Bach

Question 1

What genres of music did Bach compose?
A. Voice 
B. Jazz
C. Orchestral 
D. Keyboard 
E. Impressionist 
F. Organ
G. Chamber

Answer 1

Bach composed orchestral, chamber, keyboard, organ, and vocal music.

Question 2

What was the effect of Faith on Bach?

Answer 2

Bach’s personal faith was a source of inspiration as demonstrated by over 200 church cantatas.

Question 3

What sort of a musician was Bach?

Answer 3

Bach was a virtuoso organist, as reflected in his organ and keyboard works.

Question 4

Did Bach contribute to the development of any musical forms?

Answer 4

Bach perfected existing forms rather than defining new ones.

Question 5

True or False:

Bach was loyal to his German heritage, and rarely composed music that did not reflect his patriotism

Answer 5

False:

Bach absorbed influences of international styles (German, French, and Italian).

Question 6

What is Bach best remembered for?

Answer 6

Bach was a master of the contrapuntal art, as demonstrated in the fugues of The Well-Tempered Clavier.

Question 7

Why is Bach remembered as the “Father of the Baroque Era”?

Answer 7

Bach’s music represents a high point in over one hundred years of Baroque musical practice, and his personal style synthesized the leading musical developments of his era

Question 8

What song of Bach’s did RCM use in its history course?

Answer 8

Prelude and Fugue in Bb major

Question 9

In the first part of Bach’s song, what is the key?

Answer 9

Bb major

Question 10

In the first part of Bach’s song, what is the form?

Answer 10

incorporates aspects of binary form

Question 11

In the first part of Bach’s song, what is the tempo?

Answer 11

Bach never indicates tempos (if you see some in your textbooks, it is because they were added afterwards by the editor)

Question 12

In the first part of Bach’s song, what is the style?

Answer 12

The style implies a quick tempo, in the manner of a toccata (a very fast, virtuosic, improvisatory character)

Question 13

In the first part of Bach’s song, what is the meter?

Answer 13

4/4

Question 14

In the first part of Bach’s song, what is the texture?

Answer 14

homophonic and polyphonic

Question 15

In the second part of Bach’s song, what is the key

Answer 15

Bb major

Question 16

In the second part of Bach’s song, what is the tempo?

Answer 16

moderately fast

Question 17

In the second part of Bach’s song, what is the meter?

Answer 17

3/4

Question 18

In the second part of Bach’s song, what is the texture?

Answer 18

polyphonic

Question 19

In the second part of Bach’s song, what is the number of voices?

Answer 19

three

Question 20

In the second part of Bach’s song, what is the type of answer?

Answer 20

tonal

Question 21

In the second part of Bach’s song, what is the countersubject?

Answer 21

two countersubjects are presented simultaneously throughout the fugue
they act as accompanying figures to the statements of the subject or answer

Question 22

What era is Bach?

Answer 22

The baroque era