MUGN 290 LA TECH FINAL
Webern's melodic lines are
"atomized" into two- or three-note fragments.
Composers who have returned to the use of tonality have been called
"new Romantics".
Georg Büchner's play Woyzeck was written in the
1830s.
When did the first pairing of music and film take place?
1895
The expressionist movement in music and art flourished in the years
1905-1925.
The flowering of African American culture called the "Harlem Renaissance" spanned the years
1917-35.
The neoclassical movement in music roughly encompassed the years
1920-1950.
Radio broadcasts of live and recorded music began to reach large audiences during the
1920s
Schoenberg's third period, in which he developed the twelve-tone system, began around
1921.
Which of the following characteristics is not true of minimalist music?
A fast rate of change
The last movement of Ginastera's Estancia Suite, titled "Final Dance: Malambo", makes use of an ________ form.
AA'B
In 1945 Ginastera moved to the United States where he had the opportunity to study with the well known American composer
Aaron Copland.
Antonin Dvořák predicted in the late nineteenth century that the foundation for American music would come from
African American and Native Indian melodies.
Aaron Copland's name has become synonymous with American music because of his use of
All answers are correct.
Béla Bartók evolved a completely individual style that fused folk elements with
All answers are correct.
Béla Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra
All answers are correct.
Charles Ives's music contains elements of
All answers are correct.
Composers in the twentieth century drew inspiration from
All answers are correct.
Edgard Varèse's Poème électronique
All answers are correct.
In addition to his compositions, Copland made valuable contributions to music in America by
All answers are correct.
In modern music
All answers are correct.
In order to "drown the sense of tonality," Debussy
All answers are correct.
In twentieth-century music
All answers are correct.
Schoenberg acquired his profound knowledge of music by
All answers are correct.
Stravinsky's enormous influence on twentieth-century music is due to his innovations in
All answers are correct.
The ordering of the twelve chromatic tones in a twelve-tone composition is called a
All answers are correct.
The text of A Survivor from Warsaw
All answers are correct.
The vocal lines in Wozzeck include
All answers are correct.
To create fresh sounds, twentieth-century composers used
All answers are correct.
Twentieth-century musical expressionism grew out of the emotional turbulence in the works of late romantics such as
All answers are correct.
While remaining within the framework of a tonal center, Béla Bartók often used _________ in his music.
All of these
The first opera created for television was Gian-Carlo Menotti's
Amahl and the Night Visitors.
Which of the following compositions is not by Charles Ives?
An American in Paris
Which of the following works was not composed by Aaron Copland?
An American in Paris
In the 1950s Stravinsky dramatically changed his style, drawing inspiration from
Anton Webern.
The twelve-tone composer whose style was most imitated in the 1950s and 1960s was
Anton Webern.
Which of the following composers was not stimulated by the folklore of his native land?
Anton Webern.
Alberto Ginastera, one of the most prominent Latin-American composers of the 20th century, was born in
Argentina.
The first significant atonal pieces were composed around 1908 by
Arnold Schoenberg.
Which of the following is not considered a symbolist poet?
Auguste Renoir
Aaron Copland was born in
Brooklyn, New York.
A great twentieth-century composer who was also a leading scholar of the folk music of his native land was
Béla Bartók
The most important impressionist composer was
Claude Debussy.
All of the following painters may be considered part of the expressionist movement except
Claude Monet.
The term impressionist derived from a critic's derogatory reaction to Impression: Sunrise, a painting by
Claude Monet.
Which of the following characteristics is not usually associated with impressionism?
Clearly delineated forms
Which of the following statements is not true?
Composers in the early twentieth century drew inspiration only from serious art music and their own intellect, ignoring popular and folk music.
An example of Copland's use of serialist technique is
Connotations for Orchestra.
Ionisation, the first important work for percussion ensemble, was composed by
Edgard Varèse.
Which of the following compositions was not composed by John Adams?
Einstein on the Beach
Which of the following statements is not true?
Expressionist artists favored pleasant subjects, delicate pastel colors, and shimmering surfaces.
Varèse: Poème électronique
For the most part, are the sounds used in this composition of definite or indefinite pitch? INDEFINITE PITCH Which statement best describes the concept of rhythm in this piece? THE SOUNDS HAVE VARIOUS LENGTHS AND PATTERNS Which of the following best describes the texture of this piece? DENSE TEXTURE WITH MANY SOUND COLORS HEARD AT ONE TIME What musical elements do you hear that provide contrast to this composition? ALL ANSWER ARE CORRECT
Impressionist painting and symbolist poetry as artistic movements originated in
France.
Which of the following musicals is not by George Gershwin?
Funny Girl
Which of the following is not primarily known as a minimalist composer?
George Crumb
Expressionism as an artistic movement was largely centered in
Germany and Austria.
A Survivor from Warsaw used three languages: English, German, and
Hebrew.
All of the following composers worked in the early years of the twentieth century except
Hector Berlioz.
BERG, Wozzeck Act III, scenes 4 and 5
How would you describe the general harmonic character of this opera? ATONAL How is the concept of expressionism revealed in this opera? ALL ANSWERS ARE CORRECT What instrument depicts the rising moon in this excerpt? HARP The vocal styles used in this opera include SPRECHSTIMME AND SPOKEN DIALOGUE
While not rejecting any influence, Béla Bartók emphasized that the strongest influence on his music was
Hungarian.
The most famous riot in music history occurred in Paris in 1913 at the first performance of
Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring.
Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
In this selection, the melody is carried by the WOODWINDS A noticeably prominent feature of this music is SYNCOPATION
Bartók: Concerto for Orchestra, II: Game of Pairs
In this selection, the melody is carried by two BASSOONS The accompaniment in this selection is best characterized as STACCATO
Webern: Third Piece: Very slow and extremely calm from Five Pieces for Orchestra
In this selection, the pulsating bell-like sounds give way to: A SNARE DRUM ROLL The dynamics of the music in this selection are best described as PP
In 2009, Eric Whitacre's music was heard by millions of people, who could watch and listen through his
Internet Virtual Choir project.
George Gershwin usually collaborated with the lyricist
Ira Gershwin.
Neoclassical composers modeled many of their works after the compositions of
Johann Sebastian Bach.
An example of aleatoric music is
John Cage's Imaginary Landscape No. 4 for twelve radios.
All of the following are proponents of serialism except
John Cage.
Who was the leading American composer and conductor of band music?
John Philip Sousa
Appalachian Spring originated as a ballet score for the great modern dancer and choreographer
Martha Graham.
Debussy's opera Pelléas et Mélisande is an almost word-for-word setting of the symbolist play by
Maurice Maeterlinck.
A major composer associated with the serialist movement is
Milton Babbitt.
Which of the following is not characteristic of neoclassicism?
Misty atmosphere
In 1921 Copland went to France, where he was the first American to study composition with
Nadia Boulanger.
One of the most important teachers of musical composition in the twentieth century was
Nadia Boulanger.
Which of the following statements concerning neoclassicism is not true?
Neoclassical composers reacted against twentieth-century harmonies and rhythms, and preferred to revive old forms and styles exactly as they were.
George Gershwin grew up in
New York, New York.
Igor Stravinsky studied composition with
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.
The painter who designed the sets for Stravinsky's Pulcinella, and who went through a phase that showed the influence of ancient Greek art, was
Pablo Picasso.
Each movement of William Grant Still's Afro-American Symphony is prefaced by lines from a poem by
Paul Laurence Dunbar.
Many of Debussy's songs are set to poems by the symbolist poet
Paul Verlaine.
Which of the following terms is not used to describe the special ordering of the twelve chromatic tones in twelve-tone composition?
Polychord
Which of the following ballets is not from Stravinsky's Russian period?
Pulcinella
Ellen Taaffe Zwilich is a
Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer.
One of the immediate predecessors of expressionism was the composer
Richard Strauss.
Stravinsky's life took a sudden turn in 1909, when he met the director of the Russian Ballet,
Sergei Diaghilev.
Which of the following statements is NOT true about Amy Beach?
She traveled to Europe to study with Frédéric Chopin.
An eerily expressive kind of declamation midway between song and speech, introduced during the expressionist period, is
Sprechstimme.
Schoenberg developed an unusual style of vocal performance, halfway between speaking and singing, called
Sprechstimme.
The poem that inspired the Prelude to "The Afternoon of a Faun" was written by
Stéphane Mallarmé.
The Gershwin song that became a tremendous hit in 1920 was
Swanee.
In which of the following areas did Debussy not create masterpieces?
Symphonies
Ellen Taaffe Zwilich won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Music for her composition
Symphony No. 1.
Whitacre: Lux Aurumque
Terms that describe the characteristics of this piece include: a cappella, choir, consonant, tone clusters, Latin, tonal, chromaticism, pedal tones, adagio, legato, quiet dynamics (p), dyads. The mood of this work is peaceful and spiritual. To achieve this tone, Whitacre employs a slow tempo, legato performances, and very soft dynamics. He also creates consonant, pure harmonies and a mostly static texture. During the text "gravisque," the sopranos and tenors descend on a chromatic scale. This is an example of word painting, which you have previously studied in Renaissance and Baroque music. You may find similarities between this music and that of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The use of the Latin language, a cappella choir, and consonant harmonies call to mind the religious music during those eras.
BERG, Wozzeck Act III, scenes 4 and 5
Terms that describe the characteristics of this piece include: atonal, opera, dissonance, expressionism, Sprechstimme, dynamic contrasts, orchestra, intermittent tonality, romantic music language. The vocal lines includes speaking, shrieking, Sprechstimme, distorted folk songs, and melodies with wide leaps that are difficult to sing. This approach fits well with the antiheroic content of the opera, and the inner emotional turmoil of Wozzeck. It is extremely different from the intensely lyrical and melodic singing found in the operas of Verdi, Puccini, Mozart, and even Wagner. Berg, influenced by expressionism, sought to capture the psychological struggles that people go through in modern times (his own experiences during World War I also probably contributed to the portrayal of emotional turmoil). The combination of effects and styles he uses in this piece reflects the time in which he was writing: a time of industrialization, disassociation, global war, and a kaleidoscopic approach of art. His use of jarring dissonances, romantic harmonic language, Sprechstimme, and unusual instrumental effects all contribute to the portrayal of an unsettled, modernist psychology.
Zwilich: Concerto Grosso 1985, I
Terms that describe the characteristics of this piece include: baroque, quotation music, concerto grosso, tutti, terraced dynamics, continuo, harpsichord, orchestra, ritornello form, pedal tones, dissonant/consonant tonality. Some baroque techniques that Zwilich used in this piece include: terraced dynamics, continuo, concerto grosso, ritornello form, pedal tones, repeated phrases. In this work, the harpsichord is mainly used as accompaniment and color, a way to suggest the baroque time period (it is only used during the quotation sections). In Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 5, it is used continually throughout the piece, featured as a soloist, and given a virtuosic cadenza section. The end of the movement mirrors the opening section, which is written in a modern style; it is therefore more tense and dissonant. The previous section was a quotation from Handel that, despite its own dissonances, feels very consonant and pleasing to our ears. Further, the harpsichord in the final section is treated as an effect, playing swirls of notes that cause disorientation.
SCHOENBERG, A Survivor from Warsaw Op. 46
Terms that describe the characteristics of this piece include: cantata, twelve-tone system, tone row, set, series, Sprechstimme, syncopation, accents, accelerando, crescendo. Besides English and German, the text to this piece includes Hebrew. These were the three languages of Schoenberg's life: German, his native tongue; English, his adopted language in the United States; and Hebrew, the language of the faith to which he returned. The English serves as the narration, the German appears with the Nazi soldiers, and Hebrew represents the spiritual aspects (the sung Hebrew contrasts dramatically with the spoken English and German that comes before, and it is the first extended melody in the work). The twelve-tone system is a perfect setting for the harsh, nightmarish conditions of the Nazi concentration camps. The dissonant, unpredictable nature of the music captures the hellish atmosphere which prevailed as Nazi soldiers awakened the Warsaw Jews for transport to death camps. The twelve-tone system is also flexible enough to introduce a certain amount of lyricism during the Hebrew prayers. As Schoenberg grew older, he reconnected with and embraced his Jewish heritage. He must have felt much empathy with his friends and relatives who were killed during the Nazi regime. This piece tries to capture the terror of the events and the ultimate triumph of faith and spirit.
Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
Terms that describe the characteristics of this piece include: concerto, orchestral, syncopation, virtuosity, coda, chromaticism, crescendo, decrescendo, accelerando, ritardando, slides, growls. There are many elements that contribute to the jazz feeling of this piece, including: syncopation, slide articulations, growl articulations in the brass, a "swing" to the rhythm. There are some similarities between the two pieces, even though the were written centuries apart. They are both composed as concertos, meaning that the piano and orchestra are in dialogue. It also means that the piano parts are very virtuosic and require extraordinary technical ability. Further, they both put an emphasis on melody and tunes, supporting one clear melody with accompaniment (homophonic texture).
Varèse: Poème électronique
Terms that describe the characteristics of this piece include: electronic music, tape studio, percussive, recorded music, crescendos, decrescendo, rubato. Varèse uses normal musical elements to unify this unusual musical work. Three such techniques are: orchestration (changing timbres to help tell the story), rhythm (the placement of long and short sounds is very specific), and repetition (each section begins with low bell tolls and ends with sirens). Varèse sets the female voice as moans and howls, which usually calls to mind tragic circumstances. This choice of orchestration was specific in order to convey his meaning. Expressing inquisition is more vague, but perhaps Varèse meant to inquire as to how the listener would react to this new music form. Multimedia concert experiences probably seem more familiar to you because movies are a commercial version of this. A multimedia experience itself is neither good nor bad, it depends on the quality of the art and your interpretation of it. Often these experiences offer an immersive, three-dimensional experience that stimulate both mind and body. However, sometimes these performances try to do too much, and the quantity of the art takes precedence over the quality.
Ives: Three Places in New England, Putman's camp, Redding, Connecticut
Terms that describe the characteristics of this piece include: experimental, orchestral, dissonance, symphony, march, tonal harmonies, polyrhythms, contrasting dynamics, syncopation, chromaticism, dotted rhythms, crescendo, decrescendo, fanfare. Ives focused on his surroundings and local culture, rather than using European tradition for inspiration. His compositions are deeply rooted in the folk and popular music he knew as a boy: revival hymns, ragtime, village bands, church choirs, patriotic songs, and barn dances. He was inspired by "unconventional" features of the American tradition: the village fiddler playing slightly out of tune, the cornetist a fraction ahead of the rest of the band, the church organist accidentally holding one chord while the choir sings another. His polyrhythms, polytonality, and tone clusters grew out of the music he knew. The opening section portrays the patriotic atmosphere of a Fourth of July picnic, with the march rhythms and brass shouts. The middle section represents the child's dream. The goddess of liberty pleading with the soldiers is suggested by the impression of two bands playing in different tempos. One band begins with a sad oboe melody accompanied by strings, the other with a march rhythm in the piano and snare drum. A quotation of "The British Grenadiers," a favorite tune of the Revolutionary army, represents the army marching out of the camp. You may feel patriotic in listening to Ives's music, or perhaps energized by all the chaos. You may also feel angry or anxious that he didn't provide a fully resolved melody.
Adams: Short Ride in a Fast Machine
Terms that describe the characteristics of this piece include: orchestra, minimalism, ostinatos, staccato, crescendo, loud dynamics (fff), fanfare, steady pulse, lyrical, consonant, tonal. Minimalist features in this work include: ostinatos (appearing at the very beginning in the clarinets), steady pulse (the woodblock that continues throughout), and clear tonality (the trumpet part that begins at 2:54 and continues until the finish) The term 'minimalism' was originally coined to describe the use of simple and basic harmonic and rhythmic elements; tonality was consonant and static, and rhythm was steady. Adams's piece is anything but simple and so the term "minimalist" is insufficient. It is because of this that Adams's music is generally called "post-minimalist," for lack of a better term. The music for the Matrix films uses minimalist features, as does music by bands like M83, Postal Service, Radiohead, etc.
Still: Afro-American Symphony, III
Terms that describe the characteristics of this piece include: scherzo, symphony, syncopation, orchestral, motives, polyphony, crescendo, descrescendo, staccato, tonal, countermelody. Still used several ways to emphasize the American style of the music, including: the use of "blue" notes (flatted third and seventh of the major scale), use of a banjo, syncopation, and references to African American spirituals and the blues. Also, the very synthesis of styles gives the music a hybrid quality that is essential American (a country defined by cultural mixing). The mood of this movement is joyful and uplifting. The essence of the piece calls to mind spirituals that seek ecstasy in praise. He uses steady percussion, clashing cymbals (recalling hand clapping), bursts of horns, and melodies that dance in joy. You may not be used to hearing these types of melodies and harmonies set in the orchestra; in fact, it is still uncommon. One problem with setting the blues in an orchestra is that the performers must be familiar with the style in order to convey the "grit" of the blues. Nevertheless, Still manages to marry two traditions in a very smooth and successful way, showing that the blues is flexible enough to exist in symphonic format, and the orchestra is flexible enough to play the blues.
Cage: Sonata No. 2
Terms that describe the characteristics of this piece include: sonata, AABB, percussive, prepared piano, soft dynamics (p). This work may sound foreign or alien to you, but many of Cage's compositional technique have found their way into today's popular music. This piece was influenced by the music from other cultures, including Africa and Bali. Despite the unusual sound of prepared piano, the range of emotions expressed in this piece is large, from anxious, to peaceful, to inquisitive, to ecstatic, to joyful, to playful, to angry. The two A and B sections are created through straightforward repeats. In other words, we hear the musical content of each section twice. You may think that Schumann's music is more effective at creating emotional states but that may partly be because you are used to it (the romantic music language is used so often in film and television to enhance the emotional subtext of a scene). Although Schumann and Cage both use a solo piano to express their music ideas, they use tonality in very different ways: Schumann's romantic music pulls at your emotions in a more direct way, whereas Cage's modern music is more subtle and incorporates a "cooler," approach.
Ginastera: Estancia Suite, Op. 8a, Final Dance: Malambo
Terms that describe the characteristics of this piece include: suite, symphonic, orchestra, syncopation, ostinato, pizzicato, crescendo, glissando, shifting meter. Ginastera establishes and maintains the tension and drive with a very large percussion section, and heavy syncopation of the energetic melodies. The meter is 6/8, and the six rapid pulses per measure represent the foot tapping of the dancing gauchos. Part B introduces a lively malambo melody. In this melody, six fast pulses first subdivide into two groups of three pulses and then into three groups of two pulses. It is repeated more often than the melody in the first sections and is almost monophonic in texture. Further, the accompaniment in the first section features more ostinato patterns than that of the B section. The shrill loud sounds, "barking" horns, and heavy percussion is meant to portray the foot stomps, hand claps, and exclamation shouts from the dancers.
Copland: Appalachian Spring, Simple Gifts
Terms that describe the characteristics of this piece include: symphony, theme and variation form, duple meter, tonal, homophony, polyphony, staccato, legato, orchestral. - Variation 1: theme in oboe and bassoon, first phrase, played slightly faster, in higher register; Variation 2: theme in violas and trombone, played half as fast, in lower register, first phrase imitated in violins, then in cellos and basses; Variation 3: theme in trumpets and trombones, played twice as fast, staccato; Variation 4: theme in woodwinds, second phrase, played slightly slower than variation 3, gentle and legato; Variation 5: full orchestra, first phrase, played slowly and majestically, in high register. Appalachian Spring is bright and transparent, has a clear tonality, and is basically tender and calm in mood. The score's rhythmic excitement comes from delightful syncopations and rapid changes of meter. The style is decidedly American, meaning it incorporates many different influences, from baroque (polyphonic imitation), to classical (theme and variations), to romantic (emotional expression), to jazz (syncopation, prominent horns, and extended percussion), to folk (use of a Shaker melody). Appalachian Spring is a good example of Copland's desire to put forth simple and direct music, so that the average concertgoer could understand it. The melodies are clear and even when the accompaniment is busy (the cascading and fast violin runs), it is orchestrated in such a way that a listener does not get confused and is able to hear how the piece was constructed.
BARTÓK, Concerto for Orchestra Second Movement: Game of Pairs
Terms that describe the characteristics of this piece include: ternary, orchestral, duple meter, pizzicato, homophony, tonal, polyphony, staccato, legato. Recall that a concerto is a piece designed for a soloist that is in conversation with an orchestra. Therefore, a concerto for orchestra, implies an orchestra of virtuosos conversing with themselves. Indeed, Bartók himself explained that the unusual title reflects the work's "tendency to treat the single orchestral instruments in a concertant or soloistic manner." The jesting second movement involves different pairs of woodwind and brass instruments. The melodic lines of each pair are in parallel motion and are separated by a distinctive pitch interval (the "pairs"). Further, the rhythms of the music are bouncy, staccato, and playful. The second section features brass, which we have not heard previously, in a homophonic, hymnlike melody. The A sections feature more polyphony and so the homophonic second section is a stark contrast. Further, the melodies are played in a legato manner by the brass whereas the A sections are marked by extensive use of staccato rhythms.
The immense success of Stravinsky's 1910 ballet ________ established him as a leading young composer.
The Firebird
The famous riot in 1913 was caused by the first performance of Stravinsky's ballet
The Rite of Spring.
Adams: Short Ride in a Fast Machine
The central rhythmic component of this excerpt is performed by which instrument? WOODBLOCK Which of these does NOT describe this music? STONIC AND RESERVED
Which of the following statements is not true?
The impressionist painters were particularly obsessed with portraying scenes of ancient French glories.
Whitacre: Lux Aurumque
The mood of this music can best be described as SPIRITUAL Which of the following is a way that Whitacre achieves dissonance? EIGHT NOTE CHORDS, WHICH INCLUDE TONE CLUSTERS
STRAVINSKY: Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring, 1913)
The opening melody of the Introduction is played by what instrument?- BASSOON What compositional device provides unity to the Omens of Spring section?- OSTINATO In Sacrificial Dance, how does Stravinsky create a feeling of jagged rhythms and intense excitment?- CHANGING METERS IN ALMOST EVERY BAR What instrument provides loud, cannon-like accents in Sacrificial Dance?- TIMPANI Which of the following musical characteristics do you NOT hear in these excerpts?-STRONG TONAL CENTER How does Stravinsky evoke the idea of primitivism in these excerpts?-INSISTENT, DRIVING RHYTHMS AND PERCUSSIVE SOUNDS
Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
The rhythmic patterns of this composition get their jazzy feel from what? HEAVY SYNCOPATION The opening theme is first introduced by the CLARINET Which of the following contributes to the bluesy feeling of the music? USE OF THE TIMPANI Which of the following is NOT true of the piano solos? EACH SOLO IS THE SAME This piece is a blend of jazz and classical styles. Which of the following would be considered "classical" about this piece? BOTH
Schoenberg: Pierrot lunaire, Mondestrunken
This music employs a style of singing called: SPRECHSTIMME In this selection, which instrument is the most prominent companion to the voice? FLUTE
Varèse: Poème électronique
This music features ELECTRONIC SOUNDS Which statement is true? THE MUSIC EXISTS ONLY IN ONE "PERFORMANCE", FIXED ON AUDIOTAPE
Schoenberg: A Survivor from Warsaw
This music is an example of SERIALISM Which of the following statements about this music is NOT true? THE MUSIC CAPTURES A FRENETIC ATMOSPHERE THROUGH WHICH A TIMELESS, YET EXPLOSIVE, LOVE STORY IS TOLD
Debussy: Prélude à l'Après-midi d'un faune
This music is an example of- IMPRESSIONISM Which statement about this music is true? - IT EMPLOYS VAGUE PULSE AND TONALITY
Still:Afro-American Symphony, III
This music is best characterized as a JOYFUL SCHERZO In this selection, the music HAS A STEADY BEAT AND A PLAYFUL, IMITATIVE CHARACTER
Cage: Sonatas and Interludes: Sonata II
This music is performed ON A SOLO PREPARED PIANO Which musical element makes the instrument so unique? TIMBRE
Stravinsky:Le Sacre du Printemps, Part I: Omens of Spring
This selection is characterized by UNEXPECTED AND IRREGULAR ACCENTS This selection begins with which instrument family? STRINGS
Berg: Wozzeck
This selection opens with: CHILDREN PLAYING AND SINGING This music is best described as a TRAGIC OPERA
Putnam's Camp, Redding, Connecticut, is a movement from Charles Ives's
Three Places in New England
Which of the following is not an alternative to the traditional organization of pitch used by twentieth-century composers?
Tonic-dominant harmonies
William Grant Still's opera dealing with the Haitian slave rebellion is
Troubled Island.
Which of the following statements is not true?
Twentieth-century music follows the same general principles of musical structure as earlier periods.
Which of the following statements is not true?
Typical of expressionist composers, Berg scored his opera Wozzeck for a small chamber orchestra.
When Schoenberg arrived in the United States after the Nazis seized power in Germany, he obtained a teaching position at
UCLA.
Debussy: Prélude à l'Après-midi d'un faune
Using the vocabulary you have learned so far in the course, describe the basic characteristics of this piece. -{Ternary form, ABA', tone poem, orchestral poem, rubato, accelerando, ritardando, pentatonic, whole-tone scale, glissando, crescendo.} Although composers' styles tend to change over time, many of the most important composers from the first half of the twentieth century developed, to a certain extent, a "trademark." As you listen to this composition, identify the key musical elements that Debussy manipulated to give his music its unique sound.- {Debussy strove to evoke fleeting moods and misty atmospheres, focusing on sensuous, beautiful sounds and subtle but crucial changes of timbre. He treated harmony vaguely, according to his own whims, using successions of dissonant chords that do not resolve, parallel chords, five-note chords, pentatonic and whole-tone scales, and a fluid, flexible approach to tempo. His use of dynamics was also restrained, often favoring solo instruments and soft woodwinds rather than a full, powerful orchestra.} In what ways did Debussy establish contrast in the middle section of this work?- { In the middle section, Debussy creates contrast through an increased use of legato phrasing and a fuller, lush, louder sound. The A sections focus more on solo instruments and small instrumental combinations, whereas the B section features the use of the whole orchestra. } Discuss Debussy's treatment of rhythm in this work. Can you locate a strong beat or pulse? What effect is created by its presence or absence- { The pulse in Debussy's music is sometimes as vague as the tonality. This rhythmic flexibility reflects the fluid, meandering quality of the subject matter and creates a swirling atmosphere of colors.}
STRAVINSKY: Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring, 1913)
Using the vocabulary you have learned so far in the course, describe the basic characteristics of this piece. {ostinato, pizzicato, syncopation, dissonance, polychord, accents, primitivism, quickly-changing meters, staccato.} Describe Stravinsky's use of ostinato in the Introduction and in Omens of Spring. {Stravinsky makes heavy use of ostinatos (repeated rhythmic patterns). One ostinato figure in these opening sections is the repeated four-note "ticking" figure in the pizzicato violins. He introduces it in the Introduction and then makes more use of it in Omens of Spring, unifying movements through a repeated melodic fragment.} Does the music accurately represent the title, Sacrificial Dance? Why or why not? How does the music tell the events of the story? {The title Sacrificial Dance depicts a scene in which a young girl dances herself to death. Appropriately, this music is violent, marked by the irregular movements that reveal an exhausted dancer. The harsh tonal colors, jagged rhythms, blaring brass, and aggressive percussion combine to portray the girl's ultimate sacrifice.} Citing the use of specific musical elements from this example, describe Stravinsky's compositional style. Which of the elements is most manipulated and central to the work as a whole? {In his early style, from which The Rite of Spring comes, Stravinsky favors irregular meters, angular melodies, ostinatos, contrasting tone colors, harsh dissonances, heavy percussion, and "primitive" textures. This particular piece features all of these techniques, but ostinatos feature most heavily, reappearing throughout the entire work, unifying otherwise chaotic sounds.} At the 1913 premiere of this work in Paris the audience is reported to have booed, hissed, and shouted so loudly during the ballet that the dancers could not hear the music. Describe the factors that might have contributed to such a fierce reaction.{The audience at the premiere of this work had a difficult time accepting its pagan primitivism, harsh dissonances, percussiveness, and pounding rhythms. The music was jarring, especially as a ballet, which was a genre normally associated with melodic, easily-understood music.}
SCHOENBERG, Pierrot lunaire (Moonstruck Pierrot)
Using the vocabulary you have learned so far in the course, describe the basic formal characteristics of this piece. { atonal, modern, chromatic, sprechstimme, dissonance, ostinato, song cycle, sequence} What musical element did Schoenberg use to unify this work?{The pervasive varied recurrence of the ostinato motive in different instruments unifies the piece.} In your own words, describe how Schoenberg musically depicted these verses: a) "The wine that with eyes is drunk / at night the moon pours down in waves." and b) "Desires shuddering and sweet / swim countless through the floods!" {In the first verse, Schoenberg continues the descending ostinato in the piano, while the voice has mostly legato phrasing. The effect is a hypnotic one. In the second verse, the mood is increasingly tense and passionate and the voice is more speechlike. Also, the violin enters with louder dynamics and shriller playing.} What are your thoughts about Schoenberg's radical departure from tonality? What do you believe was the purpose of such a change? {You may or may not not enjoy the dissonant nature of Schoenberg's music but try to identify the ways it depicts modern life more accurately than, say, Mozart's music.} This composition uses Sprechstimme, a sort of melodically-heightened speech. Can you think of a contemporary musical style that uses a similar technique? Why might a composer or performer choose to treat the words in this manner instead of using a more traditional melodic setting? {Sprechstimme, the technique of half speaking, half singing finds a modern-day partner in rap. Both flow in between the states of speaking and singing, simultaneously avoiding either category. A composer might choose to use this style of voice to make clear the text and convey literary meanings more significantly than musical ones}
Zwilich: Concerto Grosso 1985, I
What characteristics of the Baroque period do you hear in this selection? ALL ANSWERS ARE CORRECT The music alternates between quotations of Handel and Zwilich's own original material. This is reminiscent of what Baroque musical form? RITORNELLO During the Baroque period, the basso continuo provided harmonic support for the melody. In Zwilich's musical presentation, what compositional device do you hear that provides this kind of support? LOW SUSTAINED TONES How is Zwilich's melody different from Handel's? THE MELODY MAKES USE OF CHROMATICISM
Adams: Short Ride in a Fast Machine
What instrument consistently marks the strong steady beat in this composition? WOODBLOCK What musical characteristics of this piece identify it as minimalistic? REPEATED AND INSISTENT RHYTHMIC PATTERNS AND REPETITION OF SMALL, MELODIC PATTERNS In the large brass fanfare at the end of the piece, THE HIGHER BRASS INSTRUMENTS MOVE FASTER THEN THE LOWER BRASS INSTRUMENTS In this piece, contrast is provided through CHANGING ORCHESTRAL TIMBRES
Copland: Appalachian Spring, Simple Gifts
What instrument introduces the theme? CLARINET The main theme is made up of two phrases. Each variation that follows DOES NOT ALWAYS USE BOTH PHASES Which of the following does NOT describe a technique used in these variations on the main theme? THE THEME IS PLAYED IN A DIFFERENT METER In the second variation of the main theme, what happens to the texture? THE TEXTURE SHIFTS TO POLYPHONIC WITH IMITATION How does the articulation in the third variation contrast the other variations? IT IS PLAYED IN A STACCATO MANNER
Copland: Simple Gifts, from Appalachian Spring
What is the form of this music? THEME AND VARIATIONS In this selection, the music features which instrument family? BRASS
Whitacre: Lux Aurumque
What is the instrumentation for this piece? A CAPPELLA CHORUS Which of the following does Whitacre use to create dissonance? TONE CLUSTERS What is the tempo of this piece? ADAGIO Which of the following best describes the harmony of this piece? CONSONANT
Ives: Three Places in New England, Putman's camp, Redding, Connecticut
What keyboard instrument do you hear as part of the orchestra? PIANO What famous tune do you hear quoted in this movement? YANKEE DOODLE The main theme of this movement is best described as a MARCH Which statement best describes the melodic ideas presented in this movement? THERE ARE MULTIPLE MELODIES HEARD AT ONE TIME, AND THEY ARE SHORT AND FRAGMENTED Is the overall harmonic character of the movement dissonant or consonant? DISSONANT How would you describe the rhythmic component of this movement? RHYTHMIC PATTERNS ARE HIGHLY COMPLEX AND INDEPENDENT OF ONE ANOTHER
Still: Afro-American Symphony, III
What nontraditional instrument appears in the orchestra during the third section? BANJO Which statement best describes the main melody of this movement? BASED ON A SYNCOPATED FOUR NOTE PATTERN The second section of this movement features which of the following? VARIATIONS OF THE ORIGINAL MELODY What musical characteristic do you hear that illustrates the African-American and jazz influence in this piece? SYNCOPATED RHYTHM
Zwilich: Concerto Grosso 1985, I
Which baroque-era instrument is featured in this selection? HARPSCHORD Which statement is true of this excerpt? THE MUSIC ABRUPTLY ALTERNATES BETWEEN BAROQUE AND 20TH CENTURY SOUNDS
BARTÓK, Concerto for Orchestra Second Movement: Game of Pairs
Which description best describes the tempo of this movement? CONSISTENT AND STEADY What is the meter of this movement? DUPLE In the opening section, each melody IS SEPARATE AND INDEPENDENT OF THE OTHERS What percussion instrument provides a sense of unity to this movement? SIDE DRUM What is the texture of the middle section? HOMOPHONIC Which statement best describes how each melody is treated when it returns? EACH MELODIC STATEMENT IS THE SAME, BUT THE ACCOMPANYING MATERIAL IS DIFFERENT
Stravinsky: Le Sacre du Printemps, Part II: Sacrificial Dance
Which musical element is most prominent in this selection? RHYTHM This music is best characterized as PRIMITIVISM
SCHOENBERG, Pierrot lunaire (Moonstruck Pierrot)
Which of the following are musical traits that reinforce the idea of expressionism in this composition?- ALL ANSWERS ARE CORRECT Which of the following does NOT describe the accompaniment of this song?-REPEATED DISSONANT CHORDS Which of the following best describes the vocal style of this song?- A COMBINATION OF SINGING AND SPEAKING How does the opening motive create unity in this song?-IT IS REPEATED THROUGHOUT THE SONG IN VARIOUS INSTRUMENTS
Cage: Sonata No. 2
Which of the following best describes the presentation of melodic themes? QUESTION AND ANSWER Which statement best describes the melodic ideas of this piece? FRAGMENTED PATTERNS SEPARATED BY MOMENTS OF SILENCE What structural role does the concluding section of part B fulfill? CLIMAX Which descriptive word does NOT fit the overall character of this piece? LYRICAL
Ginastera: Estancia Suite, Op. 8a, Final Dance: Malambo
Which of the following best describes the rhythm patterns in this piece? QUICK-MOVING AND SYNCOPATED Which of the following is prominent in the xylophone part in the B section? DESCENDING GLISSANDOS Which instrument timbre dominates the last section? BRASS Which of the following best describes the overall tempo of this piece? THERE IS A SENSE OF PERPETUAL MOTION DUE TO THE FAST TEMPO AND DRIVING RHYTHMS
DEBUSSY, Prélude à l'Après-midi d'un faune
Which of the following is NOT heard in this composition? - TRUMPETS Which of the following composition devices helps to create the dreamy mood of this composition? - ALL OF THESE How does Debussy vary the return of the opening material in the A' section? -MELODY IS PLAYED IN SLOWER RHYTHMS The oboe melody in the B section is repeated. Which statement best describes the repetition of this melody? - REPITITION IS PLAYED BY STRINGS- WOODWINDS AND HARP ACCOMPANY Which of the following is NOT an impressionistic device used in this piece?- HARMONIC PROGRESSIONS THAT CREATE A STRONG TONAL CENTER
Ginastera: Estancia Suite, Op. 8a, Final Dance: Malambo
Which of the following is the most appropriate category for this music? BALLET MUSIC This music features VIBRANT RHYTHMS AND FREQUENT SYNCOPATION
Ives: Putnam's Camp, Redding, Connecticut, from Three Places in New England
Which of the following statements about this music is NOT true? THE MUSIC FEATURES LUSH HARMONIES AND A LYRICAL MAIN THEME At the end of this selection, three instruments play a parody of "Yankee Doodle." Which of the following is one of those three instruments? TRUMPET
SCHOENBERG, A Survivor from Warsaw Op. 46
Which of the following statements best describes the tempo of this composition? {THE TEMPO FLUCTUATES IN ORDER TO REINFORCE THE UNDERLYING MOOD OF COMPOSITION.} The vocal text of this composition is presented in several languages, which creates a more realistic experience for the listener. Which language did you NOT hear? ITALIAN How does the singer make words such as worries, painful, and moaning and groaning more real to the listener? THEY ARE EMPHASIZED AND MORE DRAWN OUT Which of the following is NOT a musical characteristic of this piece? CONSISTENT AND REPEATED RHYTHMIC PATTERNS
Putnam's Camp, Redding, Connecticut, illustrates Charles Ives's technique of quoting snatches of familiar tunes by presenting fragments of
Yankee Doodle.
Putnam's Camp, Redding, Connecticut, is a child's impression of
a Fourth of July picnic.
Webern's Five Pieces for Orchestra are scored for
a chamber orchestra of eighteen soloists
A fourth chord is
a chord in which the tones are a fourth apart, instead of a third.
The combination of two traditional chords sounding together is known as
a polychord.
The glissando, a technique widely used in the twentieth century, is
a rapid slide up or down a scale.
Serialism is a compositional technique in which
a series of rhythms, dynamics, or tone colors could serve as a unifying idea.
Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue opens with
a solo clarinet.
Minimalist music is characterized by
a steady pulse, clear tonality, and insistent repetition of short melodic patterns.
Impressionism in music is characterized by
a stress on tone color, atmosphere, and fluidity.
A chord made of tones only a half step or a whole step apart is known as
a tone cluster.
Composer John Adams believes that today's composers can draw from
a wide variety of styles and periods.
During most of his lifetime, Charles Ives's musical compositions
accumulated in the barn of his Connecticut farm.
A piano is often used in twentieth-century orchestral music to
add a percussive edge.
Eric Whitacre's choral music often
alternates consonant chords with sweetly dissonant tone clusters.
Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring is scored for
an enormous orchestra.
Impressionist painters were primarily concerned with the effect of light, color, and
atmosphere.
The absence of key or tonality in a musical composition is known as
atonality.
Using all twelve tones without regard to their traditional relationship to major or minor scales, avoiding traditional chord progressions, is known as
atonality.
Expressionist composers
avoided tonality and traditional chord progressions.
Sergei Diaghilev was a famous
ballet impresario
Appalachian Spring originated as a
ballet score.
Ginastera's Estancia Suite was originally conceived as a(n)
ballet.
Charles Ives's father was a(n)
bandmaster.
Up until the early twentieth century, ______ were the favorite instrumental organizations in America.
bands
Gershwin left high school at the age of fifteen to
become a pianist demonstrating new songs in a publisher's salesroom.
In chance, or aleatory music, the composer
chooses pitches, tone colors, and rhythms by random methods.
Richard Strauss's operas Salome and Elektra were known for their
chromatic and dissonant music.
Neoclassical composers favored
clear polyphonic textures.
All of the following are major developments in music since 1950 except the
continued composition of symphonies in the classical style.
The expressionists rejected
conventional prettiness.
The faun evoked in Debussy's famous composition is a
creature who is half man, half goat.
Expressionist painters, writers, and composers used ______________ to assault and shock their audience.
deliberate distortions
Anton Webern
earned a doctorate in music history from the University of Vienna.
During the period from about 1920 to 1951, Stravinsky drew inspiration largely from
eighteenth-century music.
The twentieth-century artistic movement that stressed intense, subjective emotion was called
expressionism.
Copland depicted "Scenes of daily activity for the Bride and her Farmer-husband" in Appalachian Spring through
five variations on the Shaker melody Simple Gifts.
Neoclassical compositions are characterized by
forms and stylistic features of earlier periods.
Alberto Ginastera's Estancia Suite uses a large orchestra and is in ________ movements.
four
Among the unusual playing techniques that are widely used during the twentieth century is the _______, a rapid slide up or down a scale.
glissando
Around 1940, John Cage invented the prepared piano, a(n)
grand piano whose sound is altered by objects such as bolts, screws, rubber bands, pieces of felt, paper, and plastic inserted between the strings of some of the keys
Schoenberg's teacher was
himself.
A dramatic turning point in Debussy's career came in 1902 when
his opera Pelléas et Mélisande was premiered
Expressionism grew out of the same intellectual climate as Freud's studies of
hysteria and the unconscious.
Many composers since the mid-1960s have made extensive use of quotations from earlier music as an attempt to
improve communication between the composer and the listener.
In 1925, after Copland returned from France, American music meant
jazz.
In 1925, and for a few years afterward, Copland's music showed the influence of
jazz.
John Adams's Short Ride in a Fast Machine is scored for a
large symphonic orchestra and two synthesizers.
After serving in the navy and a brief return to studies at Oberlin College, William Grant Still moved to New York where he
made band arrangements and played in the orchestras of all-black musical shows.
Intervals smaller than the half step are called
microtones.
Ostinato refers to a
motive or phrase that is repeated persistently at the same pitch throughout a section.
One of Ginastera's early works, Estancia Suite, is
nationalistic and uses Argentinean folk material, including popular dances.
Stravinsky's second phase is generally known as
neoclassical.
Porgy and Bess is a(n)
opera.
Charles Ives's large and varied output includes works in many genres, but not
operas.
The melodies Béla Bartók used in most of his works are
original themes that have a folk flavor.
A motive or phrase that is repeated persistently at the same pitch throughout a section is called
ostinato.
Béla Bartók was a leading authority on
peasant music.
During World War I (1914-1918), the Metropolitan Opera in New York would not
perform German operas in the 1917-1918 season.
William Grant Still's works in African American style, such as his Afro-American Symphony of 1931, were
performed to critical acclaim in New York.
In electronic music, there is no need for
performers.
The operas of Richard Strauss use chromaticism and dissonance to depict
perversion and murder.
From 1907 to 1934 Béla Bartók taught __________ at his alma mater, and gave recitals throughout Europe.
piano
William Grant Still
played the violin in the university string quartet while a college student.
The use of two or more contrasting and independent rhythms at the same time is known as
polyrhythm.
The technique of using two or more tonal centers at the same time is called
polytonality.
Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring) is an example of
primitivism.
The deliberate evocation of primitive power through insistent rhythms and percussive sounds is known as
primitivism.
Ellen Taffee Zwilich's Concerto Grosso 1985 is an example of
quotation music.
Minimalism as an artistic movement was a
reaction against the complexity of serialism and the randomness of chance music.
In music, the early twentieth century was a time of
revolt and change.
Neoclassicism was a reaction against
romanticism and impressionism.
Twelve-tone compositional techniques used to organize rhythm, dynamics, tone color, and other dimensions of music to produce totally controlled and organized music are called
serialism.
Minimalist music grew out of the same intellectual climate as minimalist art, which features
simple forms, clarity, and understatement.
Expressionism is an art concerned with
social protest.
"Harlem Renaissance" was the name
sometimes given to a flowering of African American culture during the years 1917-1935.
Debussy's music tends to
sound free and almost improvisational.
Anton Webern's twelve-tone works contain many examples of
strict polyphonic imitation.
Béla Bartók's ______________ are widely thought to be the finest since those of Ludwig van Beethoven.
string quartets
Alban Berg and Anton Webern were Arnold Schoenberg's
students.
Since World War II, musical styles have
taken many new directions and changes
Béla Bartók's principal performing medium was
the piano.
Composers began to shift from tonality to the twelve-tone system because
they discovered it was a compositional technique rather than a special musical style.
Twentieth-century composers incorporated elements of folk and popular music within their personal styles because
they were attracted to the unconventional rhythms, sounds, and melodic patterns.
When viewed closely, impressionist paintings are made up of
tiny colored patches.
Since 1950 many composers have returned to
tonal music.
As a result of his studies in composition with composers from two opposing musical camps, the conservative George Whitefield Chadwick and the modernist Edgard Varèse, Still
turned away from avant-garde styles and wrote compositions with a uniquely African American flavor.
William Grant Still's Afro-American Symphony
uses a blues theme in the first movement which reappears as a unifying thread in various transformations in the three later movements.
The impressionist painters were particularly obsessed with portraying
water.
After graduating from Yale, Charles Ives
went into the insurance business.
A scale made up of six different notes each a whole step away from the next is called a ________ scale.
whole-tone
As a composer, William Grant Still
wrote film scores, concert works, operas, and band arrangements.