Celebrity File Japan by Lint


英文		重要語句
■ In 1982, a confident 11-year-old girl walked onto the stage of Avery Fisher Hall to play with Zubin Mehta and the New York Philharmonic orchestra. Armed with a child-size violin, she played the first movement of Paganini's Concerto No. 1 and stunned the audience with her amazing prowess. The entire classical music world was soon talking about this child prodigy from Osaka and in the years ahead she would perform with the world's greatest orchestras.		arm　武装する first movement　第一楽章 stun　…をびっくりさせる prowess　優れた能力 prodigy　神童
■■ So who was this young girl? How could she accomplish by age eleven what many violinists never do in a lifetime? The answer is lots and lots of practice. Growing up, she practiced for several hours a day with her mother and eventually a tape of her playing wound up in the hands of America's top violin teacher. The teacher was astonished to learn that an eight-year-old could play with such skill. Midori was invited to the Aspen Music Festival in 1981 and later to the prestigious Julliard School in New York City. Word of her talent soon spread and Zubin Mehta, conductor of the New York Philharmonic, invited Midori to an audition where once again, everyone in the building was in awe of how this tiny child could play like an experienced adult in her prime. She made her debut with the New York Philharmonic in December of 1982 and soon orchestras around the world invited her to perform as a soloist and classical music fans could not believe the complicated musical pieces she seemed to play with such ease. In 1985 she performed in the "Hiroshima Peace Tour" under Leonard Bernstein and a few years later participated in some of the famous conductor's last concerts.		accomplish　…を成し遂げる wind up ...　結局…となる in the hands of ...　 …に託されて prestigious　名声のある word　うわさ conductor　指揮者 in awe of ...　…に畏敬の念を抱いて prime　最盛期 soloist　独奏者 piece　楽曲 with ease　難なく；容易に
■■■ It was while performing with Bernstein that one of the most extraordinary performances ever occurred. During a serenade, she broke an E string on her child-size violin, she was quickly handed an adult-size violin and broke another E string. She was given a third violin and managed to finish the piece without skipping a beat. Afterwards, the audience and even the orchestra applauded her efforts. Bernstein fell to his knees. The next day, the front page of the New York Times read "Girl, 14, Conquers Tanglewood with 3 Violins." She also performed with Isaac Stern and Yo-Yo Ma among others.		extraordinary　驚くべき string　弦 hand　…を手渡す beat　拍；拍子 applaud　…を褒めたたえる fall to one’s knees　ひざまずく read　…と書いてある conquer　…を克服する Tanglewood　マサチューセッツ州レノックス市の野外コンサート場
■■■■ She began recording in 1986 and in 1988 signed with CBS Masterworks (now Sony Classical), produced an impressive body of recordings and her fame spread around the world. She continued performing with the world's greatest orchestras while practicing and expanding her repertoire. Her busy schedule did not keep her from graduating from New York University with honors and devoting a large portion of her time to musical education of the young.		body of ...　多数の… fame　名声 repertoire　レパートリー keep ... from ～　…に～させない with honors　優等で devote ... to ～　…を～に充てる
■■■■■ Midori lives in New York City with her two dogs Franzie and Willa. When not performing or practicing music, she enjoys reading and attending the theater.

－written by Brock Spore

Go back to Celebrity File Japan frontpage