Music 120 - Music Appreciation » Fall 2022 » Final Exam

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