Music 120 - Music Appreciation » Fall 2022 » Final Exam

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Question #1
The element that propels music forward in time is
A.   melody.
B.   range.
C.   harmony.
D.   rhythm.
Question #2
The instruments of the Western orchestra are categorized into which groups?
A.   woodwinds, brass, and percussion
B.   strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion
C.   voice, strings, woodwinds, and brass
D.   strings, brass, and percussion
Question #3
Jazz bands usually include
A.   only a brass section.
B.   only a reed section.
C.   a reed section, a brass section, and a rhythm section.
D.   a reed section and a string section.
Question #4
_______ is the principle of organization around a central tone.
A.   Polyphony
B.   Tonality
C.   Harmony
D.   Meter
Question #5
The conductor
A.   beats time in metrical patterns.
B.   interprets the music.
C.   rehearses the ensemble.
D.   All answers are correct.
Question #6
The concertmaster is the
A.   first-chair violist.
B.   first-chair violinist.
C.   first-chair cellist.
D.   conductor.
Question #7
Which would you be likely to include when writing about music?
A.   a balance between descriptive and personal reactions
B.   a blow-by-blow description
C.   a comprehensive analysis
D.   a detailed list of the performers and instruments
Question #8
Benjamin Britten’s The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra was written specifically to demonstrate
A.   different timbres in the orchestra.
B.   different dynamic markings.
C.   different rhythms.
D.   different harmonies.
Question #9
In Western music, two scales have been predominant: major and minor.
A.   True
B.   False
Question #10
The basic unit of rhythm is the
A.   tempo.
B.   note.
C.   beat.
D.   measure.
Question #11
Which might describe “exciting” music?
A.   All possible answers.
B.   the main tune rose in the brass.
C.   an increasingly polyphonic texture.
D.   a fast tempo.
Question #12
Looking at the title, Symphony No. 94 in G Major, we can determine that the genre is
A.   a classical song.
B.   not stated.
C.   a symphony.
D.   an overture.
Question #13
Which describes the opening motive of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5?
A.   All answers are correct.
B.   short-short-short-long.
C.   rhythmic.
D.   “fate knocking at the door”.
Question #14
Vivaldi wrote instrumental music that depicts a scene without the use of sung words, a genre called
A.   absolute music.
B.   intentional music.
C.   program music or "sound story" 
D.   song.
Question #15
The solo instrument featured in Vivaldi’s Spring concerto is the
A.   double bass.
B.   violin.
C.   harpsichord.
D.   cello.
Question #16
Music with no literary basis or story explicitly stated by the composer is referred to as
A.   program music.
B.   incidental music.
C.   thematic music.
D.   absolute music.
Question #17
A symphony
A.   is a work written for an orchestra.
B.   is a multimovement work.
C.   was a new genre of the Classical era.
D.   All answers are correct.
Question #18
Why is Haydn’s Symphony No. 94 nicknamed “Surprise”?
A.   The theme in the fourth movement is based on a folksong.
B.   A sudden loud chord during the slow movement startled the dozing audience.
C.   The main tune in the second movement is cut short by pauses.
D.   The emperor played viola in the first performance.
Question #19
Which describes the singing style in this excerpt?
A.   quick notes, delivered freely; recitative
B.   patter-like syllabic singing; aria
C.   lyrical lines; aria
D.   elegant duet; aria
Question #20
The text of “Ode to Joy” by Friedrich von Schiller is an expression of
A.   romantic love.
B.   power and greed.
C.   universal brotherhood.
D.   beauties of nature.
Question #21
A leitmotif is a
A.   Viking ship captain.
B.   recurring melodic theme that carries specific meaning.
C.   continually repeated rhythm.
D.   nineteenth-century stage illumination.
Question #22
Which describes the mood of this piece?
A.   introspective and quiet
B.   somber and morose
C.   playful and humorous
D.   martial and grandiose
Question #23
What is the genre of Madame Butterfly?
A.   opera
B.   partsong
C.   parlor song
D.   Lieder
Question #24
The singing of spirituals offered the enslaved community a sense of solidarity.
A.   True
B.   False
Question #25
The Harlem Renaissance
A.   funded major renovations to theaters in upper Manhattan.
B.   encouraged African Americans to embrace European traditions.
C.   was a cultural movement celebrating African American contributions.
D.   was inspired by fifteenth-century artists and composers.
Question #26
William Grant Still’s Afro-American Symphony was the first symphony by an African American composer to be performed by a major American orchestra.
A.   False
B.   True
Question #27
Which singer is also known as “Lady Day”?
A.   Bessie Smith
B.   Billie Holiday
C.   Judy Garland
D.   “Big Mama” Thornton
Question #28
Which is true of Schubert’s Elf-King?
A.   All statements are true.
B.   It is written in through-composed form.
C.   The text is by Goethe.
D.   Schubert wrote it as a teenager.
Question #29
What vocal range is heard in this excerpt?
A.   contralto
B.   bass
C.   tenor
D.   soprano
Question #30
Tchaikovsky struggled with attacks of depression.
A.   False
B.   True
Question #31
Which describes the instruments heard in this ensemble?
A.   saxophones
B.   flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon
C.   violin, viola, cello, double bass 
D.   two violins, one viola, one cello (string quartet)
Question #32
The singers in this excerpt are accompanied by
A.   piano and cello.
B.   the woodwind section playing pianissimo.
C.   piccolos
D.   the brass section.
Question #33
Which describes the overall dynamics in this variation?
A.   pianissimo
B.   alternating between fortissimo and piano
C.   crescendo from piano to forte
D.   decrescendo from forte to piano
Question #34
Which of the following occurs in the development section of sonata-allegro form?
A.   restatement of themes in the home key
B.   frequent modulations, wanders through several keys
C.   two opposing themes are “exposed”
D.   final cadence in the home key

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