Chapter 5
What is the definition of "basso continuo"?
a small ensemble of at least two instrumentalists that provides a foundation for the melody or melodies above, heard almost exclusively in Baroque music
Identify the correct definition for the term "concerto grosso."
a. a three-movement composition that pits the sound of a small group of soloists against that of the full orchestra
The lament "When I am laid in earth" is a ground bass aria from:
c. Purcell's Dido and Aeneas
Identify the musical style of the listening excerpt.
c. aria
Which statement about Antonio Vivaldi is wrong?
c. since his father disapproved of music, he quietly pursued practicing the violin in the attic in order to avoid discovery
What does the term "simple recitative" indicate?
c. soloist only accompanied by the basso continuo
What is the most distinctive feature of the concerto grosso?
c. the contrast in sound between the tutti and concertino
What is the meaning of "idiomatic writing"?
d. exploiting the strengths, special abilities, and color of a particular instrument or voice while avoiding its weaknesses
Why is Orfeo important?
d. it was the first important opera in the history of Western music
Select the correct definition for recitative
d. musically heightened speech, often used in an opera, oratorio, or cantata to report dramatic action and advance the plot
What is meant by the term "tutti"?
d. the full orchestra or full performing force
Identify the correct definition of "melodic sequence."
d. the repetition of a musical motive at successively higher or lower degrees of the scale
What does the term "terraced dynamics" describe?
sharp, abrupt dynamic contrasts found in the music of the Baroque era
What is a "figured bass"?
in musical notation, a numerical shorthand that tells the player which unwritten notes to fill in above the written bass note
________ was a prominent genre during the early Baroque. It features a vocal soloist singing a highly charged, emotional text with an accompaniment consisting of a few instruments.
monody
What is a libretto
the text of an opera
What is a "concertino"?
. the group of instruments that function as soloists in a concerto grosso
Which characteristic does not apply to the art and music of the Baroque period?
Calm, Symmetrical organization of events
Which work is not an expression of the Baroque artistic spirit?
Leonardo's Mona Lisa
Which monarch came to epitomize the grandeur and glory of the Baroque era, building a palace so monumental that it was virtually a small, independent city?
Louis XIV of France
When and where did Baroque music first appear?
around 1600 in Italy
Texture during the Baroque era was:
b. predominantly chordal and homophonic; top and bottom lines are the strongest as the basso continuo creates a powerful bass to support the melody above
Identify the musical style of the listening excerpt.
b. recitative
Identify the statement that best applies to "aria."
e. all of the above
Which statement best applies to "opera"?
e. all of the above
Identify the one statement about Henry Purcell that is wrong.
e. his concertos and trio sonatas were widely admired throughout Europe
