Chapter 5

What is the definition of "basso continuo"?

a small ensemble of at least two instrumentalists that provides a foundation for the melody or melodies above, heard almost exclusively in Baroque music

Identify the correct definition for the term "concerto grosso."

a. a three-movement composition that pits the sound of a small group of soloists against that of the full orchestra

The lament "When I am laid in earth" is a ground bass aria from:

c. Purcell's Dido and Aeneas

Identify the musical style of the listening excerpt.

c. aria

Which statement about Antonio Vivaldi is wrong?

c. since his father disapproved of music, he quietly pursued practicing the violin in the attic in order to avoid discovery

What does the term "simple recitative" indicate?

c. soloist only accompanied by the basso continuo

What is the most distinctive feature of the concerto grosso?

c. the contrast in sound between the tutti and concertino

What is the meaning of "idiomatic writing"?

d. exploiting the strengths, special abilities, and color of a particular instrument or voice while avoiding its weaknesses

Why is Orfeo important?

d. it was the first important opera in the history of Western music

Select the correct definition for recitative

d. musically heightened speech, often used in an opera, oratorio, or cantata to report dramatic action and advance the plot

What is meant by the term "tutti"?

d. the full orchestra or full performing force

Identify the correct definition of "melodic sequence."

d. the repetition of a musical motive at successively higher or lower degrees of the scale

What does the term "terraced dynamics" describe?

sharp, abrupt dynamic contrasts found in the music of the Baroque era

What is a "figured bass"?

in musical notation, a numerical shorthand that tells the player which unwritten notes to fill in above the written bass note

________ was a prominent genre during the early Baroque. It features a vocal soloist singing a highly charged, emotional text with an accompaniment consisting of a few instruments.

monody

What is a libretto

the text of an opera

What is a "concertino"?

. the group of instruments that function as soloists in a concerto grosso

Which characteristic does not apply to the art and music of the Baroque period?

Calm, Symmetrical organization of events

Which work is not an expression of the Baroque artistic spirit?

Leonardo's Mona Lisa

Which monarch came to epitomize the grandeur and glory of the Baroque era, building a palace so monumental that it was virtually a small, independent city?

Louis XIV of France

When and where did Baroque music first appear?

around 1600 in Italy

Texture during the Baroque era was:

b. predominantly chordal and homophonic; top and bottom lines are the strongest as the basso continuo creates a powerful bass to support the melody above

Identify the musical style of the listening excerpt.

b. recitative

Identify the statement that best applies to "aria."

e. all of the above

Which statement best applies to "opera"?

e. all of the above

Identify the one statement about Henry Purcell that is wrong.

e. his concertos and trio sonatas were widely admired throughout Europe