Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s was the only-surviving son of Leopold and Maria Pertl Mozart. Leopold was a successful composer, violinist, and assistant concert master at the Salzburg court. Wolfgang's mother, a constantly ill housewife, was born to a middle class family of local community leaders. His only sister was Maria Anna. With their father’s encouragement and guidance, they both were introduced to music at an early age. Leopold started Anna on keyboard when she was seven, as three-year old Wolfgang looked on.           Mimicking her playing, Wolfgang quickly began to show a strong understanding of chords, tonality, and tempo. Soon, he too was being tutored by his father.

Leopold was a devoted and task-oriented teacher to both his children. He made the lessons fun, but also insisted on a strong work ethic and perfection. Fortunately, both children excelled well in these areas. Recognising their special talents, Leopold devoted much of his time to their education in music as well as other subjects. Wolfgang soon showed signs of excelling beyond his father's teachings with an early composition at age five and demonstrating outstanding ability on harpsichord and the violin. He would soon go on to play the piano, organ and viola.

Exercise 10. Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D to indicate the correct answer to each of the questions.

In the 1960s, it took pop and rock groups one or two days to record other their songs. Nowadays, it can take months and months. Many rock groups begin by recording only one instrument, for example, the voice. Then they record other instruments – electric piano, synthesiser, guitars, drums and so on.

Next, they might use a computer to add special effects. Finally, they ‘mix’ all the instruments until they get the sound that they want. This means that a CD or cassette will always sound very different from a live concert.

Music engineers have developed a new eomputer programme that will change the future of music. A computer can analyse a singer's voice. Then if you give the computer the lyrics and music of a song, the computer can 'sing' it in that voice. This means that a singer only needs to record one song and the computer can then sing other songs in the singer's own voice. Singers can sing new songs many years after they have died.

Most of us listen to music for pleasure, but for the record companies, music is a product, the same as soap powder. When a record company finds a new group (or 'band'), they first try to develop the band's 'profile'. They will try to create an 'image' for the band that they think will attract young people. Instead of allowing the band’s full artistic freedom, they will often tell the band what they should wear, what they should say and how they should sing and play.

In recent year, many rock groups have started their own record companies because they say that the big companies are too commercial.