2 . Leo Brouwer is considered as one of the most important living figures of classical music in Latin America. His works are played regularly in concert halls globally, and he has scored over 50 films. But now, Brouwer finds it’s hard to reflect on his success. He is just grateful that people are moved by his music.
Brouwer says, “Being useful is something incredible. Perhaps my root of being an orphan reminds me of these reflections.” His parents divorced when he was very young, and his mother died when he was 11. So he decided to go to look for his father. “I found him playing the guitar, and the instrument fascinated me,” he says.
Then Brouwer taught himself music. Though his grandmother was the sister of famous composer Ernesto Lecuona, the wealthy family refused to pay for his music education.
“Being in an orphanage made me reflect on the ‘what’ and the ‘why’ of the essential things in life. I often asked myself what I was doing there and why I was fascinated with it?” he says. He listened to Cuba’s classical radio station all the time and learned how to read sheet music by staying in music stores in Havana when he was 15.
Brazilian guitarist Carlos Barbosa-Lima first heard Brouwer’s music when touring in Europe in the early 1970s. “For me it was a new experience, because I saw a composer with incredible view of the music and different styles,” Barbosa recalls. Part of that style includes traditional music and Cuban instruments in classical music forms.
Besides being a creative composer, Brouwer also founded important cultural institutions in Cuba. In 1960, he created the Cuban Institute of Art and Film Industry on the island. He stopped playing the guitar in the late 1970s, after an accident permanently damaged his right hand. Today, he focuses on composing, noting that he still has a lot of work to do. “Now I have many more ideas and have to be selective,” he says.
1. How does Brouwer behave towards his success?
| A．He thinks little of it. |
| B．He regards it as pride. |
| C．He owes it to people’s help. |
| D．He believes it’s incredible. |
2. What contributed to Brouwer’s love for music?
| A．His grandmother’s support. |
| B．His family’s music education. |
| C．The scene of his father’s playing the guitar. |
| D．The instruction his mother gave to him. |
3. Which of the following can best describe Brouwer?
| A．Brave and honest. | B．Low-key and hard-working. |
| C．Creative but skeptical. | D．Easy-going but conventional. |
4. What may be the best title for the text?
| A．The Childhood of Brouwer | B．The Achievements of Brouwer |
| C．Brouwer’s Career in Music | D．Brouwer’s Musical Productions |
