Test 3 ( baroque period)

____________ is a musical idea repeated over and over in the bass while melodies above it constantly change.  A. Basso ostinato B. Basso profundo C. Basso continuo D. Thoroughbass

A. Basso ostinato

The earliest opera that has been preserved is Jacopo Peri's  A. Euridice. B. Orfeo. C. Nerone. D. Arsace.

A. Euridice.

Orpheus goes to Hades in the hope of bringing ____________ back to life.  A. Eurydice B. Phyllis C. Persephone D. Oriana

A. Eurydice

Which of the following statements is not true?  A. Henry Purcell was virtually unknown in his own time, but today is considered England's most significant composer from the Baroque Era. B. Purcell mastered all the musical forms of late seventeenth-century England, including church music, secular choral music, music for small groups of instruments, songs, and music for the stage. C. Purcell's music is filled with lively rhythms and a fresh melodic style that captures the spirit of English folk songs. D. Dido, in Virgil's epic poem that Purcell used as the basis for his opera Dido and Aeneas, was queen of Carthage.

A. Henry Purcell was virtually unknown in his own time, but today is considered England's most significant composer from the Baroque Era.

Which of the following statements is not true?  A. The terms ensemble and chorus are synonymous. B. Voice categories in opera are divided more finely than in other musical genres. C. Operas may contain spoken dialogue, but most are sung entirely. D. Opera soloists must create a wide variety of characters, and so need acting skills as well as vocal artistry.

A. The terms ensemble and chorus are synonymous.

All of the following were major baroque composers except  A. Wolfgang A. Mozart. B. Claudio Monteverdi. C. Antonio Vivaldi. D. Arcangelo Corelli.

A. Wolfgang A. Mozart.

When the subject of a fugue is presented in the dominant scale, it is called the  A. answer. B. countersubject. C. episode. D. stretto.

A. answer.

A song for solo voice with orchestral accompaniment is called a/an A. aria. B. duet. C. ensemble. D. solo.

A. aria.

A bass part together with numbers (figures) that specify the chords to be played above it is called  A. basso continuo. B. harpsichord. C. basso profundo. D. counterpoint.

A. basso continuo.

A popular keyboard instrument in which sound was produced by means of brass blades striking the strings was the  A. clavichord. B. harpsichord. C. basso continuo. D. organ.

A. clavichord.

Baroque melodies often are  A. elaborate and ornamental. B. easy to sing and remember. C. impossible to play. D. short and simple.

A. elaborate and ornamental.

The concerto grosso most often has three movements whose tempo markings are  A. fast, slow, fast. B. fast, fast, slow. C. slow, fast, slow. D. slow, slow, fast.

A. fast, slow, fast.

Turning the subject of a fugue upside down, or reversing the direction of each interval, is called  A. inversion. B. stretto. C. retrograde. D. countersubject.

A. inversion.

Members of the Camerata wanted to create a new vocal style based on the  A. music of the ancient Greek tragedies. B. glories of their aristocratic patrons. C. organum of the Middle Ages. D. polyphonic madrigal.

A. music of the ancient Greek tragedies.

22. A baroque musical composition usually expresses ____________within the same movement.  A. one basic mood B. a wide variety of moods C. constantly changing moods D. All answers are correct.

A. one basic mood

Embellishments are  A. ornamental tones not printed in the music that seventeenth- and eighteenth-century performers were expected to add to the melody. B. music created at the same time it is performed. C. notes printed in the music that embellish the melody D. obsolete in contemporary performances

A. ornamental tones not printed in the music that seventeenth- and eighteenth-century performers were expected to add to the melody.

In Italy, music schools were often connected with  A. orphanages. B. courts of the nobility. C. public schools. D. universities.

A. orphanages.

An ____________ is an orchestral composition performed before the curtain rises on a dramatic work.  A. overture B. aria C. opera D. opening

A. overture

Very often an independent fugue is introduced by a short piece called a(n)  A. overture. B. prelude. C. concerto. D. pedal point.

A. overture.

A ____________ is a single tone, usually in the bass, that is held while the other voices produce a series of changing harmonies against it.  A. pedal point B. pitch C. basso continuo D. basso ostinato

A. pedal point

A sonata to be played at court, and therefore dancelike in character, was called a  A. sonata da camera. B. trio sonata. C. sonata da chiesa. D. tarantella.

A. sonata da camera.

To evoke angry or warlike feelings in some of his texts, Monteverdi introduced new orchestral effects, including pizzicato and  A. tremolo. B. double stops. C. sul ponticello. D. col legno.

A. tremolo.

A musical ornament consisting of the rapid alternation of two tones that are a whole or half step apart is a  A. trill. B. shake. C. blurb. D. wobble.

A. trill.

The orchestra evolved during the baroque period into a performing group based on instruments of the ____________ family.  A. violin B. woodwind C. brass D. percussion

A. violin

The baroque, as a stylistic period in western art music, encompassed the years  A. 1450-1600. B. 1600-1750. C. 1750-1820. D. 1820-1900.

B. 1600-1750.

The middle baroque period spanned the years  A. 1567-1643. B. 1640-1690. C. 1600-1640. D. 1690-1750.

B. 1640-1690.

Which of the following statements is not true?  A. Monteverdi's Orfeo, composed in 1607, is considered to be the earliest operatic masterpiece. B. All twelve of Monteverdi's operas are regularly performed in Europe and America. C. Monteverdi creates variety in Orfeo by using many kinds of music, combining recitatives, arias, duets, choruses, and instrumental interludes into one dramatic whole. D. Monteverdi's works form a musical bridge between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and greatly influenced composers of the time.

B. All twelve of Monteverdi's operas are regularly performed in Europe and America.

Which of the following statements is not true?  A. A large court during the baroque might employ more than eighty performers, including the finest opera singers of the day. B. Audiences in the baroque period were most anxious to hear old familiar favorites, and did not care for new music. C. In Italy, music schools were often connected with orphanages. D. Church musicians in the baroque period earned lower pay and had less status than court musicians.

B. Audiences in the baroque period were most anxious to hear old familiar favorites, and did not care for new music.

One of the most revolutionary periods in music history was the  A. Renaissance. B. early baroque. C. middle baroque. D. late baroque.

B. Early baroque.

Dido and Aeneas, which many consider to be the finest opera ever written to an English text, was composed by  A. Claudio Monteverdi. B. Henry Purcell. C. George Frideric Handel. D. Jeremiah Clarke.

B. Henry Purcell.

The early baroque was characterized by  A. elaborate counterpoint. B. homophonic texture. C. development of the standardized orchestra. D. diffusion of the style into every corner of Europe.

B. Homophonic texture.

All of the following were baroque painters except  A. Gian Lorenzo Bernini. B. Isaac Newton. C. Peter Paul Rubens. D. Rembrandt van Rijn

B. Isaac Newton.

The two giants of baroque composition were George Frideric Handel and  A. Johann Christian Bach. B. Johann Sebastian Bach. C. Giovanni Gabrieli. D. Galileo Galilei.

B. Johann Sebastian Bach.

Which of the following statements is not true?  A. Baroque art is a complex mixture of rationalism, sensuality, materialism, and spirituality. B. The late baroque period was one of the most revolutionary periods in music history. C. Early baroque composers favored homophonic texture over the polyphonic texture typical of Renaissance music. D. Regardless of form, baroque music features contrasts between bodies of sound.

B. The late baroque period was one of the most revolutionary periods in music history.

Which of the following statements is not true?  A. Most early baroque operas were based on Greek mythology and ancient history. B. The members of the Florentine Camerata based their theories on actual dramatic music that had come down to them from the Greeks. C. The members of the Florentine Camerata wanted to create a new vocal style modeled on the music of ancient Greek tragedy. D. Polyphony was rejected by the members of the Florentine Camerata because different words sounding simultaneously would obscure the text.

B. The members of the Florentine Camerata based their theories on actual dramatic music that had come down to them from the Greeks.

Henry Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas was inspired by the Aeneid, an epic poem by  A. Homer. B. Virgil. C. Nahum Tate. D. Dido

B. Virgil.

The respect given Henry Purcell by his fellow Englishmen is evidenced by his burial in  A. Potter's Field. B. Westminster Abbey. C. Buckingham Palace. D. Canterbury Cathedral.

B. Westminster Abbey.

The word movement in music normally refers to  A. music for the ballet. B. a piece that sounds fairly complete and independent but is part of a larger composition. C. the rising and falling of the melodic contour. D. the rhythm of a piece.

B. a piece that sounds fairly complete and independent but is part of a larger composition.

Presenting the subject of a fugue in lengthened time values is called  A. inversion. B. augmentation. C. retrograde. D. diminution.

B. augmentation.

A ____________ is a singer with a low range who usually takes comic roles.  A. tenor B. basso buffo C. basso profundo D. buffoon

B. basso buffo

The stage machinery of baroque opera  A. was very primitive. B. bordered on the colossal. C. was nonexistent. D. replaced set designs.

B. bordered on the colossal.

In the baroque period, the ordinary citizen's opportunities for hearing music usually came from the  A. corner tavern. B. church. C. concert hall. D. court.

B. church.

In many fugues, the subject in one voice is constantly accompanied in another voice by a different melodic idea called a(n)  A. answer. B. countersubject. C. episode. D. stretto.

B. countersubject.

A(n) ____________ is an operatic number involving three or more leading singers.  A. aria B. ensemble C. duet D. chorus

B. ensemble

Transitional sections of a fugue that offer either new material or fragments of the subject or countersubject are called  A. answers. B. episodes. C. preludes. D. strettos.

B. episodes.

The early and late baroque periods differed in that composers in the early baroque  A. favored polyphonic texture. B. favored homophonic texture. C. used extremely complex harmonies. D. favored purely instrumental music.

B. favored homophonic texture.

The main keyboard instruments of the baroque period were the organ and the  A. clavichord. B. harpsichord. C. piano. D. accordion.

B. harpsichord.

The text, or book, of a musical dramatic work is called the  A. form. B. libretto. C. story. D. score.

B. libretto.

An ____________ is a play, set to music, sung to orchestral accompaniment, with scenery, costumes, and action.  A. overture B. opera C. aria D. ensemble

B. opera

Monteverdi, an early baroque composer, strove to create music that was  A. difficult to perform. B. passionate and dramatic. C. extremely complex. D. placid and smooth.

B. passionate and dramatic.

Presenting the subject of a fugue from right to left, or beginning with the last and proceeding backward to the first note, is called  A. inversion. B. stretto. C. augmentation. D. retrograde.

B. stretto.

The main theme of a fugue is called the  A. answer. B. subject. C. countersubject. D. episode.

B. subject.

In the baroque era, dynamics consisted mainly of sudden alterations between loud and soft called  A. cantus firmus. B. terraced dynamics. C. basso continuo. D. basso ostinato.

B. terraced dynamics.

The members of the Camerata wanted the vocal line of their music to follow  A. standard rules of musical theory. B. the rhythms and pitch fluctuations of speech. C. the lines of contrapuntal writing. D. set metrical and melodic patterns.

B. the rhythms and pitch fluctuations of speech.

The baroque principle of ____________ may be temporarily suspended in vocal music when drastic changes of emotion in a text inspires corresponding changes in the music.  A. basso continuo B. unity of mood C. terraced dynamics D. All answers are correct.

B. unity of mood

Composers in the middle baroque phase favored writing compositions for instruments of the ____________ family.  A. brass B. violin C. percussion D. woodwind

B. violin

A typical baroque operatic form was the da capo aria in ABA form in which the singer  A. would make a literal repetition of the opening A section after the B section. B. was expected to embellish the returning melody with ornamental tones. C. would insert recitatives between the sections for added variety. D. improvise new words for the returning A section.

B. was expected to embellish the returning melody with ornamental tones.

The early baroque period spanned the years  A. 1567-1643. B. 1640-1690. C. 1600-1640. D. 1690-1750.

C. 1600-1640.

By about ____________, major or minor scales were the tonal basis of most compositions.  A. 1500 B. 1600 C. 1690 D. 1750

C. 1690

A large court during the baroque period might employ about ____________ performers.  A. 18 B. 24 C. 80 D. 120

C. 80

Which of the following statements is not true?  A. A concerto grosso normally involves two to four soloists, and anywhere from eight to twenty or more musicians for the tutti. B. A concerto grosso presents a contrast of texture between the tutti and the soloists, who assert their individuality and appeal for attention through brilliant and fanciful melodic lines. C. A concerto grosso normally involves a large group of soloists accompanied by an equal number of supporting players. D. The first and last movements of concerti grossi are often in ritornello form, a form that features the alternation between tutti and solo sections.

C. A concerto grosso normally involves a large group of soloists accompanied by an equal number of supporting players.

The position of the composer during the baroque period was that of  A. a free agent working on commissions. B. an equal to the nobility, based on merit. C. a high-class servant with few personal rights. D. a low-class wandering minstrel.

C. A high-class servant with few personal rights.

____________ refers to a vocal line that imitates the rhythms and pitch fluctuations of speech.  A. Aria B. Duet C. Recitative D. Ensemble

C. Recitative

Monteverdi spent the greater part of his career in  A. Notre Dame, Paris. B. The Duomo, Florence. C. St. Mark's, Venice. D. the Vatican, Rome.

C. St. Mark's, Venice.

Most early baroque operas were based on Greek mythology and  A. contemporary political events. B. lyric poetry. C. ancient history. D. contemporary exploration of the new world.

C. ancient history.

Monteverdi's vocal music ordinarily was supported by a ____________ and other instruments.  A. bassoon B. trumpet C. basso continuo D. string bass

C. basso continuo

The most characteristic feature of baroque music is its use of  A. gradual dynamic changes. B. monophonic texture. C. basso continuo. D. simple singable melodies.

C. basso continuo.

A ____________ is a singer with a very low range and powerful voice, who usually takes roles calling for great dignity.  A. tenor B. basso buffo C. basso profundo D. buffoon

C. basso profundo

A(n) ____________ is a musical number for two solo voices with orchestral accompaniment.  A. aria B. ensemble C. duet D. chorus

C. duet

The solo instruments in Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 are the ____________, violin, and harpsichord.  A. trumpet B. cello C. flute D. oboe

C. flute

Baroque trio sonatas usually involve ____________ performers.  A. two B. three C. four D. five

C. four

Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 is unusual in that  A. it consists of a single movement. B. it consists of four movements. C. it gives a solo role to the harpsichord. D. the first movement is not in typical ritornello form.

C. it gives a solo role to the harpsichord.

The compelling drive and energy in baroque music are usually provided by  A. a bawdy text. B. complex harmonic progressions. C. repeated rhythmic patterns. D. the high dynamic level.

C. repeated rhythmic patterns.

The first and last movements of the concerto grosso are often in ____________ form.  A. theme and variations B. sonata C. ritornello D. ternary

C. ritornello

Speechlike melody accompanied only by a basso continuo is called  A. basso ostinato. B. accompanied recitative. C. secco recitative. D. congregational singing.

C. secco recitative.

A sonata intended to be played in church, and therefore dignified and suitable for sacred performance, was called a  A. sonata da camera. B. trio sonata. C. sonata da chiesa. D. basso ostinato.

C. sonata da chiesa.

Melodic sequence refers to  A. a composition by Vivaldi. B. a preferred method of tuning an instrument. C. the successive repetition of a musical idea at higher or lower pitches. D. the pedagogical steps in learning to play an instrument.

C. the successive repetition of a musical idea at higher or lower pitches.

Terraced dynamics refers to  A. a gradual change from soft to loud. B. a gradual change from loud to soft. C. the sudden alternation from one dynamic level to another. D. dynamics that are not written in the music but added by the performer.

C. the sudden alternation from one dynamic level to another.

A concerto grosso most often has ____________ movement(s).  A. one B. two C. three D. four

C. three

Baroque style flourished in music during the period  A. 1000-1250. B. 1250-1450. C. 1450-1600. D. 1600-1750.

D. 1600-1750.

The late baroque period spanned the years  A. 1567-1643. B. 1640-1690. C. 1600-1640. D. 1690-1750.

D. 1690-1750.

40. Frederick the Great, king of Prussia, was a  A. flutist. B. general. C. composer. D. All answers are correct.

D. All answers are correct.

Baroque painters exploited their materials to expand the potential of ____________ to create totally structured worlds.  A. color B. ornament and detail C. depth D. All answers are correct.

D. All answers are correct.

Castrati  A. received the highest fees of any musicians. B. combined the lung power of a man with the vocal range of a woman. C. were male singers who had been castrated before puberty. D. All answers are correct.

D. All answers are correct.

The word baroque has at various times meant all of the following except  A. elaborately ornamented. B. flamboyant. C. bizarre. D. naturalistic.

D. Naturalistic.

____________ is a musical procedure in which a fugue subject is imitated before it is completed.  A. Augmentation B. Diminution C. Retrograde D. Stretto

D. Stretto

The first opera house in Europe to offer entry to anyone with the price of admission opened in 1637 in  A. Hamburg. B. London. C. Rome. D. Venice.

D. Venice.

The middle baroque was characterized by  A. elaborate counterpoint. B. homophonic texture. C. the development of the standardized orchestra. D. a diffusion of the style into every corner of Europe.

D. a diffusion of the style into every corner of Europe.

A characteristic often found in baroque melodies is  A. one long continuous phrase with long sustained notes. B. one short phrase followed by continuous repetition of the same phrase. C. a symmetrical frame with two long phrases of equal length. D. a short opening phrase followed by a longer phrase with an unbroken flow of rapid notes.

D. a short opening phrase followed by a longer phrase with an unbroken flow of rapid notes.

The ____________ is the person who beats time, indicates expression, cues in musicians, and controls the balance among instruments and voices.  A. prima donna B. prompter C. concertmaster D. conductor

D. conductor

Presenting the subject of a fugue in shortened time values is called  A. inversion. B. augmentation. C. retrograde. D. diminution.

D. diminution.

To achieve intensity of expression, Monteverdi used ____________ with unprecedented freedom and daring.  A. skips B. texts C. consonances D. dissonances

D. dissonances

Baroque melodies give the impression of  A. balance and symmetry. B. being carelessly composed. C. tonal vagueness. D. dynamic expansion.

D. dynamic expansion.

Affections in baroque usage refers to  A. the nobility's manner of deportment. B. the doctrine of universal brotherhood. C. terraced dynamics. D. emotional states or moods of music.

D. emotional states or moods of music.

A polyphonic composition based on one main theme is the  A. subject. B. concerto. C. episode. D. fugue.

D. fugue.

Instrumental music became as important as vocal music for the first time in the ____________ period.  A. Renaissance B. early baroque C. middle baroque D. late baroque

D. late baroque

The sonata in the baroque period was a composition in several movements for  A. a solo instrument. B. three solo instruments. C. two to four instruments. D. one to eight instruments.

D. one to eight instruments.

To get a job, a musician had to  A. be the son of a musician. B. go to a conservatory for thorough training. C. marry the retiring musician's daughter. D. pass a difficult examination.

D. pass a difficult examination.

The music director of a baroque court was usually not responsible for  A. supervising and directing the musical performances. B. composing much of the music desired. C. the discipline of the other musicians. D. publicity in reaching an audience.

D. publicity in reaching an audience.

The large group of players in a concerto grosso is known as the  A. concertino. B. orchestra. C. soloists. D. tutti.

D. tutti.