Chapter 22 - Listening Guide Quiz 12: Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Act III, Lament

Listen to the following music excerpts and drag them to the correct location on the formal structure described below.

(Open all droppable areas) Yellow: 2nd Red: 1st Blue: 3rd

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.

(blank) is singing this excerpt Answer: Dido

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

-It is sung freely, with no strong beat

Which characteristics below correctly describe this recitative?

-no strong beat -accompanied by a few instruments that play simple chords -freely sung

Which are the performing forces for the aria "When I am laid in earth"?

-solo voice -Baroque-period instruments

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.

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. Which best describes the form of this aria?

A-A-B-B

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 best 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.

Blue: Part B of the aria Yellow: Part A of the aria Purple: ground brass pattern alone Red: recitative

Listen to the excerpt and fill in the blank below.

In the recitative, a few instruments play simple chords, but when the aria begins, the accompaniment changes and the instruments (blank) answer: play notes more frequently

Listen to the excerpt and fill in the blank below.

The opening descending bass line that unifies Dido's Lament is called a(n) (blank) answer: ground bass

Drag and drop the appropriate words to best describe Dido's Lament in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas.

The rhythm of the (blank) is free, and the rhythm of the (blank) is more regular. The harmony of the aria is based on a chromatic (blank) that descends by half step. The slow and melancholy (blank) meter expresses in the aria Dido's lamentation at Aeneas's departure Answer: recitative, aria, ground bass, triple

Listen to the excerpt and fill in the blanks below.

The role of Dido is sung by a (blank) with a (blank) voice answer: woman, high

The recitative portion of Dido's Lament is accompanied by only a small portion of the orchestra (a.k.a. basso continuo)? T/F

True

In the opening recitative, which best describes the accompaniment?

a few instruments that play simple chords

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 best describes the melodic shape of the bass line?

descending mostly by steps

Which best describes the bass line in the third section?

descending mostly by steps

Which best describes the speed of the aria?

slow

Which best describes this aria?

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

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?

text: new music: new

he text of this excerpt is "When I am laid in earth, may my wrongs create no trouble in thy breast." If you listen carefully, you'll hear the descending stepwise bass line three times. A bass line that repeats throughout a composition is called a ground bass. Listen for it to continue throughout the entire aria. Compare the first and second sections of the aria and drag the descriptions to the musical elements below. Is the text of the second section the same as the first section, or is it new? Is the vocal music of the second section the same as the first section, or is it new?

text: same vocal music: same