chapter 47
Compare the dynamic levels of two sections of the aria "Un bel dì":
Both the "E uscito" section and the "chi sara?" section are soft throughout.
"Un bel dì," an aria from Madame Butterfly, is sung by -
Cio-Cio-San
Which does NOT contribute to the exoticism in Puccini's Madame Butterfly?
Puccini is Japanese.
Why is there a musical reference to The Star-Spangled Banner in Madame Butterfly?
The title character marries an American naval officer.
This excerpt is an example of
an aria.
The opera Madame Butterfly is set in -
japan
Many Romantic composers looked to faraway lands or cultures for their opera plots.
true
Who of the following are post-Romantic composers and who are not?
Richard Strauss Giacomo Puccini Gustav Mahler
Compare the dynamic levels of two sections of the aria "Un bel dì":
The "poi lanave" section gets louder; the "lo non gli scendo" section remains soft throughout.
Which American patriotic song is referenced by Puccini in Madame Butterfly?
The Star-Spangled Banner
Late Romantic ideals carried into the twentieth century through Italian operatic tradition.
True
Puccini found his inspiration for Madame Butterfly
after attending a performance of David Belasco's play.
Butterfly sings the famous aria, "Un bel dì" ("One beautiful day")
as she dreams of Pinkerton's return.
What do you hear in "Un bel dì," an aria from Madame Butterfly?Puccini, Un bel dì4:38
high womans voice and orchestra
Which of the following statements correctly describe the ending of "Un bel dì" from Madame Butterfly?Puccini, Un bel dì1:04
it builds to a loud climax and then dies down again the orchestra plays the last few seconds with out the voice
Japanese folk melodies are often built on a five-note, or - scale.
pentatonic
Puccini's brief reference to The Star-Spangled Banner during the opening of Act I of Madame Butterfly is an example of his nationalism.
False
The verismo movement focused on the imaginative and fantastic.
False
Which opera composer is associated with the verismo movement?
Giacomo Puccini
Which composer helped carry late-Romantic ideas into the twentieth century?
Giacomo Puccini Richard Strauss Gustav Mahler
Listen to the following music excerpts and drag them into the correct order on the music chart below.
Green, Red, Blue
In what language is this work sung?
Italian
Madame Butterfly is sung in what language?
Italian
The opera Madame Butterfly is set in
Japan
Puccini makes reference to the music of which nations in Madame Butterfly?
Japanese usa
Which does not describe the character Cio-Cio-San?
She is Butterfly's maid.
Which best describes the ending of the aria "Un bel dì"?Puccini, Un bel dì0:01
Soprano with full orchestral accompaniment
Which best describes the opening of the aria "Un bel dì"?Puccini, Un bel dì0:02
Soprano with sparse orchestral accompaniment
Cio-Cio-San asks questions that rouse her anticipation and emotions once again: "Who will it be? Who? And when he arrives, what will he say? What?" Which best describes the music in this excerpt?Puccini, Un bel dì0:14
Speechlike vocal melody
Compare the dynamic levels of two sections of the aria "Un bel dì":
The "Butterfly dalla"section remains soft throughout; the "e un po'" section becomes loud and then soft again
Which of the following statements correctly describes the opening of "Un bel dì" from Madame Butterfly?Puccini, Un bel dì, opening0:39
The music is played at a slow pace the instruments are quiet
Compare the dynamic levels of the opening and closing sections of the aria "Un bel dì":
The opening of the aria is softer than the closing of the aria
What type of singing is heard in "Un bel dì," from Puccini's Madame Butterfly?
aria
What is happening in terms of the dynamics in this excerpt?
crescendo from piano to fff
What is the mood at the beginning of this excerpt?
dreamlike, ethereal
Both Puccini and Mahler had a strong fascination with which culture?
eastern
The nineteenth-century trend towards evoking a culture outside the composer's in opera was known as -
exoticism
Puccini found his inspiration for Madame Butterfly after visiting Tokyo and viewing a traditional play there.
false
The characteristics of post-Romanticism were not found in works from Italy.
false
The movement of verismo focused on the imaginative/fantastic.
false
How does Puccini set the last two words of the aria, "l'aspetto" ("I wait for him"), to music (this text occurs at 0:19 in the excerpt)?
fortissimo dynamic in the orchestra a high note held by the singer string tremolos and minor harmonies introduce the phrase
In Madame Butterfly, you can hear the orchestra evoking the timbres of which Japanese ensemble?
gagaku
In Puccini's Madame Butterfly, Cio-Cio-San renounces her role as a - in order to marry her American love
geisha
Women that were highly trained in the arts of classical music, poetry, and dancing, and were easily recognizable by their lacquered black hair, distinctive makeup, and ornate silk kimono are called
geishas
What instruments does Puccini use to evoke the timbres of the Japanese gagaku orchestra?
harp, flute, piccolo, bells
Which best describes the texture of "Un bel dì" from Madame Butterfly?Puccini, Un bel dì0:34
homophonic texture
After Pinkerton returns, Butterfly
learns that Pinkerton has a new American wife. learns that Pinkerton will take their son back to America. takes her own life.
What specific musical technique did Puccini borrow from Wagner in his Madame Butterfly?
leitmotifs
What specific musical technique did Puccini borrow from Wagner in his Madame Butterfly?
leitomis
What is the genre of Madame Butterfly?
opera
Match the end-of-the-20th-century musical trend to its definition.
operatic style popular in Italy that attempted to bring naturalism and realism to the stage-verismo musical style in which rhythms, melodies, or instruments evoke the color and atmosphere of foreign or fantastic lands- exoticism
Which two scale types did Puccini use in Madame Butterfly to evoke Japanese culture?
pentatonic whole-tone
At the turn of the twentieth century, a movement called _____ reflected an expansion and intensification of late-Romantic trends.
post-Romanticism
Which best describes the music at the opening of "Un bel dì," an aria from Madame Butterfly?Puccini, Un bel dì0:39
soaring vocal melody
One of the style features of Puccini's music is that instruments in the orchestra often play the vocal line. In this excerpt, which instrument(s) play(s) the melody with the singer?
solo violin
What is the vocal range of the singer in this excerpt?
soprano
Which instruments and voice type do you hear in "Un bel dì," an aria from Madame Butterfly?Puccini, Un bel dì4:38
soprano full orchestra
The ___________ are accompanying the singer in this excerpt.
strings
The ___________ are doubling the vocal line in this excerpt.
strings
What were the themes of verismo operas?
subjects from everyday life
How does Puccini's score for Madame Butterfly evoke exoticism?
the use of traditional Japanese melodies the use of pentatonic and whole-tone passages instrument combinations evoking the timbres of a gagaku orchestra
After Puccini's death in 1924, opera gradually became displaced in the popular imagination by other musical-theatrical traditions.
true
Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly focuses on the heroine, a former geisha.
true
Puccini's opera Madame Butterfly was considered exotic due to its setting and plot.
true
The nineteenth-century trend toward realism in opera was known as
verismo
The nineteenth-century trend towards realism in opera was known as -
verismo
