TheWaltz“Thisindecent(不文雅的)foreigndancewasintroducedattheEnglishcourtonFridaylast...wetrustitwillneveragainbetoleratedinanymoralEnglishsociety.”(TheTimes1816.)Thewaltzwasthefirstcourt
TheWaltz
“Thisindecent(不文雅的)foreigndancewasintroducedattheEnglishcourtonFridaylast...wetrustitwillneveragainbetoleratedinanymoralEnglishsociety.”(TheTimes1816.)
ThewaltzwasthefirstcourtdancesinceShakespeare’stimewherethecouplewereallowedtospinroundholdingeachotherveryclosely.Thefactthatitwaslabeled“immoral”oreven“obscene(下流的)”nodoubthelpedtomakepeoplethinkitwasrathershockingfun.
ThewaltzoriginatedinGermanyfromtheenergeticfolk-dancesofthecountrypeople.Bythemid-18thcenturythesmarttownpeopleweretryingitandverysoon,ithadspreadthroughouttherestofEurope,althoughpartsofGermanyandSwitzerlandbanneditcompletely!InViennathewaltzbecameveryfast,withthecouplesracingeachothersevenoreighttimesroundtheballroomfloor,untiltheywereinastateofcollapse.Sothepolicedecidedtoforbidtheextremeformsofthedance,asitwascreatingapublicdisturbance.
However,itwasalsoinViennathatLannerandStraussmadetheirfortunesasbandleadersandcomposers.Strauss’son,JohnStraussestablishedhimselfasthe“waltz”.Chopincomplainedthatclassicalmusicwasbeingignoredinfavorofthewaltz.HealsocomplainedthatpiecesbyMozartandBeethovenwerebeing“waltzified”topleasethepublictaste.Butthisdidnotloweritspopularity,whichstillcontinueseventoday.
1.Themusicofwaltzwasfirstlyplayedin__________.
A.England B.Germany
C.SwitzerlandD.Vienna
2.WhydidthepolicedecidetoforbidtheextremedanceofwaltzinVienna?
A.Becausethepolicethoughtthedancerswereholdingeachotherveryclosely.
B.Becausethepolicethoughtthedancerswerespendingtoomuchtimeindancing.
C.Becausethepolicethoughtthedancersofwaltzwerecreatingtroubleinthepublic.
D.Becausethepolicethoughtthedancersofwaltzwerealwaysinastateofbeingwornout.
3.Whichofthefollowingstatementsistrueaccordingtothepassage?
A.Inthebeginningthewaltzwascreatedbysomefamouscomposers.
B.Althoughthewaltzwasbannedinoneortwocountries,yetithadspreadallovertherestof