve of? 6. Who opened the festive concert?

7. Who else was among the teachers taking part in the concert?

8. When did classes begin?

9. Who trains the students there?

10. What departments are there at the Moscow Conservatoire?

11. How many students study at the Moscow Conservatoire?

12. Where do students come from to study at the Moscow Conservatoire?

13. Do they (you) take part in music competitions and concerts?