Midterm Multiple Choice Flashcards by Kayla Phillips

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

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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

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The element of music that organizes movement in time is

a. ) rhythm
b. ) melody
c. ) harmony
d. ) form

a.) rhythm

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Organizing patterns of of rhythmic pulses are called

a. ) offbeats
b. ) meters
c. ) syncopations
d. ) polyrhythms

b.) meters

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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

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How many notes in a scale does and octave span

a. ) five
b. ) six
c. ) eight
d. ) ten

c.) eight

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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

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A texture featuring a single, unaccompanied line is called

a. ) monophony
b. ) homophony
c. ) polyphony
d. ) counterpoint

a.) monophony

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When two or more independent melodic lines are combined, the resulting texture is called

a. ) polyphony
b. ) monophony
c. ) homophony
d. ) heterophony

a.) polyphony

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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

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The technique through which performers create music on the spot is known as

a. ) ostinato
b. ) improvisation
c. ) inversion
d. ) canon

b.) improvisation

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the rate of speed at which a piece of music is played is

a. ) meter
b. ) tempo
c. ) movement
d. ) mood

b.) tempo

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Music that is despairing and sad usually has a ______ tempo

a. ) fast
b. ) moderate
c. ) slow
d. ) vigorous

c.) slow

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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

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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)

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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

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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

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Drum-type instruments fall into the category of

a. ) aerophones
b. ) chordophones
c. ) idiophones
d. ) membranophones

d.) membranophones

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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The highest sounding member of the woodwind family is

a. ) the flute
b. ) the oboe
c. ) the clarinet
d. ) the piccolo

d.) the piccolo

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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