Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, Act III, Lament
The Baroque system of figured bass allowed the performer to:
"fill in the harmonies"
What is the name of the seventeenth-century system in New England in which church leaders sang each line of a psalm and the congregation repeated the lines back?
"lining-out"
For which religious occasion was the cantata Wachet auf (Sleepers Awake) written?
"the end of the church year"
What is the text of Wachet auf urging Lutherans to prepare themselves for?
"the second coming of Christ"
For which church did Bach write his cantatas?
"Lutheran"
What part of the form is heard in this excerpt, which contains manipulated versions of the first theme and the closing theme?
Development
The texture of this SATB chorus with _____ varies from _____ (all voices moving together but with different notes) to _____ (all voices singing the same tune together) to _____ (voices entering at different times with the same tune).
1) orchestra 2) homorhythm 3) monophony 4) imitative polyphony
Match the phrase on the left that describes the sound clip on the right. Note that some sound clips may be matched with two phrases.
4:33- 4:45 trumpet fanfare 1:40-2:44 military percussion, minor key 0:00-0:28- graceful theme
What part of the form is this? elegant theme
A section
This aria is in three large sections. If we assign the letter A to the first section and the letter B to the second (because it's different), what letter would you give to the third section?
A'
Page 99Identify and analyze form. 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 createno trouble in thy breast.When I am laid in earth, may my wrongs createno 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. _____is singing in this excerpt.
A-A-B-B
The Lutheran chorale Wachet auf is in bar form, which is best described as____
A-A-B.
Why does Dido sing a lament at the end of Purcell's opera?
Aeneas left her
This is the first section (A) of Billings's David's Lamentation. Which best describes the relationship between voices in this excerpt?
All voices sing the same syllables at the same time.
What part of the form is this? Military sound
B section
Match the characteristics to the movement of the cantata Wachet auf (Sleepers, Awake) that they describe.
Bach: Wachet auf, No. 1 Sopranos sing chorale melody. Parts are sung by full SATB chorus (with orchestra). Bach: Wachet auf, No. 4 Sung by tenors only (with orchestra). Tenors sing chorale melody.
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
Match the selections on the left to the themes on the right.
Blue: closing theme Pink: second theme Orange: first theme
Singing a specific______ together with the congregation was a critical part of weekly Lutheran religious services.
Chorale
Which of the following dramatic works were composed Henry Purcell?
Correct Answer(s) Dido and Aeneas The Fairy Queen Incorrect Answer(s) Orfeo The Magic Flute
In the Lutheran tradition, the cantata was performed in the service along with what other events?
Correct Answer(s) Gospel readings prayers the sermon Incorrect Answer(s) opera performances
Which of the following describes William Billings's career?
Correct Answer(s) He published musical songs. His music had political references. He taught in singing schools. Incorrect Answer(s) He was a firm supporter of English rule. He adhered strictly to the rules of the European tradition.
Which of the following correctly describes Henry Purcell's Dido and Aeneas?
Correct Answer(s) It is based on Virgil's Aeneid. The opera ends tragically. It was first performed at a girls' school in London. Incorrect Answer(s) The work is sung in Italian. Dido and Aeneas live happily ever after.
Which of the following statements correctly describe the "Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's Messiah?
Correct Answer(s) It is from an oratorio. The texture varies for different lines of text. Incorrect Answer(s) It is from an opera. The entire chorus is in imitative polyphony.
Which of the following describes William Billings's work, David's Lamentation?
Correct Answer(s) It is homorhythmic. It is in duple meter. It is consonant. Incorrect Answer(s) It is rhythmically complex, and intended for professional singers. It is part of the Catholic Mass.
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?
Correct Answer(s) It is sung freely, with no strong beat. Incorrect Answer(s) It is fast. It has a strong beat.
In which of the following cities did J. S. Bach work?
Correct Answer(s) Leipzig Anhalt-Cöthen Weimar Incorrect Answer(s) Rome
Which of the following operas were composed by Claudio Monteverdi?
Correct Answer(s) Orfeo The Coronation of Poppea Incorrect Answer(s) Dido and Aeneas Fairy Queen
Which of the following took place during the Baroque period?
Correct Answer(s) The Florentine Camerata cultivated a "new style," that emphasized homophonic textures in music. The establishment of major-minor tonality. Incorrect Answer(s) Emphasis was placed on monophonic textures in music. The establishment of pentatonic tonality.
Which of the following statements correctly describe "Rejoice greatly"?
Correct Answer(s) The form is A-B-A´. There is a long melisma on the word "rejoice." It is from an oratorio. Incorrect Answer(s) It is an alto aria. The form is A-A-B-B. It is from an opera.
How does the A' section of this aria differ from the A section?
Correct Answer(s) The instrumental introduction is shortened in the A' section. The vocal melody is much more elaborate in the A' section. Incorrect Answer(s) Trumpets are added in the A' section. The A' section includes a section for chorus.
How does the second theme (0:46-0:58) differ from the first (0:00-0:45)?
Correct Answer(s) The second theme is in the key of D major, while the first theme is in the key of G major. The second theme is more graceful than the first theme. Incorrect Answer(s) The second theme is aggressive like the first theme. The second theme is in the same key as the first theme, G major.
Which of the following correctly describe the melodic movement at the beginning of the first theme of this movement?
Correct Answer(s) ascending rocket theme symmetrical phrasing Incorrect Answer(s) gentle mood minor key
Baroque composers often employed which of the following techniques in an attempt to create musical drama?
Correct Answer(s) dramatic forte/piano contrasts dissonance Incorrect Answer(s) static harmony
Which themes are manipulated in the development?
Correct Answer(s) first theme closing theme Incorrect Answer(s) second theme
Which of the following was a hallmark of Baroque performance?
Correct Answer(s) increased improvisation increased virtuosity Incorrect Answer(s) no variation in dynamics performing the work strictly as written
Which of the following components are found in No. 1 of J. S. Bach's cantata Wachet auf?
Correct Answer(s) major key instrumental ritornello chorale melody in soprano voices Incorrect Answer(s) minor key strict monophony
The metric character of this movement is best described as:
Correct Answer(s) marchlike duple meter Incorrect Answer(s) free-flowing and unmetered waltzlike triple meter
Which of the following are purely instrumental sections that can be included in an opera?
Correct Answer(s) overture sinfonia Incorrect Answer(s) chorus aria recitative
Which of the following instruments play Eine kleine Nachtmusik?
Correct Answer(s) strings Incorrect Answer(s) woodwinds brass
Which of the following components are found in the fourth movement of J. S. Bach's cantata Wachet auf (Sleepers Awake)?
Correct Answer(s) tenors sing chorale melody German language strings play countermelody Incorrect Answer(s) ternary form (A-B-A) Latin language
Which of the following were historical events of the Baroque era?
Correct Answer(s) the formulation of the theory of gravitation by Sir Isaac Newton the investigation of how the blood circulates by William Harvey Incorrect Answer(s) the initiation of the Protestant Reformation by Martin Luther the invention of the printing press by Johannes Gutenberg
How does Purcell musically depict Dido's grief in the aria "When I am laid in earth"?
Correct Answer(s) with a slow tempo with a descending, chromatic bass line Incorrect Answer(s) with an ascending bass line with a frenetic rhythmic pulse
Which characteristics below correctly describe this recitative?
Correct descriptions of this recitative no strong beat freely sung accompanied by a few instruments that play simple chords Incorrect descriptions of this recitative sung quickly accompanied by a full orchestra strong beat
Artists such as Bernini and Peter Paul Rubens created works that demonstrate the absence of dramatic gestures in the Baroque era.
F
Haydn incorporated the triangle, cymbals, and bass drum into the Military Symphony because he had heard those instruments played in the Austrian countryside.
F
In this excerpt, the singers sing a highly elaborate melody, with many notes per syllable of text
F
Italian opera was embraced in all western European countries.
F
J. S. Bach was raised as a Catholic.
F
J. S. Bach's church cantatas are single-movement works.
F
Lining-out is a notation-based singing tradition.
F
Pilgrims and Puritans in seventeenth-century New England were mostly Catholic
F
Singing schools were not developed in North America until the twentieth century.
F
The Baroque era was characterized by peaceful relations between Protestants and Catholics.
F
True or false: The following excerpt is from the A section of "Rejoice greatly."
F
Early opera was originally designed to reflect the manner in which seventeenth-century aristocrats sung their conversations to each other on a daily basis.
False
Page(s) 109-110Identify musical events in a formal structure. Listen to the following music excerpts and drag the corresponding cards to the correct location on the formal structure described below. Be sure to listen to the WHOLE clip before dragging the card to the chart.
Green X Red Z Yellow Y
The opening descending bass line that unifies Dido's Lament is called
Ground brass
In this movement, the sopranos sing the hymn tune; altos, tenors, and basses sing other melodic material; and several instruments play unique melodies. Which best describes the relationship between the voices (the texture)?
Groups of voices and instruments sing and play unique melodies at the same time.
Which are the performing forces heard in the aria "When I am laid in earth"?
Heard in this excerpt solo voice Baroque-period instruments NOT heard in this excerpt brass percussion
How does the A' section compare to the A and B sections in "Rejoice Greatly"?
It begins like A section, but proceeds to vary it
How does the opening theme sound different in the third section?
It is played by different combinations of instruments
The first movement of______ Eine kleine Nachtmusik is in_____ form. The music is in a quick______ meter.
Mozart's (sonata-allegro) (duple)
The Calvinist-inspired Pilgrims and Puritans in seventeenth-century____ used a system called_____ for their psalm singing in church.
New England lining-out
Who wrote the chorale text and tune on which J. S. Bach based his Wachet auf cantata?
Nicolai
In composing____, a composer often works with a____ who supplies the text for the various recitatives, arias, and choruses and provides the story's main threads and subplots.
Opera, librettist
Match each definition to the genre it best describes.
Overture - An orchestral introduction, Recitative - A kind of musical declamation or speech, Aria - A song usually of a highly emotional nature, Libretto - The text/script of an opera
Match the excerpts from the "Hallelujah Chorus" with the correct texture.
Polyphonic - For the Lord (Hallelujah) Monophonic - For the Lord...
At the time of Monteverdi's opera The Coronation of Poppea, what type of opera houses were beginning to open in Venice?
Public
Listen to the following music excerpts and drag them to the correct location on the text written out below. Be sure to click in the yellow part of the card when you are ready to drag it; the card will not move if you click on the play button.
Purple - For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. Red - The kingdom of this world Blue - and He shall reign forever and ever.
Match the selections on the left to the parts of the sonata-allegro form on the right.
Red: exposition Yellow: recapitulation Green: development
Which best describes the speed of the aria?
Slow
"Rejoice greatly" has a sacred text.
T
A descending ground bass helps underscore the sorrow in Dido's lament.
T
Absolute monarchy, exemplified by Louis XIV of France, was the main form of European government during the Baroque.
T
As musical instruments developed technically, the level of virtuosity rose in the Baroque.
T
Billings's New England Psalm-Singer was a collection of his own compositions.
T
Claudio Monteverdi was a composer who lived during the Baroque Era.
T
Colonists in New England participated in congregational hymn singing.
T
J. S. Bach wrote over 200 church cantatas.
T
Lining-out involves call-and-response singing.
T
Many of J. S. Bach's cantatas are based on Lutheran chorale or hymn tunes
T
Monteverdi was one of the first great composers of opera.
T
Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas is based on an episode in Virgil's Aeneid.
T
The church cantatas of J. S. Bach were mostly written for the Lutheran church
T
The masque was an English form of entertainment that combined music, poetry, and dance.
T
The practice of lining-out allowed everyone to learn the melody of a psalm, which was helpful for communities that couldn't afford to purchase psalm books for every church member.
T
The recitative portion of Dido's Lament is accompanied by only a small portion of the orchestra (a.k.a. basso continuo).
T
The tempo and mood of this excerpt shift noticeably after 40 seconds.
T
The term "Baroque" means misshapen, extravagant, or even distorted.
T
While in Leipzig, Bach directed a group of university students known as the collegium musicum.
T
William Billings was good friends with famous American revolutionary figures Samuel Adams and Paul Revere.
T
The libretto for Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas is based on
The Aeneid
Which best describes the closing theme in the exposition?
The closing theme in the exposition is very repetitive and ends in D major
The next text line is "The kingdom of this world is become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ." Which best describes the texture when the voices sing this line?
The highest voice part sings the tune and the others harmonize with it, with all voices changing syllables at the same time.
After the orchestral section (or ritornello), a choir enters. The first voices you hear are sopranos. How is the rhythm of the soprano part different from the rhythms of the other voice parts?
The sopranos sing much slower than the other voice parts.
Listen to the following music excerpts and drag the corresponding cards to the correct location on the chart below.
Yellow : z Blue: X red: Y
Which best describes the performers in Billings's anthem David's Lamentation?
a cappella SATB chorus
In the opening recitative, which best describes the accompaniment?
a few instruments that play simple chords
What is "Thy hand, Belinda," as sung by Dido in Purcell's opera?
a recitative
Listen to the following music excerpts and drag the corresponding cards to the correct location on the music chart.
a=y b=z coda=x
What roles did women play in music during the Baroque era?
all
William Billings's David's Lamentation is_____ and was designed for sacred congregational singing.
an anthem
The role of Dido is sung by a (blank) with a (blank) voice
answer: woman, high
The text for Billings's_____David's Lamentation is a paraphrase of the biblical story of King David's sorrow at the loss of his son____
anthem Absalom
The rise of opera popularized virtuosic male soprano roles in Baroque dramas; these roles were sung by singers known by what name?
castrato
One of Handel's most famous choruses is known as the "Hallelujah" chorus from Messiah. Which best describes the performing forces in this work?
chorus and full orchestra
Which theme is heard in this excerpt?
closing theme
Lutheran musical worship is structured around_____ hymns known as_____ , which are specific to a particular service.
congregational chorales
Describe melodic contour. Which best describes the bass line in the third section?
descending mostly by steps
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
The members of the Florentine Camerata realized that the new style was applicable to entire_____ as well as to short poems, leading to "drama through music," or what we now call____
drama opera
An opera is a large-scale____ that is ____.
drama sung
Listen to the following excerpts and drag the corresponding cards to the correct location on the music chart below.
explosion=z closing theme= y Development = x
Put the three parts of sonata-allegro form in the correct order. Note that clicking on the card will select it as an answer; do not click on the card until you are ready to choose it as your answer.
exposition development recapitulation
Which best describes the pace of this excerpt?
fast
Which best describes the melodic movement at the beginning of the second theme?
graceful with mostly descending motion
What is the structural basis for Dido's Lament in Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas?
ground brass
Which keyboard instrument is heard in the orchestra in this excerpt?
harpsicord
This movement is made up of three large sections.
he themes from the first section return.
Which of the following does not describe Henry Purcell's life and career?
he was born in Venice
The vocal range of the singer in this excerpt is a ______ voice.
high woman's
What is the predominant texture in the opening of the first movement?
homophony
The next text line is "The kingdom of this world is become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ." Which best describes the texture when the voices sing this line?
homorhythm
Which best describes the relationship between the voices (the texture) when they enter in the opening section singing "Hallelujah"?
homorhythm
Which best describes the texture when the voices return to "Hallelujah"?
homorhythm
Listen to the following music excerpts and drag them to the correct location on the text written out on the right.
homorhythm - Hallelujah! monophony - For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth imitative polyphony - and He shall reign for ever and ever.
in the next phrase, the chorus sings "For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth" and "Hallelujah." Which best describes the texture in this passage?
imitative polyphony
Which instruments comprise the orchestra in the aria (song)?
instruments included in orchestra strings (bowed and plucked) instruments NOT included in orchestra woodwinds percussion brass
The theme heard at the beginning of the third section immediately repeats. Which of the following do you not hear when the theme repeats?
minor key
Which best describes the texture when the voices first sing "For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth"?
monophony
Which best describes the texture when the voices sing for a second time "For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth"?
monophony
This is the first section (A) of Billings's David's Lamentation. Which best describes the relationship between text syllables and notes in this excerpt?
mostly one note per text syllable
Page 99Compare and contrast sections of music. 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?
musicnew Correct label: new textnew Correct label: new
It was for the middle classes that the comic opera and the_____, both genres filled with keen and witty observations on life, came into being during the Baroque era.
novel
This movement is made up of three large sections.
opening section / contrasting section / opening section returns with some changes
The most notable Baroque innovation was the "drama through music," which we now call
opera
The establishment of singing schools led to which of the following?
opportunities for North American musicians to teach semi-professionally
What performing ensemble do you hear in the opening of the first movement of Bach's Cantata No. 140, Wachet auf?
orchestra with strings, woodwinds, brass, and organ
In the recitative, a few instruments play simple chords, but when the aria begins, the accompaniment changes and the instruments____
play notes more frequently
Some Puritan leaders considered____ singing to be scandalous.
polyphonic
Which best describes the texture of the first movement(Wachet auf)?
polyphonic
This movement features surprising and abrupt changes in dynamics, instrumentation, and key. The first half of the A' section is played loudly by the full orchestra. What characterizes the second half of the A' section?
quieter dynamic
What part of the form is heard in this excerpt, in which both Theme 1 and Theme 2 are in G major?
recapitulation
The rhythm of the _________ is free, and the rhythm of the ___________ is more regular. The harmony of the aria is based on a chromatic __________ that descends by half step. The slow and melancholy _________ meter expresses in the aria Dido's lamentation at Aeneas's departure.
recitativeariaground basstriple
When she sings "Rejoice," the soprano sings a disjunct____
rising line
This da capo aria features an instrumental_______ and an extensive melisma on the word_______The B section has a slower tempo and begins in a_____ key.
ritornello "rejoice" minor
In the fourth movement of Wachet auf, Bach separates the sung sections with instrumental passages known as
ritornellos.
Female musicians, particularly____ , experienced expanded roles in Baroque music life. Two singers, Francesca_____ and Barbara Strozzi, were among the earliest female composers to publish their works.
singers Caccini
By the 1720s many New England congregations sponsored "_____ schools" that were designed to teach the basics of____ notation and
singing music Theory
Which best describes this aria?
solo soprano singing in a slow tempo and a steady beat, accompanied by strings (bowed and plucked)
Match the descriptive words or phrases with the different elements of music as found in "Rejoice greatly" from Handel's Messiah.
soloist-soprano ritornello- instrumental form-da capo aria
What best describes the form of the first movement of Eine kleine Nachtmusik?
sonata-allegro form
Which voices usually sing the melody in a typical Lutheran chorale as sung by the congregation on Sundays?
soprano
Click on the following instruments or instrument groups in the order in which they are presented in the movement.0:00 A section (a a b a b a) 1:40 B section (C minor) 4:33 Coda
strings and flutes military percussion trumpet fanfare
The text setting of Billings's anthem David's Lamentation is
syllabic.
What is the genre of this work?
symphony
What best describes the ensemble playing this work?
symphony orchestra
Billings often wrote the melody to his pieces in the____ line rather than the soprano.
tenor
The Baroque marks the introduction of a solo song with an instrumental accompaniment called ___ in Florence.
the new style
Which describes the form of this movement?
three-part form (ternary)
In the major-minor tonal system, what is the most important note?
tonic
The first one minute and fourteen seconds of the "Hallelujah Chorus" features a homorhythmic texture at the beginning that then becomes imitative.
true
The next instrument heard after the pause is the
trumpet.
The 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?
vocal musicsame Correct label: same textsame Correct label: same
The B section contains new music for the chorus. In this section, they sing the words "Steht auf!" (Arise!). For these words, Bach uses word-painting; he makes the music directly reflect the meaning of the words. How do the altos, tenors, and basses sing the text "Steht auf!"?
with an ascending motive
