Exam: 250450RR – The Middle Ages and the Renaissance

 

1. Who of the following wrote a morality play that could be likened to Star Wars and Lord of the Rings?

A.  Guillaume de Machaut

B.   Hildegard von Bingen

C.  William Byrd

D.  Thomas Weelkes

 

2. An example of a percussion instrument is the

A.  drum.

B.   lute.

C.  shawm.

D.  violin.

 

3. The early forms of notes in the Middle Ages are called

A.  neumes.

B.   plainchants.

C.  cadences.

D.  melismas.

 

4. The original version of _______ is for voices, with a text to be sung, but the common medieval practice of performing music involves using whatever instruments were at hand.

A.  “I Can All Too Well Compare My Lady”

B.   “Eagle Dance”

C.  “He Who Gladly Serves”

D.  “Behold, Spring”

 

5. Accented notes that run against the regular pulse of the musical meter are referred to as

A.  duple meter.

B.   anapestic.

C.  syncopated.

D.  iambic.

 

6. A single, long note held underneath a melodic line is known as a

A.  drone bass.

B.   phrase.

C.  plainchant.

D.  homophonic line.

 

7. An example of a double reed musical instrument is the

A.  bassoon.

B.   piccolo.

C.  saxophone.

D.  clarinet.

 

8. In _______ texture, every line is a melody.

A.  polyphonic

B.   monophonic

C.  homophonic

D.  harmonic

 

9. What does it mean when cadences are elided?

A.  A single syllable of text is sung to many notes.

B.   The melodic lines are sung by three singers.

C.  A new line of text and music begins before the previous one has come to a complete stop.

D.  The notes run against the regular pulse of the musical meter, with accents on beats other than “1” and “3.”

 

10. When a composer sets a single syllable of a word to several notes of music, he or she is using _______ style.

A.  melismatic

B.   cadence

C.  plainchant

D.  syllabic

 

11. Renaissance composers used which of the following to create polyphonic textures?

A.  Ternary forms

B.   Counterpoint

C.  Word-painting

D.  Elision

 

12. Which of the following statements is not true of music written in the major mode?

A.  All national anthems begin and end in the major mode.

B.   Music written in the major mode generally conveys optimism and joy.

C.  The major mode corresponds to the scale produced by singing “do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do.”

D.  Two of the seven notes are slightly higher than those of the minor mode and thus create a different kind of sound.

 

13. A _______ is a sacred choral work composed by those writing for the Roman Catholic Church.

A.  madrigal

B.   plainchant

C.  secular song

D.  motet

 

14. Roy will play a melody in triple meter and place the pulse of the meter on the first beat. Chuck will play the triple meter melody and place the pulse of the meter on the third beat. Who is playing the melody with the correct pulse?

A.  Chuck

B.   Both are playing the melody correctly.

C.  Roy

D.  Neither is playing the melody correctly.

 

15. In plainchant, a sentence of text almost always ends with

A.  the note D.

B.   disjunct motion.

C.  cadence.

D.  a minor chord.

 

16. Which song exemplifies four-voice Renaissance polyphony, with each voice playing an equally important role?

A.  “The Cricket”

B.   “Sing Joyfully”

C.  “Since Robin Hood”

D.  “My Lord Help Me to Pray”

 

17. Which one of the following was one of the most popular instruments in Medieval and Renaissance times and occasionally involved the use of plectrum to play it?

A.  Vielle

B.   Lute

C.  Shawm

D.  Organ portative

 

18. In musical language, mezzo forte (mf) signals that the music’s volume should be

A.  soft.

B.   medium loud.

C.  very loud.

D.  medium soft.

 

19. Native American chant incorporates meaningless sung syllables called _______, which serve as a form of melodic instrument.

A.  drone basses

B.   pulses

C.  vocables

D.  duple meters

 

20. The texture of Gregorian chant is said to be

A.  monophonic.

B.   homophonic.

C.  heterophonic.

D.  polyphonic.

 

 Exam: 250451RR – The Baroque Era

 

1. Which of the following statement about Baroque music is true?

A.  The form is primarily sectional.

B.   Word painting is limited.

C.  The melody is lyrical and rare virtuosic.

D.  Polyphonic and homophonic textures coexist.

 

2. Which of the following type of polyphony is used in a fugue?

A.  Episodic

B.   Fugal exposition

C.  Imitative counterpoint

D.  Middle entry

 

3. Very few of compositions written by _______ were published during his lifetime.

A.  Purcell

B.   Handel

C.  Vivaldi

D.  Bach

 

4. _______ is a form of polyphony consisting of two or more rhythmically interlocking voices.

A.  Hocket

B.   Oratorio

C.  Ostinato

D.  Call-and-response

 

5. The Baroque period began around the year

A.  1500.

B.   1050.

C.  1600.

D.  1750.

 

6. An instruments-only piece played at the opening of an opera is known as a/an

A.  aria.

B.   overture.

C.  procession.

D.  prima prattica.

 

7. The _______ is a musical form that utilizes multiple soloists.

A.  Gothic motet

B.   sarabande

C.  concerto grosso

D.  chorale prelude

 

8. The musical instrument referred to as the “King of Instruments” is the

A.  human voice.

B.   tuba.

C.  violin.

D.  organ.

 

9. The use of two violins and a basso continuo forms which kind of music?

A.  Trio sonata

B.   Sonata da camera

C.  Sonata da chiesa

D.  Cantata

 

10. Which type of music features a vocal quartet in which each voice has its own role, and the bass singer handles the repeated foundation part, often in the form of a short phrase of nonsense syllables?

A.  Program music

B.   Doo wop

C.  Opera

D.  Fugue

 

11. Which of the following is the most frequently performed of all early operas?

A.  Awake, a Voice Calls to Us

B.   Dido and Aeneas

C.  The Four Seasons

D.  Orpheus

 

12. A style of vocal music that’s a cross between singing and speaking is commonly referred to as

A.  pavane.

B.   gigue.

C.  polychoral.

D.  recitative.

 

13. Another word for “round” is

 A. sarabande.

B.   rhapsody.

C.  gigue.

D.  canon.

 

14. _______ is the repetition of one pattern of notes and rhythms.

A.  Tutti

B.   Refrain

C.  Ostinato

D.  Tonic

 

15. When a melody of the same hymn tune as the rest of the work is used, it’s known as a

A.  oratorio.

B.   cantata.

C.  chorale.

D.  ritornello.

 

16. Which of the following pieces features multiple soloists, including a trumpet, oboe, violin, and recorder?

A.  Orpheus, selection from Act II

B.   Fugue in G Minor

C.  Dido and Aeneas, Overture and Act I, nos. 1–14

D.  Brandenburg Concerto no. 2

 

17. All of the following instruments would be likely to play the basso continuo in a Baroque musical piece, except the

A.  cello.

B.   harpsichord.

C.  violin.

D.  lute.

 

18. Which part on a violin supports the strings?

A.  The fingerboard

B.   The chin rest

C.  The tailpiece

D.  The bridge

 

19. Handel’s Messiah is classified as a/an

A.  chorale.

B.   oratorio.

C.  cantata.

D.  opera.

 

20. Which composer was nicknamed the Red Priest?

A.  Handel

B.   Vivaldi

C.  Bach

D.  Strozzi

 

Exam: 250452RR – The Classical Era

 

 

1. The second section of a sonata is commonly called the

A.  development.

B.   coda.

C.  exposition.

D.  recapitulation.

 

2. The scene in which Dorothy returns to Kansas in the movie The Wizard of Oz can be likened to which part of a sonata’s form?

A.  Tonic

B.   Recapitulation

C.  Exposition

D.  Development

 

3. The music of the Classical era reflects the principles of

A.  extravagance and unpredictability.

B.   clarity and balance.

C.  the splendor of the church.

D.  ornamentation and extremes.

 

4. What dates are commonly assigned to the Classical period?

A.  1650—1720

B.   1700—1800

C.  1750—1800

D.  1700—1750

 

5. The first section of a sonata in which the theme is presented is commonly called the

A.  allegro.

B.   prodigy.

C.  recap.

D.  exposition.

 

6. When the Italian words da capo appear at the end of a measure, the musician is being instructed to

A.  play the main part of the musical piece over again.

B.   play the refrain.

C.  play the next part of the music quietly.

D.  hold the notes for an extra three beats.

 

7. Which of the following instruments in a chamber orchestra typically provides the harmonic underpinning for other melodic instruments but can carry the principal melody on their own as well?

A.  Timpani

B.   Violin

C.  Viola

D.  Cello

 

8. The dialogue in an opera is translated for the audience in the

A.  perdonate.

B.   score.

C.  libretto.

D.  paggio.

 

9. Which of the following does opera buffa portray?

A.  Historical characters and situations

B.   Real-life characters and situations

C.  Mythological characters and stories

D.  Religious characters and stories

 

10. In an opera, the standard accompaniment for a recitative is

A.  sung by a soprano.

B.   played by the orchestra.

C.  the basso continuo alone.

D.  a function of the string quartet.

 

11. While a string quartet is a collaborative enterprise, which musician usually takes the lead in a performance?

A.  The second violinist

B.   The first violinist

C.  The violist

D.  The cellist

 

12. The Japanese koto is what type of instrument?

A.  Wind

B.   String

C.  Brass

D.  Percussion

 

13. Japanese music uses a _______ scale; instead of having seven notes, typically the scales have only five.

A.  double-exposition

B.   rondo

C.  gapped

D.  cadenza

 

14. In a string quartet, the bass instrument is the

A.  bass guitar.

B.   drum.

C.  cello.

D.  viola.

 

15. The double exposition concerto form differs from the standard sonata form in that

A.  it’s played by two pianos.

B.   the exposition stays in the same key.

C.  it includes a single refrain.

D.  it has a cadenza.

 

16. Which of Mozart’s works is for a string quartet and two horns, is full of intentional mistakes, and pokes fun at bad composers?

A. 

“Requiem”

B.   “String Quartet in G Minor”

C.  A Musical Joke

D.  A Little Serenade

 

17. Which one of the following patterns represents the rondo form?

A.  AABBC

B.   ABCD

C.  ABACA

D.  DCBA

 

18. Singing the alphabet song to the tune of Mozart’s “Ah, vous dirai-je, maman” is an example of

A.  plagiarism.

B.   musical appropriation.

C.  musical duplication.

D.  thematic variation.

 

19. The last “act” of a sonata is known as the

A.  recapitulation.

B.   rondo.

C.  cadenza.

D.  secondary key area.

 

20. A sonata closes with a/an

A.  coda.

B.   Antecedent

C.  exposition.

D.  recapitulation.

 

 

Exam: 250453RR – The Nineteenth Century, Part 1

.

 

1. Symphonie fantastique, which depicts an artist’s execution by guillotine, was written by the nineteenth century composer

A.  Caspar David Friedrich.

B.   Hector Berlioz.

C.  Gioacchino Rossini.

D.  Franz Schubert

 

2. Which composer called himself a tone poet?

A.  Schumann

B.   Schubert

C.  Beethoven

D.  Mendelssohn

 

3. Berlioz provided _______ to his audiences as an overview of the dramatic structure of his work.

A.  programs

B.   librettos

C.  scores

D.  transcripts

 

4. Which composer wrote a movement that might have a hidden text behind it, even though it is for instruments alone?

A.  Felix Mendelssohn

B.   Ludwig van Beethoven

C.  Hector Berlioz

D.  Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel

 

5. Which composer wrote Lieder that serve as settings of verse by the greatest writers of the time, as well as those that draw on works by poets who are largely forgotten today?

A.  Beethoven

B.   Schumann

C.  Shubert

D.  Berlioz

 

6. How many singers are required before the group is considered an a cappella chorus?

A.  Four singers total are needed.

B.   Only one or two singers per part are all that is needed.

C.  There should be 8–10 singers to a part.

D.  The number of singers can vary.

 

7. If a sound increases 5 dB, the sound becomes _______ times louder.

A.  five

B.   fifteen

C.  three

D.  ten

 

8. The piano trio has been a popular instrument since the middle of the _______ century.

A.  seventeenth

B.   nineteenth

C.  sixteenth

D.  eighteenth

 

9. Franz Schubert was known for having written

A.  four operas.

B.  

hundreds of Lieder.

C.  11 symphonies.

D.  100 violin concertos.

 

10. _______ music is generally associated with nonmusical ideas and objects.

A.  Recital

B.   Character

C.  Program

D.  Literary

 

11. Who wrote a piece in which the third movement is titled “Scene in the Countryside”?

A.  Schumann

B.   Schubert

C.  Berlioz

D.  Beethoven

 

12. When you hear a recurring melody in a programmatic piece like Symphonie fantastique, you’re experiencing which of the following?

A.  Coda

B.   Idée fixe

C.  Mode

D.  Polyphony

 

13. During which movement in Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony do double variations appear?

A.  Second

B.   Third

C.  First

D.  Fourth

 

14. Which violin virtuoso was rumored to have made a pact with the devil to achieve his master of the instrument?

A.  Franz Liszt

B.   Ignacy Jan Padrewski

C.  Niccolò Paganini

D.  Gioacchino Rossini

 

15. _______ was called the “Valkyrie of the Piano.”

A.  Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel

B.   Clara Wieck Schumann

C.  Louise Farrenc

D.  Teresa Carreno

 

16. In the overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the kingdom of the fairies, led by Oberon and Titania, is represented by the

A.  triangle.

B.   piccolo.

C.  strings.

D.  flute.

 

17. The piano became a popular instrument for middle-class families when

A.  Dvořák composed The American.

B.   mass production became possible.

C.  the Transcontinental Railroad was completed.

D.  the Civil War ended.

 

18. In which register is the narrator’s voice in Schubert’s “Elrkõning”?

A.  One of the highest

B.   A neutral one

C.  The loudest

D.  The softest

 

19. Which of following composers is depicted in Josef Danhauser’s Franz Liszt at the Piano?

A.  Schubert

B.   Beethoven

C.  Berlioz

D.  Gottschalk

 

20. Both Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union prohibited which of the following kinds of music?

A.  French folksongs

B.   Italian opera

C.  Some types of jazz

D.  Marches

 

 

 Exam: 250454RR – The Nineteenth Century, Part 2

 

1. Which composer had a longstanding business relationship with a major piano manufacturer and endorsed its instruments?

A.  Ravi Shankar

B.   Giuseppe Verdi

C.  Louis Moreau Gottschalk

D.  Richard Wagner

 

2. Which piece helped coin the term “It ain’t over ‘til the Fat Lady sings”?

A.  Symphony no. 4 in E. Minor, op. 98

B.   La Traviata

C.  The Valkyrie

D.  String Quartet in F Major, op. 96

 

3. In Verdi’s La Traviata, Violetta sings _______ when unsure of herself.

A.  in a lower key

B.   in recitative

C.  a virtuoso

D.  an aria

 

4. A single pair of notes played repeatedly in succession is known as a/an

A.  drone bass.

B.   sotto voce.

C.  a capella.

D.  hee haw.

 

5. Ravi Shankar is known for his mastery of the 18-stringed lute called the

A.  sitar.

B.   jhala tar.

C.  ragar.

D.  table.

 

6. Which one of the following musical notations allows performers to improvise slightly with the tempo?

A.  Rubato

B.   Moderato

C.  Allegretto

D.  Sostenuto

 

7. _______ exemplifies the best elements of nineteenth-century Italian opera.

A.  Pagliacci

B.   Rigoletto

C.  La Traviata

D.  La Boheme

 

8. A raga solo always begins with the sounding of _______ tones.

A.  ascending

B.   descending

C.  octaval

D.  atonal

 

9. To show his intense national pride, _______ wrote a large number of mazurkas.

A.  Antonin Dvořák

B.   Ravi Shankar

C.  Giuseppe Verdi

D.  Frédéric Chopin

 

10. In Symphony no. 4 in E. Minor, op. 98, Brahms use orchestration to create a sense of forward movement and contrast among the _______ different variations.

A.  25

B.   20

C.  30

D.  15

 

11. The third movement of Antonin Dvořák’s “String Quartet in F Major” contains a light-hearted passage in a fast tempo and in triple meter called a

A.  variation.

B.   rondo.

C.  scherzo.

D.  prelude.

 

12. In opera, a brief musical phrase or idea connected to some person, event, or idea is known as a/an

A.  exposition.

B.   overture.

C.  leitmotif.

D.  ode.

 

13. Johannes Brahms wrote only _______ symphonies, but they’re all mainstays of today’s concert repertory.

A.  nine

B.   four

C.  seven

D.  five

 

14. Which of the following is a trait of nineteenth century music?

A.  It marks the establishment of the modern orchestra.

B.   The texture is both polyphonic and homophonic, but on the whole more homophonic.

C.  The rhythm is highly varied, from simple to complex.

D.  It features more smoothly flowing melodies.

 

15. Who wrote the opera that was commissioned to celebrate the opening of the Suez Canal?

A.  Antonin Dvořák

B.   Johannes Brahms

C.  Richard Wagner

D.  Giuseppe Verdi

 

16. Which of the following was a common band instrument during the American Civil War?

A.  Banjo

B.   Oboe

C.  Timpani

D.  Fife

 

17. Which composer is said to epitomize Romanticism?

A.  Louis Moreau Gottschalk

B.   Frédéric Chopin

C.  Richard Wagner

D.  Antonin Dvořák

 

18. Which composer called the drama—the events transpiring on the stage—”deeds of music made visible”?

A.  Giuseppe Verdi

B.   Antonin Dvořák

C.  Johannes Brahms

D.  Richard Wagner

 

19. Louis Moreau Gottschalk’s Union: Concert Paraphrase on National Airs was written for

A.  chamber orchestra.

B.   orchestra.

C.  string quartet.

D.  piano.

 

20. The various melodies heard in Antonin Dvořák’s “String Quartet in F Major” have a/an _______ quality.

A.  operatic

B.   folk-like

C.  jazz-like

D.  virtuosic

 

 

 

 

 

Exam: 250455RR – The Twentieth Century, Part 1

.

 

1. Roland says that Ruth Crawford Seeger was a modernist composer. Clive says that she was a collector and arranger of American folksongs. Who is correct?

A.  Only Roland is correct.

B.   Only Clive is correct.

C.  Neither Roland nor Clive is correct.

D.  Both Roland and Clive are correct.

 

2. In the first years of the twentieth century, _______ was perceived as a threat to the “moral, spiritual, mental, and even physical well-being” of the nation.

A.  bebop

B.   downhome blues

C.  ragtime

D.  big band jazz

 

3. Which composer was known for improvisation?

A.  Charles Ives

B.   Arnold Schoenberg

C.  Ruth Crawford

D.  Charlie Parker

 

4. Bebop is a style of

A.  jazz.

B.   fusion.

C.  pop.

D.  ragtime.

 

5. Which composer believed that music is all too often treated as a “narcotic,” something that dulls the senses rather than arouses them?

A.  Ruth Crawford

B.   Duke Ellington

C.  Charles Ives

D.  Arnold Schoenberg

 

6. In The Unanswered Question, the strings are played

A.  as if they’re playing a slow hymn quietly with an even tempo.

B.   fast and loud for shock value.

C.  in unresolved and virtuosic dissonance.

D.  in constant competition with the brass.

 

7. Which of the following composers sought to obtain a nonpercussive sound from the piano in his compositions?

A.  Claude Debussy

B.   Duke Ellington

C.  Charles Ives

D.  Charlie Parker

 

8. Which work should be considered as a piece that travels through the dimension of space, starting low, moving upward, and returning back to where it started?

A.  “Cotton Tail”

B.   Rite of Spring

C.  Piano Study in Mixed Accents

D.  “Ornithology”

 

9. For some audiences, musical change in the twentieth century was a bit too

A.  slow-paced.

B.   novel.

C.  fast-paced.

D.  modern.

 

10. Which composer’s work veered away from sounding conventionally beautiful and instead strove to capture pain itself?

A.  Arnold Schoenberg

B.   Ruth Crawford

C.  Robert Johnson

D.  Igor Stravinsky

 

11. Jody says that atonal harmony establishes a harmonic center of gravity. Sean says that tonal harmony doesn’t have a harmonic center of gravity. Who is correct?

A.  Only Jody is correct.

B.   Neither Jody nor Sean is correct.

C.  Both Jody and Sean are correct.

D.  Only Sean is correct.

 

12. The smallest distance between two adjacent notes on a piano is a

A.  quarter note.

B.   whole note.

C.  half step.

D.  whole step.

 

13. A _______ is the range in which the music is presented.

A.  head

B.   sequence

C.  register

D.  hemiola

 

14. _______ was one of the most lucrative parts of the music business at the end of the nineteenth century.

A.  Selling instruments

B.   Providing music lessons

C.  Writing sheet music

D.  Giving concerts

 

15. Modernism, a movement that represented an abolishment of tradition and a quest for novelty, took place when?

A.  Middle nineteenth century

B.   Early twentieth century

C.  Early twenty-first century

D.  Classical period

 

16. Who played the clarinet in Duke Ellington’s band in the mid-to-late 1930s?

A.  Duke Ellington

B.   Barney Bigard

C.  Rex Stewart

D.  Sonny Greer

 

17. A _______ scale is based on five notes.

A.  pentatonic

B.   ostinato

C.  polytonic

D.  octaval

 

18. The angular, dissonant, and challenging melodies that are the core of bebop are called

A.  heads.

B.   souls.

C.  hearts.

D.  leads.

 

19. Music that doesn’t center on a particular key is referred to as A. nontonal.

B.   intoned.

C.  atonal.

D.  untoned.

 

20. Expressionism gave priority to _______ over beauty.

A.  truth

B.   emotion

C.  surrealism

D.  virtuosity

 

Exam: 250456RR – The Twentieth Century, Part 2

.

 

1. Which of the following musicals was the first to tackle the issue of racism?

A.  Rent

B.   My Fair Lady

C.  Show Boat

D.  South Pacific

 

2. “The Walls Converge” is an example of _______ music.

A.  non-diegetic

B.   neoclassical

C.  postmodern

D.  diegetic

 

3. Which of the following is a strophic song?

A.  “Fight the Power”

B.   “School Day”

C.  “Knee Play 1”

D.  “Nascence”

 

4. The first African American to have a major opera performed by a major American opera company was

A.  Langston Hughes.

B.   Scott Joplin.

C.  Robert Johnson.

D.  William Grant Still.

 

5. A modern-day retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is carried out in the musical

A.  The Mikado.

B.   H.M.S. Pinafore.

C.  My Fair Lady.

D.  West Side Story.

 

6. _______ composers were not attempting to recreate or imitate past styles, but to incorporate past styles into a contemporary idiom.

A.  Opera

B.   Neoclassical

C.  Nationalist

D.  Art song

 

7. Debussy’s Voiles was inspired by a Javanese ensemble known as a

A.  gong.

B.   gamelan.

C.  quartet.

D.  wave.

 

8. Which of the following is used in Sonata II’s prepared piano?

A.  Small pieces of rubber

B.   Copper wire

C.  Coins

D.  Wooden blocks

 

9. The “classic” in “Neoclassical” refers to the music of the _______ century in general.

A.  seventeenth

B.   sixteenth

C.  eighteenth

D.  nineteenth

 

10. What does the word kebyar mean?

A.  Explosive

B.   Interlocking

C.  Ensemble

D.  Shimmering

 

11. Tamra says that the difference between an opera and a musical is that the opera includes more spoken word than singing. Eduardo says that the musical contains singing with some spoken dialog. Who is correct?

A.  Both Tamra and Eduardo

B.   Neither Tamra nor Eduardo

C.  Tamra

D.  Eduardo

 

12. When a scale goes by so fast we almost can’t hear the individual notes, it’s called

A.  through-composed.

B.   a glissando.

C.  a rondo.

D.  an operetta.

 

13. _______ music is based on frequent repetition (with small variations) of a small musical idea.

A.  Ostinato

B.   Atonal

C.  Rap

D.  Minimalist

 

14. A repeated melodic and rhythmic figure in the lower register of the piano is typical of the Afro-Cuban dance music known as

A.  reggae.

B.   salsa.

C.  mambo.

D.  guaguancó.

 

15. What is the second step in the process of composing a musical soundtrack?

A.  The composer develops ideas based on the general outline of the story and genre.

B.   The orchestra records the score.

C.  The music editor superimposes the recorded soundtrack onto the film.

D.  The orchestra rehearses the score.

 

16. The type of music that blended the musical styles of jump blues and honky-tonk was

A. 

Motown.

B.   jazz.

C.  hip hop.

D.  rock ‘n’ roll.

 

17. Minimalist techniques have been applied in many different kinds of music, including

A.  hip-hop.

B.   techno.

C.  reggae.

D.  rock ‘n’ roll.

 

18. Which of the following composers wrote the music for West Side Story?

A.  Jerome Kern

B.   Cole Porter

C.  George M. Cohan

D.  Leonard Bernstein

 

19. A musical style that combines traditional and modern elements is called

A.  exhibitionism.

B.   postmodernism.

C.  minimalism.

D.  modernism.

 

20. The _______ is a xylophone-like instrument with tubular resonators under each bar.

A.  marimba

B.   conga

C.  suspended cymbal

D.  piccolo

 

 

Exam: 250465RR – Music Appreciation Final Exam

 

1. Which of the following is a genre for voice and piano that was popular from the late eighteenth century onward?

A.  Lied

B.   Impromptu

C.  Fantasie

D.  Episode

 

2. _______ is the most obvious element that John Williams uses to convey shifting moods within “The Walls Converge.”

A.  Harmony

B.   Rhythm

C.  Timbre

D.  Melody

 

3. The _______ voice is the lowest register in vocal music.

A.  tenor

B.   soprano

C.  alto

D.  bass

 

4. Verdi uses three distinct types of melody in La Traviata, Act 1: declamatory, virtuosic, and

A.  ostinato.

B.   lyrical.

C.  staccato.

D.  twelve tone.

 

5. A group of instruments or voices with similar timbres within the ensemble is the

A.  tenors.

B.   section.

C.  orchestra.

D.  voicing.

 

6. The Renaissance period in musical history lasted from about

A.  1650 to 1750.

B.   1425 to 1600.

C.  1500 to 1789.

D.  1450 to 1750.

 

7. How many symphonies did Brahms write?

A.  Seven

B.   Six

C.  Nine

D.  Four

 

8. The _______ is an example of a non-pitched instrument.

A.  cachiche

B.   xylophone

C.  marimba

D.  vibraphone

 

9. Which step of a minor scale is slightly lower than the corresponding step of a major scale?

A.  Third

B.   Seventh

C.  Fourth

D.  Fifth

 

10. Notes in a major key are considered _______ notes.

A.  sad

B.   happy

C.  flat

D.  bland

 

11. The estampie and the saltarello are two

A.  syllabic text-settings.

B.   medieval dances.

C.  Italian musical instruments.

D.  African musical instruments.

 

12. _______ called for a style that was free, individualized, and extravagant.

A.  Blues

B.   Bebop

C.  Rhythm and blues

D.  Hip hop

 

13. When we hear three or more notes played simultaneously, we’re hearing a

A.  polyphonic texture.

B.   melody

C.  chord.

D.  monophonic line.

 

14. The combination of antecedent and consequent units that make a larger whole is the

A.  periodic phrase structure.

B.   punctuation.

C.  theme and variations form.

D.  full cadence.

 

15. The repetition (AA), variation (AA’), and contrast (AB) of a piece of music are all part of the music’s

A.  timbre.

B.   genre.

C.  texture.

D.  form.

 

16. Which one of the following composers sometimes featured American folk melodies in his compositions?

A.  Charlie Parker

B.   John Coltrane

C.  Aaron Copland

D.  Xavier Cugat

 

17. According to your textbook, which composer is considered to be one of the most radical composers who ever lived?

A.  Beethoven

B.   Cage

C.  Verdi

D.  Wagner

 

18. “Erlkönig” is one of the hundreds of songs written by

A.  Schubert.

B.   Haydn.

C.  Chopin.

D.  Schumann.

 

19. What is a term for traditional Turkish finger cymbals common throughout the Middle East?

A.  Timbales

B.   Shawm

C.  Cachiche

D.  Zill

 

20. In _______ music in a movie, the characters do not hear the music.

A.  postmodern

B.   non-digetic

C.  sampled

D.  anti-minimalist

 

21. The Broadway musical is descended from the

A.  oratorio.

B.   recitative.

C.  operetta.

D.  aria.

 

22. Which of the following is an example of a crossover artist?

A.  Chuck Berry

B.   Public Enemy

C.  Austin Wintory

D.  Duke Ellington

 

23. The _______ of a song are often referred to as stanzas.

A.  verses

B.   measures

C.  beats

D.  notes

 

24. Who wrote The Nutcracker?

A.  Alexandr Pushkin

B.   Pyotr Tchaikovsky

C.  Felix Mendelssohn

D.  Boris Gudonov

 

25. The distinction between “classical” and “popular” music is sometimes quite

A.  easily identifiable.

B.   pointless.

C.  meaningful.

D.  difficult to discern.

 

26. A _______ is a type of folk song that tells a story.

A.  canon

B.   ballad

C.  broadside

D.  hoedown

 

27. Which of the following is the name for the main tune in jazz?

A.  Stanza

B.   Improvisation

C.  Head

D.  Sequence

 

28. Which instrument is part of a piano trio?

A.  viola.

B.   harp.

C.  violin.

D.  flute.

 

29. What is the pattern of the Standard Song Form?

A.  ABBA

B.   ABAB

C.  ABAC

D.  AABA

 

30. The instrument that can create sound digitally and can mimic other instruments by adding partials to the fundamentals is the

A.  synthesizer.

B.   oscilloscope.

C.  waza.

D.  organ.

 

31. Von Bingen’s Play of Virtues is a good example of a type of music called

A.  wenchang.

B.   recitation.

C.  plainchant.

D.  vocal quartet.

 

32. A/an _______ is a work that sets new words to an existing melody.

A.  appropriation

B.   scoring

C.  contrafactum

D.  orchestration

 

33. The character of a sound is referred to as its

A.  timbre.

B.   pitch.

C.  line.

D.  texture.

 

34. Music sung without instrumental accompaniment is called

A.  ordo virtutum.

B.   a capella.

C.  figured bass.

D.  countersubject.

 

35. The term ritornello principle plays a huge part in a

A.  concerto grosso.

B.   sonata.

C.  virtuoso cadenza.

D.  suite.

 

36. Gottschalk’s Union is an example of _______ as an attempt to connect purely instrumental music with the wider world of events and ideas.

A.  modernism

B.   program music

C.  lieder

D.  art songs

 

37. What is the musical term for a verse of poetry in a song?

A.  Canto

B.   Refrain

C.  Strophe

D.  Chorus

 

38. What term is used to describe the combination of contrasting melodies played at the same time?

A.  Counterpoint

B.   Imitation

C.  Round

D.  Polyrhythm

 

39. What is the musical term for a prescribed series of pitches that step upward or downward?

A.  Scale

B.   Meter

C.  Cadence

D.  Measure

 

40. The Italian word for “prayer hall,” which refers to a piece of music that includes recitatives, arias, and choruses, is

A.  opera.

B.   operetta.

C.  oratorio.

D.  opera buffa.