FA Section III Flashcards
What is music that uses no words to convey a storyline?
programmatic music
What is programmatic music?
music without words that conveys a storyline of some sort
Who made “La Mer”?
Claude Debussy
When was “La Mer” by Claude Debussy made?
1905
What does “La Mer” translate to?
The Sea
Who made “The Sea”?
Frank Bridge
When was “The Sea” by Frank Bridge made?
1924
Who made “Vltava”?
Bedrich Smetana
What nationality is Bedrich Smetana?
she is Czech
What does “Vltava” depict?
a journey down a river from Smetana’s homeland
What is “Vltava” more commonly known as?
its German name: “The Moldau”
What is the 2nd longest river in the world?
the Amazon River
Who made “Aguas da Amazonia”?
Phillip Glass
What does “Aguas da Amazonia” mean in English?
Waters of the Amazon
What does “Aguas da Amazonia” pay tribute to?
the Amazon River
When was “Aguas da Amazonia” made?
1999
What did Xiana Xinghai and his colleagues revise “Yellow River Cantata” (1939) to create?
the “Yellow River Piano Concerto”
What are the 2 tributaries of the Mississippi River?
the Ohio and Missouri Rivers
The Mississippi River and its 2 tributaries are what rank as the largest river system?
3rd
The Mississippi River may be the most _________ river in the world.
musical
Who made the “Mississippi River Suite”?
Florence Price
When was the “Mississippi River Suite” made?
1934
Who was the first Black woman to have a symphony performed by a major American orchestra?
Florence Price in 1933
Who made “Mississippi Suite: A Journey in Tones”?
Ferde Grofe
What does “Mississippi Suite: A Journey in Tones” depict?
scenes from the Mississippi’s headwaters in Minnesota to New Orleans
When did “Mississippi Suite: A Journey in Tones” premiere?
1926
Where did “Mississippi Suite: A Journey in Tones” premiere?
New York
Who made “Reflections on the Mississippi”?
Michael Daugherty
“Reflections on the Mississippi” is a concerto for what instrument?
tuba
When was “Reflections on the Mississippi” made?
2013
What was Daugherty’s first composition for wind band?
“Niagara Falls”
When was “Niagara Falls” made?
1997
Why was “Niagara Falls” written?
to honor the University of Michigan Symphonic Band for their 100th-year anniversary
Where was Alan Hovhaness living when Mount St. Helens erupted?
Seattle
When did Mount St. Helens erupt?
1980
When Mount St. Helens erupted, it produced the largest ___________ in history.
landslide
Who asked Hovhaness to write a commemorative work for the eruption of Mount St. Helens?
his publisher
When did Congress declare Mount St. Helens a national monument?
1982
When did Hovhaness complete his commemorative work for Mount St. Helens?
1982
Who wrote “Yellowstone for Violin and Orchestra”?
Jett HItt
What was Joan Tower’s first orchestral composition?
“Sequoia”
When was “Sequoia” released?
1981
What was the first orchestral work by a Black composer to be performed by a Major American orchestra?
“Afro-American Symphony”
What was Grofe’s greatest musical piece?
the “Grand Canyon Suite”
When was the “Grand Canyon Suite” composed?
1929-1931
Ferde Grofe regarded himself as a composer of _____________.
Americana
Where was Grofe born?
NY
How old was Grofe when he and his family moved to the West Coast?
an infant
What instruments did Grofe learn?
piano, violin, viola, and alto horn
By what age was Grofe performing professionally?
15 years old
How old was Grofe when he joined the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra?
17 years old
How long did Grofe play for the Los Angeles Symphony Orchestra?
10 years
Grofe would not be known today if he had not joined which orchestra?
the Paul Whiteman Orchestra
When did Grofe join the Paul Whiteman Orchestra?
1920
What did Grofe do for the Paul Whiteman Orchestra?
he was an arranger
What piece moved Whiteman, Gershwin, and Grofe into the national spotlight?
“Rhapsody in Blue”
When was “Rhapsody in Blue” made?
1924
After realizing the potential of symphonic jazz pieces, Whiteman asked _________ to start composing original works.
Grofe
After realizing the potential of symphonic jazz pieces, Whiteman asked Grofe to start doing what?
compose original works, not just arrangements
What piece earned Grofe his lavish praise?
the “Grand Canyon Suite”
Who adapted “Grand Canyon Suite” for a 1958 short film?
Walt Disney
What award did the 1958 film by Walt Disney that included the “Grand Canyon Suite” win?
an Academy Award for Best Short Subject (Live Action)
In WWI, Grofe volunteered to join a cavalry band playing what instrument?
baritone
Grofe volunteered to join a cavalry band playing baritone for what war?
WWI
When did Grofe join WWI as a baritone player?
1917
Where was Grofe stationed when he joined the military?
Douglas, Arizona
How long had Native Americans resided in the Grand Canyon region?
13,000 years
When did Spanish conquistadors first visit the Grand Canyon?
1540
Explorers visited the Grand Canyon ________ years before Niagara Falls.
138
Explorers visited the Grand Canyon ________ years before Yellowstone.
167
Explorers visited the Grand Canyon ________ years before Yosemite Valley.
300
The Grand Canyon was taken under government protection as what occurred?
awareness of its magnificence grew more widespread
When was the Grand Canyon designated as a Forest Reserve?
1893
When was the Grand Canyon declared a game reserve?
1906
When was the US National Park Service established?
1916
When was the Grand Canyon declared a national monument?
1908
When was the Grand Canyon declared a national park?
1919
The Grand Canyon was declared a national park ____ years after Grofe’s first visit.
2
How many acres does the Grand Canyon National Park encompass?
over 1.2 million acres
How many square miles does the Grand Canyon National Park encompass?
over 1,900 square miles
How many miles of the Colorado River does the Grand Canyon National Park contain?
278 miles
How many people visited the Grand Canyon National Park in its first year of establishment?
37,745
How many people visited the Grand Canyon National Park in 2022?
4.7 million
When did Grofe vacation in Kingman, Arizona?
1922
When did Grofe start creating the “Grand Canyon Suite”?
1929
How many movements was the “Grand Canyon Suite” initially?
4
What was the initial title of the “Grand Canyon Suite”?
“Five Pictures of the Grand Canyon”
Who did Grofe credit as the inspiration for the “On the Trail” movement?
Eddie King
What was Eddie King?
a recording supervisor for Columbia Records who had worked with the Whiteman band occasionally
What trail is the “On the Trail” depicting?
the Bright Angel Trail
Has Grofe ever been on the Bright Angel Trail?
No
When did “Grand Canyon Suite” premiere?
November 22, 1931
What are the 5 movements of the “Grand Canyon Suite”?
- Sunrise
- Painted Desert
- On the Trail
- Sunset
- Cloudburst
The audience was so delighted with the “Grand Canyon Suite” that they demanded a(n) _________.
encore
What is an encore?
a repetition of a piece
Who was conducting the “Grand Canyon Suite” on its premiere?
Whiteman
What movement of the “Grand Canyon Suite” was the most popular?
“On the Trail”
What movement from “Grand Canyon Suite” was selected to be played again for the encore?
“On the Trail”
What animal is depicted throughout “On the Trail”?
the burro
The trip down the trail in the “On the Trail” is _____________.
fictional
What animal carries the riders down on the Bright Angel Trail?
mules
Who initiated the practice of putting tourists on mules at the Grand Canyon?
John Hance
What are burros?
wild donkeys
When did John Hance start advertising mule rides?
1887
What are mules the offspring of?
male donkeys and female horses
What are disjunct intervals?
intervals that far apart
What are conjunct intervals?
intervals that are close together
What type of interval is “C-D-E”?
a conjunct interval
How did Grofe create the sound of a braying burro?
by employing a disjunct drop of an M7 interval
What cadenzas are featured in “On the Trail”?
a violin and celesta cadenza
During most concertos, there is a section where the orchestra stops playing and a soloist performs a ________.
cadenza
What is a cadenza?
a passage without a steady beat where a soloist plays an often difficult solo
Who helped create the “On the Trail” violin cadenza?
Kurt Dieterle
Who was the soloist for “On the Trail” when the “Grand Canyon Suite” was recorded in April of 1932?
Kurt Dieterle
In “On the Trail”, before the orchestra plays the “hee-haw” at the beginning, what instrument plays?
the timpani, playing at fortissimo
After the initial bray of the burro in “On the Trail”, what does the harp play?
an upward arpeggio
What is a fermata?
a moment in a piece where players sustain the note and the time stops moving forward
What are double stops?
where 2 notes are played at once
How many sources of inspiration did the “Burro” motif have?
2
What were the sources of inspiration for the “Burro” motif?
Grofe’s infant son and the song “Horses”
When was “Horses” released?
1926
What motifs did Grofe’s infant son influence?
the “Burro” and “Cowboy Song”
How did Grofe’s infant son inspire the “Cowboy Song” motif?
he caused him to sing the song when trying to put him to sleep
What type of song is the “Cowboy Song” motif?
it is essentially a lullaby
After the violin cadenza, the orchestra in “On the Trail” plays in what form?
A-B-A-C-A rondo form
How does Grofe create the sounds of hooves in “On the Trail”?
he uses coconut shells muffed with leather
What can the coconut shells used in “On the Trail” be substituted with?
temple blocks
What piece made the celesta better known today?
“Hedwig’s Theme” from the Harry Potter films
What is it called when multiple meters occur in a piece at the same time?
polymeter
What radio show used “On the Trail” as its signature tune for 20 years?
the Philip Morris Radio Show
How long did the Philip Morris Radio Show use “On the Trail” as its signature tune?
20 years
What movement in “Grand Canyon Suite” uses programmatic thunderstorms?
“Cloudburst”
Musical representations of tempests can be found as early as the ____________ era.
Baroque
When was the Baroque era?
1600 to 1730
Who made the “The Four Seasons”?
Antonio Vivaldi
When did Vivaldi publish the “The Four Seasons”?
1725
What is another name for “The Four Seasons”?
“Le quattro stagioni”
What is the second part of “The Four Seasons” called?
“Summer”
When in “Summer” does a storm occur?
the 3rd movement
How many concertos did Vivaldi write with the title “La tempesta di mare”?
2
What does “La tempesta di mare” mean in English?
“The Storm at Sea”
Who made “Tempete”?
Marin Marais
“Tempete” is featured in what?
the 1706 opera “Alcione”
What are Baroque operaas?
theatrical works where the performers sing their dialogue
When was “Alcione” made?
1706
Who made “Hippolyte et Aricie”?
Jean-Phillipe Rameau
When was “Hippolyte et Aricie” made?
1733
What period superseded the Baroque style?
the Classic period
The Romantic era comprised most of which century?
the 19th century
What era excelled in stormy aural depictions?
the Romantic era
Beethoven was one of the first composers to succeed working in _________.
freelance
The majority of professional musicians in earlier eras were what?
employed
Joseph Hadyn spent most of his career working for whom?
the Esterhazys
Who were the Esterhazys?
a noble Hungarian family
3 Austrian noblemen banded together in 1809 to do what regarding Beethoven?
give him a stipend to stay in Vienna
What caused the aristocrats in Vienna to want to keep Beethoven?
his fruitful year in 1808
When did Beethoven first play his 5th and 6th symphonies for the public?
December 22, 1808
What is the name of Beethoven’s 6th Symphony?
“Pastoral”
What does “Pastoral” depict in its 4th movement?
a programmatic storm
The opening of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 characterized it as what?
“Fate knocking at the door”
What is the 1st movement of “Pastoral”?
Awakening of Cheerful Feelings on Arrival in the Countryside
What is the 2nd movement of “Pastoral”?
Scene by the Brook
What is the 3rd movement of “Pastoral”?
Merry Gathering of Country Folk
What is the 4th movement of “Pastoral”?
Thunderstorm
What is the 5th movement of “Pastoral”?
Shepard’s Song
In the 2nd movement of “Pastoral”, the sounds of what birds were imitated?
the nightingale, quail, and cuckoo
Why did Beethoven not want breaks in between movements of “Pastoral”?
to contrast the pauses that usually occur during the transition of movements, and to emphasize the sense of a storyline
What key is “Pastoral” overall?
F-major
What is the first thing played in “Thunderstorm”?
a sustained pianissimo D-flat in the low strings
What instruments perform tremolos in “Thunderstorm”?
the cellos and string basses
What are tremolos?
when players move the bow rapidly on the strings to create a trembling sensation
In “Thunderstorm”, when the orchestra gets to a fortissimo for the first time, what is played?
an F-minor chord, rather than the expected F-major chord
When does Beethoven bring in the timpani for the first time in “Thunderstorm”?
when the orchestra plays the first fortissimo F-minor chord
In “Thunderstorm”, the string basses play what on every beat?
a 4-note ostinato
In “Thunderstorm”, the cellos play what on every beat?
a 5-note ostinato
How does the timpani contribute to the sound of thunderclaps in “Thunderstorm”?
by playing sforzandos
What are sforzandos?
sharply accented, loud notes
What instruments are heard only in the “Thunderstorm” movement in “Pastoral”?
the timpani, trombone, and piccolo
What is the highest-pitched member of the woodwind family?
the piccolo
What is the first note the piccolo plays in “Thunderstorm”?
a high, sustained G-flat
What was the lowest low brass instrument at the time “Thunderstorm” was made?
the trombone
When was the tuba patented?
1835
What piece did Grofe study to help him with his “Cloudburst” movement?
“Thunderstorm” in “Pastoral”
When was Fantasia released?
1940
What movie by Walt Disney used Beethoven’s 6th Symphony?
Fantasia
What was Beethoven’s 6th Symphony used for in Fantasia?
to support a mythological sequence
Who was the conductor of the music for Fantasia?
Leopold Stokowski
What piece was the Fantasia animation initially going to use?
a piece by Pierne
Who suggested to use Beethoven’s 6th Symphony for Fantasia?
Dick Huemer, one of the story directors
Why was the scene using Beethoven’s 6th Symphony in Fantasia heavily criticized?
because critics felt listeners should rely on their imaginations to see and feel the programmatic thunderstorm
There would be no life on Earth without __________.
oxygen
Where does most of our oxygen come from?
plants and ocean organisms
What is photosynthesis?
a process where organisms absorb CO2 and water to create oxygen and glucose
Of what nationality is Toru Takemitsu?
he is Japanese
What did the Japanese do in WWII that caused Takemitsu to become angry?
they banned Western music
When the Japanese government banned Western music in WWII, what did Takemitsu do?
he secretly listened to a popular recording of a French song
How did Takemitsu feel about the ban on Western music?
he felt extreme bitterness
What did Takemitsu’s anger against the Japanese government regarding the ban on Western music cause him to do?
this caused him to reject Japanese ethnic music for a long time
How did Takemitsu know the music of many popular American musicians?
his colleagues brought music to him from America
What did Takemitsu establish in 1951?
an experimental workshop
When did Takemitsu establish his experimental workshop?
1951
When did Takemitsu start accepting Japanese music?
in the early 1960s
Who made Takemitsu realize the importance of his tradition and culture?
John Cage
What type of Japanese ethnic music was Takemitsu particularly interested in?
sawari
What is the goal of sawari?
to reproduce the sounds of nature
What does sawari often sound like to Western listeners?
noise
Takemitsu’s pursuit of sawari resulted in him creating what series?
the Waterscape cycle
How are all the titles of Takemitsu’s Waterscape cycle similar?
they all have some aquatic reference
How is water like a sound?
they both change form yet continue to exist in some way
How is the sea like music?
they both produce waves
The Waterscape series is linked by what motif?
the S-E-A motif
What are the 3 pitches in the S-E-A motif?
E flat-E-A
What term do Germans use when making a note flat?
sanft or s
How would Germans read E-flat?
Es, “ess”
When Oe visited Hawaii, what did he see that fascinated him?
samanea saman, or the rain tree
Oe wrote about the rain tree he saw in Hawaii in what short story?
Atama no ii, Ame no ki (An Intelligent Rain Tree)
What award did Ante no ki o kiku on’natachi receive?
the Yomiuri Literary Prize
Zen Buddhism and other Eastern philosophies believe in a concept of __________ within _____________.
unity, municipality
How many percussionists are used in “Rain Tree”?
3
“Rain Tree” can be classified as what type of chamber music?
a trio
What instrument can the 3 percussionists in “Rain Tree” be replaced by?
3 pianos
Takemitsu blends a mixture of ___________ and ___________ ideas in “Rain Tree”.
Western, Eastern
How many marimbas are used in “Rain Tree”?
2
How many vibraphones are used in “Rain Tree”?
1
What material are the keys of a marimba made of?
wood
What material are the keys of a vibraphone made of?
metal
What is the main difference between a marimba and a vibraphone?
vibraphones can produce vibrato
How do vibraphones produce vibrato?
by using a motor that can pulsate pitches
What other percussion instrument do the players in “Rain Tree” use?
crotales
What are crotales?
small disks of bras that produce an extremely resonant bell-like sound
What is another name for crotales?
antique cymbals
How do the rhythms in the first section of “Rain Tree” change?
they get busier
What instrument do the performers of “Rain Tree” have to switch between?
their assigned percussion instrument and the crotales
When did “Rain Tree” make its Japanese debut?
May 31, 1981
How tall are rain trees?
80 feet, but some can reach up to 160 feet
How wide are rain trees?
100 feet in diameter, but some can reach up to 195 feet
A raintree can span ______ the length of a football field.
2/3
What 2 insects in particular do rain trees rely on?
moths and bees
Who do plants rely on to transfer pollen between each other?
the wind and mostly pollinators
Scientists say bees use ________ to communicate.
dance
Who wrote “Flight of a Bumblebee”?
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
What nationality is Nikolai?
he is Russian
What did everyone think Nikolai would do for his career?
everyone thought he would embark on a naval career, like his older brother
Who was Nikolai’s older brother?
Voin
How old was Nikolai when he enrolled in Naval College?
12
What instrument did Nikolai first learn?
piano
While going to naval college, what did Nikolai do with it?
he took music lessons
Why did Voin try to put a stop to Nikolai’s music lessons?
because he was spending too much time on it
Why did Nikolai’s piano teacher keep teaching him after Voin took his piano away?
because he was too talented to stop
After Voin took Nikolai’s piano away, what did his teacher teach him?
music theory and composition
Who did Nikolai meet when he was 17 who changed his life?
Mily Balakirev
How old was Nikolai when he met Mily Balakirev?
17
What task did Mily Balakirev give Nikolai to do?
she told him to compose a symphony
Why did Nikolai start writing his first symphony immediately after Mily Balakirev told him to?
because had to sail on a 3-year naval tour
Mily Balakirev introduced Nikolai to other young Russian composers who were eventually known as what?
the Mighty Handful or The Five
Why was the Mighty Handful called this?
because of their impact on developing Russian classical music
What did Nikolai really want to compose instead of symphonies?
operas
When did Nikolai start creating his first opera?
1868
How long did Nikolai’s first opera take to complete?
3 years
Why did Nikolai’s first opera take so long to complete?
because he had a really busy naval schedule
How many operas did Nikolai write over his lifetime?
15
Soon after Nikolai premiered his first opera, what naval position did he get promoted to?
Inspector of Naval Bands
Why did Nikolai learn how to play trombone, flute, and clarinet?
for his position as the Inspector of Naval Bands
What instruments did Nikolai learn to play?
trombone, flute, and clarinet
Nikolai getting familiar with and learning wind instruments helped him do what?
employ various tone colors in works like “The Flight of the Bumblebee”
“The Bumblebee” was the musical support for what?
the transformation scene in a fairy-tale opera
In what opera was “The Bumblebee” used in?
“The Tale of Tsar Saltan”
When was “The Tale of Tsar Saltan” released?
1900
When in the opera was “The Bumblebee” used?
at the end of Act III
How does “The Bumblebee” open?
with a loud sforzando chord
After the initial sforzando chord, what instruments play a fast descending chromatic scale in “The Bumblebee”?
the flutes and first violins
What does the diminuendo in “The Bumblebee” emphasize?
that Prince Gvidon is shrinking in size
What are the violins told to play in “The Bumblebee”?
“con sordino”
What does con sordino mean?
with mute
What language is con sordino?
Italian
Why do the violins in “The Bumblebee” have to play with mutes?
so they don’t overpower the flutes
What is a mute?
a device that quiets the volume of an instrument
The rapidly rising and falling melody in “The Bumblebee” represents what?
the buzzing of a bee
What significance does the melody in “The Bumblebee” have in the opera?
it is a leitmotif for Prince Gvidon
What is a leitmotif?
a short melody that serves as a musical symbol
Operas of what century often used leitmotifs?
the 19th century
Who wrote the famous 2-note leitmotif for “Jaws”?
John Williams
How many notes is the famous leitmotif for “Jaws”?
2
When was “Jaws” released?
1975
What form is the B section of “The Bumblebee” in?
ternary form
Who composed “Labeille”?
Francois Schubert
What does “Labeille” mean?
The Bee
What type of piece is “Labeille”?
a character piece
What is a character piece?
where the composer tries to depict something without a programmatic storyline
What term is used to refer to the vocalizations of birds?
birdsong
Who wrote “Le chant des oiseaux”?
Clement Janequin
What birds were mimicked in “Le chant des oiseaux”?
the thrush, cuckoo, blackbird, and nightingale
What does “Le chant des oiseaux” mean?
the song of the birds
Who are scientists who study birds called?
ornithologist
When was one of the earliest attempts to notate birdsong?
1650
What is a challenging part of transcribing birdsong?
birds vocalize very quickly
How many tones per second can a skylark?
100 to 103 tps
Amy Beach had been showing her ability to replicate music since what age?
4
What gift did Beach have that made it easy for her to replicate music?
perfect pitch
What is another word for perfect pitch?
absolute pitch
What is perfect pitch?
the ability to identify pitches without any references
Why did Edward Sill meet Beach?
he wanted her to help him transcribe bird melodies since she also had perfect pitch
How old was Beach when she met Edward Sill?
10
When did Beach start spending summers in Peterborough, NH?
1921
On the first summer Beach went to Peterborough, what was she interrupted by?
“The most voluble thrush”
How did Beach describe the birdsong of the thrush she saw?
“Lonely but appealing music”
When did Beach start composing “Hermit Thrush at Eve”?
July 20, 1921
What was the companion piece to “Hermit Thrush at Eve”?
“Hermit Thrush at Morn”
When did Beach start composing “Hermit Thrush at Morn”?
July 22, 1921
Who was the first audience of Beach for “Hermit Thrush at Morn”?
the fellow artists at the MacDowell Colony
Which piece was more successful, “Hermit Thrush at Eve” or “Hermit Thrush at Morn”
“Hermit Thrush at Morn”
In the printed copies of “Hermit Thrush at Morn”, what is emphasized?
the novelty of her avian composer (the thrush)
“Hermit Thrush at Morn” is the exact birdsong of the thrush Beach heard except what?
it is an octave lower
“Hermit Thrush at Morn” contains a quote from which poem at the top?
“The Thrush’s Nest”
Who wrote “The Thrush’s Nest”?
John Clare
Who was John Clare?
an English poet
When was “The Thrush’s Nest” published?
1833
Why is the melody in “Hermit Thrush at Morn” so erratic and irregular?
because that is how the bird sang it
What is the accompaniment for the melody in “Hermit Thrush at Morn”?
waltz-like quarter note chords that coordinated with the birdsong
What is a waltz?
a triple-meter ballroom dance for couples
When did the waltz originate?
the 19th century
What is the tempo indication at the beginning of “Hermit Thrush at Morn”?
Quasi valse lento
What does Quasi valse lento mean?
Like a slow waltz
What does poco agitato mean?
a little more agitated
When Beach creates a C-section in “Hermit Thrush at Morn”, what form is created?
rondo form (A-B-A-C-A)
What is the overall harmony of “Hermit Thrush at Morn”?
D-minor
What chord does the harmony in “Hermit Thrush at Morn” play for the last 6 measures?
a D-minor chord
What is the last note in “Hermit Thrush at Morn”?
C
What tempo is marked for the B-section of “Hermit Thrush at Morn”?
poco agitato
What occurs in the C-section of “Hermit Thrush at Morn”?
A and B material played simultaneously
