Q&A Hero

Q: In bebop, the beat of the music was mainly marked by the ______. A. piano B. bass drum C. pizzicato bass D. trumpet

Q: Bebop, as a musical style, developed in the _______. A. 1930s B. early 1940s C. 1950s D. early 1960s

Q: Bebop differed from earlier jazz forms in that it _______. A. used simple harmonies B. was meant for attentive listening, not dancing C. used written arrangements with little improvisation D. All answers are correct.

Q: Duke Ellington's compositions are outstanding because they ______. A. have a rich variety of tone colors B. are richer in harmony C. explore the distinctive sounds of individual musicians D. All answers are correct.

Q: Duke Ellington was an important figure in ______. A. swing B. ragtime C. bebop D. All answers are correct.

Q: One of the leading figures in the history of jazz, and the composer of such compositions as Black, Brown, and Beige and Sophisticated Lady, is ______. A. Duke Ellington B. Louis Armstrong C. Benny Goodman D. Cootie Williams

Q: Short repeated melodic phrases frequently used during the swing era are called ______. A. riffs B. breaks C. gigs D. tags

Q: One of the most important solo instruments of the swing era was the ______. A. cornet B. guitar C. tuba D. saxophone

Q: The typical swing band had about fifteen musicians, grouped into these three sections. A. Saxophones, trumpets, and trombones B. Saxophones, brasses, and rhythm C. Trumpets, trombones, and rhythm D. Saxophones, brasses, and piano

Q: The typical form of a swing composition is ______. A. 32-bar AABA B. 12-bar ABA C. 16-bar AB D. 24-bar AAB

Q: The rhythm section of a swing band normally consisted of ______. A. piano, percussion, guitar, and bass B. percussion, guitar, and bass C. piano, percussion, and bass D. piano, percussion, and guitar

Q: A new respectability for jazz was symbolized in 1938 when Benny Goodman gave an historic concert at ______. A. Preservation Hall, New Orleans B. Carnegie Hall, New York C. Aeolian Hall, New York D. Dreamland Ballroom, Chicago

Q: The jazz style called swing flourished in America from ______. A. 1900 to 1917 B. 1917 to 1935 C. 1935 to 1945 D. 1945 to 1955

Q: The most distinctive feature of New Orleans style jazz was ______. A. the use of a saxophone for the melody B. collective improvisation by the front line C. solo breaks by the rhythm instruments D. its lack of syncopated melodies

Q: "Scat singing," which Louis Armstrong introduced into jazz, is ______. A. vocalization of a melodic line with nonsense syllables B. singing with a gravel-throated sound C. singing above the normal vocal range, or falsetto D. not being able to sing on pitch

Q: The melodic instruments, or cornet, clarinet, and trombone, of a Dixieland band were known as the ______. A. stars B. front line C. rear line D. combo

Q: The "front line" of a Dixieland group included ______. A. cornet, clarinet, and trombone B. drums, bass, and banjo C. piano D. All answers are correct.

Q: The major center of jazz from about 1900 to 1917 was ______. A. Chicago B. New Orleans C. New York D. Kansas City

Q: New Orleans style Dixieland flourished in the United States ______. A. from the 1860s to about 1890 B. from the 1890s to about 1900 C. from 1900 to 1917 D. from 1917 to 1935

Q: 25. Which of the following statements is not true? A. "Scat singing," which Louis Armstrong introduced into jazz, refers to the vocalization of a melodic line with nonsense syllables. B. African American bands in New Orleans often played jazz during funeral processions. C. The style of Dixieland in Chicago in the 1920s was basically the same as it had been in New Orleans. D. Most early jazz performers in New Orleans were untrained musicians who played by ear and relied on improvisation.

Q: City Scape is a work for orchestra composed by ______. Jennifer Higdon B. Kaija Saariaho C. John Adams D. Astor Piazzolla

Q: 221. Which of the following statements is not true about Kaija Saariahos opera, Lamour de loin (Love from Afar)? A. The opera does not have a plot. It focuses on the emotions of love instead. B. The opera features the blending of instrumental and electronic sounds. C. The male role of the Pilgrim is sung by a woman. D. The libretto is in French and was written by Amin Maalouf, a Lebanese novelist.

Q: What is Kaija Saariahos opera, Lamour de loin (Love from Afar) about? A. Prince Jaufr Rudel of Blaye, a twelfth-century troubadour B. A man infatuated with a famous Parisian actress C. Joan of Arc D. Starving artists living in Paris

Q: Eric Whitacre's choral music often does what? A. Incorporates the rhythms of rock and roll B. Alternates consonant chords with sweetly dissonant tone clusters C. Quotes passages from the masters of European classical music D. Uses African rhythmic patterns

Q: In 2009, Eric Whitacre's music was heard by millions of people, who could watch and listen through his ______. A. video of concert footage B. Internet Virtual Choir project C. constant touring D. personal website

Q: John Adams's Short Ride in a Fast Machine is scored for a ______. A. prepared piano B. mezzo-soprano, boy soprano, oboe, mandolin, harp, percussion, and electric piano C. sound engineer, a female vocalist, five instrumentalists, and a violin soloist D. large symphonic orchestra and two synthesizers

Q: Composer John Adams believes that today's composers can draw from ______. A. only music from their own cultures B. the music of the Classical Period C. a wide variety of styles and periods D. only orchestral instruments

Q: Which of the following compositions was not composed by John Adams? A. Short Ride in a Fast Machine B. Nixon in China C. Einstein on the Beach D. The Death of Klinghoffer

Q: Philip Glass's Einstein on the Beach is an example of ___________ music. A. electronic B. minimalist C. chance D. quotation

Q: Philip Glass's Einstein on the Beach is a(n) ______. A. song cycle B. symphonic poem C. Broadway musical D. opera

Q: A _________ is an extended melody sung without text, only on vowels. A. song B. Sprechstimme C. vibraphone D. vocalise

Q: The _____________ is a large xylophone with resonators. A. vibraphone B. malletphone C. glockenspiel D. marimba

Q: The _________ is a percussion instrument with tuned metal bars and tubular metal resonators that produce a vibrato by means of motor-driven revolving vanes. A. vibraphone B. gamelan C. xylophone D. marimba

Q: George Crumb's song cycle Ancient Voices of Children is based on the poetry of ______. A. Anna Magdalena Bach B. Federico Garca Lorca C. Jorge Guilln D. A. R. Ammons

Q: Yo-Yo Ma is a world famous ______. A. pianist B. harpist C. violinist D. cellist

Q: Which of the following statements about Astor Piazzolla is true? A. All of the answers are correct. B. He fused traditional tango with elements from classical music and jazz into a new style called Tango Nuevo. C. He was born in Argentina and grew up in New York City. D. He studied composition with Alberto Ginastera and Nadia Boulanger.

Q: In addition to his composing, Astor Piazzolla was known for playing the ______. A. bandoneon B. violin C. vibraphone D. harmonium

Q: The Argentinian composer Astor Piazzolla fuses classical music and jazz with the ______. A. rumba B. samba C. merengue D. tango

Q: Piazzolla grew up in New York City but was born in ______. A. Argentina B. Brazil C. Italy D. France

Q: Edgard Varse's Pome lectronique ______. A. was designed for the 1958 Brussels World's Fair B. was one of the earliest masterpieces of electronic music created in a tape studio C. was composed in collaboration with the famous architect Le Corbusier D. All answers are correct.

Q: Ionisation, the first important work for percussion ensemble, was composed by ______. A. John Cage B. Edgard Varse C. Ellen Taaffe Zwilich D. Steve Reich

Q: Around 1940, John Cage invented the prepared piano, a(n) ______. A. electronic keyboard capable of producing many percussive sounds B. grand piano complete with flowers, candelabra, and elaborate decorations C. grand piano whose sound is altered by objects such as bolts, screws, rubber bands, pieces of felt, paper, and plastic inserted between the strings of some of the keys D. ensemble of percussion instruments

Q: Intervals smaller than the half step are called ______. A. white tones B. tone clusters C. macrotones D. microtones

Q: In electronic music, there is no need for ______. A. harmony B. melody C. performers D. rhythm

Q: Composers who have returned to the use of tonality have been called ______. A. "new Classicists" B. "new Romantics" C. "new Expressionists" D. "new Impressionists"

Q: Since 1950 many composers have returned to ______. A. tonal music B. Polynesian music C. electronic music D. rhythmless music

Q: Many composers since the mid-1960s have made extensive use of quotations from earlier music as an attempt to do what? A. Simplify writing original compositions B. Improve communication between the composer and the listener C. Continue and develop serialist techniques D. All of these answers are correct.

Q: Minimalist music grew out of the same intellectual climate as minimalist art, which features ______. A. simple forms, clarity, and understatement B. deliberate distortion and violent colors to communicate the tension and anguish of the human psyche C. the effects of light, color, and atmosphere through collections of tiny colored patches D. three-dimensional objects and human figures distorted into planes

Q: Which of the following is not primarily known as a minimalist composer? A. Terry Riley B. George Crumb C. Steve Reich D. Philip Glass

Q: Minimalist music is characterized by ______. A. the development of musical materials through random methods B. rapidly changing dynamics and textures C. a steady pulse, clear tonality, and insistent repetition of short melodic patterns D. the use of twelve-tone techniques to organize the dimensions of music

Q: 192. Which of the following characteristics is not true of minimalist music? A. A fast rate of change B. A clear tonality C. A constant repetition of melodic and rhythmic patterns D. A steady, driving pulse

Q: Minimalism as an artistic movement was a ______. A. way to create popular works quickly and with little effort B. reaction against the complexity of serialism and the randomness of chance music C. simplification of nonwestern thought and musical style D. natural outgrowth of the late romantic style

Q: Which is an example of aleatoric music? A. Arnold Schoenberg's Gurrelieder for orchestra B. Igor Stravinsky's Soldier's Tale for chamber ensemble C. John Cage's Imaginary Landscape No. 4 for twelve radios D. Charles Ives's Fourth Symphony for orchestra

Q: In chance, or aleatory music, what does the composer do? A. Takes a chance on which performers will perform the work B. Chooses pitches, tone colors, and rhythms by random methods C. Writes music that is considered impossible to perform D. Writes the music in a traditional manner, but allows the recording engineer to make electronic changes

Q: Twelve-tone compositional techniques used to organize rhythm, dynamics, tone color, and other dimensions of music to produce totally controlled and organized music are called ______. A. chance music B. minimalism C. Klangfarbenmelodie D. serialism

Q: All of the following are proponents of serialism except ______. A. Karlheinz Stockhausen B. Pierre Boulez C. Milton Babbitt D. John Cage

Q: Serialism is a compositional technique in which _______. A. a numeric series was the unifying idea of a composition B. a series of five pitches could be constantly repeated C. a series of rhythms, dynamics, or tone colors could serve as a unifying idea D. a series of musical ideas would follow each other in quick succession

Q: A major composer associated with the serialist movement is ______. A. Philip Glass B. Milton Babbitt C. George Crumb D. Ellen Taaffe Zwilich

Q: The twelve-tone composer whose style was most imitated in the 1950s and 1960s was ______. A. Anton Webern B. Arnold Schoenberg C. Milton Babbitt D. Alban Berg Webern. Weberns style answered the needs of the post-World War II generation: His music had a lean, modern sound, in which melodic lines are atomized into tiny fragments that are heard in widely separated registers and framed by moments of silence.

Q: All of the following are major developments in music since 1950 except the ______. A. spread of chance music B. increased use of the twelve-tone system C. continued composition of symphonies in the classical style D. return to tonality

Q: Why did composers begin to shift from tonality to the twelve-tone system? A. They were bored with tonal music. B. They discovered it was a compositional technique rather than a special musical style. C. It was easier to write twelve-tone music. D. They could make more money selling atonal compositions to a wider public.

Q: The use of different musical styles or techniques in a composition is known as ______. A. polystylism B. polytonality C. combinatoriality D. dodecaphonic

Q: Since World War II, musical styles have ______. A. taken many new directions and changes B. remained relatively stable C. returned to the styles of the nineteenth century D. concentrated on perfecting the twelve-tone system

Q: In 1945 Ginastera moved to the United States where he had the opportunity to study with the well known American composer ______. A. Leonard Bernstein B. Charles Ives C. Elliott Carter D. Aaron Copland

Q: The last movement of Ginastera's Estancia Suite, titled "Final Dance: Malambo", makes use of an ________ form. A. ABA B. ABC C. AABA D. AA'B

Q: Alberto Ginastera's Estancia Suite uses a large orchestra and is in ________ movements. A. two B. three C. four D. five

Q: Ginastera's Estancia Suite was originally conceived as an ______. A. opera B. oratorio C. ballet D. sonata for percussion

Q: One of Ginastera's early works, Estancia Suite, is ________. A. a twelve tone composition which makes use of many of the expressionist techniques B. nationalistic and uses Argentinean folk material, including popular dances C. very similar to works by Impressionistic composers in his use of tone color and harmony D. considered the first example of primitivism by a Latin-American composer

Q: Alberto Ginastera, one of the most prominent Latin-American composers of the 20th century, was born in _______. A. Panama B. Brazil C. Argentina D. Peru

Q: Copland depicted "Scenes of daily activity for the Bride and her Farmer-husband" in Appalachian Spring through _______. A. five variations on the Shaker melody Simple Gifts B. intensely dissonant passages and humorous offbeat accents C. strings softly singing a hymnlike melody D. a joyful dance tune that is American in flavor

Q: Appalachian Spring originated as a ballet score for the great modern dancer and choreographer _______. A. George Balanchine B. Martha Graham C. Vaclav Nijinsky D. Agnes De Mille

Q: Appalachian Spring originated as a _______. A. program symphony B. song cycle C. chamber opera D. ballet score

Q: In addition to his compositions, Copland made valuable contributions to music in America by ______. A. directing composer's groups B. writing books and magazine articles C. organizing concerts of American music D. All answers are correct.

Q: An example of Copland's use of serialist technique is _______. A. Music for the Theater B. Connotations for Orchestra C. Fanfare for the Common Man D. Appalachian Spring

Q: Which of the following works was not composed by Aaron Copland? A. Appalachian Spring B. Billy the Kid C. An American in Paris D. A Lincoln Portrait

Q: Aaron Copland's name has become synonymous with American music because of his use of ______. A. revival hymns, cowboy songs, and other folk tunes B. jazz, blues, and ragtime elements C. subjects from American folklore D. All answers are correct.

Q: In 1925, and for a few years afterward, Copland's music showed the influence of ______. A. impressionism B. jazz C. neobaroque styles D. expressionism

Q: In 1925, after Copland returned from France, American music meant ______. A. the eclecticism of Ives B. the serialism of Schoenberg C. primitivism D. jazz

Q: In 1921 Copland went to France, where he was the first American to study composition with ______. A. Virgil Thomson B. Nadia Boulanger C. Maurice Ravel D. Claude Debussy

Q: Aaron Copland was born in ______. A. Brooklyn, New York B. the Appalachian mountains C. Anatevka, Russia D. Paris, France