THE NINETEENTH CENTURY, PART 1:
1.In 2001, the President of Turkmenistan banned
A.rock music.
B.ballet and opera.
C.jazz.
D.all music.
2.The composer utilized the minor mode in Symphonie fantastique to represent
A.gloom and ferocity.
B.solemnity and brilliance.
C.earthiness.
D.joy and love.
3.Franz Schubert was known for having written
A.100 violin concertos.
B.four operas.
C.144 lieder.
D.11 symphonies.
4.Beethoven’s greatest psychological challenge as a composer was
A.coping with his worsening deafness.
B.his resistance to finishing works he had started.
C.the unrealistic expectations of his patrons.
D.overcoming his own perfectionism.
5.A poem that tells a story is called a
A.stanza.
B.limerick.
C.chorale.
D.ballad.
6.Berlioz insisted that a _______ be distributed to his audiences to provide an overview of the dramatic structure of his work.
A.transcript
B.musical score
C.program
D.libretto
7.Influenced by Dvorák, _______ is credited as the first American woman to have written a symphony.
A.Clara Wieck Schumann
B.Louise Farrenc
C.Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel
D.Amy Marcy Cheney Beach
8.Which of the following was not one of the obstacles Fanny Hensel had to overcome to succeed as a composer?
A.Social attitudes prevented women from undertaking careers in music.
B.Agoraphobia kept her from traveling and performing.
C.Her father discouraged her from pursuing music as a vocation.
D.Her brother was a famous composer and performer.
9.”Erlkönig” is a song that presents a drama using a pianist and one singer, who
A.dramatizes the story with animated acting and dancing.
B.portrays a narrator and three characters.
C.chants a brief, humorous version of Goethe’s poem.
D.leads the audience in harmonizing on the popular verses.
10. _______ was called the “Valkyrie of the Piano.”
A.Teresa Carreno
B.Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel
C.Robert Schumann
D.Clara Wieck Schumann
11.The piano became a popular instrument for middle-class families when
A.mass production became possible.
B.the Civil War ended.
C.Dvorák composed The American.
D.the Transcontinental Railroad was completed.
12.Which of the following works helped to redefine the symphony as a genre?
A.Beethoven’s Sixth Symphony
B.Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony
C.Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony
D.Symphonie Fantastique
13.In his Fifth Symphony, Beethoven
A.limits the harmony of the string section.
B.contrasts the wind instruments with the string instruments.
C.utilizes the percussion section in a whole new way.
D.introduces the short-LONG-short-LONG rhythm.
14.The message in Clara Schumann’s “Forward!” is to motivate people
A.to work hard for what they need for their families.
B.to be humble and submissive as a way to get into heaven.
C.for a defense of the monarchy.
D.for a revolution to unite Germany.
15.Which composer called himself a tone poet—a poet who creates with music rather than words?
A.Schubert
B.Chopin
C.Beethoven
D.Schumann
16.Symphonie fantastique, which depicts an artist’s execution by guillotine, was written by the nineteenth century composer
A.Clara Wieck Schumann.
B.Giacchino Rossini.
C.Hector Berlioz.
D.Caspar David Friedrich.
17.Prolonged exposure to volume greater than _______ is considered dangerous.
A.40 decibels
B.80 decibels
C.50 decibels
D.70 decibels
18.In the overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the kingdom of the fairies, led by Oberon and Titania, is represented by the
A.strings.
B.piccolo.
C.triangle.
D.flute.
19.Clara Wieck Schumann’s “Forward!” was written for a/an
A.brass band.
B.full orchestra.
C.madrigal choir.
D.a capella chorus.
20.A piano trio is made up of
A.a piano, violin and viola.
B.a piano, violin, and cello.
C.a piano, organ, and pianoforte.
D.three pianos.
THE NINETEENTH CENTURY, PART 2:
1.The various melodies heard in Dvorák’s “String Quartet in F Major” have a/an _______ quality.
A.Bach-like
B.folk-like
C.operetta
D.jazz-like
2.Ravi Shankar is known for his mastery of the 18-stringed lute called the
A.sitar.
B.ragar.
C.jhala tar.
D.table.
3.The American composer and pianist who was known for his patriotism and showmanship was
A.William Grant Still.
B.Joseph Haydn.
C.Richard Wagner.
D.Louis Moreau Gottschalk.
4.The styles of singing in Wagner and Verdi operas differ. Jane says that the style of singing in a Verdi opera is virtuosic and elaborate. Lynn says that the style of singing in a Wagner opera is more syllabic. Who is correct in describing the different styles of singing?
A.Both Jane and Lynn are correct.
B.Neither Jane nor Lynn are correct.
C.Only Lynn is correct.
D.Only Jane is correct.
5.The most important role of music for soldiers during the Civil War was to
A.boost morale when a battle went badly.
B.entertain them in the evenings.
C.convey orders during drills and battles.
D.comfort and inspire them.
6.Which of the following composers helped the United States establish its own musical sound by drawing on cultural idioms?
A.Dvorák
B.Brahms
C.Verdi
D.Wagner
7.There are striking similarities in theme, characters, and events between Wagner’s Ring of the Nibelungs and
A.Musashi’s The Book of Five Rings.
B.Lawson’s The Inside Ring.
C.Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.
D.Koji Suzuki’s Ring Trilogy.
8.In Brahms’ Symphony no. 4 in E Minor, the composer derived much of the form and theme from the
A.Classical era.
B.Baroque era.
C.music of the middle ages.
D.music of the Renaissance.
9.To show his intense national pride, _______ wrote a large number of mazurkas.
A.Shankar
B.Dvorák
C.Verdi
D.Chopin
10._______ exemplifies the best elements of nineteenth-century Italian opera.
A.Pagliacci
B.La Traviata
C.La Boheme
D.Rigoletto
11.The _______ measures musical time using a pendulum.
A.timbrephone.
B.lyre.
C.intermezzo.
D.metronome.
12.In response to the outbreak of the Civil War, which composer wrote a solo piano piece that incorporated the “Star Spangled Banner,” “Hail Columbia,” and “Yankee Doodle” into the work?
A.Gottschalk
B.Dvorák
C.Mendelssohn
D.Brahms
13.According to Wagner, the _______ of the opera was that drama served as a means to an end—virtuosic singing.
A.Leitmotif
B.strategy
C.beauty
D.error
14.A single pair of notes played repeatedly in succession is known as a/an
A.sotto voce.
B.a capella.
C.hee haw.
D.drone bass.
15.In Verdi’s La Traviata, Violetta sings _______ when unsure of herself.
A.in a lower key
B.an aria
C.a virtuoso
D.in recitative
16.During the nineteenth century, harmony became
A.a large-scale structural element.
B.more discordant.
C.more chromatic.
D.highly important in program music.
17.The first American-born piano virtuoso to achieve international fame was
A.Wagner.
B.Schumann.
C.Dvorák
D.Gottschalk.
18.Which opera was written to celebrate the opening of the Suez Canal?
A.Il Trovatore
B.Requiem
C.Rigoletto
D.Aida
19.Wagner drew on _______ for his opera The Ring of the Nibelungs.
A.Roman mythology
B.Greek mythology
C.religious dogma
D.northern European mythology
20.Why was Richard Wagner considered the most progressive composer of his day?
A.He introduced the libretto to the opera.
B.He combined choral music and orchestral music.
C.He advanced the harmonic idiom of music into new exciting realms.
D.He used the tala pulses in his orchestrations.
THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, PART 1:
1.Ragtime composers often made use of
A.serialism.
B.inversion.
C.syncopation.
D.counterpoint.
2._______ is a singing technique that’s part speech and part song.
A.Sprechstimme
B.Erlkönig
C.Walkurie
D.Klangfarben
3.Which of the following composers sought to obtain a nonpercussive sound from the piano in his compositions?
A.Ellington
B.Glass
C.Ives
D.Debussy
4.The composer who wrote longer, classical pieces, as well as big-band tunes was
A.Duke Ellington.
B.Aaron Copland.
C.Arnold Schoenberg.
D.Charlie Parker.
5.The _______ were interested in the hypnotic quality of the repeated melodic fragments and interlocked patterns created by the gamelan.
A.neo-classicists
B.impressionists
C.expressionists
D.minimalists
6.The most common pattern of verses in blues songs is the
A.12-bar pattern.
B.28-note pattern.
C.6-bar pattern
D.8-note pattern.
7.Music that doesn’t center on a particular key is referred to as
A.intoned.
B.nontonal.
C.atonal.
D.untoned.
8.The _______ style is an attempt to revive the approach used by composers in the latter half of the eighteenth century.
A.Post-Modern
B.Pre-Romantic
C.New Baroque
D.Neo-Classical
9._______ used themes from popular songs and hymns in his orchestral works.
A.Duke Ellington
B.Igor Stravinsky
C.Scott Joplin
D.Charles Ives
10._______ notes are produced by lowering the third, fifth, or seventh steps of major scales.
A.Low
B.Falsetto
C.Blue
D.Minor
11.Which of the following styles of music was not influential on the development of jazz?
A.Dixieland
B.Ragtime
C.Raga
D.Blues
12.A short musical motif that repeats at successively higher or lower pitches is called a
A.groove.
B.succession.
C.sequence.
D.progression.
13.Jody says that atonal harmony establishes a harmonic center of gravity. Sean says that atonal harmony doesn’t have a harmonic center of gravity. Who is correct?
A.Both Jody and Sean are correct.
B.Neither Jody nor Sean is correct.
C.Only Jody is correct.
D.Only Sean is correct.
14.Which of the following is not an outstanding feature of music in the twentieth century?
A.Experimentation
B.Globalization
C.General atonality
D.Rapid change
15._______ music is written in two or more chords played simultaneously.
A.Polyrhythmic
B.Polychoral
C.Polyphonic
D.Polytonal
16.According to legend, how did Robert Johnson acquire his skill on the blues guitar?
A.He sold his soul to the devil one midnight.
B.The ghost of Ma Rainey appeared to him and showed him how to play.
C.After a high fever due to measles, he picked up his father’s guitar and played it.
D.Son House convinced him he had magic fingers.
17.Bebop is a style of
A.jazz.
B.pop.
C.ragtime.
D.fusion.
18.Standard Song Form for popular hits of the 1920s and 1930s was
A.AABB.
B.ABBA.
C.AABA.
D.ABA.
19.In The Unanswered Question, the strings are played
A.in unresolved dissonance.
B.in constant competition with the brass.
C.as if they’re playing a slow hymn.
D.fast and loud for shock value.
20.The smallest distance between two adjacent notes on a piano is a
A.half step.
B.quarter note.
C.whole note.
D.whole step.
THE TWENTIETH CENTURY, PART 2:
1.The type of music that blended the musical styles of jump blues and honky-tonk was
A.Motown.
B.rock ‘n’ roll.
C.hip hop.
D.jazz.
2.One way Aaron Copland achieved a distinctly American sound in “Hoe-Down” was by including
A.folk tunes.
B.blue notes.
C.Native American chants.
D.Gullah music.
3.Agnes de Mille choreographed Aaron Copland’s Rodeo to blend
A.square dance with Irish jig.
B.jazz and ballet.
C.ballet with tap.
D.ballet with square dance.
4.The progression of four basic chords that was used in many popular songs of the 1950s and 1960s is referred to as _______ chord progression.
A.bebop
B.pop
C.vamp
D.doo-wop
5.Which song crossed racial boundaries by achieving success on both the R&B and pop charts?
A.”School Day”
B.”Fight the Power”
C.”My Ding-a-Ling”
D.”Please Mr. Postman”
6.The first African American to have a major opera performed by a major American opera company was
A.Scott Joplin.
B.Robert Johnson.
C.Langston Hughes.
D.William Grant Still.
7.A repeated melodic and rhythmic figure in the lower register of the piano is typical of the Afro-Cuban dance music known as
A.mambo.
B.reggae.
C.guaguanco.
D.salsa.
8.The musical movement that started in the mid-1960s on the West Coast was the _______ movement.
A.folk
B.progressive
C.rock
D.psychedelic
9.Which one of the following composers is best known for promoting aleatory music?
A.Béla Bartók
B.Richard Strauss
C.Franz Wozzek
D.John Cage
10.Public Enemy’s recording “Fight the Power” has a basic pulse of
A.60 beats per minute.
B.106 beats per minute.
C.86 beats per minute.
D.120 beats per minute.
11.Chuck Berry’s unique guitar sound was created mainly by his
A.flourishes and variations written into his songs.
B.Gibson guitar and his amplifier.
C.creative tuning methods.
D.producer, who overdubbed the sound.
12.The _______ is a xylophone-like instrument with tubular resonators under each bar.
A.suspended cymbal
B.timbales
C.marimba
D.conga
13.Notes that begin a phrase before a downbeat are known as pick-up notes or a/an
A.shuffle groove.
B.duck walk.
C.call and response.
D.anacrusis.
14.A modern-day retelling of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is carried out in the musical
A.West Side Story.
B.H.M.S. Pinafore.
C.The Mikado.
D.My Fair Lady.
15.The rhetorical energy and political tone of Public Enemy’s “Fight the Power” is first established by
A.the group’s dense beats and musical graffiti.
B.a sample of a speech by Dr. Martin Luther King.
C.the pulsing beat of the snare drum.
D.manipulating sounds in creative ways.
16.The musician who ushered in the twentieth-century era of virtuosic rock guitar playing was
A.Jimi Hendrix.
B.Chuck Berry.
C.Chet Atkins.
D.Brian Wilson.
17.Einstein on a Beach was a unique opera because it
A.was written in Chinese.
B.was exclusively recitative.
C.had a single violinist.
D.had no plot and very little singing.
18.Which of the following composers wrote the music for West Side Story?
A.Leonard Bernstein
B.George M. Cohan
C.Jerome Kern
D.Cole Porter
19.A musical style that combines traditional and modern elements is called
A.postmodernism.
B.exhibitionism.
C.modernism.
D.minimalism.
20.Tamra says that the difference between an opera and a musical is that the opera includes more spoken word than singing. Eduardo says that the musical contains singing with some spoken dialog. Who is correct in citing the difference?
A.Neither Tamra nor Eduardo
B.Eduardo
C.Both Tamra and Eduardo
D.Tamra
