SPEAKER MUSIC by FERGAL KAVANAGH SARAH DAVISON
BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY ESERCIZI SU FREDDIE MERCURY Arriva nei cinema Bohemian Rhapsody, il film sulla vita del cantante e leader dei Queen. Considerato da molti il miglior cantante rock e pop della storia, Freddie Mercury è diventato un mito indiscusso per le sue magnifiche doti artistiche e il trascinante carisma.
ueen were formed in 1970 by unrest2. He legally changed his name to PRE-INTERMEDIATE A2 singer Freddie Mercury, guitar- Freddie Mercury when he joined Queen. Qist Brian May, drummer1 Roger Mercury is the Roman god of eloquence ON CD 2 Taylor, and bassist John Deacon. They and messages – an ideal name for a song- decided on the name Queen because writer3! GLOSSARY Mercury thought that it sounded “regal, splendid and immediate.” US TOUR 1 drummer: batterista 2 unrest: tensioni At first, the band were not popular. One 3 songwriter: A ROMAN GOD of their early concerts had just six people compositore di Freddie Mercury’s original in the audience, their first two canzoni name was Farrokh Bulsara singles were unsuccessful. 4 big break: grande 4 occasione and he was born in Stone Is- Queen’s big break came in 5 supported: fare da land, Zanzibar. He moved to 1973 when they supported5 a gruppo spalla London with his family as a band called Mott The Hoople teenager to escape political on a UK tour, accompany-
28 fourteeneight fifteen3 Opposite page: Freddie Mercury and Queen GLOSSARY at Wembley, London, 1986. 6 first-ever: il primo in Clockwise from assoluto above: Brian May, 7 charity concert: Freddie Mercury, John concerto di Deacon and Roger beneficenza Taylor; We Will Rock 8 bronchial You the musical in pneumonia: London,2013; Rami broncopolmonite Malek as Mercury in 9 biopic: film Bohemian Rhapsody; Freddie Mercury at biografico Live Aid, 1985.
ing them to America. These Queen were on tour at the time and re- shows were a big success, corded a video to promote the song. They with many in the audi- decided to use digital effects – creating ence preferring Queen. the first-ever6 music video!
FIRST MUSIC A GREAT PERFORMER VIDEO Although Queen’s popularity was starting That same year Queen to fall in the 1980’s, their performance at released Bohemian the enormous Live Aid charity concert7 at Rhapsody, their most fa- Wembley Stadium in 1985 is considered mous song. It was nine to be the best of all bands that played that weeks at the day. Mercury also produced original solo top of the work, including an album called Barcelo- UK charts. na recorded with the soprano Montserrat Caballé.
SUDDEN DEATH On 24th of November 1991, Freddie Mercury died of bronchial pneumo- nia8 caused by AIDS. It was just 24 hours after he admitted publically that he had the virus. He became one of many fa- mous figures who died from the illness. In 2010, Rolling Stone named Freddie Mercury number 18 on its list of the 100 greatest singers ever. His incredible story is told in a new biopic9 starring Rami Malek. It is called Bohemian Rhapsody.
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