II. Cloze Test (10%)
(A)
Maestro Fukumura opened the program with Haydn’s Symphony No. 82 in G, which perfectly showcased the
impressive _(16)_ of the orchestra’s string section, as they were able to shift effortlessly between the differing tempos.
The vivace was indeed spirited and lively, the allegretto expertly controlled; the minuet was sweet and nuanced; and
the energy of the piece was sustained up to the last note of the fast-paced finale.
2 of 5
The second piece, Ravel’s “Ma mère l’Oye,” was most excellently executed, and evoked the _(17)_ of the
composition, which features tales of fairies and far-away lands. The Maestro—whose Asian roots have given him an
intuitive understanding of Eastern elements —managed to bring the audience to the imperial courts of the Middle
Kingdom, like the fairy tale behind it: a young girl transported by a magical dragon to a faraway land.
The next piece was Khachaturian’s Masquerade Suite. _(18)_ the whimsy lightness of the previous piece, this
was dark and heavy; the orchestra’s performers were able to shift from a light and whimsical hand to something
foreboding and emotionally overwhelming. The Slavic tune managed to inspire feelings of cold and uncertainty,
_(19)_ we were subjects under a ruthless Russian Czar.
By the end of the performance, the maestro was visibly exhausted from what was undoubtedly hard work; yet
he and the orchestra managed, perhaps _(20)_ only by the love of music, to give an encore of the Masquerade, with
the second performance even more forceful than the first. One could see from the performance the true nature of
genius: the ability to produce something of great magnificence, only after all one’s strength is gone.
【題組】19. (A) only when (B) on condition that (C) even if (D) as if