Classicism Test

1. Classicism, as a stylistic period in western art music, roughly encompassed the years a. 1450-1600 b. 1600-1750 c. 1750-1820 d. 1820-1900 2. Which of the following statements is not true of the classical period? a. Philosophers and writers in the classical period believed that custom and tradition rather than reason were the best guides to human conduct. b. During the early eighteenth century, the heavy, monumental baroque style gave way to the more intimate rococo style, with its light colors, curved lines, and graceful ornaments. c. By the late eighteenth century, rococo style had been superseded by the neoclassical style, which attempted to recapture the “noble simplicity and calm grandeur” of ancient Greek and Roman art. d. Philosophers and writers in the classical period saw their time as a great turning point in history and called it the “age of enlightenment.” 3. Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach and _____________ were two of the more important preclassical composers. a. Jean Honoré Fragonard b. Johann Christian Bach c. Johann Sebastian Bach d. Joseph Haydn 4. The texture of classical music is basically a. contrapuntal b. polyphonic c. monophonic d. homophonic 5. Because of their interest in expressing shades of emotion, classical composers frequently used a. gradual dynamic change (crescendo and diminuendo) b. terraced dynamics (abrupt shifts from loud to soft) c. trombones and tubas d. snare drums and cymbals 6. Composers in the classical period took middle-class tastes into account by a. flavoring their serious compositions with folk and popular music b. writing comic operas that sometimes ridiculed the aristocracy c. writing dance music for public balls d. all of these 7. Which of the following statements is not true of the music of the classical period? a. Classical composers stressed balance and clarity of structure. b. The standard orchestra comprised of four sections evolved during the classical period. c. The basso continuo was the nucleus of the instrumental ensemble. d. Classical melodies are among the most tuneful and easy to remember 8. The prospering middle class in the classical period sought aristocratic luxuries such as a. theater b. literature c. music d. all of these 9. During the classical period, Vienna was the seat of the Holy Roman Empire, which included a. parts of modern Austria, Germany and Italy b. Hungary c. the Czech Republic d. all of these 10. Joseph Haydn was content to spend most of his life a. as an independently wealthy composer b. as a professional freelance musician c. serving a wealthy aristocratic family d. as a church musician and organist 11. Haydn’s contract of employment shows that he was considered a. a skilled servant b. a freelance musician c. a visiting guest composer d. an equal by his employer 12. The typical orchestra of the classical period consisted of a. a loose ensemble of available instruments b. strings, pairs of woodwinds, horns, trumpets, and timpani c. strings with harpsichord continuo d. woodwinds, trombones, drums, and strings 13. Sonata form is used frequently as the form for the ________ movement of a multimovement work. a. first b. slow c. final fast d. all of these 14. Sonata form consists of three main sections: exposition, development, and a. introduction b. recapitulation c. motives d. transition 15. Sonata form should be viewed as a. a rigid mold into which musical ideas are poured b. another term for the symphony c. a set of principles that serve to shape and unify contrasts of theme and key d. a set of variations on a theme 16. Theme-and-variations form may be schematically outlined as a. AABB b. AA’A’’A’’’A’’’’ c. ABA d. ABACADA 17. The ______ movement of Haydn’s Surprise Symphony is in theme-and-variations form. a. first b. second c. third d. fourth 18. The form known as minuet and trio is employed as the __________ movement of classical symphonies, string quartets, and other works. a. first b. second c. third d. fourth 19. The character of the minuet is best described as a. brisk and lively b. quiet and relaxed c. heavy and ponderous d. stately and dignified 20. Which of the following is not a characteristic of the minuet? a. triple meter b. moderate tempo c. quick, lively tempo d. ABA form 21. Another common rondo pattern is a. ABCBCD b. ABACABA c. ABCBAC d. ABACDC 22. Because of its liveliness, regularity, and buoyancy, the rondo most often serves as a a. slow movement b. first movement c. set of variations md. finale 23. Symphony may be defined as a(n) a. musical composition for orchestra, usually in four movements b. sonata for orchestra c. extended, ambitious composition exploiting the expanded range of tone color and dynamics of the classical orchestra d. all of these 24. The usual order of movements in a classical symphony is a. fast, dance-related, slow, fast b. fast, slow, dance-related, fast c. fast, slow, fast, slow d. slow, fast, slow, fast 25. A concerto is a large-scale work in several movements for a. an instrumental soloist b. an instrumental soloist and orchestra c. any combination of instruments d. symphonic orchestra 26. Mozart and Beethoven wrote a number of concertos for their favorite solo instrument, the a. cello b. violin c. flute ld. piano 27. Classical chamber music is designed a. to display the virtuosity of the players b. for the intimate setting of a small room c. exclusively for performance by paid professional musicians d. to be conducted by experienced orchestral directors 28. The most important form of classical chamber music is the a. violin and piano sonata b. string quintet c. piano trio csd. string quartet 29. The classical string quartet is a musical composition for a. violin, viola, cello, and bass b. two violins, viola, and cello c. violin, guitar, viola, and cello d. all of these 30. Haydn’s duties while in the service of the Esterházys included a. composing all the music requested by his patron b. conducting the orchestra of about 25 players c. coaching the singers for operatic performances d. all of these 31. Haydn was a prolific composer, as demonstrated in part by his 68 string quartets and 104 a. operas b. serenades c. songs d. symphonies 32. Mozart was born in a. Salzburg, Austria b. Eisenach, Germany c. Bonn, Germany d. Rohrau, Austria 33. Which of the following statements is not true? a. Mozart wrote masterpieces in all the musical forms of his time. b. Between the ages of six and fifteen, Mozart was continually on tour in England and Europe. c. In his later years, Mozart was financially well off, widely acclaimed, and sought after by an adoring public. d. Mozart’s trips to Italy enabled him to study and master the current operatic style 34. By the age of six, Mozart could a. play the harpsichord and violin b. improvise fugues and write minuets c. read music perfectly at sight d. all of these 35. Which of the following is not one of Mozart’s three masterpieces of Italian opera? a. Così fan tutte b. The Marriage of Figaro c. Orfeo d. Don Giovanni 36. Mozart’s finest German opera was a. The Magic Flute b. The Marriage of Figaro c. Don Giovanni d. Fidelio 37. Don Giovanni, in Mozart’s opera of that name, is a. a despotic Italian nobleman b. the legendary Spanish lover c. Sir John Falstaff d. the servant to Leporello 38. Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 a. is in G major b. has only three movements c. is one of his last three symphonies d. all of these 39. Beethoven a. was a brilliant pianist b. was self-educated and had read widely, but was weak in elementary arithmetic c. began to feel the first symptoms of deafness in his twenty-ninth year d. all of these 40. Which of the following statements is not true? a. The finale of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony is based on Schiller’s poem about human brotherhood, Ode to Joy. b. Beethoven opened new realms of musical expression that profoundly influenced composers throughout the nineteenth century. c. Like Haydn and many other composers of the classical period, Beethoven was most successful financially when in the service of the aristocracy. d. In the finale of his Ninth Symphony, Beethoven took the unprecedented step of using a chorus and four solo vocalists. 41. The Third Symphony of Beethoven was originally composed to commemorate the deeds of ________________ as the embodiment of heroism and democratic ideals. a. George Washington b. Napoléon Bonaparte c. the Marquis de Lafayette d. the Duke of Wellington 42. We have a record of Beethoven’s struggle with his musical material because of his habit of a. carrying a pocket tape recorder b. carrying musical sketchbooks c. telling his troubles to his friends d. keeping a diary 43. The musical heir of Haydn and Mozart, Beethoven bridged the __________ and __________ periods. a. Renaissance, baroque b. baroque, classical c. classical, romantic d. romantic, impressionist 44. The choral finale of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony is based on a. Dante’s Inferno b. Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream c. Schiller’s Ode to Joy d. Shelley’s Ode to the West Wind 45. Beethoven’s only opera is entitled a. The Magic Flute b. Madame Butterfly c. Don Giovanni d. Fidelio