Music Notes

Which instrument was used in classical orchestras but not in baroque orchestras?

Clarinet

Which statement best describes the use of texture in classical compositions?

Classical pieces fluctuate between different textures.

Select all that apply Select all the reasons public concerts were so important for the middle class in the classical period.

They related to the content of the operas or tunes of the music. They wanted to hear the latest music, just like the nobles. Court performances were not accessible to them.

How are classical melodies typically structured?

Two phrases of equal length

What instruments make up a string quartet?

Two violins, one viola, one cello

The preclassical style and eventual classical style developed as a reaction to what?

The complexity of baroque works

Which movement of a classical symphony tends to be the most dramatic?

The first movement

Listen to the audio clip. Select all the statements that describe the closing passage of the aria La ci darem la mano from Don Giovanni.

The meter changes to 6/8, conveying more of a waltz dance character. The mood continues to be lyrical and romantic.

In a concerto, the ______ opens the first movement with the introductory exposition.

orchestra

Which instruments make up a string quartet?

two violins, one viola, one cello

Select all that apply Select all the statements that describe mood in classical-era music, particularly in contrast to baroque music.

**Classical music fluctuated between dramatic and carefree moods. **A classical movement can have contrasts within a theme.

Select all that apply Select all the characteristics of rhythm in music of the classical era.

**Classical music has unexpected pauses and syncopations. **Classical music had changes in rhythm within a movement. **In classical music, a change from one rhythmic pattern to another might be sudden or gradual.

Select all that apply Select all the ways the texture of music of the classical period differ from that of the baroque period. ​

**Classical pieces can shift flexibly from one texture to another. **Texture in classical music tends to be homophonic rather than polyphonic.

Select all that apply Select all the composers of the classical era.

**Mozart **Beethoven **Haydn

Select all that apply Select all the statements that illustrate how classical composers created expression of mood in their music.

**The composers emphasized balance through unity and logic in music with a wide emotional range. **The composers firmly controlled changes of mood in their music, however abrupt or extreme the change might be.

Select all that apply Select all the reasons that explain why the piano replaced the harpsichord in the classical period.

**The piano could play gradual changes in dynamics, which composers liked. **Varying the finger pressure on piano keys varied the dynamics.

Select all that apply Select all the general characteristics of melody in the music of the classical era.

**Tuneful **Folk or popular in style **Easy to remember

What is one crucial change to how the first theme, bridge, second theme, and concluding section are presented in the recapitulation?

All principal material is now in the tonic key.

What is the most important aspect of the recapitulation in sonata form?

All the important material such as the second theme are in the tonic key.

Select all that apply Select all the techniques a composer might use to vary the main theme in a theme-and-variations movement.

Change the dynamics Change from major to minor or vice versa Alter the harmony Change the texture

Who were some of the pioneers of the new preclassical period, or style galant?

Bach's sons

Select all that apply Select all the descriptions that summarize or typify the music of Mozart.

Balance, restraint, and proportion Ease, grace, and spontaneity Innovative harmonies contrasting with song-like lyricism

Select all that apply Select all the composers who worked in Vienna during the classical period.

Beethoven Haydn Mozart

Which pattern describes the exposition (opening section) of the sonata-rondo form?

A B A

Which description applies to the theme-and-variations form of the classical period?

Each variation is usually about the same length as the theme.

True or false: Flexibility of rhythm was NOT a characteristic of the classical style.

False

In a classical-era work for orchestra or string quartet, the tempos of the four movements typically followed which of the following patterns?

Fast/slow/dance related/fast

Select all that apply Select all the typical practices for composers of the classic era.

Having the music pause to signal the entrance of a new theme Contrasting themes vividly Using two or more themes in one movement

Select all that apply Select all the characteristics of Haydn's technique of composing.

Haydn created variety from many changes in texture, key, rhythm, dynamics, and orchestration. Haydn's themes are often humorous, achieved by unexpected pauses and sudden shifts in tempo, dynamics, or pitch.

Select all that apply Select all the statements about Haydn's early career.

Haydn entered the service of the Esterházy family, for whom he worked for almost thirty years. Haydn was given the rank of skilled servant. Haydn composed a vast amount of music in many forms.

Select all that apply Select all the statements about Haydn's childhood and youth.

Haydn served as a choirboy in Vienna. Haydn was born in an Austrian village. For a time, Haydn made a living playing violin on the streets.

Listen to the audio clip. Identify the composer and title of the work heard here.

Haydn's Trumpet Concerto in E Flat Major, third movement

Select all that apply Select all the statements about Mozart's adult career.

He became friends with Haydn, who considered Mozart the greatest composer he knew or had ever heard of. He left Salzburg at 25 and had some years of success as a freelance performer and composer in Vienna. He became popular in Prague, especially with the opera The Marriage of Figaro (1786).

Select all that apply Select all the statements about Haydn in his later career

He composed twelve symphonies for performance in London in the 1790s. He was very well received in London and even presented with an honorary doctorate from Oxford. His music became popular all over Europe.

Select all that apply Select all the statements about Mozart's childhood and youth.

He learned the operatic style practiced in Italy at that time when he traveled there. He could improvise fugues at age 6, compose symphonies by age 8, and wrote his first opera at age 12. He was a child prodigy who toured throughout Europe, performing before the public and before Louis XV of France and other royalty.

Select all that apply Select all the statements that describe classical chamber music.

It has one player to a part, with usually two to nine players. It is intended for performance in a room (chamber) in a home or palace. It performed without a conductor.

Listen to the audio clip. Which of the following best describes what is heard in the audio recording?

It is a minuet, followed by the beginning of the trio.

Listen to the audio clip. Select all the ways in which the second movement in Mozart's Symphony No. 40 in G Minor is unique from the other three movements.

It is in a major key. It is played at a slow tempo.

Listen to the audio clip. Select all the descriptions of the main theme heard here.

It is in a minor key. It is lively in a "Gypsy" style.

Listen to the audio clip. Select all the statements about the section and its mood and dynamic level.

It is the B section, the trio. The mood is flowing, and the dynamic is piano (soft).

Select all that apply Select all the assessments of Haydn's musical style.

It was influenced by folk music and his love of nature. It often had a sense of humor. It was robust, direct, and with a sense of optimism.

Select all that apply Select all the characteristics of the development section in the sonata form.

It combines motives (fragments of themes). It uses motives (fragments of themes) with new emotional meanings. It contains modulations through several keys (tonalities).

Listen to the audio clip. Select all the descriptions that characterize what is heard here.

Like many rondo themes, this one by Beethoven is lively and easy to remember. This is a rondo theme in the style of a Gypsy fiddler playing a folk dance.

Select all that apply Select all the common sections of the sonata form.

Recapitulation Development Exposition

Select all that apply Select all the roles of the exposition section of the sonata form.

Shows conflict between groups of themes Sets up a strong conflict between tonic key and the new key

Listen to the audio clip. Select all the accurate statements about meter and dynamics in the clip and the kind of mood they create.

The dynamic level is forte (loud). It is in triple meter. The mood is stately, like a procession.

Listen to the audio clip. Select all the musical elements that are used to set the scene in the introduction to Mozart's Don Giovanni.

The major key emphasizes the comic, relatively cheerful tone of the character. Short, fast phrases suggest quick thoughts. Sudden, loud accents by the strings emphasize Leporello's pacing.

Listen to the audio clip. Select all the descriptions that apply to the second theme.

The second theme is more lyrical and flowing. There are longer, sustained notes, and it is played legato.

Some of Mozart's greatest works are his ______, which he wrote to feature many different instruments such as the piano, violin, oboe, and bassoon.

concertos

Select all that apply Select all the statements that apply to how characters are portrayed in Mozart's operas

Their emotions evolve and change through shifts in the tenor and tone of the music. Even in ensemble settings, their individual personalities shine through.

What form has one theme that is repeated again and again and changed each time?

Theme and variations

Select all that apply Select all the statements that describe the classical concerto.

There are many ways of combining the soloist and orchestra, such as the soloist accompanying the orchestra when it has the theme. The classical concerto combines the wide range of dynamics and tone colors of the orchestra with the virtuosity of the soloist. The classical concerto is a three-movement work for instrumental soloist and orchestra.

One reason that basso ______ became obsolete during the classical era was that more and more music was written for amateurs who could not master the difficult art of improvising from a figured bass.

continuo

Select all that apply Select all the ways the middle-class public of the classical era enjoyed music.

They purchased printed music and instruments for use in the home. They bought tickets to public concerts of symphonies and concertos. They paid for music lessons for family members.

Which of the following correctly represent the typical sequence of events in a movement in sonata form?

exposition → development → recapitulation→ coda

Which sequence represents the structure of a minuet and trio form?

minuet → trio → minuet

Select all that apply Select all the groups of instruments that were standard in the orchestras of Haydn and Mozart.

Woodwinds Brass Strings

In the sonata form, the key that comes in the bridge or transition to the second theme is typically ______.

new

Late baroque music was characterized by a ______ texture, whereas classical music is basically ______ in texture.

polyphonic; homophonic

Some consider Haydn the inventor of which musical form or genre?

string quartet

Select all that apply Select all the statements that describe the minuet and trio.

tures three smaller parts: a, b, and a' (variation of a). A woodwind solo often appears in the trio section. The trio is quieter than the minuet and requires fewer instruments.

What is the function of a coda?

It rounds off the movement by repeating themes or developing them further.

Listen to the audio clip. What is the primary difference between Variation 1, heard first, and Variation 2, heard second?

The key changes from major to minor.

How many movements do classical symphonies usually have?

four

What is considered Mozart's finest opera in German?

The Magic Flute

What effect is created when the first movement of a classical symphony begins with a slow introduction leading into the opening fast movement?

A feeling of anticipation

Listen to the audio clip. How does Haydn signal the start of the variation on theme B in the third movement of his Trumpet Concerto in E Flat Major?

A held trumpet tone

What usually comes at the end of the exposition section of the sonata form?

A repeat sign

Select all that apply Select all the descriptions that apply to the rondo form.

A rondo can be an independent piece or the final movement of a multi-movement work such as a symphony or sonata. In the rondo pattern A B A C A B A, the C theme may be replaced by a development section to create a sonata-rondo.

Which of the following best describes the rondo form?

A tuneful main theme returns in alternation with other themes (as in the form ABACABA).

What role did woodwinds primarily play in the classical orchestra? Multiple choice question. ​

Adding contrasting tonal colors and playing melodic solos

What is a cadenza?

An unaccompanied solo that appears in the first movement of a concerto

What was one of the ways in which composers of the classical era achieved more expression in their music?

By using crescendos and decrescendos, or gradual changes in volume

How is a symphony unified?

By using the same key in some of its movements

Select all that apply Select all the statements that describe the cadenza in most classical concertos.

Cadenzas were originally improvised but later were written out by the composer. The point in the movement when the cadenza is to be played is indicated by a fermata. The orchestra momentarily stops playing while the soloist plays dazzling scale passages and broken chords.

Why did the basso continuo become obsolete in the classical era?

Classical composers wanted more control over their compositions than was possible with performers improvising the basso continuo.

Select all that apply Select all the ways that middle-class tastes influenced classical music.

Classical composers wrote more comic operas, some with plots that ridiculed the aristocracy. Early classical composers wrote pieces that were easy for amateurs to play. Classical composers used folk songs as themes in instrumental music and composed melodies with a rustic (country) flavor.

What use of rhythm in classical music differs from baroque music?

Classical music features a variety of rhythmic patterns, whereas baroque music is limited to a few patterns.

How was the use of dynamics in the classical period different from the use of dynamics in the baroque period?

Classical music introduced gradual increases and decreases in dynamics

Which of the following best describes the use of mood in classical music?

Controlled fluctuation between contrasting themes

Which section of the sonata form is the most dramatic, featuring harmonic tension caused by rapid key modulations?

Development

Select all that apply Select all the feelings associated with the coda section of the sonata form.

Resolution of conflict Stability

What form does the finale of a concerto usually take?

Rondo

The first movement of a classical symphony is almost always in which form?

Sonata form

Which one of these often ends with a coda?

Sonata form

Select all that apply Select all the statements that explain Vienna's importance in the development of classical-era music.

Street musicians could perform profitably in Vienna and be hired to play for outdoor garden parties. Aristocrats from all over the Holy Roman Empire spent the winter there, bringing their private orchestras with them. Aristocrats in Vienna were sometimes accomplished musicians, including the Empress Maria Theresa and the Emperor Joseph II.

Select all that apply Select all the genres of instrumental music at which Mozart excelled.

String quartets Symphonies Piano concertos

Which instrumental family has the melody in the classical orchestra?

Strings

Listen to the audio clip. Select all the characteristics of the coda in the third movement of Haydn's Trumpet Concerto in E Flat Major.

Surprising harmonic twists Sudden changes in dynamics A long, suspenseful pause

Which of the following statements about Mozart's final years and premature death is accurate?

The failure of the opera Don Giovanni in Vienna led to a decline in Mozart's popularity.

Select all that apply Select all the statements describing the first movement of a classical concerto.

The second exposition is played by both the soloist and the orchestra. The first movement is in sonata form with two expositions. The first movement begins with only the orchestra playing.

Listen to the audio clip. Which of the following best describes what is heard in this excerpt from Haydn's Surprise Symphony?

The theme in the lower melodic line and a countermelody in the higher melodic line

Listen to the audio clip. Select all the ways in which the start of Variation 3 differs from the start of Variation 1 in Haydn's Surprise Symphony.

The theme is played by oboe instead of violin. The theme is played in faster staccato notes.

What development led to the decline of the basso continuo in the classical period?

There was an increase in the number of pieces written for amateurs.

What is a distinguishing feature of Haydn's most popular symphonies?

They have nicknames

Which best describes the balance and symmetry in a typical melody of the classical era having the form a a'?

Two phrases of the same length, one with an inconclusive ending followed by a similar one with a conclusive ending

Select all that apply Select all the typical ensembles that played chamber music in the classical era.

Violin and piano Violin, cello, and piano (a piano trio) Two violins, two violas, and cello (a string quintet)

The part in a concerto where the soloist plays without the orchestra and shows the performer's virtuosity is known as the ______.

cadenza