Music: Composers & Compositions Flashcards
If you can't Handel Liszts, this isn't for you.
Antonio Vivaldi
(Appears 17 times and in four “Who Am I?” questions)
1678 - 1741
Baroque
The Four Seasons (/ “The Seasons?”)
Known as “The Red Priest”
Who am I? I was born in 1676 in Venice. I was trained for the priesthood and was
ordained in 1703. I honed my musical skills in a girls’ music school and spent most ofmy
time writing music and traveling. My many .compositions include operas, more than four hundred concerti, and many other works for various instrumental combinations. Perhaps my most famous composition is The Four Seasons.
I was born in Venice in 1678. My father, who was a barber before becoming a musician, taught me to play the violin. Due to my poor health, I withdrew from my priestly duties to compose and perform music. Among my best-known compositions heard today is my series of violin concerti known as The Four Seasons.
Who am I? I was born in Venice, Italy in 1678. I am remembered as a virtuoso violinist, composer, and priest. I composed numerous concerti, sacred choral works, and operas. Perhaps my most famous work is The Four Seasons.
Who am I? I was born on March 4, 1678 in Venice, Italy. I was taught to play the violin by my
father. My most popular composition is a set of concertos for the violin entitled The Four
Seasons. Today I am one of the most celebrated composers of the Baroque Era.
Musical Selections: “Spring” from The Four Seasons
Identify the title, larger work, and composer.
Spring from the Four Seasons by Antonio Vivaldi
Johann Sebastian Bach
Baroque
1685 - 1750
Brandenburg Concertos (No. 1, 2, 5) wdate
The Well-Tempered Clavier
The Passion (inspired by the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John) (eg. “St. Matthew Passion)
The Coffee Cantata (1735)
Most closely associated with cantatas
His widow is Anna Magdalena
Associated somehow with Prince Leopold
I was born in Eisenach, the capital of the duchy of Saxe-Eisenachin in 1685 and
became an organist and composer. My career culminated in my appointment as Thomaskantor,
Cantor of the Thomasschule at the Thomaskirche (St. Thomas Church) in Leipzig, which
provided music for four churches in the city. I am remembered as a prolific composer of
hundreds of cantatas, numerous works for chamber and orchestral groups, keyboard music, and
much more. My works include my Christmas Oratorio, St. Matthew Passion, and Brandenburg
Concerti.
“Little Fugue in G Minor”, “Air on a G String, Brandenburg Concerto No2, “Toccata and Fugue in D-Minor”
Identify the composer
(Toccata and Fugue in D-Minor by) Johann Sebastian Bach
Identify the title and composer.
Air on the G-String by Johann Sebastian Bach
Identify the composer
(Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 by) Johann Sebastian Bach
Georg Philipp Telemann
Baroque
1681 - 1767
No works to identify. His only questions are about being part of the Baroque movement.
Georg Frederic Handel
1685 - 1759
Baroque
German-born (halle)
Music for the Royal Fireworks
March of the Grenadiers
The Water Music(?) Suite
Known for his oratorios
Messiah, an oratorio, first performed on the Thames in 1717, based upon various books of the Bible and includes the “Hallelujah Chorus”
Became a British subject in 1727
I was born in 1685 in Halle and spent much of my professional life in England. I
composed operas, oratorios, concerti, and many other works. Some of them played most
frequently today are Water Music, Music for the Royal Fireworks, and Messiah.
Identify: “Hornpipe” from Water Music Suite in F-Major; March of the Grenadiers, Water Music
Franz Joseph Haydn
Classical
1732 - 1809, born in Austria
Surprise Symphony (Symphony No. 94)
The “Clock” Symphony (No. 101)
The “Military” Symphony
The “Farewell Symphony”: the nickname for Haydn’s Symphony No. 45, designed so that one player after the other blew out his candle and left the stage as a reminder to the patron that the orchestra needed a vacation.
Completed 104 symphonies+++
Closely associated with symphonies
I wrote numerous string quartets and more than 100
symphonies, some of which have nicknames such as the “Military,” “Clock,” and, “Surprise.”
I was born in Austria in 1732 to a wheelwright. For .a while I lived in great poverty, but managed to teach myself music. My musical composition career received a great boost when I was hired by Prince Esterhazy. I met Mozart in the 8Os and we held one another in high esteem. Later Beethoven studied with me. I am remembered primarily for my numerous string quartets and more than one hundred symphonies.
At the age of six, I was sent away from home to study music and soon learned to
play the harpsichord and violin. However, it was my singing that impressed the music director at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna and I served nine years there in the choir. Eventually, I learned to conduct and compose music. My compositions include numerous piano works, string quartets, and more than 100 symphonies. Perhaps my most popular work heard today is the
Surprise Symphony.
was a friend of Mozart and a teacher of Beethoven. I wrote more than 100
symphonies, numerous string quartets, and other compositions. Perhaps my most performed works today are my Surprise and Clock Symphonies.
Surprise Symphony (Symphony No. 94)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
1756 - 1791
Classical, Austrian
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
Cosi Fan Tutte (opera)
The Marriage of Figaro
Don Giovanni
Lacrimosa from Requiem in D-Minor
Allegretto from Trio in E-Flat Major (Or “Kegelstatt Trio”)
Symphony 36, Linz
Symphony 40 (1788)
Jupiter Symphony
The Magic Flute (opera)
Most closely associated with opera, first opera produced in 1768
Completed 41 symphonies
Allegedly poisoned by Salieri due to his jealousy
Had a demanding father
Symphony 40 First Movement +, “Requiem” Mass in D minor K 626 (Lacrimosa), Eine Kleine Nachtmusik 4th movement, “Allegretto” (third movement) from Trio in E-flat Major K.498 “Kegelstatt”;
Identify the title and composer of the selection.
The Marriage of Figaro by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Identify the title and composer of the selection.
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (Movement 1: Allegro) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Identify the symphony title and composer.
Symphony 40 (in G-Minor, First Movement) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Identify the title, larger work, and composer.
“Lacrimosa” from Requiem in D-Minor (also accepted: “Requiem” or the “Requiem Mass”) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Ludwig van Beethoven
1770 - 1827
Era: Bridged the gap between Classical and Romantic
Nationality: German
Main Contributions:
Transformed and expanded the scope of almost every musical genre he touched, most notably the symphony, sonata, and quartet.
His music is characterized by its emotional depth, formal innovation, and complex use of motifs.
Key Works:
Symphonies: Eroica (No. 3), Symphony No. 5, Pastoral Symphony (No. 6), Choral Symphony (No. 9).
Piano: Für Elise, Moonlight Sonata, Piano Concerto No. 5 “The Emperor”.
Opera: Fidelio.
Additional Notes:
Beethoven became increasingly deaf over the course of his life, a struggle that profoundly influenced his music, especially evident in his later works.
He dedicated Symphony No. 3 to Napoleon Bonaparte, only to change the dedication upon Napoleon declaring himself emperor, thereafter referring to it as “Eroica”.
Despite his deafness, he continued to compose, conduct, and perform, even premiering his Ninth Symphony without being able to hear it.
His influence is so pervasive that he’s even referenced in popular culture, such as in the song “Roll Over Beethoven” by Chuck Berry.
Bridged the gap: Classical / Romantic
Second Symphony (associated with WW2 and the Big Apple Band?)
Fur Elise
Eroica Symphony
Symphony No 9 (1824)
Fidelio
Moonlight Sonata
Piano Concerto No.5 “The Emperor” (1809)
Symphony Pastorale / Pastoral Symphony
Choral Symphony
Deaf?
First works published in 1783
In 1804 Beethoven
composed a work and dedicated it to a famous military leader. He later changed the
dedication when this leader declared himself emperor. (Symphony No 3, Napoleon, now referred to as ‘Eroica’)
Symphony No 9 in C Minor (The Choral Symphony)
Completed 9 symphonies
In the song “Roll Over Beethoven”, Chuck Berry says “Roll over Beethoven
Tell Tchaikovsky the news”
I was born in Bonn in 1770 and spent much of my musical career as a pianist and
composer in Vienna. Among my works frequently performed today are my numerous piano
sonatas and nine symphonies. Although I did not hear my final symphony, I gleaned from the
audience’s reaction that it was a huge success.
Fifth Symphony; Fourth movement from symphony no 9; Moonlight Sonata; Trio in D Major No. 1 Opus 70
Identify the title and composer.
Symphony No. 5 (in C-Minor) by Ludwig van Beethoven
Identify the title and composer.
Fur Elise by Ludwig van Beethoven
Gioachino Rossini
1792 - 1868
Romantic
The Barber of Seville (1813) depicts a thunderstorm (opera): Count Almaviva was helped by the character Figaro in this opera; Dr. Bartolo was Rosina’s guardian in this comic opera
known for operas
William Tell (1829) Overture tells the story of the Swiss folk hero and marksman
William Tell Overture; Overture from The Barber of Seville
Identify the title and the composer of this musical selection.
William Tell Overture (1829) by Gioachino Rossini
Identify the title of the work and its composer.
The Barber of Seville Overture by Gioachino Rossini
(This is the second part of two.)
Identify the title of the work and its composer.
Barber of Seville Overture by Gioachino Rossini
(This is the first part of two.)
Franz Schubert
- Time Period: 1797 - 1828
- Era: Romantic
- Nationality: Austrian
-
Main Contributions:
* A key figure in the early Romantic era, renowned for his Lieder (over 600 songs, sets poetry to music).
* Made significant contributions to chamber music and symphonies.
* Wrote hundreds of compositions, both secular and sacred. -
Key Works:
- Symphony No. 8 in B Minor, “The Unfinished Symphony” (did not complete beyond two movements).
- Trout Quintet (chamber music).
Additional Notes:
- Born and lived in Vienna, producing a vast array of compositions despite his short life.
- Died tragically young at the age of 31
(A Lied, or plural Lieder is German poetry set to music.)
Identify the audio: Unfinished Symphony (Symphony No. 8)
Franz Liszt
- Era: Romantic
- Nationality: Hungarian
-
Main Contributions
- Pioneered the concept of the symphonic poem.
- Composed notable concertos and a vast array of piano pieces.
-
Key Works:
- Hungarian Rhapsody
- Les Préludes (Symphonic Poem)
-
Additional Notes:
- His works and performance style contributed significantly to the evolution of piano music in the 19th century.
Identify: Hungarian Rhapsody (no2?)
Felix Mendelssohn
1809 - 1847
Romantic
Hebrides Overture
Violin Concerto (1844)
Wedding March from A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1842 production)
Symphony #4 in A Major: The “Italian Symphony”
Symphony #1 (1824)
Who am I? I was born in Hamburg in 1809 and made my debut as a pianist in Berlin in 1818. Seven years later the success of my A Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture established me as a major composer. I later established myself as a conductor and traveled as far as the British Isles where I was inspired to compose my Scottish Symphony and Hebrides Overture.
Who am I? I was born in Hamburg in 1809. My father was a Jewish banker, but I later conve1ted to Christianity. At age nine, I made my debut as a pianist and I also studied the
violin. One of my early compositions, the Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture, established me as major composer in the view of many. As my career evolved, I became a successful conductor and am credited with rediscovering the music of J.S. Bach.
composer and conductor who revived interest in J. S. Bach’s music in the 19th century
Audio: Violin Concerto
Identify the title, the name of the production, and the composer.
Wedding March from A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Felix Mendelssohn
Frédéric Chopin
1810 - 1849
Romantic
Known for his etudes
Who am I? I was born in Poland in 1810 and became a composer and pianist. I am remembered primarily for my works for solo piano, which include preludes, etudes, and
sonatas.
Lived in Paris, was in a relationship with George Sand (female), studied at Warsaw Conservatory of Music
The pop song “I’m Always Chasing Rainbows” is based on Chopin’s Fantasie Impromptu (in C-sharp minor, opus 66
and “Till the End of Time” is based on Polonaise in A-flat Major, (opus 53) (weird 2002 question)
Richard Wagner
1813 - 1883
Romantic
Four “Ring Cycle” operas (“Der Ring des Nibelungen”
Ring Cycle: Das Rheingold
The stereotypical horned helmet was created by a costume designer for the first staging of Der Ring des Nibelungen.
Lohengrin
Die Meistersinger (1867)
Leitmotif: the term for a recurring theme in a musical work, especially by Richard Wagner
Famous for his operas
Wrote the opera Tannhauser (and “Overture to Tannhauser)
Rhine Journey from Götterdammerung
Tristan and Isolde (1865)
Die Meistersinger (1867)
Siegfried
Designed his own opera house called the Festspielhaus because he considered all others unsuitable to stage his Ring Cycle
The Flying Dutchman is the 17th century ghost ship immortalized by Richard Wagner
Audio: Ride of the Valkries
Identify the title of the work and the composer.
“Ride of the Valkyries” by Richard Wagner
Giuseppe Verdi
1813 - 1901 Romantic
Otello
La Traviata
Rigoletto (a “masterwork”)
Aida (comissioned for the opening of the Suez Canal)
known for his operas
Name translates as “Joe Green” from Italian
Identify the title and composer.
Requiem II by Giuseppe Verdi
Identify the larger work and composer.
“Triumphal March” from Aida by Giuseppe Verdi
Johannes Brahms
1833 - 1897
Romantic
A German Requiem
Violin Concerto (careful: there’s also one by Mendelssohn)
The Academic Festival Overture
Who am I? I was born in Hamburg in 1833. My father was a musician and introduced me to a number of fine piano and composition teachers. Perhaps my greatest mentor was Robert Schumann. I became a renowned pianist, composer, and conductor. I am remembered for writing the Academic Festival Overture, four symphonies, numerous solo and chamber compositions, and the Tragic Overture. My Lullaby is arguably the most recognized cradle song around the world.
Hemiola: Rhythmic device, frequently used by Brahms, that refers to note values in a ratio of 3/2. An example is three consecutive half notes evenly distributed over two bars of three-four time.
Contemporaries with Wagner
Who am I? I was born in Hamburg in 1833 and spent much of my musical career as a pianist and composer in Vienna. I had great reverence for Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven. Among my works frequently performed today are my four symphonies, two piano concerti and violin concerto.
Audio: Violin Concerto in D-Major, opus 77; Lullaby (1868);
Antonin Dvořák
1841 - 1904
Born in Bohemia
Romantic
Symphony No. 9: The “New World Symphony” (1893)
Edvard Grieg
1843 - 1907
Romantic
Norway
Peer Gynt Suite (No. 1, No. 2)
In the Hall of the Mountain King
Death of Ase
Peer Gynt is the title character who is trying to escape the mountain king and his trolls in the musical selection.
Audio: In the Hall of the Mountain King
Identify the larger work and composer.
Peer Gynt Suite (No. 1) by Edvard Grieg
(This portion is called “Morning Mood.”)
Identify the title, larger work, and composer.
“In the Hall of the Mountain King” from the Peer Gynt Suite (No. 1) by Edvard Grieg
Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
1840 - 1893
Romantic
Swan Lake (1895 ballet premiered in St. Petersburg, Russia)
The Nutcracker
Tchaikovsky uses a celesta, a percussion instrument that is essentially a glockenspiel with a keyboard in Swan Lake’s Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.
mechanism.
Sleeping Beauty Waltz from Sleeping Beauty
The 1812 Overture
Cappricio Italien
Symphony Pathetique
Wrote six numbered symphonies
Known for his ballets
Waltz of the Flowers
Who am I? I was born in Votkinsk in Russia in 1840. I was groomed for a career in the civil service, but followed my passion for music by studying at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. Some of my most performed works today are my symphonies; my ballets The Nutcracker and Sleeping
Beauty; and the 1812 Overture.
Audio: 1812 Overture, Symphony No. 6: “Pathetique”, Serenade for Strings
Identify the title and composer.
Waltz of the Flowers by Piotr Tchaikovsky
Identify the title and composition.
Swan Lake Theme by Piotr Tchaikovsky
Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov
1844 - 1908
Romantic
Flight of the Bumblebee from The Tale of Tsar Saltan
Scheherazade, named after its title character
Who am I? I was born in Russia in 1844. I entered the Naval College in St. Petersburg at the age of 12 and studied piano as a hobby. After a short career in the Navy, I continued to teach myself about music and showed particular aptitude for music composition and orchestration. Some ofmy most famous works include Capriccio Espanol, the Russian Easter Festival Overture, and Scheherazade.
Claude Debussy
1862 - 1918
French
Impressionist
Clair de Lune
La Mer (1905)
Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun
Nocturnes (1899)
Who am I? I was born in France in 1862 and devoted my energies to playing the piano and composing from an early age. I struggled financially for a time and even taught a piano lesson on the morning of my wedding to raise funds to pay for the reception. My compositional style eventually gained acceptance and by the time of my death I was
considered one of the foremost Impressionist composers. Perhaps my best known orchestral works are Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, Nocturnes, and La Mer.
Audio: La Mer;
Gustav Holst
1874 - 1934
born in England
Late Romantic / Modern
The Planets
Audio: Mars
Identify the composer and larger work.
(Jupiter, Bringer of Jollity from) The Planets by Gustav Holst
Maurice Ravel
1875 - 1937
French
Impressionist / Modern
The one movement orchestral work Bolero (1928)
Rhapsodie espagnole
Audio: Rhapsodie espagnole;
Sergei Rachmaninoff
1873 - 1943
Romantic / Modern
No works or audio
Igor Stravinsky
1882 - 1971
Russia
Modern
The Rite of Spring (1913)
Petrushka
The Firebird Suite (1910)
Known for his ballets
development of jazz styles by Americans coincided with the development of other new styles in the works of Stravinsky and Schoenberg
I was born in Russia in 1882 and studied music composition with Rimsky-Korsakov. My early works were greatly influenced by the music of Debussy and Ravel. For a while, I lived in Paris, and eventually settled in Los Angeles. I became a US citizen in 1945. Some of my most famous compositions are ballets, including The Firebird, Petrushka, and The Rite of Spring.
The premier performance of The Rite of Spring, a ballet by Igor Stravinsky on Thursday, May 29, 1913, at the Champs-Élysées in Paris, was scandalous, with audience members booing and leaving the theater. While ahead of its time, the score is now considered one of the master pieces of the twentieth century.
Audio: The Rite of Spring; The Firebird Suite
Arnold Schoenberg
Schönberg
1874 - 1951
Modern
development of jazz styles by Americans coincided with the development of other new styles in the works of Stravinsky and Schoenberg
Henry Cowell was not a follower of Schoenberg, Anton Webern and Alban Berg were. (Weird 2005 question, those other names only appear once
escaped the Nazis in 1933 and moved to the US.
composer credited with inventing the 12-tone system of musical composition
wrote an opera
No works or audio
George Gershwin
1898 - 1937
Modern
American
Rhapsody in Blue (1923)
An American in Paris
Porgy and Bess (opera), teamed up with his brother who was the lyricist
Audio: An American in Paris; Rhapsody in Blue
Aaron Copland
1900 - 1990
Modern
Rodeo
Appalachian Spring (1944)
Fanfare for the Common Man
Quiet City
Billy the Kid
I was born in Brooklyn in 1900 and led an active life as a lecturer, pianist, conductor, and composer. Some of my best known compositions are Quiet City, Appalachian Spring, and Fanfare for the Common ivfan.
Fanfare for the Common Man, Rodeo
Henry Purcell
Born in England, worked in London
Baroque Composer
Domenico Scarlatti
Italian composer 1686 - 1757
Hector Berlioz
Romantic composer
French
Symphony Fantastique
March to the Gallows
March to the Gallows in Symphony Fantastique
Stephen Collins Foster
Old Folks at Home (Swanee River) (1851), state song of Florida
I Dream of Jeanie
My Old Kentucky Home
Oh Susanna
Beautiful Dreamer (?)
Camptown Races
When I wasn’t dreaming Jeanie, I was thinking of Susanna, Nelly Bly, and the old folks at home. Born in Pennsylvania, I wrote the state song of Kentucky.
I dream of Jeanie with the light brown hair,
While on the Swanee River, way down there.
I have roamed from my Old Kentucky Home
To make my beautiful dreamer my own.
Giacomo Puccini
1958
Born in Luca, Italy
Studied at Milan Conservatory
Madama Butterfly
La Boheme (Rent is loosely based on this opera)
Tosca
Known for operas, started trend towards realism in opera.
Friends with opera singer Enrico Caruso
Audio: Un bel di vedremo, a solo aria from Madama Butterfly
Francis Scott Key
The Star Spangled Banner
Written during 1814 bombardment of Fort McHenry, US military installation
Modest Mussorgsky
Romantic
Night on Bald Mountain
Pictures at an Exhibition
Russian Romantic composer of the opera Boris Godunov and member of”The Five”
Camille Saint-Saëns
Sæns
French
The Carnival of the Animals: Fossils, The Swan, The Elephant
Danse Macabre
Audio: “The Swan”, and “Fossils” from Carnival of the Animals; Danse Macabre; Symphony No 3
Identify the title, larger work, and composer.
“The Swan” from Carnival of the Animals by Camille Saint-Saens
Pete Seeger
If I Had a Hammer
If I Had a Hammer by Pete Seeger was adopted as a freedom song by the Civil Rights movement of the 1950 and 1960s.
Audio: If I Had a Hammer
Ferde Grofé
American
“Cloudburst” and “On the Trail” from the “Grand Canyon Suite” (1931)
Audio: Grand Canyon Suite (“On the Trail” and “Cloudburst”)
John Phillip Sousa
Stars and Stripes Forever
Liberty Bell March
Washington Post March
Audio: “Stars and Stripes Forever”; “Liberty Bell March”; “Washington Post March”
Benjamin Britten
British
The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra
Peter Grimes
Paul Dukas
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
In Disney’s Fantasia, Mickey Mouse experienced a magic malfunction. Identify the composer of the musical selection played associated with this story.
Audio: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice
Identify the title and composer.
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice by Paul Dukas
(Excerpt 1 of 2)
Identify the title and composer.
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice by Paul Dukas
(Excerpt 2 of 2.)
Sergi Prokofiev
Peter and the Wolf
The wolf, wicked animal represented by a French horn in a musical composition by Sergei Prokofiev was
caught by a six-year old boy.
Audio: The Love for Three Oranges; Peter’s Theme from Peter and the Wolf
Robert Moog
mid 20th-centuty: American inventor who improved on the musical synthesizer and was the first to use a piano keyboard as a controller.
Shortly after the transistor was invented, I was able to develop a music synthesizer
I was born in New York City in 1934. My father was an electronic engineer and my mother was a piano teacher. When I was 14, I began to build and sell Theremins, enabling me to eventually pay for much of my college education. My most famous creation was an analog music synthesizer which gained world-wide recognition in 1968 with the release of the album “Switched-On Bach.” I died in
Asheville, North Carolina in 2005.
Palestrina
Renaissance composer died in 1594
Arcangelo Corelli
nationality needed (did not work in London)
Robert Schumann
Album for the Young (1848)
I completed my final composition The Ghost Variations in 1854, two years before my death. My wife was Clara and my friend was Johannes Brahms. My better known compositions are Kinderszenen and Album for the Young.
I was born in Zwickau in 1810. Until 1840 I wrote only for the piano. Eventually, I composed numerous vocal works, symphonies, concerti, and chamber music. I was married to my dear Clara, who was also a composer and pianist. Among my most often performed works today are my symphonies, Album for the Young, Konzertstruck for four horns and orchestra, and Manfred Overture.
Audio: “The Wild Horseman” from Album for the Young
Richard Strauss
German
Romantic Era
Also Sprach Zarathustra, a “tone poem”
Don Juan, a symphonic poem
Salome, an opera
Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks, a tone poem
Der Rosenkavalier (1911), an opera
The musical motive of Also Sprach Zarathustra is inspired by the sunrise and is associated with the movie, 2001, a Space Odyssey.
Guten Tag. Sorry I cannot come to the phone right now, I am under a great deal of pressure to finish
writing my symphonic poem “Don Juan.” Leave your message at the beep, and I’ll return your call as
soon as I finish conducting the opera tonight.
Audio: Horn Concerto (ID: french horn); Also Sprach Zarathustra
Johann Strauss Sr.
Austrian Romantic composer known as the “Father of the Waltz”
Johann Strauss Jr
Blue Danube Waltz, in time signature 3/4ths, inspired by river in Vienna
Known for his waltzes
Waltz: a dance in moderate triple time associated with the Strauss family.
Audio: Blue Danube Waltz
Identify the title and composer.
Blue Danube Waltz by Johann Strauss Jr.
Ives
John Cage, William Walton, John Adams (Nixon in China),
American
Not Romantic
The Unanswered Question (1908)
Borodin
Russian
Polovetsian Dances
Carl Orff
Carmina Burana
Giovanni Gabrielli
1557-1612
César Franck
1822 - 1890
Englebert Humperdinck
Hansel and Gretel is the opera by Englebert Humperdinck described in the following scenario: The two main
characters find a glorious gingerbread house! The roof is slated with cakes, the windows are of licorice,
and the walls are decorated with cookies. On the left side is an oven, on the right side is a cage, and
around it is a fence of gingerbread children. Unable to resist temptation, they take a little bit of the house
and nibble on it.
Georges Bizet
French
March of the Toreadors from Carmen
Habanera from Carmen
Carmen, takes place in Seville, Spain (1875), name of title character is “Carmen”
Audo: March of the Toreadors; Habanera: L’amour est un oiseau rebelle from Carmen;
Identify the title of the selection, the larger work, and the composer.
March of the Toreadors from Carmen by Georges Bizet
(This is the first of two parts you should know.)
Identify the title of the selection, the larger work, and the composer.
March of the Toreadors from Carmen by Georges Bizet
(This is the second of two parts you should know.)
Edward Elgar
Pomp and Circumstance (March No. 1)
Enigma Variations
Pomp and Circumstance; Nimrod from Enigma Variations
Identify the title and composer of the selection.
(Listen to the entire 30 second excerpt.)
Pomp and Circumstance (March No. 1) by Edward Elgar
Identify the title and composer of the selection.
(Listen to the entire 30 second excerpt.)
Nimrod from Enigma Variations by Edward Elgar
George M. Cohan
Over There
You’re a Grand Old Flag
Yankee Doodle Dandy
William Steffe
Battle Hymn of the Republic
Offenbach
Orpheus in the Underworld (The “Can-Can”)
Identify the title and composer of this musical selection.
Orpheus in the Underworld by Jacques Offenbach (sometimes referred to as the “Can-Can”)
Franz Leh`ar
The Merry Widow Waltz
Samuel Barber
Adagio for Strings
Identify the composer
Adagio for Strings by Samuel Barber
(A sad song with lots ‘o strings? Probably Adagio.)
Terms
Counterpoint (or Polyphony), oratorio, canon, adagio, opera, concerto, cantata, “stand (up)” social convention for music associated w Star Spangled Banner, Messiah, Wedding March, and Pomp and Circumstance, waltz, can-can, mazurka, flamenco, requiem
