Q&A Hero

Q: Members of the Camerata wanted to create a new vocal style based on the ______. A. music of the ancient Greek tragedies B. glories of their aristocratic patrons C. organum of the Middle Ages D. polyphonic madrigal

Q: An ____________ is an orchestral composition performed before the curtain rises on a dramatic work. A. overture B. aria C. opera D. opening

Q: The ____________ is the person who beats time, indicates expression, cues in musicians, and controls the balance among instruments and voices. A. prima donna B. prompter C. concertmaster D. conductor

Q: A(n) ____________ is an operatic number involving three or more leading singers. A. aria B. ensemble C. duet D. chorus

Q: A(n) ____________ is a musical number for two solo voices with orchestral accompaniment. A. aria B. ensemble C. duet D. chorus

Q: A ____________ is a singer with a very low range and powerful voice, who usually takes roles calling for great dignity. A. tenor B. basso buffo C. basso profundo D. lyric tenor

Q: A ____________ is a singer with a low range who usually takes comic roles. A. tenor B. basso buffo C. basso profundo D. buffoon

Q: ____________ refers to a vocal line that imitates the rhythms and pitch fluctuations of speech. A. Aria B. Profondo C. Recitative D. Ensemble

Q: A song for solo voice with orchestral accompaniment is called a/an ______. A. aria B. duet C. ensemble D. stretto

Q: Which of the following statements is not true? A. Voice categories in opera are divided more finely than in other musical genres. B. Operas may contain spoken dialogue, but most are sung entirely. C. Opera soloists must create a wide variety of characters, and so need acting skills as well as vocal artistry. D. In opera, the terms ensemble and chorus are synonymous.

Q: The text, or book, of a musical dramatic work is called the ______. A. form B. libretto C. story D. score

Q: An ____________ is a play, set to music, sung to orchestral accompaniment, with scenery, costumes, and action. A. overture B. opera C. aria D. ensemble

Q: Very often an independent fugue is introduced by a short piece called a(n) _______. A. overture B. prelude C. concerto D. pedal point

Q: Presenting the subject of a fugue in shortened time values is called _______. A. inversion B. augmentation C. retrograde D. diminution

Q: Presenting the subject of a fugue from right to left, or beginning with the last and proceeding backward to the first note, is called ______. A. inversion B. stretto C. augmentation D. retrograde

Q: Turning the subject of a fugue upside down, or reversing the direction of each interval, is called ______. A. inversion B. stretto C. retrograde D. countersubject

Q: A ____________ is a single tone, usually in the bass, that is held while the other voices produce a series of changing harmonies against it. A. pedal point B. pitch C. basso continuo D. basso ostinato

Q: ____________ is a musical procedure in which a fugue subject is imitated before it is completed. A. Augmentation B. Diminution C. Retrograde D. Stretto

Q: In many fugues, the subject in one voice is constantly accompanied in another voice by a different melodic idea called a(n) ______. A. answer B. countersubject C. episode D. stretto

Q: When the subject of a fugue is presented in the dominant scale, it is called the ______. A. answer B. countersubject C. episode D. stretto

Q: The main theme of a fugue is called the ______. A. answer B. subject C. countersubject D. episode

Q: A type of polyphonic composition based on one main theme is a ______. A. subject B. concerto C. episode D. fugue

Q: A musical ornament consisting of the rapid alternation of two tones that are a whole or half step apart is a ______. A. trill B. shake C. blurb D. wobble

Q: Why is Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 unusual? A. It consists of a single movement. B. It consists of four movements. C. It gives a solo role to the harpsichord. D. The first movement is not in typical ritornello form.

Q: The solo instruments in Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 are the ____________, violin, and harpsichord. A. trumpet B. cello C. flute D. oboe

Q: 48. Which of the following statements is not true? A. A concerto grosso normally involves two to four soloists, and anywhere from eight to twenty or more musicians for the tutti. B. A concerto grosso presents a contrast of texture between the tutti and the soloists, who assert their individuality and appeal for attention through brilliant and fanciful melodic lines. C. A concerto grosso normally involves a large group of soloists accompanied by an equal number of supporting players. D. The first and last movements of concerti grossi are often in ritornello form, a form that features the alternation between tutti and solo sections.

Q: The first and last movements of the concerto grosso are often in ____________ form. A. theme and variations B. sonata C. ritornello D. ternary

Q: The concerto grosso most often has three movements whose tempo markings are ______. A. fast, slow, fast B. fast, fast, slow C. slow, fast, slow D. slow, slow, fast

Q: The large group of players in a concerto grosso is known as the ______. A. concertino B. orchestra C. soloists D. tutti

Q: A concerto grosso most often has ____________ movement(s). A. one B. two C. three D. four

Q: During the baroque period, _________ were not allowed to be employed as music directors. A. sons of musicians B. orphans C. commoners D. women

Q: In Italy, music schools were often connected with ______. A. orphanages B. courts of the nobility C. public schools D. universities

Q: In the baroque period, the ordinary citizen's opportunities for hearing music usually came from the ______. A. corner tavern B. church C. concert hall D. court

Q: The position of the composer during the baroque period was that of ______. A. a free agent working on commissions B. an equal to the nobility, based on merit C. a high-class servant with few personal rights D. a low-class wandering minstrel

Q: Frederick the Great, king of Prussia, was a ______. A. flutist B. general C. composer D. All answers are correct.

Q: The music director of a baroque court was usually not responsible for ______. A. supervising and directing the musical performances B. composing much of the music desired C. the discipline of the other musicians D. publicity in reaching an audience

Q: A large court during the baroque period might employ about ____________ performers. A. 18 B. 24 C. 80 D. 120

Q: 36. Which of the following statements is not true? A. A large court during the baroque might employ more than eighty performers, including the finest opera singers of the day. B. Audiences in the baroque period were most anxious to hear old familiar favorites, and did not care for new music. C. In Italy, music schools were often connected with orphanages. D. Church musicians in the baroque period earned lower pay and had less status than court musicians.

Q: To what does the word movement in music normally refer? A. Music for the ballet B. A piece that sounds fairly complete and independent but is part of a larger composition C. The rising and falling of the melodic contour D. The rhythm of a piece

Q: The orchestra evolved during the baroque period into a performing group based on instruments of the ____________ family. A. string B. woodwind C. brass D. percussion

Q: A bass part together with numbers that specify the chords to be played above it is called ______. A. figured bass B. sequenced bass C. basso profundo D. counterpoint

Q: The most characteristic feature of baroque music is its use of ______. A. gradual dynamic changes B. monophonic texture C. basso continuo D. simple singable melodies

Q: A popular keyboard instrument in which sound was produced by means of brass blades striking the strings was the ______. clavichord B. harpsichord C. basso continuo D. organ Feedback: The clavichord produced sound by means of brass blades striking the strings, allowing for a dynamic range.

Q: The main keyboard instruments of the baroque period were the organ and the ______. A. clavichord B. harpsichord C. piano D. accordion

Q: In the baroque era, dynamics consisted mainly of sudden alterations between loud and soft called ______. A. cantus firmus B. terraced dynamics C. basso continuo D. basso ostinato

Q: To what does terraced dynamics refer? A. A gradual change from soft to loud B. A gradual change from loud to soft C. The sudden alternation from one dynamic level to another D. Dynamics that are not written in the music but added by the performer

Q: What is one characteristic often found in baroque melodies? A. One long continuous phrase with long sustained notes B. One short phrase followed by continuous repetition of the same phrase C. A symmetrical frame with two long phrases of equal length D. A short opening phrase followed by a longer phrase with an unbroken flow of rapid notes

Q: Melodic sequence refers to ______. A. a composition by Vivaldi B. a preferred method of tuning an instrument C. the successive repetition of a musical idea at higher or lower pitches D. the pedagogical steps in learning to play an instrument

Q: Baroque melodies give the impression of ______. A. balance and symmetry B. being carelessly composed C. tonal vagueness D. dynamic expansion

Q: Baroque melodies often are ______. A. elaborate and ornamental B. easy to sing and remember C. impossible to play D. short and simple

Q: The compelling drive and energy in baroque music are usually provided by ______. A. a bawdy text B. complex harmonic progressions C. repeated rhythmic patterns D. the high dynamic level

Q: The baroque principle of ____________ may be temporarily suspended in vocal music when drastic changes of emotion in a text inspires corresponding changes in the music. A. basso continuo B. unity of mood C. terraced dynamics D. All answers are correct.

Q: A baroque musical composition usually expresses ____________ within the same movement. A. one basic mood B. a wide variety of moods C. constantly changing moods D. All answers are correct.

Q: Affections in baroque usage refers to what? A. The nobility's manner of deportment B. The doctrine of universal brotherhood C. Terraced dynamics D. Emotional states or moods of music

Q: Baroque painters exploited their materials to expand the potential of ____________ to create totally structured worlds. A. color B. ornament and detail C. depth D. All answers are correct.

Q: The late baroque period spanned the years ______. A. 1567-1643 B. 1640-1690 C. 1600-1640 D. 1690-1750

Q: Instrumental music became as important as vocal music for the first time in the ____________ period. A. Renaissance B. early baroque C. middle baroque D. late baroque

Q: By about ____________, major or minor scales were the tonal basis of most compositions. A. 1500 B. 1600 C. 1690 D. 1750

Q: Composers in the middle baroque phase favored writing compositions for instruments of the ____________ family. A. brass B. string C. percussion D. woodwind

Q: The middle baroque period spanned the years ______. A. 1567-1643 B. 1640-1690 C. 1600-1640 D. 1690-1750

Q: The middle baroque was characterized by ______. A. elaborate counterpoint B. homophonic texture C. the development of the standardized orchestra D. a diffusion of the style into every corner of Europe

Q: The early and late baroque periods differed in that composers in the late baroque ______. A. favored polyphonic texture B. favored homophonic texture C. used extremely complex harmonies D. favored purely instrumental music

Q: Monteverdi, an early baroque composer, strove to create music that was ______. A. difficult to perform B. passionate and dramatic C. extremely complex D. placid and smooth

Q: The early baroque period spanned the years ______. A. 1567-1643 B. 1640-1690 C. 1600-1640 D. 1690-1750

Q: The early baroque was characterized by ______. A. elaborate counterpoint B. homophonic texture C. development of the standardized orchestra D. diffusion of the style into every corner of Europe

Q: 8. Which of the following statements is not true? A. Baroque art is a complex mixture of rationalism, sensuality, materialism, and spirituality. B. The late baroque period was one of the most revolutionary periods in music history. C. Early baroque composers favored homophonic texture over the polyphonic texture typical of Renaissance music. D. Regardless of form, baroque music often features contrasts between elements of sound.

Q: All of the following were major baroque composers except ______. A. Pierluigi da Palestrina B. Claudio Monteverdi C. Antonio Vivaldi D. Arcangelo Corelli

Q: The two giants of baroque composition were George Frideric Handel and ______. A. Georges Handel Bach B. Johann Sebastian Bach C. Giovanni Gabrieli D. Galileo Galilei

Q: The baroque style was well suited to the ______. A. merchants B. aristocracy C. sea explorers D. commoners

Q: Baroque style flourished in music during the period ______. A. 1000-1250 B. 1250-1450 C. 1450-1600 D. 1600-1750

Q: All of the following were baroque painters except ______. A. Gian Lorenzo Bernini B. Isaac Newton C. Peter Paul Rubens D. Rembrandt van Rijn

Q: Modern historians use the term baroque to indicate what? A. A particular style in the arts, involving action and movement B. A period of decline in the arts C. A class of musical instruments that no longer function D. A scientific movement popular in the seventeenth century

Q: The word baroque has at various times meant all of the following except ______. A. elaborately ornamented B. flamboyant C. bizarre D. naturalistic

Q: For what is the term cantus firmus used? A. A part of the Catholic church's religious service B. A chant that is used as the basis for polyphony C. The melody added to a Gregorian chant to form organum D. The singers of a church choir

Q: An outstanding composer of the school of Notre Dame was ______. A. Perotin B. Guillaume de Machaut C. Hildegard of Bingen D. Pope Gregory I

Q: The earliest extant liturgical morality play, Ordo virtutum (Play of the Virtues), was composed by ______. A. the nuns of Rupertsberg B. the monks at the church of St. Trophime C. Pope Gregory I D. Hildegard of Bingen

Q: Who was Hildegard of Bingen? A. The first woman composer to leave a large number of works that have survived B. Abbess of the convent at Rupertsberg C. A visionary and mystic active in religious and diplomatic affairs D. All answers are correct.

Q: The form of the chant Alleluia: Vidimus stellam is ______. A. theme and variations B. ABA C. through-composed D. ABACABA

Q: The word Alleluia _______. A. may be translated as "praise ye the Lord" B. is a Latinized form of the Hebrew word hallelujah C. is often used in Gregorian chants D. All answers are correct.

Q: The church modes are ______. A. different from the major and minor scales in that they consist of only six different tones B. different from the major and minor scales in that they consist of only five different tones C. like the major and minor scales in that they consist of seven different tones D. completely different from any other form of scale