Midterm Multiple Choice Flashcards
Why is Beethoven’s Ode to Joy easy to sing?
a. ) it has a wide range
b. ) it is conjunct
c. ) it has phrases with unequal lengths
d. ) it has no cadences
b.) it is conjunct
A unit of meaning within a larger structure of a melody is called
a. ) a phrase
b. ) a stanza
c. ) a cadence
d. ) a climax
a.) a phrase
The element of music that organizes movement in time is
a. ) rhythm
b. ) melody
c. ) harmony
d. ) form
a.) rhythm
Organizing patterns of of rhythmic pulses are called
a. ) offbeats
b. ) meters
c. ) syncopations
d. ) polyrhythms
b.) meters
The first accented beat of a measure is called
a. ) a syncopated beat
b. ) a simple beat
c. ) an upbeat
d. ) a downbeat
d.) a downbeat
How many notes in a scale does and octave span
a. ) five
b. ) six
c. ) eight
d. ) ten
c.) eight
The smallest interval in our Western musical system is called
a. ) a half step
b. ) a whole step
c. ) an octave
d. ) a third
a.) a half step
A texture featuring a single, unaccompanied line is called
a. ) monophony
b. ) homophony
c. ) polyphony
d. ) counterpoint
a.) monophony
When two or more independent melodic lines are combined, the resulting texture is called
a. ) polyphony
b. ) monophony
c. ) homophony
d. ) heterophony
a.) polyphony
A texture in which a single voice takes over the melodic interest while the accompanying voices are subordinate is called
a. ) homophony
b. ) counterpoint
c. ) polyphony
d. ) monophony
a.) homophony
The technique through which performers create music on the spot is known as
a. ) ostinato
b. ) improvisation
c. ) inversion
d. ) canon
b.) improvisation
the rate of speed at which a piece of music is played is
a. ) meter
b. ) tempo
c. ) movement
d. ) mood
b.) tempo
Music that is despairing and sad usually has a ______ tempo
a. ) fast
b. ) moderate
c. ) slow
d. ) vigorous
c.) slow
The degree of loudness or softness, or volume, at which music is played is called
a. ) texture
b. ) tempo
c. ) timbre
d. ) dynamics
d.) dynamics
Which of the following dynamic markings is the softest
a. ) pianissimo (pp)
b. ) piano (p)
c. ) mezzo piano (mp)
d. ) mezzo forte (mf)
a.) pianissimo (pp)
The term timbre refers to
a. ) the length of the tone
b. ) the pitch of a tone
c. ) the color of a tone
d. ) the falling of a tree
c.) the color of a tone
The standard ranges of the human voice from highest to lowest are
a. ) soprano, alto, tenor, bass
b. ) bass, tenor, soprano, alto
c. ) tenor, soprano, alto, bass
d. ) soprano, tenor, alto, bass
a.) soprano, alto, tenor, bass
Drum-type instruments fall into the category of
a. ) aerophones
b. ) chordophones
c. ) idiophones
d. ) membranophones
d.) membranophones
The instruments of the Western orchestra are categorized in four groups: strings, brass, percussion, and
a. ) flutes
b. ) chordophones
c. ) woodwinds
d. ) idiophones
c.) woodwinds
Which is the correct order of bowed string instruments from highest to lowest in range
a. ) violin, viola, cello, double bass
b. ) violin, cello, viola, double bass
c. ) viola, violin, cello, double bass
d. ) double bass, cello, viola, violin
a.) violin, viola, cello, double bass
The special effect produced on a string instrument by plucking the string with the finger is called
a. ) vibrato
b. ) glissando
c. ) pizzicato
d. ) tremolo
c.) pizzicato
The device placed on the bridge of string instruments to muffle the sound is called
a. ) a reed
b. ) a double reed
c. ) a bow
d. ) a mute
d.) a mute
Which of the following instruments is NOT a member of the bowed string family
a. ) the guitar
b. ) the violoncello
c. ) the viola
d. ) the violin
a.) the guitar
The highest sounding member of the woodwind family is
a. ) the flute
b. ) the oboe
c. ) the clarinet
d. ) the piccolo
d.) the piccolo
Which of the following is a double-reed instrument
a. ) the flute
b. ) the oboe
c. ) the clarinet
d. ) the saxophone
b.) the oboe
Which of the following is NOT a member of the brass family
a. ) trumpet
b. ) french horn
c. ) english horn
d. ) tuba
c.) english horn
Timpani are members of the ______ family of instruments
a. ) string
b. ) bass
c. ) percussion
d. ) woodwind
c.) percussion
The piano got its name, originally (pianoforte) from
a. ) the name of its inventor
b. ) the fact that it could not sustain tones
c. ) its wide dynamic range
d. ) the way it was played late at night
c.) its wide dynamic range
A fairly large body of singers who perform together is called
a. ) an orchestra
b. ) a chamber ensemble
c. ) a chorus
d. ) a band
c.) a chorus
The term a cappella refers to choral music perform together is called
a. ) with organ accompaniment
b. ) with orchestral accompaniment
c. ) with piano accompaniment
d. ) without any accompaniment
d.) without any accompaniment
What distinguishes chamber music from orchestral music
a. ) the form of the movements
b. ) the number of players on each part
c. ) the room in which the music is being performed
d. ) the number of movements in a work
b.) the number of players on each part
Which instruments are traditionally seated in the front of the orchestra
a. ) strings
b. ) woodwinds
c. ) brass
d. ) percussion
a.) strings
The term band refers to
a. ) a rock group
b. ) a jazz group
c. ) a marching ensemble
d. ) all of the above
d.) all of the above
A jazz band in normally made up of
a. ) woodwind instruments
b. ) brass instruments
c. ) percussion instruments
d. ) all of the above
d.) all of the above
Which of the following is the proper chronological order of musical periods
a. ) Renaissance, medieval, classical, baroque, romantic, twentieth century
b. ) medieval, baroque, renaissance, romantic, classical, twentieth century
c. ) medieval, renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic, twentieth century
d. ) medieval, renaissance, baroque, romantic, classical, twentieth century
c.) medieval, renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic, twentieth century
Which of the following does NOT characterize Gregorian chant
a. ) monophonic texture
b. ) triadic harmonies
c. ) free verse
d. ) generally conjunct motion
b.) triadic harmonies
A setting of Gregorian chant with one note per syllable is called
a. ) syllabic
b. ) neumatic
c. ) melismatic
d. ) modal
a.) syllabic
A setting of Gregorian chant with two to four notes per syllable might be considered
a. ) syllabic
b. ) neumatic
c. ) melismatic
d. ) modal
b.) neumatic
The service in the Roman Catholic Church that symbolically reenacts the sacrifice of Christ
a. ) vespers
b. ) matins
c. ) the mass
d. ) modal
c.) the mass
What is the primary language of the Mass
a. ) hebrew
b. ) greek
c. ) italian
d. ) latin
d.) latin
In addition to composing music, Hildegard of Bingen is known for
a. ) visions that foretold the future
b. ) founding her own convent
c. ) writing religious poetry
d. ) all of the above
d.) all of the above
The Notre Dame style of polyphony, in which the tenor line was based on a preexisting chant melody and the upper voice moved freely (and more rapidly) was called
a. ) organum
b. ) plainsong
c. ) liturgical drama
d. ) chanson
a.) organum
The outstanding composer-poet of the Ars nova was
a. ) machaut
b. ) boccaccio
c. ) chaucer
d. ) petrarch
a.) machaut
What is the form of a rondeau
a. ) A-B-B
b. ) A-b-b-a-A
c. ) A-A-B
d. ) A-B-a-A-a-b-A-B
d.) A-B-a-A-a-b-A-B
Medieval instruments can be classified as bas or haut, meaning
a. ) high or low
b. ) string or wind
c. ) soft or loud
d. ) folk or aristocratic
c.) soft or loud
What is a cantus firmus?
a. ) an ordinary chant sung daily
b. ) a chanson with religious overtones
c. ) the top line of a motet
d. ) a fragment of gregorian chant or a secular tune as the foundation of a polyphonic mass
d.) a fragment of gregorian chant or a secular tune as the foundation of a polyphonic mass
A drama that is sung is called
a. ) a madrigal
b. ) an opera
c. ) a cantata
d. ) a motet
b.) an opera
The vocal style in opera that imitates the natural inflections of speech is called
a. ) recitative
b. ) aria
c. ) chorus
d. ) madrigal
a.) recitative
A highly emotional song in an opera is called
a. ) an aria
a. ) a chorus
a. ) an ensemble
a. ) a recitative
a.) an aria
The orchestral introduction heard at the beginning of an opera is called
a. ) an overture
b. ) a ritornello
c. ) an ensemble
d. ) a recitative
a.) an overture
The text of an opera is called
a. ) the lyrics
b. ) the libretto
c. ) the script
d. ) the play
b.) the libretto
The greatest native-born English composer of the Baroque was
a. ) george frideric handel
b. ) thomas morley
c. ) henry purcell
d. ) oliver cromwell
c.) henry purcell
George Frideric Handel was considered a master of
a. ) the oratorio
b. ) the symphony
c. ) the cantata
d. ) the chorale
a.) the oratorio
The first era of Western music history in which instrumental music was as important as vocal music was in the
a. ) middle ages
b. ) renaissance
c. ) baroque
d. ) classical
c.) baroque
The concept of the suite was applied to
a. ) solo instrumental music
b. ) keyboard music
c. ) orchestral music
d. ) all of the above
d.) all of the above
The typical solo concerto has ______ movements
a. ) two
b. ) three
c. ) four
d. ) six
b.) three
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
a.) the four seasons
A keyboard instrument in which the strings are plucked by quills is
a. ) the organ
b. ) the piano
c. ) the harpsichord
d. ) the clavichord
c.) the harpsichord
What is a toccata
a. ) variations 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
b.) an improvisatory, virtuosic keyboard work
The ______ is a keyboard form based on the principle of voices imitating each other
a. ) fugue
b. ) prelude
c. ) suite
d. ) toccata
a.) fugue
Opera buffa is comic opera from
a. ) italy
b. ) france
c. ) germany
d. ) england
a.) italy
A theme may be fragmented by dividing it into smaller units called
a. ) motives
b. ) codas
c. ) sequences
d. ) modulations
a.) motives
Which of the following best describes absolute music
a. ) music without a story or text
b. ) music without form
c. ) all instrumental music
d. ) the finest music from the past
a.) music without a story or text
We can best regard sonata-allegro form as a drama between
a. ) two groups of instruments
b. ) two key areas
c. ) two forms
d. ) two dynamic levels
b.) two key areas
The three main sections of sonata-allegro form are the exposition, the development, and
a. ) the bridge
b. ) the recapitulation
c. ) the coda
d. ) the trio
b.) the recapitulation
In sonata-allegro form, the section that features the most tension and drama through modulation and motivic interplay is called
a. ) the exposition
b. ) the development
c. ) the recapitulation
d. ) the coda
b.) the development
The final section of a sonata-allegro movement, which rounds it off with a vigorous closing cadence, is
a. ) the exposition
b. ) the development
c. ) the recapitulation
d. ) the coda
c.) the recapitulation
The overall form of a minuet and trio is best described as
a. ) A-B
b. ) A-B-A
c. ) A-B-A-C-A-B-A
d. ) A-B-C-D-E-F-A
b.) A-B-A
In the Classical multimovement cycle, which movement is most commonly in a contrasting key from the other three
a. ) first
b. ) second
c. ) third
d. ) fourth
b.) second
A musical setting of the Mass for the Dead is called
a. ) an oratorio
b. ) an opera
c. ) a requiem
d. ) a cantata
c.) a requiem
Mozart opera librettist for Don Giovanni was
a. ) count almaviva
b. ) lorenzo da ponte
c. ) pierre-augustin caron de beaumarchais
d. ) pietro metastasio
b.) lorenzo da ponte
The tone of the Catalog aria, Don Giovanni, is
a. ) tragic
b. ) sentimental
c. ) romantic
d. ) comic
d.) comic
Which of the following composers is not a member of the Viennese School
a. ) mozart
b. ) haydn
c. ) beethoven
d. ) liszt
d.) liszt
Beethoven gave his Piano Sonata in C-sharp minor, Op. 27, No. 2, the designation
a. ) moonlight
b. ) quasi una fantasia
c. ) adagio cantabile
d. ) con amabilita
b.) quasi una fantasia
