music

Music Appreciation Study Guide: Exam 3:

1. List the time periods for the following musical eras.

a. Renaissance

b. Baroque

c. Classical

d. Romantic

2. List THREE composers from the Renaissance Era.

3. What two events framed the beginning and end of the Baroque Era?

4. Define Chamber Music.

5. What instruments make up a string quartet?

6. List the instruments in the BAROQUE Orchestra?

7. List 4 musical attributes from the Classical Era.

8. Define the following musical textures:

a. Monophonic

b. Polyphonic

c. Homophonic

9. List the instruments found in the following instrumental sections of the MODERN DAY orchestra.

a. Woodwind

b. Brass

c. Strings

10. List 3 composers from the Baroque Era.

11. During what era was the major-minor tonal system created?

12. List 3 composers from the Classical Era.

13. List 4 attributes from the Romantic Era.

14. What is the form of a Minuet and Trio?

15. List 4 elements composers would vary in Theme and Variations form?

16. In Opera, what is a Recitative? What is an Aria? How are they different?

17. How many movements are typically found in a Symphony or Concerto? During which time period did this become standard?

18. List 2 composers from the Romantic Era.

Some tips for the listening portion of the exam:

- Pay attention to texture, specifically for vocal pieces. If it’s a choir/choral piece, chances are it’s from the Renaissance era. If it’s a solo or duet vocal piece, it’s most likely opera from the Baroque era.

-Listen for how “big” instrumental pieces sound. Can you hear strings, brass, and woodwinds? If so, it’s most likely orchestral. If it sounds like only a handful of strings, it’s most likely chamber music (string quartet). String quartets became popular in the Classical and Romantic Era.

-Listen for dynamics, specifically for instrumental examples. Are there sudden changes? The bigger the differences, the later it was most likely composed. More sudden and exaggerated changes in volume will most likely be from the Classical and Romantic Eras.

-Keep these guidelines in mind:

-Renaissance: Primarily vocal, polyphonic

-Baroque: Vocal and Instrumental, primarily polyphonic and homophonic

-Classical: Larger instrumental ensembles (orchestra), chamber music, primarily

Homophonic, opera had larger and more prominent orchestral accompaniment

-Romantic: Emotional, passionate music, large dynamic contrasts, mixture of textures

Try to identify what era each example is from, what kind of ensemble it is (vocal, orchestral, chamber, opera, etc.), and musical elements that stand out to you. Dynamics, melody, texture, timbre, etc.

Study the powerpoints and be familiar with the recordings included with the powerpoints, and you will do great on the exam. Dr. Morrow went into a good amount of historical background on some composers, but I will only be asking about questions included in the powerpoints.