Short Answers For Music History Exam

Cite three characteristics of Reform Opera:

-Increased importance of the orchestra -Fewer characters and simplified plot -Increased importance of chorus

In brief, what was the controversy that came to be known as "La Guerre des Bouffons"?

-It was a war of words sparked by the Parisian performance of Pergolesi's la serva padrona. The debate was over what sort of opera was appropriate for the French stage. Traditional or Opera Buffa?

What is the threefold significance of Richard Wagner?

1. Brought German Romantic opera to its consummation 2. Carried a new form, the music drama 3. Carried to the limit the romantic tendencies toward the dissolution of Classical tonality, becoming the starting point for development still active to the present day.

Les six was comprised of six students at the Paris Conservatory sharing ideas about music and giving joint concerts. They were all attracted to Satin who embodied their ideals. List three of the four ideals.

1. Chose subjects from everyday life for use in program music, operas, and ballets. 2. Used machines as instruments or source material. 3. Music should be brief, dry, and straightforward.

What is the three-fold importance of Bela Bartok?

1. Composer 2. Published nearly 2000 folk tunes and wrote book articles on folk music. 3. Virtuoso pianist and teacher at Budapest Academy of Music

Describe the two styles of opera that developed in Germany during the Romantic Era. Include how they were developed, and the composer most responsible for each style.

1. German Romantic opera: Melodrama, based on German legends, orchestra becomes a powerful instrument, early version of leitmotif. Carl Maria von Weber really set the stage for romantic opera with his work, Der Freischutz. 2. Music Drama: Art form in which all the arts would be woven into one cohesive and continuous line of dramatic expression; few closed forms; Leitmotif; more symphonic. Richard Wagner is responsible for this style because he had the thought of Gesamtkunstwerk.

Two new types of opera developed in France during the early Romantic Era. What are they? Describe each. Name one composer for each type.

1. Grand Opera: This style of opera influences German and Italian opera, portrayed violent action, extreme emotions, sharp contrasts of mood, longer operas, much detail with structure and style. Composer: Giacomo Meyerbeer 2. Lyric Opera: Combined Grand and Comique, lyric, purely singable elements stressed. Composer: Berlioz.

List the three periods of Beethoven life, with a brief description of each era.

1. Imitation: In this era Beethoven was trying to make his works into the mold of classic traction of Haydn and Mozart. 2. Externalization: Went through depression over his impending deafness. Became independent and individualistic. Reveals himself as a complete romanticist. 3. Reflection: Produced only a small amount of works during this time which were intense and intimate in character. Broke bounds of Romanticism and went back to some of the contrapuntal style of the Baroque.

What were the four national styles of opera that dealt with comic characters, everyday social issues, and emphasized middle class, rather than aristocratic, values? Identity each one by country.

1. Opera Ballad-England 2. Opera Comique-France 3.Opera Buffa-Italy 4.Singspiel-Germany

Early jazz resulted from interaction of four principal genres of American popular music that existed around 1900. What are they?

1. Ragtime 2. Blues 3. Popular song 4. Dance music

How did Berg differ from Schoenberg and Webern?

1. Used Dodecaphonic and nondodecaphonic episodes in the same work. 2. Frequently supported a tone row with harmony suggesting a key. 3. Sometimes used different rows or sets in the same work, or same movement. 4. Used retrograde inversions of rows only in palindrome. 5. Usually wrote lyrical music.

Compare Verdi and Wagner in regards to their music.

1. Verdi wrote singer's operas; the orchestra is central in Wagner 2. Verdi never adopted a system of leading motives as did Wagner 3. Verdi's operas are human dramas, whereas Wagner's are myths 4. Verdi's music as a simplicity, a certain serenity, which the complex German soul of Wagner could never encompass

How is the exposition section of a concerto different from the exposition of a symphony?

A concerto has a 'double exposition'. One for orchestra alone and then a repeat of it (or modified repeat) with the soloist. A symphony only has one exposition.

How was jazz in post-1918 Paris different from what we now consider jazz?

Although there are several differences such as band size, string usage, and other characteristics, the main difference is found in improvisation. Back then, there was hardly any improv.

What was the first book published in America?

Bay Psalm Book

Why did Wager consider mythology to be the perfect subject for his "music of the future"?

Because these were products of a collective imagination and inherently understandable by everyone. Myths deal with the essential problems that face humanity.

Cite two important differences between the way Beethoven performed his piano concertos and how they are played by modern virtuoso?

Beethoven improvised. Someone said that his papers had barely anything on them and he played by small clues and notes he had left on the page. Modern players use the book or have the piece memorized.

What two distinct strands of symphonic expression appeared throughout the Romantic Era? Describe each. Name two composers for each.

Conservative: Kept with the traditional Viennese symphonic ideas. The classical symphony with the movements being a little flexible and workable. Usually 40-50 minutes in length. Composers- Schubert, Schumann. Radical: Stayed away from the classical symphony idea. Created and invented new ways for symphony to be done. Composers- Berlioz, Bruckner.

Why are the following composers important to music history?

Debussy: he was a leader in the impressionist movement for music. His compositions influenced almost every progressive composer of the 20th century. Suggested imagery in his music. Puccini: Mater of the new dramatic effect. Verismo (realism). Merged style of Verdi and Wagner. Vaughn-Williams: He was one the first to travel into the countryside to collect folk songs and carols from singers. Editor of them any different song books. Wrote all genres but favored symphony.

Richard Strauss wrote two types of symphonic poems. List the two types. Describe each type. List two examples of each type from his composition.

Descriptive: Nonmusical events illustrated in music. Aimed at vivid and realistic descriptions in several of his tone poems. -Don Quixote -Don Juan Philosophical: General and emotions-unattached to particular incidents. -Tod und Verklarung -Also sprach Zarathustra

What were the two contrasting musical styles that grew during the early Enlightenment? For each, name the composer associated with it and describe the style listing major musical characteristics.

Empfindsamer Stil: C.P.E Bach. Unrestrained emotion, Musical sturm and drang, extreme and abrupt contrasts. Style Galant: J.C Bach. Graceful, naturalness, clarity, colorful harmonies.

Describe the instrumentation of a typical orchestra during the classical period. How many musicians were typically needed for an orchestra of a moderate proportions?

Generally there were no more than forty players in the orchestra. Usually the principal violinist should serve as the conductor and players would memorize the first few bars so that there would be a clean beginning. The sound of the strings was less brilliant because the strings were made of animal gut instead of wire.

Name and describe the forerunners of the instrumental symphony.

Haydn, and JC Bach were very influential in instrumental symphony. Haydn originally created the symphony for just 3-4 parts and just a three movement piece. By the time of JC Bach, the symphony had moved to a four part work. Usually had fast/slow/fast/dance-like movements.

How did Maurice Ravel revive music from earlier musical periods?

He chose to bring back some traditional and classical aspects of music. He had a mixture of impressionistic style with a classic clarity which gave him the label, "Post-Impressionist".

To whom did Robert Schumann compare to Félix Mendelssohn?

He compared him to Mozart.

Why is Hector Berlioz important to music history?

He was a pioneer in the area of symphonic music. Developed the "idea fixe" (obsession). master of orchestration, enlarged it up to 465 players.

Who was Paul Germaine and what collection mentioned in the text demonstrates his work?

He was a poet in the impressionist era and he had a collection called "Fêtes galantes (elegant parties).

Describe Stravinsky's compositional style (traits) during the silver age.

He was known for dissonance, use of multiple instruments, percussion, syncopation and oriental flavor. His "Rite of Spring" looked back into Russian culture and is a good example of his multiple and big use of different traits.

Identify the importance of Gustav Mahler to music history.

His fusion of song and symphony is extremely important.

What new development emerged in music between the two world wars as a result of Hindemith's music for Mathis der Mahler?

His theory of tones and chromatics was evident in the work. It reflected the international neoclassical style. .......

What was unusual (by today's standards) about giving encores in the eighteenth century.

If the crowd enjoyed a certain movement, it might be repeated right then. An individual part would be done right then and there.

Give a description of Impressionism. Include how the movement began.

Impressionism tried to suggest feelings and visual pictures. It is bared off of the belief that experiences I life are largely impressions or sensations rather than detailed observations of artificial experiences. It began a little before WW1. It was the most influential development of 19th century French music. It began as almost French nationalism because it was conscious attempt to break away from the influence of German music. The population was demanding entertainment, so that is what the arts gave them.

How were Robert Schumann's music writings different from music critics today?

Instead of passing judgments on performances like those of today, he wrote primarily about newly published music.

Give an explanation of why jazz first flourished in New Orleans.

It flourished in New Orleans because there was lots of riverboat traffic and festivals (Mardi Gras). There was a growing hunger for originality in music.

Why is the collection of Schubert's songs known as Schwanengesang not an authentic song cycle?

It lacks a narrative thread. Thematically and musically they still have much in common but we don't know if Schubert ever intended the songs to be performed as a unity.

What was the attraction polytonality held for Darius Milhaud?

It was a resource for emphasis and expression in new music.

List and Explain three of the Dualities or Contradictions found in music of the Romantic Era.

Man versus Nature: Urbanization versus gentle landscapes. The Crowd versus the Individual: The privileged versus the General Public. Nationalism versus Internationalism: Pride in the Russian culture and European music everywhere versus Exotic effects. Travels of composers to different places left an influence on their music.

Identify the following composers. What did they write? Why are they important to music history?

Mozart: Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria. Recognized as a prodigy at a very young age, he began composing works by the age of three. His works include 42 sonatas, his most famous opera, "The Magic Flute" and several other short pieces. Mozart contributed to music with his work with concertos and also for his fusion of German and Italian styles. Beethoven: Beethoven was born in Bonn, Germany and was musical from the start. His life was set in three stages, Imitation, Externalization, and Reflection. He composed Missa Solemnis, nine symphonies, and also the opera Fidelio. He contributed to music with his Romantic style, his use of dissonance, as well as changing the traditional forms of the sonata and symphony.

Discuss briefly the rise of nationalism in the Romantic Era. What was it a reaction to? Name three composers (use at least two countries) who are identified with nationalism.

Nationalism is a sense of pride for ones country. European music was everywhere at this time and some people wanted to have a change. In Russia, nationalism was very prominent. "The Five" wrote music that had a very Russian sound to it. Students even revolted in their musical studies against just one sound. They wanted a homeland sound. Bedrich Svetlana was influential with Czech music. He even learned the language so he could found this particular sound. Following him was Antonin Dvorak. He had an advantage over Smetana because his first language was Czech. The reaction to nationalism was accepted by some and frowned upon by others. For the most part, it spread very quickly and new sounds emerged instead of the same old European music.

Where was the first permanent orchestra begun? And in what year was it founded?

New York. It was eventually the New York Philharmonic orchestra and it was founded in 1842.

Describe and compare Opera Seria and Comic Opera of the early classical Era.

Opera Seria: Loud and Proud. Big. -Usually had a happy ending. -Star singers were paid more than the composers. -Prima Donna. -Allegory dealing with royalty. -Excessive stage adornments some including live animals. Comic Opera: -Simple -Focused more on the vocals/performance instead of crazy decorations. -Realistic -Dealt with day-to-day real issues and problems of people.

Why is Ruth Crawford Seeger important to music history?

She was influential with her work with folk music and Children's music. Most of her songs were based off of the poems of Carl Sandburg. Both her folk music and Children's music flourished.

The tone poem is synonymous with which other genre?

Symphonic Poem

What musical features characterize the Cecelian style?

Symphonic Poem and Lyrical Melody

What is the importance of The Boston Group? Name two of the members.

The Boston Group really helped grow originality. They came together to share ideas and talk about styles. Composers: Horatio Parker, Arthur Foote.

When Beethoven wrote compositions in which the predominant emotional style was one of turbulence an conflict, what key did he often select?

The key he selected was C minor.

How did the First World War affect the style of many artists and composers?

There was an anti-romantic feel in the sound and work of all artists and composers. The demand was for tuneful and entertaining simplistic music. They wanted the opposite of the German romantic music which was dark and brooding.

What was the ultimate goal of the Kuchka?

They wanted to compose in a distinctive Russian style which would bring out nationalism and new ideas. There were no rules. They played what they wanted, how they wanted.