Listening Guide 61: Higdon: blue cathedral, excerpt

Which solo instrument is featured in this excerpt, which begins about two minutes and eighteen seconds into the piece?

violin

A brief return to the A section immediately follows the B section in blue cathedral.

True

This excerpt features a duet of -.

flute and clarinet

Which instruments have the main melody in the second and third parts of the A section?

flute, then clarinet

Which best describes the texture of blue cathedral?

homophonic texture

Higdon's blue cathedral is performed by large orchestra with many - instruments. It features lyrical melodies and - triads with no strong sense of key center; - texture with a focus on individual lines and duets; and a -, rondo-like structure.

percussion major homophonic sectional

Which instrument family provides the majority of the harmony in this excerpt, from the A section, which begins about 47 seconds into the piece?

strings

Though there is no strong sense of pulse in blue cathedral, the B section does contain some rhythmic and syncopated figures.

true

After the English horn solo (the first 35 seconds of the excerpt) in the C section, you will hear a series of instrumental solos. Drag and drop the instruments in the correct order of those solos after the English horn.

viola piccolo cello oboe bassoon

The strings - the flute melody.

accompany

The strings and harp - the clarinet melody.

accompany

Which best describes the volume at end of the B section in blue cathedral?

begins loud and then gets quieter

Which best describes the volume in this excerpt, which begins about two minutes and eighteen seconds into the piece?

begins soft and grows louder by the end

Which instruments play in the first 46 seconds of blue cathedral?

bells, muted lower strings

Which terms correctly describe the melodies of Higdon's blue cathedral?

languorous, lyrical

Hidgon makes prominent use of - but the piece has no strong sense of key center.

major triads

Which best describes the meter in this excerpt, which begins about 47 seconds into the piece?

no sense of pulse

Which best describes the harmony in blue cathedral?

no strong sense of key center