Exam - Music History Module 5

Oral exam (20 minutes) with written preparation (40 minutes; with a basic structure of your answer).

Sample questions

Each exam consists of 4 questions

[1] Questions that require to give an overview, to summarize a chapter/part of the course

E.g.

- Discuss the evolution and main characteristics of Mahler’s symphonies

- Discuss the evolution and main characteristics of Straus’s symphonic poems

- Discuss the evolution in Strauss’s operatic oeuvre

- Discuss Mahler’s Lied-oeuvre

- Discuss Wolf’s contribution to the Lied

- Discuss the career and compositions of Reger

- Discuss Scriabin’s career and stylistic evolution

- Give an overview of Puccini’s operatic oeuvre

- Debussy: musical impressionism and/or symbolism?

- Discuss Ravel’s life and works until 1914-18

- Discuss Ravel’s life and works after W.W. I

- Discuss Debussy’s piano music

- Discuss Debussy’s orchestral works

- Discuss Debussy’s stage music

- Summarize the career of Richard Strauss and the stylistic evolution in his oeuvre

[2] Questions that requiring to extract and compare information from several parts of the course

E.g.

- Discuss and compare approaches to the symphonic repertoire in the oeuvre of Mahler and Strauss

- Compare the opera concept of Strauss, Puccini and Debussy

- Discuss the influence of the Neudeutsche Schule (Liszt, Wagner) on composers between c. 1880-
1920

- Compare the influences in the music of Debussy and Ravel

- Compare the symphonic oeuvre of Mahler and Strauss

- Discuss three different examples of musical symbolism in the music between 1880-1920

- Compare the stage music of Debussy and Ravel

- Compare the influences in the music of Reger and Wolf

- Compare the musical characteristics of Mahler’s symphonies and Debussy’s symphonic works

- Compare the symphonic poem in the oeuvre of Strauss and Debussy

- Compare the piano oeuvre of Reger, Debussy and Scriabin

- Compare the musical careers of Mahler, Strauss, Reger and Wolf

- Why are Mahler and Strauss considered as modernists?

- “Modern music began with Debussy’s Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune” Correct or not?

- Explain: Strauss and I tunnel from opposite sides of the mountain. One day we will meet.

- Discuss and compare the musical innovations in the oeuvre of Mahler and Strauss

[3] Short comments on terms, terminology, a composition title, a person

E.g. verismo, G. Fauré, La Valse, La Mer, Don Juan, Auferstehungssinfonie, Tosca, Hugo von
Hofmannsthal, Leoncavallo, Des Knaben Wunderhorn, …

[4] Listening example

In this exercise you will be asked to discuss musical characteristics of a played musical excerpt (style,
type or genre, and the probable composer, identify stylistic features; recognize important musical
compositions or a composer’s style).