Chapter 24. Performing Grief: Purcell and Early Opera; Listening Guide 13: Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Act III, Lament

Which of the following statements correctly describe the "Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's Messiah?

-It is from an oratorio -The texture varies for different lines of text

recitative

A kind of musical declamation of speech

What is "Thy hand, Belinda," as sung by Dido in Purcell's opera?

A recitative

If we assign the letter A for the first 44 seconds of this excerpt (0:00-0:44), what is the form of the entire excerpt? When I am laid in earth, may my wrongs create no trouble in thy breast. When I am laid in earth, may my wrongs create no trouble in thy breast. first two sections of aria1:19

A-A

Even though the third section has a new vocal line with new text, the ground bass continues to repeat as it did throughout the first and second sections. fourth section of aria0:38 Which describes the form of this aria? aria, all four sections2:32

A-A-B-B

Which of the following characterize recitative and which do not?

Advancement of plots and imitation of speech

Why does Dido sing a lament at the end of Purcell's opera?

Aeneas left her

The libretto for Purcell's opera, Dido and Aeneas, is based on _____.

Aeneid

The opening section of this scene is a recitative, a solo vocal passage in which the music follows the inflections of the text. Which describes this section? recitative0:58

Correct: -it is sung freely, with no strong beat Incorrect: -it has a strong beat -it is fast

Which characteristics below correctly describe this recitative? recitative0:58

Correct: -no strong beat -freely sung -accompanied by a few instruments that play simple chords Incorrect: -sung quickly -strong beat -accompanied by a full orchestra

Which are the performing forces for the aria "When I am laid in earth"? Which are not? beginning of aria 0:44

Correct: -solo voice -Baroque-period instruments Incorrect: -bass -percussion

Listen to this excerpt, then fill in the blank below. Thy hand, Belinda; darkness shades me. On thy bosom let me rest; More I would, but Death invades me; Death is now a welcome guest. _______ is singing in this excerpt.

Dido

Which of the following dramatic works were composed by Henry Purcell?

Dido and Aeneas, The fairy queen

Early opera was originally designed to reflect the manner in which seventeenth-century aristocrats sung their conversations to each other on a daily basis.

False

True or False: Early opera was originally designed to reflect the manner in which seventeenth-century aristocrats sung their conversations to each other on a daily basis.

False

True or False: Italian opera was embraced in all Western European countries.

False

What is the structural basis for Dido's Lament in Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas?

Ground Bass

What is the structural basis for Dido's Lament in Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas?

Ground bass

Which of the following does NOT describe Henry Purcell's life and career? He was a composer, He was an organist, He was born in Venice, He was a singer

He was born in Venice

Listen to the following music excerpts and drag them to the correct location on the text written out on the right.

Homorhythm: Hallelujah! Monophony: For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth Imitative polyphony: and He shall reign for ever and ever.

Which of the following correctly describes Henry Purcell's Dido and Aeneas?

It is based on Virgil's Aeneid, The opera ends tragically, It was first performed at a girls school in London

Which of the following operas were composed by Claudio Monteverdi? Which were composed by Purcell?

Monteverdi: Orfeo The Coronation of Poppea Purcell: Dido and Aeneas Fairy Queen

The text for the third section of the aria is "Remember me, remember me, but ah, forget my fate, remember me, but ah, forget my fate." Compare the first and third sections of the aria and drag the descriptions to the musical elements below. Is the text of the third section the same as the first section, or is it new? Is the vocal music of the third section the same as the first section, or is it new?

Music - New Text - New

In composing ________ , a composer often works with a __________ librettist, who supplies the text for the various recitatives, arias, and choruses and provides the story's main threads and subplots.

Opera, librettist

Which of the following operas were composed by Claudio Monteverdi?

Orfeo and The Coronation of Poppea

Match each definition to the genre it describes.

Overture - An orchestral introduction, Recitative - A kind of musical declamation or speech, Aria - A song usually of a highly emotional nature, Libretto - The text/script of an opera

Which of the following are purely instrumental genres that can be included in an opera and which are not?

Overture and sinfonia

Which of the following are purely instrumental sections that can be included in an opera?

Overture, sinfonia

Match the excerpts from the "Hallelujah Chorus" with the correct texture.

Polyphonic: Red Monophonic: Orange

At the time of Monteverdi's opera The Coronation of Poppea, what type of opera houses we're beginning to open in Venice?

Public

At the time of Monteverdi's opera The Coronation of Poppea, what type of opera houses were beginning to open in Venice?

Public

Listen to the following music excerpts and drag them to the correct location on the text written out below. Be sure to click in the yellow part of the card when you are ready to drag it; the card will not move if you click on the play button.

Purple: For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth Red: The kingdom of this world Blue:and He shall reign for ever and ever

Listen to the following music excerpts and drag them to the correct location on the formal structure described below. Be sure to listen to the entire excerpt and match it to the target that describes what you hear. To drag the excerpts be sure to click in the light yellow outer box; the item will not move if you click in the play button.

Recitative - Thy Hand Belinda GB4 GB5 - When I am laid to rest GB6 GB7 - Remember Me

Match the excerpted clips with the correct target from Act III of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas. Be sure to listen to the entire excerpt and match it to the target that describes what you hear. To drag the excerpts be sure to click in the light yellow outer box; the item will not move if you click in the play button. Drag each item above to its matching item below

Remember me ...0:38 -part B of the aria Instrumental0:12 -ground bass pattern alone When I am laid ... 0:44 -part A of the aria Thy hand, Belinda ...0:58 -recitative

The libretto for Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas is based on -

The aeneid

Monteverdi was one of the first great composers of opera.

True

The first one minute and fourteen seconds of the "Hallelujah Chorus" features a homorhythmic texture at the beginning that then becomes imitative. T/F?

True

The masque was an English form of entertainment that combined music, poetry, and dance.

True

True or False: A descending ground bass helps underscore the sorrow in Dido's lament.

True

True or False: Monteverdi was one of the first great composers of opera.

True

True or False: Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas is based on an episode in Virgil's Aeneid

True

True or False: The masque was an English form of entertainment that combined music, poetry, and dance.

True

How does Purcell musically depict Dido's grief in the aria "When I am laid in Earth"?

With a slow tempo, With a descending, chromatic bass line

In the opening recitative, which describes the accompaniment? recitative0:58

a few instruments that play simple chords

aria

a song, usually of a highly emotional nature

overture

an orchestral introduction

Which of the following correctly describe Henry Purcell's Dido and Aeneas and which do not?

based on virgil's aeneid, opera ends tragically, first performed at a girls; school in London

One of Handel's most famous choruses is known as the "Hallelujah" chorus from Messiah. Which describes the performing forces in this work?

chorus and full orchestra

This aria is called "Dido's Lament" because Dido is lamenting the loss of Aeneas, her lover. We know it is a lament because of the text and the plot of the opera. But Purcell also lets us know it is a lament with a bass line that descends stepwise. Purcell's audiences would have known just by the music that this was an expression of deep sadness because other composers have used the same kind of bass line for the same reason. Listen carefully to the bass line throughout this excerpt. Which describes the melodic shape of the bass line? aria0:44

descending mostly by steps

Which describes the bass line in the third section? third section of aria0:38

descending mostly by steps

This aria is called "Dido's Lament" because Dido is lamenting the loss of Aeneas, her lover. We know it is a lament because of the text and the plot of the opera. But Purcell also lets us know it is a lament with the bass line. Purcell's audiences would have known just by the music that this was an expression of deep sadness because other composers have used the same kind of bass line for the same reason. Listen carefully to the bass line throughout this excerpt. Which describes the melodic shape of the bass line?

descending, mostly by steps

Which describes the bass line in the third section?

descending, mostly by steps

An opera is a large-scale _________ that is __________.

drama sung

An opera is a large-scale - that is -.

drama and sung

Which describes the pace of this excerpt?

fast

Listen to the excerpt and fill in the blank below. recitative0:44 The opening descending bass line that unifies Dido's Lament is called a(n) ___________.

ground bass

Drag and drop the appropriate words to describe the "Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's Messiah.

he texture of this SATB chorus with (orchestra) varies from (homorhythm) (all voices moving together but with different notes) to (monophony) (all voices singing the same tune together) to (imitative polyphony) (voices entering at different times with the same tune).

The next text line is "The kingdom of this world is become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ." Which describes the texture when the voices sing this line?

homorhythm

Which describes the relationship between the voices (the texture) when they enter in the opening section singing "Hallelujah"?

homorhythm

Which describes the texture when the voices return to "Hallelujah"?

homorhythm

In the next phrase, the chorus sings "For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth" and "Hallelujah." Which describes the texture in this passage?

imitative polyphony

Which describes the texture when the voices first sing "For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth"?

monophony

Which describes the texture when the voices sing for a second time "For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth"?

monophony

Listen to the excerpt and fill in the blank below. beginning of aria0:44 In the recitative, a few instruments play simple chords, but when the aria begins, the accompaniment changes and the instruments __________.

play notes more frequently

The rhythm of the _________ is free, and the rhythm of the ___________ is more regular. The harmony of the aria is based on a chromatic __________ that descends by half step. The slow and melancholy _________ meter expresses in the aria Dido's lamentation at Aeneas's departure.

recitative aria ground bass triple

Which describes the speed of the aria? aria0:44

slow

Which describes this aria? aria0:44

solo soprano singing in a slow tempo and a steady beat, accompanied by strings (bowed and plucked)

Which describes this aria? aria 0:44

solo soprano singing in a slow tempo and a stready beat, accompanied by strings, [bowed and plucked]

Libretto

the text/script of an opera

The recitative portion of Dido's Lament is accompanied by only a small portion of the orchestra (a.k.a. basso continuo). recitative0:58 True/False

true

Listen to the excerpt and fill in the blanks below. Dido's Lament0:38 The role of Dido is sung by a _________ with a ________ voice.

woman high