# something nice I'd like to share with you



## myaskovsky2002

A few weeks ago I subscribed to a Russian beginners course because I thought I still make many mistakes. The teacher told me immediately I wasn't a beginner...Yesterday, finally he evaluated me and told me I was Intermediate II at least or advanced. I was so happy and proud, because all I have studied was by my own. I studied by myself and practiced with some Russian friends...Russian language for me is very important...since I was a teenager I wanted to learn that language.

That's all. Thank you for "listening" to me.

Martin


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## Manxfeeder

Great! I wish you were out in the Clarksville, Tennessee, area. I'm in a small home church out there, and one of the people who comes is a Russian immigrant who speaks little English. I've tried to memorize some phrases from Rachmanonov's Vespers, but I'm pretty much pathetic in my attempts.


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## Il_Penseroso

myaskovsky2002 said:


> A few weeks ago I subscribed to a Russian beginners course because I thought I still make many mistakes. The teacher told me immediately I wasn't a beginner...Yesterday, finally he evaluated me and told me I was Intermediate II at least or advanced. I was so happy and proud, because all I have studied was by my own. I studied by myself and practiced with some Russian friends...Russian language for me is very important...since I was a teenager I wanted to learn that language.
> 
> That's all. Thank you for "listening" to me.
> 
> Martin


I want to learn that language too ... As a matter of fact i'm now working on some Russian songs with a friend who is a Basso ... besides, I don't wanna read Russian literature masterworks in translation anymore.

Good luck with your study.


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## Yoshi

That's pretty good, I once decided to learn Russian by my own but quickly gave up. :lol:
I hope someday I can get Russian lessons, not this year because I already have Italian and German.


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## sospiro

myaskovsky2002 said:


> A few weeks ago I subscribed to a Russian beginners course because I thought I still make many mistakes. The teacher told me immediately I wasn't a beginner...Yesterday, finally he evaluated me and told me I was Intermediate II at least or advanced. I was so happy and proud, because all I have studied was by my own. I studied by myself and practiced with some Russian friends...Russian language for me is very important...since I was a teenager I wanted to learn that language.
> 
> That's all. Thank you for "listening" to me.
> 
> Martin


It's hard to learn another language, even when it's something you really want to do & especially difficult in another script.

Congratulations Martin.


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## Fsharpmajor

myaskovsky2002 said:


> A few weeks ago I subscribed to a Russian beginners course because I thought I still make many mistakes. The teacher told me immediately I wasn't a beginner...Yesterday, finally he evaluated me and told me I was Intermediate II at least or advanced. I was so happy and proud, because all I have studied was by my own. I studied by myself and practiced with some Russian friends...Russian language for me is very important...since I was a teenager I wanted to learn that language.
> 
> That's all. Thank you for "listening" to me.
> 
> Martin


I would like to know what the term for classical music is in Russian (both in Roman and Cyrillic lettering). It sounds like you might be the man to ask.


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## myaskovsky2002

I would like to know what the term for classical music is in Russian (both in Roman and Cyrillic lettering). It sounds like you might be the man to ask.
====================================================

Klasicheskaya muzika . Классическая музика.


Martin - Maptин

I leaned to read and write in Russian when I was 17 (1,000 years ago....LOL)



But in a sentence you have to decline...Ia liubliu klasicheskuyu Muziku.

Ia ochen liubliu!


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## myaskovsky2002

sospiro said:


> It's hard to learn another language, even when it's something you really want to do & especially difficult in another script.
> 
> Congratulations Martin.


Thanks a lot. It's not just the alphabet...you have declensions like in latin, this is the hardest part. But I got used to it.
It is like eating something you don't like for a while...finally you accept it. LOL

Example: Eta Ivan (this is Ivan) but Ia snaiu Ivana (I know Ivan) - accusative and I gavariu Ivanu (I speak to Ivan) - dative- and Ivana Kniga (Ivan's book)- genitive. And gavarit (speak) has another mode (skazat) Ia gavariu (I speak) but Ia khachu scazat (I want to speak). Ia gavariu c Ivanom (I speak with Ivan, instrumental)

LOL

Best

Martin


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## myaskovsky2002

Jan said:


> That's pretty good, I once decided to learn Russian by my own but quickly gave up. :lol:
> I hope someday I can get Russian lessons, not this year because I already have Italian and German.


I've never given up anything in my life.....I'm stubborn!

Try again (if you really like it)

Best wishes

Martin


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## sospiro

myaskovsky2002 said:


> Thanks a lot. It's not just the alphabet...you have declensions like in latin, this is the hardest part. But I got used to it.
> It is like eating something you don't like for a while...finally you accept it. LOL
> 
> Example: Eta Ivan (this is Ivan) but Ia snaiu Ivana (I know Ivan) - accusative and I gavariu Ivanu (I speak to Ivan) - dative- and Ivana Kniga (Ivan's book)- genitive. And gavarit (speak) has another mode (skazat) Ia gavariu (I speak) but Ia khachu scazat (I want to speak). Ia gavariu c Ivanom (I speak with Ivan, instrumental)




It must be just as difficult for a native Russian to learn English. And of course for an opera singer who has to learn Italian, French & German as well.

@ Natalie and any other French speaker

What do you think of his French?


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## myaskovsky2002

sospiro said:


> It must be just as difficult for a native Russian to learn English. And of course for an opera singer who has to learn Italian, French & German as well.
> 
> @ Natalie and any other French speaker
> 
> What do you think of his French?


English is the easiest language I know: no masculins, nor femenins, no declensions, just nominatives...
English is not my mother tongue...even though I think I can manage perfectly well...I consider that I speak well Spanish (I was born in Argentina), English (my father was british AND I went to a Scottish school) and my mother was French. Russian was a personal interest, because I read many Russian writers and I went to Russian two times when I was 17-18 yeras old...now, I'd love to read again Pushkin, Gogol and Turgeniev in Russian...I'm not close to it. I'm very curious...is that bad?

Sincerely

Martin

on the table = na stalie (in Russian) under the table = pad stalom (in Russian). Indeed the guy's French sucks. But pronounciation is not the only issue in a language...You need grammar (I love grammar).


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## samurai

Congrats, Martin! :tiphat: Sounds to me that if you keep at it, you'll be fluent in no time at all.


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## myaskovsky2002

samurai said:


> Congrats, Martin! :tiphat: Sounds to me that if you keep at it, you'll be fluent in no time at all.


Thank you soooooo much. Today a Russian guy came in order to deliver a mattress. He was Russian. We were speaking in Russian and he told me that "my Russian was so good". I was so proud! He was a doctor in his country. I found that unfair.

Thank you again. You're probably too kind.

Martin


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## Yoshi

Today I had dinner at a restaurant that I usualy go to and there's a russian waiter. Me trying to sound nice and smart, said spasiba when he brought the bill. He responded with: "spasiba, dasvidania" And I was like: "Is that hello or goodbye?" 

How embarassing... I seriously forgot what the word meant, and I knew it a few days ago. Please teach me some russian myaskovsky .


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## jurianbai

I like to learn Russian since I watched 007 movies. btw, I once forced to learn the cyrilic in connection with my other hobby, chess.


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## Almaviva

Congratulations, Martin, this is quite the accomplishment.:tiphat:
I'd like to learn German...
But life is so busy...


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## graaf

myaskovsky2002 is quite right: Slavic languages are heavy on declension by case and gender - both almost absent in English. German nouns are almost never changed by declension (except by number, of course) - only their article is. Basically, if you know a gender of a noun (sun is "die Sonne" - feminine, moon is "der Mond" - masculine), you know the declension by case, with very rare exceptions. For example, "on the moon" = "auf dem Mond", so "der Mond" became "dem Mond", article changed, not the noun. In Slavic languages there are no articles, so you change the word itself: "moon" = "mesec", "on the moon = na mesecu" (Serbian example).

In high school I always had to memorize gender of German nouns, and never developed an intuitive feeling for it - although my teacher told us we could do it. Maybe she was biased - after all, German was her mother tongue!  In Slavic languages, knowing gender does not determine declension by case, every word is for itself, which makes the job even harder. Many people live in Serbia half of their lives, and never fully learn it.

Ironically, what I just wrote on grammar probably has grammatical errors - but then again, I never claimed proficiency in English! 

edit: just to clarify, I saw Alma's post after I wrote my post, so my examples in German are not prompted by that post, but were "inspired" by my high school classes


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## Sid James

Well done, Martin.

& I think learning a foreign language is great, because you also get to understand & learn more about the customs & traditions, etc. of a country. It's not only about things like grammar and pronunciation, it's about other things as well (eg. linking in with your passion for Russian culture).



Jan said:


> ..."spasiba, dasvidania"....


That's basically the extent of my Russian language knowledge. Oh, & things like tovarich (comrade) which is probably not used any more...


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## myaskovsky2002

Almaviva said:


> Congratulations, Martin, this is quite the accomplishment.:tiphat:
> I'd like to learn German...
> But life is so busy...


Well, I'm busy too...But being almost 60 (I'll turn 60 on 12/12) I decided to take TIME to myself. I go to the gym at least 4 times a week, I listen to music at least 4 hours a day (often while exercising), I like cooking and "I think" I cook well...Other this, I run my language school, I teach Spanish and French and also some English (should I not?). I love reading and I read at least 1:30 hours a day. Now I'm reading a fantastic novel I downloaded with my Kindle. I got it for free...Now it's about 9 bucks. "Raising jake", by Charlie Carillo.










Just a suggestion: *take your time to live*, my friend. As far as I know, we just live once.

Best,

Martin


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## Huilunsoittaja

Myaskovsky, I was in my Music School's Library this past week, and found a super old Glazunov biography in Russian. At that moment, I really wished I knew Russian, because I could see it was a really cool, in-depth biography about his life, something I've never seen in my life. Maybe one day...


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## myaskovsky2002

Sid James said:


> Well done, Martin.
> 
> & I think learning a foreign language is great, because you also get to understand & learn more about the customs & traditions, etc. of a country. It's not only about things like grammar and pronunciation, it's about other things as well (eg. linking in with your passion for Russian culture).
> 
> That's basically the extent of my Russian language knowledge. Oh, & things like tovarich (comrade) which is probably not used any more...


You're right about culture...but I read all Gogol, 95% of Pushkin, 35% of Dostoyevsky, 30% of Turgeniev (fake numbers of course...LOL except for Gogol)...and went to Russia twice (1 month and a half and one month)...when I was 17-18...and met Dmitri Shostakovich in Moscow in 1970 and spend 1 hour with him having tea and speaking about music...I loved my experience!
He was so friendly and humble...I couldn't believe it! I also LOVE Russian opera and I'd say I became a kind of "specialist" (please, I don't want to be pretentious) in that field...Not because I know a lot...but maybe because I know so little about everything else...I know pretty well (less than I'd like to know, of course) about Russian folklore and history...

Believe it or not, when nobody was looking, I sat on the trone of....... Ivan the terrible, the ivory one!!!!!!
I felt a powerful tsar for about 1 and a 1/2 minutes...LOL A very cruel one! (I promise I haven't killed my son...yet...LOL)










Martin, the terrible


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## HarpsichordConcerto

Martin, you might as well assume the role of Talk-Classical's in-house Russian interpreter on Russian language and specialist on Russian music, especially Russian opera.

поздравления!


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## myaskovsky2002

HarpsichordConcerto said:


> Martin, you might as well assume the role of Talk-Classical's in-house Russian interpreter on Russian language and specialist on Russian music, especially Russian opera.
> 
> поздравления!


Thank you...My Russian is not good enough yet.

Martin


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## science

I don't mind noun cases - once you get used to them, they're easier than a bunch of prepositions.


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## myaskovsky2002

in order to keep this thread "alive", I'd propose you some "flash-Russian" lessons. I would not write in cyrillic...I'd rather write as you should pronounce in English...The accent will show how to pronounce...

Kak dielá ? = How are you? Kharashó = well Nie plokha = not bad
Kak vas zavút ? = What is your name Menya zavút Martin = My name is Martin
Gdie zheviótie? = where do you live? I zhivú v Kanadié = I live in Canada
Skolka liet? = how old are you? Mnie piadisiát deviát liet = I am 59 years old
Vi zhenát? = are you married (for a man) Da, ia zhenát = Yes, I'm married
Prostitie pazhalushta = I'm sorry...(he/she is going to ask something) Da? Chto khatitie? = Yes, what do you want?
Spaciba = thank you Pazhalsta = You are welcome
Kak zavút vasha zhená? Maia zhená zavút Susana or ieio zavut Susana (my wife's name is Susana or her name is Susana)


LOL

I hope you'll enjoy this very first lesson...

Martin, smiling


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## myaskovsky2002

I'm sorry I don't know where to post this...I have forgotten where these kinds of pictuere were...Then here you have my collection
















DVDs







vinyls


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## myaskovsky2002

Mike







Judy

Martin


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## myaskovsky2002

Nice collection Martin...I know you took some time for the pictures...But you're not a very talented photographer...Nice try.

You took the same pictures 4 or 5 times to show more...Just different angles. You are cheating! I don't like your Mozart collection, it is really cheap...and the version you have about Kodály's Harry Janos is not the best...I used a magnifier to see it...But gladly you have all my works...I'll forgive you then....

Sincerely
Nikolai Myaskovsky


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## Huilunsoittaja

With all those CDs, you could probably run your own radio station. You just need a transmitter, and you'll have all that music for your disposal. Every morning will be "Myaskovsky's favorites" and every evening "Myaskovsky's choice."


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## Sid James

I'm surprised you didn't name your (boy) dog after your favourite composer (eg. your brown dog called Mike should be called Nikolai - or is "Mike" close enough?). Or maybe that would be too obsessive/wierd, or not respectful towards Myaskovsky, etc...


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## CountessAdele

Congrats Martin! I'm trying to do the same with german (I'm horrible so don't ask me to say anything!) because my dad speaks a bit of german. Although he hasn't had anyone to speak it with in years so sometimes when he speaks he accidently switches to spanish lol, his first language is english. Also my favorite soprano is german and I want to know what she says in the german interviews!!!


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## samurai

@ Martin, I just listened to the first symphony of Alexander Glazunov last night and found it very enjoyable. However, I noticed that the title given this piece by the composer {I would guess} is *"Slavyanskaya".* Could you tell me if that translates to "Slavic dance", or--if not that--then what exactly does it mean in Russian? Thanks for your help.


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## myaskovsky2002

Huilunsoittaja said:


> With all those CDs, you could probably run your own radio station. You just need a transmitter, and you'll have all that music for your disposal. Every morning will be "Myaskovsky's favorites" and every evening "Myaskovsky's choice."


LOL

Martin


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## myaskovsky2002

Sid James said:


> I'm surprised you didn't name your (boy) dog after your favourite composer (eg. your brown dog called Mike should be called Nikolai - or is "Mike" close enough?). Or maybe that would be too obsessive/wierd, or not respectful towards Myaskovsky, etc...


Can you imagine that Nikolai didn't come up to my mind? But...maybe for another dog....LOL

Martin


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## myaskovsky2002

samurai said:


> @ Martin, I just listened to the first symphony of Alexander Glazunov last night and found it very enjoyable. However, I noticed that the title given this piece by the composer {I would guess} is *"Slavyanskaya".* Could you tell me if that translates to "Slavic dance", or--if not that--then what exactly does it mean in Russian? Thanks for your help.


Not exactly...Slavyasnkaya means just "Slavic thing/stuff" (femenin) Slavic being and adjective...There is no noun...Slavyanskaya Muzica would be slavic music...But there is no noun here...
I am not a Glazunov fan. He has wonderful melodies (especially his symphonies), but he's considered a bit old fashion, he has a few really bad compositions that I have because I am a "collectionneur" but I could not have them as well...I could survive...

Martin


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## myaskovsky2002

CountessAdele said:


> Congrats Martin! I'm trying to do the same with german (I'm horrible so don't ask me to say anything!) because my dad speaks a bit of german. Although he hasn't had anyone to speak it with in years so sometimes when he speaks he accidently switches to spanish lol, his first language is english. Also my favorite soprano is german and I want to know what she says in the german interviews!!!


German is quite difficult also, the best of lucks. As in Russian, you have femenin/masculin/neutral words

Martin


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## myaskovsky2002

huilunsoittaja said:


> with all those cds, you could probably run your own radio station. You just need a transmitter, and you'll have all that music for your disposal. Every morning will be "myaskovsky's favorites" and every evening "myaskovsky's choice."


lol...............................................


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## CountessAdele

myaskovsky2002 said:


> German is quite difficult also, the best of lucks. As in Russian, you have femenin/masculin/neutral words
> 
> Martin


Thank you! Yes its the feminine/masculine/ and neutral that give me the most problems!


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## myaskovsky2002

CountessAdele said:


> Thank you! Yes its the feminine/masculine/ and neutral that give me the most problems!


Russian is even harder...You have 6 cases for declensions...and a different pair of verbs with the same meaning.

ex.: Gavarit ------ Skazat

Ia gavaril (I was speaking) - Ia skazal ( I spoke)
Ia skazhu (I will speak) Ia khachu skazat (I want to speak...) no Ia khachu gavarit

Declensions

Éta Ivan (this is Ivan, nominative)
I snaiu Ivana (I know Ivan; accusative)
Ia gavariu Ivanu (I speak with Ivan, dative)
Ivana kniga (Ivan's book, genitive)
Ia gavariu c Ivanom (I speak to ivan, instrumental)
Ia gavariu o Ivanie (I speak about Ivan, prepositional)

The femenins are all different. Ex. accusative masculine + a; accusative femenin: replace a by u...etc with other declensions.

Ia snaiu Ivana but Ia snaiu Ninu

How can I remember? Well...I don't even know, maybe I'm not so silly...

See you

Martin


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## graaf

I understand that you use Latin alphabet here on forum, but do you use Cyrillic alphabet off forum?


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## samurai

@ Martin, Thanks for your translation of that word from the Glazunov First Symphony. :tiphat:


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## myaskovsky2002

graaf said:


> I understand that you use Latin alphabet here on forum, but do you use Cyrillic alphabet off forum?


Indeed. Otherwise many people won't be able to read it. I read Cyrillic as fast as Latin alphabet. I learned it when I was 17 years old...It was useful for my trip tu Russia. Everything was written in Cyrillic there/then...I also have the Russian alphabet on my computer but I have to connect a special keyboard (with the sticker on it) whan I want to type in Russian.

Paká

Martin


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## myaskovsky2002

samurai said:


> @ Martin, Thanks for your translation of that word from the Glazunov First Symphony. :tiphat:


You extremely welcome! au plaisir!

Martin


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## Huilunsoittaja

myaskovsky2002 said:


> lol...............................................


Thank you for the second lol.

:tiphat:


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## myaskovsky2002

If you need any translation, I'd be glad to TRY to help you. No waranty...

Martin


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