Music Lit Test 2

The eighteenth century was colored by the philosophical movement known as

the Enlightenment.

Why were Frederick the Great of Prussia and Emperor Joseph II of Austria both regarded as “enlightened” monarchs (at least compared to their predecessors)?

Both men were strong supporters of the arts.

How were the ideals of the Enlightenment realized in the New World?

The American Revolution culminated in the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

Who was the female opera singer, pianist, harpist, and composer whose opera Catherine became a hit in Paris during the final decade of the eighteenth century?

Julie Candeille

How could some musicians begin to make a living on their own as the century progressed rather than relying on the support of wealthy patrons?

As the middle class grew, the audience for music expanded.

he most important genres during the Classic era were

opera, symphony, string quartet, and sonata.

The increase during the eighteenth century in the number of middle-class householders who were interested in music created a demand for music that could be performed at home. Because this music was designed to be played in smaller rooms, it is usually known as

chamber music.

What makes Classic music clear and balanced compared to Baroque music?

shorter melodic phrases

Which features, along with balanced phrases, help to give Classic music its special sound and to provide a framework for its tuneful, pleasing melodies?

simple harmony and light accompaniment

Why did the string quartet appeal to Classic composers?

The instruments provide the ideal balance between high and low.

Joseph Haydn worked for nearly 30 years as musician, composer, and instrument repairer for the wealthy aristocratic family of

Maria Esterházy

Mozart won great fame between 1784 and 1786—and made quite a lot of money—through his

piano concertos.

What characterizes Mozart’s last operas

the composer’s remarkable understanding of human nature

How did Mozart’s fortunes change toward the end of his life?

His popularity waned and he had difficulty making money.

Identify one way in which Mozart’s purely instrumental music flouted convention.

Mozart used counterpoint to intensify his music in places where counterpoint was not usual.

During the eighteenth century, the flourishing European economy created a large and prosperous middle class who felt entitled to the same privileges and cultural diversions previously reserved for members of the aristocracy. What innovation provided more opportunities for the enjoyment of such cultural diversions?

public concerts

In Classic music, how many key changes occur in the exposition?

One

If we diagram rondo form as A B A C A D A, what do the letters represent?

A=main theme; B, C, D=episodes

Many early Classic compositions have three movements instead of four. Which of the four movements did not become standard until the second half of the eighteenth century?

minuet and trio

Why might the new musical style of the 1730s have been labeled galant, or “fashionable”?

to emphasize its modernity and its break with Baroque music

Ludwig van Beethoven's life extended from

1770-1827

What famous composer of the late eighteenth century agreed to take on Beethoven as a student?

Franz Joseph Haydn

Beethoven’s melancholy after 1802 stemmed from the fact that

he was going deaf

Beethoven’s first performances and compositions consisted primarily of

keyboard and chamber works.

The middle period of Beethoven's life, in which he exhibited a vigorous concentration on his work and a sense of triumph over adversity, is often referred to as

the “heroic” phase.

What is the rhythm of the opening motive of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony?

hort-short-short-LONG

Which instrument did Beethoven add to his Fifth Symphony that was not part of the standard orchestra at the time?

contrabassoon

Beethoven’s compositions include which of the following stylistic traits?

dramatic use of Classic forms, sudden key changes and powerful crescendos

Which of the following musical innovations did Beethoven use in his Fifth Symphony?

a large-scale progression from minor to major mode

What is the form of the second movement of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony?

modified theme and variations

What interesting aspect of the Swiss tune used as the basis for Six Easy Variations on a Swiss Tune in F Major for Piano likely attracted Beethoven?

its unusual phrase length

In the fourth movement of the Fifth Symphony, Beethoven adds which instruments to the orchestra?

three trombones, a piccolo, and a contrabassoon

During the last three years of his life, Beethoven devoted his energy exclusively to what genre of composition?

string quartets

The final movement of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony exhibits what revolutionary musical innovation?

the addition of a choir and four vocal soloists to the full orchestra

What is one technique that Beethoven used to create a sense of unity in his Fifth Symphony?

He linked the third and fourth movements.

After Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, how did listeners begin to view music?

the expression of a personal point of view

Who authored the influential nineteenth-century dramatic poem Faust?

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

What important historical transition began in England and led to increased agricultural efficiency, railroads, telegraphs, and electricity?

the Industrial Revolution

Around 1700, the first working piano was constructed by

Bartolomeo Cristofori.

What is one reason music was considered the perfect vehicle for the expression of Romanticism?

It embraced nature and the exotic.

Which of the following musical innovations occurred during the Romantic era?

Instruments became louder and more agile.

With what prominent composer at the Imperial Court of Vienna did Franz Schubert study?

Antonio Salieri

Chopin composed a series of preludes in the pattern established by Bach’s Well-Tempered Clavier. What is this pattern?

one prelude in each of the 12 major and 12 minor keys

What Baroque composer did Felix Mendelssohn help to reintroduce to nineteenth-century audiences?

Johann Sebastian Bach

On which genre did Robert Schumann focus in 1840, the year of his marriage to Clara?

Song

How does Clara Schumann’s life reflect changing attitudes toward women in nineteenth-century society?

She made a successful career as a professional pianist.

What sociopolitical reality provided the basis for the nineteenth century’s obsession with the exotic?

colonial expansion

Strophic songs are characterized by

the use of the same music for each stanza of text.

How do Romantic melodies tend to differ from Classic melodies?

They are usually much longer and often have a “yearning” quality that makes them highly emotional.

How did Romantic composers create fluid-sounding music at the formal level of phrasing?

by avoiding or undermining cadences

Why were the piano and violin the two favorite instruments of the Romantic era?

They are capable of great intimacy, drama, and lyricism.

What happens musically when performers of Romantic compositions use rubato?

The tempo of the accompaniment remains steady while the melody slows slightly before catching up a moment later.

Three chareristics of Classical Music

1. Balanced melodic phrases

2. Simple harmonies

3. Light accompaniment

Sonata form

fast serious; used for string quartets, symphonies, first movements (1st exposition, 2nd development, 3rd Recapitulation, 4th coda)

Aria Form

slow lyrical, ABA form

Minute and trio Form-

graceful and moderate; sometimes dance, 1st Minuet ( AABB form), 2nd Trio ( CCDD) , 3rd minuet (AB) or (AABB),

The most important characteristics of a minuet-and-trio movement

1. It is always 

2.  in meter.

3. It has a moderate tempo.

4. It is always in ternary form (minuet–trio–minuet).

5. The trio always presents some kind of contrast to the minuet.

Rondo Form

Fast and lively ( ABACADA form)

Chamber Music

Included duets,trios, and quintets for various instrumental combinations, most were quartet and sonata

String quartet-

involved 4 stringed instruments; two violins, a viola, and cello. Many pieces in the 18th century were written for string quartet.

Where was Beethoven Born? What year?

Bonn, Germany 1770

Where did Beethoven die? What Year?

Vienna, Austria 1827

Key Trends in the Nineteenth Century

-Development of modern industry

-Growth of democratic governments and national pride

-Increased emphasis on individual thoughts and feelings in the creative arts

Key Themes of Romantic Music

• Nature- word painting 

• The “exotic” and foreign

• National themes

• Extremes of emotion and scale

• Individual feeling

Dynamics

Romantic music has a much wider dynamic range than Classical music, from triple or quadruple forte (fff/ffff) to triple pianissimo (ppp). Changes in volume are also more frequent and unpredictable.

Tempo and Expression:

Romantic music has a wider range of tempos, including slower movements and more frequent tempo changes. This creates different moods within a single movement, making the music ebb and flow.

Modulation

Changing Keys 

Program music

music that tells some kind of story