Music Exam 2 Part 3: The Baroque Era

Which of the following characterizes music after 1600? a. Music performers developed virtuosic skills. b. Opera was developed. c. Musicians explored intense emotions. d. all of the answers shown here

The approximate dates of the Baroque period are: a. 1600-1750. b. 1700-1800. c. 1550-1600. d. 1800-1900.

Which of the following characterizes the Baroque era? a. an age of reason b. an era of intense religion c. an era of absolute monarchy d. all of the answers shown here

Which Baroque era individual is known for mathematics? a. Newton b. Galileo c. Descartes d. Copernicus

The Baroque period witnessed a shift in musical texture to: a. monophony. b. polyphony. c. homophony. d. heterophony.

The group of early Baroque writers, artists, and musicians whose aim was to resurrect the musical drama of ancient Greece was known as: a. the Italian madrigalists. b. the Florentine Camerata. c. the Freemasons. d. the Notre Dame school.

The ideas and music of the Florentine Camerata led directly to the development of: a. opera. b. the Mass. c. the symphony. d. the concerto.

Basso continuo led to one of the most significant changes in music history, which was: a. the establishment of major-minor tonality. b. the use of church modes in opera. c. a dramatic shift in dynamics from one level to another. d. the use of polyphony in opera.

The artificially created male soprano or alto voice that dominated opera was known as: a. the castrato. b. the contralto. c. the Camerata. d. the continuo.

Which of the following national styles influenced the Baroque style? a. German polyphony b. French dance rhythms c. English choral song d. all of the answers shown here

Women's roles in Baroque music: a. diminished in importance in comparison to the Renaissance. b. expanded into professional performance careers, including as opera singers. c. remained largely the same as in the Renaissance. d. totally dominated the musical scene.

Which Baroque era individual is known for physics? a. Copernicus b. Descartes c. Spinoza d. Galileo

The term baroque originally meant serenity and balance.

The Baroque era was an age of political freedom and democracy.

Amateur music-making at home was popular during the Baroque era.

Religion remained a driving force behind power struggles in the Baroque era.

The transition from Renaissance to Baroque was characterized by the change from polyphonic to homophonic texture in music.

One of the most significant changes in music history occurred during the Baroque era: the transition from medieval church modes to major-minor tonality.

Baroque music often features a steady, vigorous beat throughout.

Baroque composers used dissonance for emotional intensity and color.

Dramatic contrasts of forte and piano are typical of the Baroque era.

During the Baroque era, some boy singers were castrated to preserve the high register of their voices, allowing them to sing high-pitched operatic roles.

Improvisation played little or no part in Baroque musical practice.

During the Baroque era, women began entering the ranks of professional musicians, both as composers and as performers.

Barbara Strozzi was an international sensation as an opera singer.

A drama that is sung is called: a. a madrigal. b. an opera. c. a cantata. d. a motet.

The vocal style in opera that imitates the natural inflections of speech and is designed to deliver dialogue is called: a. recitative. b. aria. c. chorus. d. madrigal.

A highly emotional, artful song in an opera is called: a. an aria. b. a chorus. c. an ensemble. d. a recitative.

The orchestral introduction heard at the beginning of an opera is called: a. an overture. b. a ritornello. c. an ensemble. d. a recitative.

The text of an opera is called: a. the lyrics. b. the libretto. c. the script. d. the play.

Who composed Orfeo and was also recognized for having solidified early experiments with music dramas into the genre now called opera? a. Monteverdi b. Purcell c. Handel d. Puccini

Which cultural center rejected Italian opera? a. France b. England c. Germany d. Austria

A type of English entertainment combining music, poetry, and dance was called: a. tragédie lyrique. b. monody. c. masque. d. oratorio.

The most well known native-born English composer of the Baroque was: a. George Frideric Handel. b. Thomas Morley. c. Henry Purcell. d. Oliver Cromwell.

The first performance of Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas took place at: a. the Royal Opera in London. b. the Metropolitan Opera. c. a girls' school in London. d. La Scala in Milan.

Who was the librettist of Purcell's Dido and Aeneas? a. Josias Priest b. Nahum Tate c. John Milton d. John Donne

On which epic poem was Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas based? a. Milton's Paradise Lost b. Homer's Odyssey c. Homer's Iliad d. Virgil's Aeneid

Dido sings her famous lament in Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas just prior to: a. marrying Aeneas. b. killing Aeneas. c. killing herself. d. leaving with Aeneas.

Dido's Lament from Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas is composed: a. over a ground bass. b. in the style of imitative counterpoint. c. in the ternary form common to the genre. d. in the ritornello form of the period.

The musical interludes heard between scenes of an opera are called: a. overtures. b. sinfonias. c. arias. d. recitatives.

In opera, the lyric melodies that release emotional tension are called recitatives

Early operas, such as Monteverdi's Orfeo, were simple productions for intimate gatherings

The first public opera houses opened in Venice.

In seventeenth-century England, the masque was a popular type of aristocratic entertainment that combined vocal and instrumental music with poetry and dance.

Purcell's Dido and Aeneas was first performed in a public opera house.

The aria "When I am laid in earth" is unified by a descending chromatic-scale, ground bass.

The aria "When I am laid in earth" is accompanied by continuo only.

An opera is a drama that is sung.

The sacred cantata was an integral part of the: a. Catholic church service. b. Anglican church service. c. Lutheran church service. d. Pilgrims' church service in America.

Which of the following describe(s) the chorale? a. Chorales were intended to be sung by the congregation. b. The chorale tune was placed in the soprano in four-part settings. c. Chorale texts are in German. d. all of the answers shown here

During his lifetime, Johann Sebastian Bach held the position of: a. cantor of St. Thomas Church in Leipzig. b. court organist and chamber musician to the duke of Weimar. c. court musician to the prince of Anhalt-Cöthen. d. all of the answers shown here

Johann Sebastian Bach was most famous in his day as a performer on: a. the harpsichord. b. the organ. c. the piano. d. the clavichord.

Luther and his followers created weekly hymns known as: a. sorrow songs. b. congregational tunes. c. chorales. d. choruses.

Lutheran chorales were originally sung in what language? a. Latin b. German c. English d. French

Bach uses a hymn originally written by ________ as the basis for his Reformation Cantata. a. Martin Luther b. Philipp Nicolai c. Machaut d. Pop Gregory

A chorale is a hymn tune associated with the followers of Martin Luther.

Chorales were intended to be sung by a trained choir.

Bach completed just under 100 cantatas in his lifetime.

Johann Sebastian Bach lived a short, unhappy life and had no children.

During his lifetime, Johann Sebastian Bach was known primarily as a great organist.

J. S. Bach is the culminating figure of the Baroque style and one of the giants in the history of Western music.

Bach's cantata Wachet auf ("Sleepers Awake") is based on a well-known Lutheran choral tune written by Philipp Nicolai.

Wachet auf ("Sleepers Awake") is in a standard three-part structure known as bar form.

Handel's Messiah is an example of: a. an opera. b. a cantata. c. an oratorio. d. a masque.

Which of the following is Handel's most famous oratorio, frequently performed today? a. Julius Caesar b. Israel in Egypt c. Samson d. Messiah

An oratorio includes which of the following? a. elaborate scenery b. recitatives c. costumes d. acting

The stories for oratorios are generally drawn from: a. Greek mythology. b. the Bible. c. medieval history. d. contemporary life.

__________ was born in Germany and studied in Italy but spent much of his creative life in England. a. Bach b. Handel c. Purcell d. Scarlatti

Later in life, Handel turned his efforts from the opera to: a. the cantata. b. the symphony. c. the Mass. d. the oratorio.

What is a ritornello? a. a repeated figure in the bass line b. the repetition of the A section in a da capo aria c. a recurring motive in an aria d. an instrumental refrain in an aria

An oratorio is a dramatic, staged work with elaborate scenery and costumes.

The role of the chorus is especially important in the oratorio.

Handel wrote his oratorio Messiah over a period of four years.

The libretto for Handel's oratorio Messiah is a compilation of verses from the Bible.

The "Hallelujah Chorus" is the climax of the Christmas section of Messiah.

Handel and J. S. Bach were close friends.

The church officially sponsored Handel's Messiah.

An oratorio includes recitatives, arias, and choruses.

A ritornello is the repetition of the A section in a da capo aria.

Handel was a composer and an entrepreneur.

The first era of Western music history in which instrumental music was a major focus for composers was the: a. Middle Ages. b. Renaissance. c. Baroque. d. Classical.

Who is an example of a seventeenth-century violin maker? a. Stradivarius b. Guarneri c. Amati d. all of the answers shown here

An important instrumental genre of the Baroque was a group of short dances, collectively known as: a. a recital. b. the dance suite. c. a symphony. d. a dance opera.

Which of the following dance types was standard in a Baroque suite? a. allemande b. sarabande c. courante d. all the above

Handel's Water Music is best described as: a. a symphony. b. a concerto grosso. c. an orchestral dance suite. d. a cantata.

Why is the music for Handel's Water Music marked by lively rhythms and catchy melodies? a. It was performed outdoors on barges. b. It mimicked the sound of the ocean. c. It was written during a time of war. d. It celebrated a royal marriage.

The Baroque period was the first in which instrumental music was comparable in importance to vocal music.

Stradivarius, Guarneri, and Amati were famous makers of violins during the Baroque era.

Baroque trumpets had valves.

Today, Baroque music is played exclusively on modern instruments.

The standard Baroque suite consists of a variety of international dance types.

The Alla hornpipe from Handel's Water Music is in A-B-A form.

The allemande is a French dance.

The jig (gigue) is an English dance.

The sarabande is a German dance.

The instrumental form based on the contrast of two dissimilar bodies of sound is called a: a. symphony. b. sonata. c. suite. d. concerto.

The typical solo concerto has _____ movements. a. two b. three c. four d. six

Who was the most famous and most prolific Baroque composer of concertos? a. Vivaldi b. Purcell c. Handel d. Bach

Antonio Vivaldi was known as "the red priest" for: a. his political affiliations. b. his violent temper. c. the color of his hair. d. none of the answers shown here

Vivaldi lived and worked in: a. Florence. b. Venice. c. Rome. d. Bologna.

Which of the following is a well-known set of concertos by Vivaldi? a. The Four Seasons b. the Brandenburg Concertos c. Water Music d. Music for the Royal Fireworks

The solo instrument in Spring, from The Four Seasons, is the: a. violin. b. viola. c. cello. d. harpsichord.

The alternation between orchestral refrains and virtuosic outbursts by the soloist(s) is known as: a. ritornello form. b. da capo form. c. oratorio form. d. sonata form.

Instrumental music endowed with literary or pictorial associations, as in Vivaldi's Four Seasons, is known as: a. program music. b. absolute music. c. opera. d. cantata.

The Baroque concerto is written for a solo instrument with a continuo accompaniment.

Antonio Vivaldi composed over 200 concertos for solo violin.

Vivaldi lived in Venice, where he taught music at a girls' school.

Vivaldi's music contributed decisively to the development of violin style and technique.

The Four Seasons is considered program music.

The concerto is an instrumental form based on the opposition between two dissimilar bodies of sound.

A concerto usually consists of five movements

The concerto first developed in France in the late 1600s.

Ritornello form is the alternation between orchestral refrains and virtuosic solo passages.

Vivaldi's The Four Seasons is an example of program music.

The harpsichord is the featured solo instrument in Spring, from The Four Seasons.

Which of the following keyboard instruments were important during the Baroque? a. the harpsichord b. the piano c. the harpsichord and the organ d. the piano and the organ

The ______ is a keyboard instrument whose strings are plucked by quills. a. organ b. piano c. harpsichord d. clavichord

The harpsichord is different from the piano because: a. it sometimes has two keyboards rather than one. b. its strings are plucked rather than struck. c. it is not capable of a wide dynamic range. d. all of the answers shown here

The keyboard instrument that uses various sets of pipes to create contrasting colors is: a. the harpsichord. b. the organ. c. the clavichord. d. the piano.

What is a toccata? a. a variation on a repeated harmonic pattern b. an improvisatory, virtuosic keyboard work c. a movement based on strict counterpoint d. a four-movement keyboard work containing a fugue

The _____ is a keyboard form based on the principle of voices imitating each other. a. fugue b. prelude c. suite d. toccata

Which of the following is a set of forty-eight preludes and fugues by Bach? a. the Brandenburg Concertos b. A Musical Offering c. The Well-Tempered Clavier d. The Art of Fugue

Bach's last demonstration of contrapuntal mastery was: a. The Art of Fugue. b. A Musical Offering. c. The Well-Tempered Clavier. d. the Brandenburg Concertos.

The three main keyboard instruments of the Baroque were the harpsichord, organ, and piano.

The strings of a harpsichord are plucked by quills.

The advantage of the harpsichord was its ability to produce crescendos and diminuendos.

The organ uses multiple keyboards.