Stage Fright1

　　Fall down as you come onstage. That’s an oddtrick. Not recommended. But it saved the pianist Vladimir Feltsman when he wasa teenager back in Moscow. The veteran cellist Mstislav Rostropovich trippedhim purposely to cure him of pre-performance panic,2 Mr. Feltsmansaid, “ All my fright was gone. I already fell. What else could happen?”

　　Today, music schools are addressing the problem ofanxiety in classes that deal with performance techniques and careerpreparation. There are a variety of strategies that musicians can learn tofight stage fright and its symptoms: icy fingers, shaky limbs, racing heart,blank mind.3

　　Teachers and psychologists offer wide-rangingadvice, from basics like learning pieces inside out,4 to mentaldiscipline, such as visualizing a performance and taking steps to relax. Don’tdeny that you’re jittery，they urge; some excitement is natural, even necessary for dynamicplaying. And play in public often, simply for the experience.

　　Psychotherapist Diane Nichols suggests somestrategies for the moments before performance, “Take two deep abdominalbreaths, open up your shoulders, then smile,’’ she says. “And not one of these‘please don’t kill me’ smiles. Then choose three friendly faces in theaudience, people you would communicate with and make music to, and make eyecontact with them.” She doesn’t want performers to think of the audience as ajudge.

　　Extreme demands by mentors or parents are often atthe root of stage fright，says Dorothy Delay, a well-known violin teacher. She tells otherteachers to demand only what their students are able to achieve.

　　When Lynn Harrell was 20，he became the principal cellist ofthe Cleverland Orchestra, and he suffered extreme stage fright. “There weretimes when I got so nervous I was sure the audience could see my chestresponding to the throbbing. It was just total panic. I came to a point where Ithought,‘ If I have to go through this to play music, I think I’m going to lookfor another job.”5 Recovery, he said, involved developinghumility-recognizing that whatever his talent, he was fallible，and that an imperfect concert wasnot a disaster.6

　　It is not only young artists who suffer, ofcourse. The legendary pianist Vladimir Horowitz’s nerves were famous. The greattenor Franco Corelli is another example. “They had to push him on stage,”Soprano Renata Scotto recalled.

　　Actually，success can make things worse. “In the beginning of your career,when you’re scared to death, nobody knows who you are, and they don’t have anyexpectations,” Soprano June Anderson said. “There’s less to lose. Later on, whenyou’re known, people are coming to see you, and they have certain expectations.You have a lot to lose.”

　　Anderson added，“I never stop being nervous until I’ve sung my last note.”

　　练习：

　　1.Falling down onstage was not a good way forVladimir Feltsman to deal with his stage fright.

　　A　Right　B　Wrong　C　Not mentioned

　　2.There are many signs of stage fright.

　　A　Right　B　Wrong　C　Not mentioned

　　3.Teachers and psychologists cannot help peoplewith extreme -stage fright.

　　A　Right　B　Wrong　C　Not mentioned

　　4.To perform well on stage, you need to havesome feelings of excitement.

　　A　Right　B　Wrong　C　Not mentioned

　　5.If you have stage fright, it's helpful tohave friendly audience.

　　A　Right　B　Wrong　C　Not mentioned

　　6.Often people have stage fright becauseparents or teachers expect too much of them.

　　A　Right　B　Wrong　C　Not mentioned

　　7.Famous musicians never suffer from stagefright.

　　A　Right　B　Wrong　C　Not mentioned

　　答案与题解：

　　1.B　本文第一段讲的是钢琴家Vladimir Feltsman被MstislavRostropovich绊倒后，他的舞台恐惧被治愈了的故事。

　　2.A　第二段的最后一句点出舞台恐惧的诸多症状为手冰凉、身体颤抖、心跳加快和大脑一片空白。

　　3.B　本文的第三、四、五、六段都在讲老师和心理学家为舞台恐惧者提供全方位的建议。

　　4.A　依据第三段的倒数第二句：some excitement is natural, even necessary for dynamic playing.(表演中激情是自然甚至是必要的)

　　5.C　第四段提到克服舞台恐惧的方法之一是：在观众中选择三位友好的面孔，与他们用眼光交流。所以克服舞台恐惧要靠自己而不是指望所有的观众都友好。

　　6.A　第五段讲了舞台恐惧的根源在于指导者或父母对表演者要求太高。extreme demands就是expecttoo much of them的意思。

　　7.B　第七段讲的是：不只年轻艺术家有舞台恐惧症，钢琴家Vladimir Horowitz和男高音Franco Corelli亦不能幸免。Never一词不恰当。

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（责任编辑：何莹莹）