Chapter 3, Baroque period

which of the following statements about Handel's life are true?

- Handel studied organ and bean to compose music before he was a teenager - Handel achieved early success with the operas that he wrote

J.S. Bach created masterpieces based on which musical resources?

- Italian concertos - French dance pieces - German church music

basso buffo

Takes comic roles; can sing very rapidly

coloratura soprano

Very high range; can execute rapid scales and trills

basso profondo

Very low range, powerful voice; takes roles calling for great dignity

the type of musical composition that contained chorales and that was used in Lutheran religious services in the early 1700s was the church ________

cantata

who were the best paid singers who had he main roles in early operas?

castratos

what does Henry Purcell's works include?

church and secular music, instrumental works, songs and opera

A notable feature in baroque music is the use of basso ________

continuo

the different movements of a baroque composition are usually ________, to add variety to the place.

contrasting

Much of Purcell's music includes _________, which other composers did not fully appreciate

dissonances

what does the baroque orchestra consisted mainly of?

instruments of the violin family

which statement describes that structure of a church cantata?

it is a multi-movement work for orchestra, chorus and singers sung in German

how does Handel's "Messiah" differ from his previous oratorios?

it is mainly based on the New Testament as opposed to the Old Testament

what happened with Messiah after its premiere?

it was a successful work which was reworked by Handel and other composers and has been regularly performed since then

during the 1600s, where did many public opera houses opened?

italy

In Cantata No. 140 : Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (Awake, a Voice is Calling Us) by Johann Sebastian Bach, what is the congregation expected to do?

join in the singing of the final chorale, which so firmly expressed their unity and belief

Bach was a religious man who wrote his church music for the __________ church.

lutheran

what creates a sense of directed motion for melody in baroque music?

melodic sequence, successive repetition of musical idea at higher or lower pitches

Handel's "Hallelujah" Chorus features which of the following?

monophonic, homophonic, and polyphonic, textures

which of the following is a true statement about late baroque music?

music with polyphonic texture gained importance

Early Italian composers created ___________, which is a drama sung to orchestral accompaniment

opera

the Messiah by G.F. Handel is one of the most highly regarded _________ of the baroque period

oratorios

what is the name for the sudden changes in dynamics in La Primavera?

terraced dynamics

which statement describes the voices of the first movement of Bach's Cantata No. 140?

the chorale is sung by the sopranos, imitated by lower voices and accompanied by the orchestra

Which of the following is the best description of concerto grosso?

the concerto grosso contrasts and alternates between a small group of soloists and a large group

the ground bass in Dido's Lament remains ________ in its eleven statements.

the same

why did Purcell add dances to his opera Dido and Aeneas?

the school principal where it was performed was a dancer and wanted to display his students' talents

listen to the audio. the musical selection is from ________ of Suite No. 3 in D Major by J.S. Bach

the second movement (air)

listen to the audio clip: in this excerpt from J. S. Bach's Organ Fugue in G Minor, which of the following best describes what is heard?

the subject is heard first in one voice then another while a countersubject is presented above the subject

why were castratos important and unique?

they had the lung power of men and vocal range of a woman

generally, how are rhythmic used in a baroque period?

they start off the piece, and are repeated throughout

which is the only movement of Corelli's Trio Sonata in A minor that is slow and songlike?

third

A concerto grosso consists of _______ movement(s)

three

in general, why did baroque musicians write music?

to fit specific needs of their employers

the movements of a baroque suite usually have two sections which repeat.

true

the ritornello is always played by the _________

tutti (full orchestra)

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1731) was highly regarded in his lifetime as a virtuoso __________

violinist

In a fugue, various instrumental lines, called ________, imitate the subject

voices

all of Monteverdi's music is written for _______ and other instruments

voices

which term describes a song for solo voice with orchestral accompaniment?

aria

Listen to the audio: which voice is played by the pedal keyboard?

bass

a melody in one voice will frequently be _______ in another voice in a baroque composition

imitated

besides being successful composer and performer, Handel was also a(n) ________ who produced his own operas.

impresario

besides being a great organist and composer, bah was a renowned ___________.

improvisor

which voice is featured in the fourth movement Bach's Cantata No. 140 singing the chorale tune?

tenor

which statements describe the works of J. S. Bach?

- Back composed works for solo organ, harpsichord, clavichord, violin, and cello - Bach would rearrange secular works into sacred ones - Bach composed cantatas and liturgical compositions - Bach wrote the "Well-Tempered Clavier", a collection of forty-eight preludes and fugues

Which two composers are generally considered the greatest composer of the baroque period?

- George Frideric Handel - Johann Sebastian Bach

opera commonly fuses together which of the following elements?

- acting - music - scenery - costumes (-poetry & dance)

why was the opening of the first public opera house significant?

- anybody who could pay admission was able to attend - it helped spread opera beyond the walls of royal courts - you did not have to be a noble to attend an opera performance

what were the most common ways people became musicians during the baroque period?

- by attending choir school in church - boys and girls received musical education in orphanages - it was an art passed on from generation to generation

which statements describe chorale in the baroque period?

- chorales had a steady rhythm - chorales were commonly adopted from Catholic hymns and folk songs. - chorales were easy to sing and remember.

in the baroque period, oratorios differed from operas in that oratorios did not include which of the following elements found in opera?

- costumes - acting - scenery

what are the main characteristics of Bach's music?

- generally polyphonic - include rich harmonies - some demonstrate the capabilities of a musical form or instrument - can be secular or religious

how did Monteverdi make his music more expressive and intense?

- he used dissonance extensively - he employed new orchestral effects - he successfully blended music and drama

which are true about the life and work of J.S Bach?

- his most successful post was working for the prince of Cothen - four of Bach's sons were composers - Bach's was director of music of a church in Leipzig

what musical genres did G.F. Handel compose?

- operas - keyboard works - oratorios (ballets) - concertos

what did the music director at the court of an aristocrat do and receive?

- received relatives high pay for a musician - had the status of a servant - was expected to produce new compositions for a wide variety of events

for which ensembles were baroque suites written?

- solo instruments - orchestra - small groups of instruments

Which statements accurately describe the baroque period?

- the aristocracy held enormous power and wealth - the arts were symbols of royal wealth and power

Which statements describe the basso continuo

- the basso continuo is usually played with a keyboard instrument such as a cello or bassoon - the basso continuo has the effect of emphasizing the bass part - the keyboard player improvises chords following written numbers above the bass part (the numbers, called, figured bass, are a form of short hand for notating the desired harmony)

which statements describe this selection from Monteverdi's Tu se' morta?

- the vocal line is accompanied by a lute - the vocal line is accompanied by a basso continuo

When did the baroque style flourished in music?

1600-1750

Ofreo, by Monteverdi was composed in the year

1607

how many movements does Vivaldi's Spring concerto have?

3 - fast slow fast

listen to the audio. The descending ground bass, which is repeated eleven times in this aria, most probably denotes ________

Dido's grief

although Handel was born and raised in Germany, where did he spend most of his adult life?

England

the chorales in the Lutheran church were sung in this language:

German

handel is known for his English oratorios, his most famous one being________

Messiah

dramatic tenor

Powerful voice; is capable of heroic expression

what are three principal ways of varying the subject of a fugue?

Presenting the subject: - retrograde - inversion - diminution (- augmentation)

lyric soprano

Rather light voice; sings roles calling for grace and charm

what is clavichord?

a baroque keyboard instrumental

when and where did oratorios first appeared?

early 17th century in Italian prayer halls

in his Cantata No. 140, Bach uses different chorales in each movement

false

the melodic ideas "For Unto Us a Child is Born" inspired Handel to write an Italian duet with secular words

false

what is the format of a trio sonata?

four instrumentalists playing two upper (high notes) and two lower parts (basso continuo)

on what were early operas based?

greek mythology and history

when a musical line in the bass is repeated several times while the melody changes above it, it is called __________

ground bass

when the Royal Academy of Music opera company that Handel was the musical director of failed, what did handle do?

he formed a new company to produce his works

how does Handel generally utilize the parameter of texture in his compositions?

he used more contrast between polyphonic and homophonic sections

for which musical works is Vivaldi is mostly known?

his more than 450 concertos

what term best describes a vocal line that imitates the rhythm and pitch fluctuations of speech?

recitative

the position of the court composer was one with any benefits, however, the composer was still a _______

servant

Arcangelo Corelli is mostly known for being a prominent Baroque composer of which genres?

string works

the technique of using the music to depict the text as when he music rises in the word "exalted" or when it is sustained with long notes in the word "plain" is called

word painting