CHAPTER 20: Musical Taste and Style in the Enlightenment

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. Which best describes the political situation of eighteenth-century Europe?

a. under the command of one ruling power
b. countries became extremely individualized and separate
c. dominated by centralized states with large militaries
d. countries did not seek to expand their territories and influence
e. in a state of peace, remaining war- and revolution-free
2. What was one economic change in the eighteenth century?
a. the urban middle class rose in numbers
b. the urban middle class declined in wealth
c. the urban middle class declined in social prominence
d. the aristocracy gained power and importance
e. the poor benefited from the progress that helped the high classes
3. Johann Joachim Quantz argued that ideal music
a. appealed to specific audiences because of its nationalistic traits
b. appealed primarily to amateurs because of its simplistic traits
c. appealed to wide audiences because of its distinctive nationalistic traits
d. appealed to wide audiences because it blended nationalistic traits
e. appealed primarily to professionals because of its intellectual traits
4. The philosophes of the Enlightenment were mainly
a. social reformers d. religious leaders
b. composers e. dissenters
c. philosophers
5. During the eighteenth century, musicians increasingly depended on whom for support?
a. churches d. city governments
b. courts e. private patrons
c. the public
6. Public concerts usually attracted what kind of audience?
a. the well-to-do, because concert tickets were expensive
b. all classes, because public concerts were funded by aristocratic patrons and therefore free
c. aristocrats, because public concerts were viewed as social, not musical, events
d. the middle class, because the nobility had their own private concerts
e. the lower classes, because public concerts were free and intended to reach those who could
not afford private concerts
7. Judging from public concert advertisements, programs usually lasted about how long in the eighteenth
century?
a. half an hour d. three hours
b. one hour e. six hours
c. two hours
8. The end of the eighteenth century saw a growing preference for opera in which language?
a. Italian d. Spanish
b. German e. the vernacular
c. French
 9. Eighteenth-century public concert programs show that who was more important than composers?
a. librettists d. administrators
b. performers e. advertisers
c. audience
10. What contributed to the growing prestige of purely instrumental music?
a. nationalistic practices and themes in music
b. the idea of music as a universal language
c. a lack of communication among regions
d. the desire to depict a single emotion without words
e. a decline in available training for singers
11. How were private concerts normally funded?
a. by aristocratic sponsors d. by the government
b. by the audience e. by the church
c. by the performers
12. As a result of the founding in 1726 of the Academy of Ancient Music,
a. students learned how to play ancient instruments and music
b. other establishments concerned with the subject were formed
c. audiences rejected music of the past and preferred contemporary music
d. concerts of music from the past became increasingly popular
e. composers revived ancient composition styles
13. The galant style became popular for all of the following reasons except
a. it was considered “natural” d. it focused more on counterpoint
b. it was easily understood e. it focused more on melody
c. it followed Enlightenment ideas
14. Which would not have been an effective way to advertise a public concert?
a. word of mouth d. handbills
b. invitations e. newspapers
c. posters
15. What was one result of music as a leisure activity?
a. uninterested audience members
b. a split between social classes
c. the development of informed listeners
d. a decline in the number of public concerts
e. the establishment of amateur groups
16. Which eighteenth-century musical technique is a reaction against the complexity of Baroque music?
a. melodies in short phrases over spare accompaniment
b. melodies in long phrases over spare accompaniment
c. melodies in short phrases over lush accompaniment
d. melodies in long phrases over lush accompaniment
e. melodies in long phrases with no accompaniment
17. Where did the galant style originate?
a. in French operas d. in German operas
b. in Italian operas e. in French concertos
c. in French dance suites
18. In the 1700s, the Concert spirituel was a
a. new type of sacred music
b. popular choir
c. treatise that argued music was a gift from God
 d. concert series that fostered the development of the symphony
e. gathering of church officials to discuss sacred music
19. How did eighteenth-century musical values relate directly to central ideas of the Enlightenment?
a. an emphasis on the natural
b. traditional religion was a main influence
c. allusions to the supernatural
d. observation of nature was not important
e. complexity and artifice were preferred
20. Which is a quality one would expect to hear in Classic-period music?
a. a single idea or emotion in a section
b. no contrasts in style, texture, or mood
c. a theme that “spins out” one emotion
d. long phrases that develop the same material
e. contrasting moods in a movement
21. Harmony in the galant style
a. changes frequently and irregularly
b. stresses the subdominant
c. is found in rhythmically sustained values
d. has a slower harmonic rhythm that punctuates melodic segments
e. does not punctuate or articulate phrases
22. Which is not an example of periodicity?
a. melodic flow broken into fragments
b. distinct two- or four-measure phrases
c. sequential repetition as a principal device
d. frequent cadences with varied repetition
e. relating segments of melody to the whole
23. What allowed for more possibilities of contrast in the new music of the eighteenth century?
a. long lyrical melodic lines
b. a single mood for a theme or movement
c. chamber works for woodwinds only
d. differences in melodic and harmonic material according to its function in the form
e. continuous and quick harmonic rhythms
24. New styles in the eighteenth century placed musical focus on
a. harmony d. form
b. texture e. rhythm
c. melody
25. Which of the following is not an example of the hierarchy of cadences?
a. weak cadences mark internal phrases
b. the strongest cadences mark the ends of phrases
c. weak cadences mark closing phrases
d. strong cadences mark closing periods
e. the strongest cadences mark the ends of movements
TRUE/FALSE

1. Italian comic opera strongly influenced the new musical style of the eighteenth century.

2. In the eighteenth century, shared aspects such as humanity and culture mattered more than national
differences.
 d. concert series that fostered the development of the symphony
e. gathering of church officials to discuss sacred music
19. How did eighteenth-century musical values relate directly to central ideas of the Enlightenment?
a. an emphasis on the natural
b. traditional religion was a main influence
c. allusions to the supernatural
d. observation of nature was not important
e. complexity and artifice were preferred
20. Which is a quality one would expect to hear in Classic-period music?
a. a single idea or emotion in a section
b. no contrasts in style, texture, or mood
c. a theme that “spins out” one emotion
d. long phrases that develop the same material
e. contrasting moods in a movement
21. Harmony in the galant style
a. changes frequently and irregularly
b. stresses the subdominant
c. is found in rhythmically sustained values
d. has a slower harmonic rhythm that punctuates melodic segments
e. does not punctuate or articulate phrases
22. Which is not an example of periodicity?
a. melodic flow broken into fragments
b. distinct two- or four-measure phrases
c. sequential repetition as a principal device
d. frequent cadences with varied repetition
e. relating segments of melody to the whole
23. What allowed for more possibilities of contrast in the new music of the eighteenth century?
a. long lyrical melodic lines
b. a single mood for a theme or movement
c. chamber works for woodwinds only
d. differences in melodic and harmonic material according to its function in the form
e. continuous and quick harmonic rhythms
24. New styles in the eighteenth century placed musical focus on
a. harmony d. form
b. texture e. rhythm
c. melody
25. Which of the following is not an example of the hierarchy of cadences?
a. weak cadences mark internal phrases
b. the strongest cadences mark the ends of phrases
c. weak cadences mark closing phrases
d. strong cadences mark closing periods
e. the strongest cadences mark the ends of movements
TRUE/FALSE

1. Italian comic opera strongly influenced the new musical style of the eighteenth century.

2. In the eighteenth century, shared aspects such as humanity and culture mattered more than national
differences.
CHAPTER 21: Opera and Vocal Music in the Early Classic Period

MULTIPLE CHOICE

1. If you were to attend a dramatic performance at a public theatre in the early 1700s that was sung
throughout, had six or more singing characters, and had a contemporary plot centered around ordinary
people, it would be an
a. improvisation in commedia dell’arte style
b. opera seria
c. opera rusticana
d. opera buffa
e. intermezzo
2. This example appears to be

a. a recitative from an opera buffa d. a chorus from an opera seria

b. an aria from an opera buffa e. an ensemble from an intermezzo
c. an ensemble from an opera seria
3. ____________ is one of the most famous and successful intermezzi.
a. The Beggar’s Opera d. Orfeo ed Euridice
b. Cleofide e. La serva padrona
c. Le devin du village
4. Which aspect of intermezzi differs from opere serie?
a. the action progressed through alternating recitatives and arias
b. they were performed exclusively at court theaters
c. they employed spoken dialogue and familiar tunes
d. they often had heroic characters and plots that reinforced social hierarchies
e. they often parodied heroic characters and questioned social hierarchies
5. In La serva padrona, why does Pergolesi use orchestrally accompanied recitative while Uberto debates
whether to marry Serpina?
a. using a convention normally reserved for high drama increases the comic effect
b. it avoids contrasting elements and shows the character’s genuine anguish
c. it suggests Uberto’s somber and pensive self-examination
d. it allows for increased development of a single motive throughout the aria that follows
e. it allows Pergolesi to avoid writing an extended da capo aria
6. In a comic opera in the late 1700s, an act would most likely end with
a. a moral to the story sung by the main character
b. a sung thank-you to the audience for attending
c. an elegant aria sung by the lead female character
d. all characters onstage, singing together
e. a love duet between the leading characters
7. Which of the following is not a typical characteristic of Italian comic opera in the mid-1700s?
a. periodic phrasing
b. tuneful melodies
c. sparse accompaniment, often with continuo
d. complex harmonies
e. stylistic contrasts
8. In an opera seria, action progresses through
a. arias and duets
b. choruses that comment upon the drama
c. orchestral interludes
d. large ensembles that include all the characters
e. recitative, either simple or accompanied
9. The musical example shown here demonstrates that
 a. Hasse wrote the ornamentation that he wanted singers to use
b. Hasse used unsteady rhythms in the bass to highlight the melody
c. Hasse wrote violin and flute parts that embellish the melody
d. Hasse preferred that each phrase have a distinctive opening motive
e. Hasse wrote elegant melodies that allow singers to add a variety of ornaments
10. Why did Jean-Jacques Rousseau praise Italian composers’ emphasis on melody?
a. he chose to write his operas in the Italian style and wanted his compositions to receive
positive reviews from critics
b. he thought that layering melodies (counterpoint) was truer to nature because it expressed
multiple ideas and emotions
c. he believed that melody aroused sentiments in the soul
d. he felt that captivating melodies provided the best foundation for complex
accompaniments
e. he believed that the Italian tradition’s equal emphasis on melody and harmony allowed for
greater text expression

11. Beginning in the 1720s and 1730s, composers of Italian operas began to use contrasting musical ideas
within A and B sections of arias to
 a. surprise audiences d. express a succession of moods
b. depict waning emotions e. keep performers satisfied
c. construct through-composed arias
12. Why were serious plots more common in the opéra comique in France in the later part of the
eighteenth century?
a. they were in vogue with the aristocracy, and became important at the Théâtre de l’Opéra
Comique in Paris
b. audiences tired of Italian and English comic operas
c. they touched on social issues that arose during the years before and during the French
Revolution
d. serious operas were less likely to be freshly composed, and contained well-known arias
e. in serious opera, the ariettes offered more opportunity for Italianate ornamentation, which
had grown popular in France
13. If you were to hear an aria from a ballad opera, it probably would
a. use da capo form
b. use a familiar tune from a folk or popular song
c. contain mostly original, through-composed music
d. have sections sung in other languages
e. use speechlike vocal lines
14. What is one reason that Singspiel became an important genre in Germany?
a. it was a vehicle for singers to perform ornamentation and other vocal pyrotechnics
b. composers adapted imported elements, recitatives for dialogue in particular
c. it was unfamiliar and new, which created new audiences for the genre
d. German playwrights translated and adapted English Ballad operas into German
e. it achieved great renown in musical circles and was played by professional musicians in
concerts
15. Which of the following is not true of reform opera?
a. composers sought to make it more “natural” with more varied structures and less
ornamentation
b. composers alternated recitative and arias more flexibly to move action forward more
quickly and realistically
c. composers used accompanied recitative and ensembles less frequently
d. composers made the orchestra more important, particularly for depicting scenes and
evoking moods
e. composers reinstated the use of chorus
16. Gluck supervised the production of his operas and wanted singers, both soloists and the chorus, to
a. move more realistically and think of themselves as actors
b. draw attention to the text by standing still while singing
c. express the text through colorful and extensive ornamentation
d. draw attention to the orchestral material through coordinated gestures
e. display the agility of their voices
17. The preface to the score of ____________explains the goals of operatic reformers in the mid-1700s.
a. Orfeo ed Euridice d. Alceste
b. Iphigénie en Tauride e. Armide
c. Iphigénie en Aulide
18. Composers published many songs for home performance in different countries, reflecting the
a. rise of professional pianists
b. increased use of guitar for accompaniment
c. change in quality and quantity of professional performers who sang at people’s homes
 d. growing presence of composers who were unable or unwilling to write opera or large-
scale church works
e. growing interest in amateur music-making
19. Which of the following is not a typical characteristic of German Lieder in the 1700s?
a. opportunity for virtuosic display
b. strophic, lyric poetry
c. melodies that were easy, even for untrained singers
d. accompaniment that was subordinate to vocal line
e. composition style that aimed to please the performer and the listener
20. Songs of the late eighteenth century are infrequently performed today, yet they embody the ideals of
the Enlightenment because they
a. feature clear, direct melodies
b. frequently use word-painting
c. express feelings indirectly
d. match the accents and moods of each stanza of the text
e. feature difficult and virtuosic accompaniments
21. ____________ church musicians employed the musical idioms of opera, such as orchestral
accompaniments, da capo arias, accompanied recitatives, and choruses, to express the text and inspire
listeners in worship services.
a. Pietist d. Methodist
b. Anglican e. Mennonite
c. Catholic
22. The Stabat Mater by ____________ became one of the most popular and frequently printed musical
works of the century.
a. J. S. Bach d. G. B. Pergolesi
b. C. H. Graun e. Leonardo Vinci
c. C. W. Gluck
23. Congregations in New England were encouraged to read music, which led to the development of
a. singing schools
b. music classes in public schools
c. private piano lessons
d. church choir directors who taught their choirs to read music
e. books that let people teach themselves musical notation
24. Most of William Billings’s compositions were “plain tunes,” but later collections included
____________, pieces that open with a syllabic and homophonic section, feature a passage in free
imitation, and close with voices again in homophony.
a. fancy tunes d. anthems
b. psalm-singer tunes e. fuging tunes
c. continental harmonies
25. William Billings declared independence from normal rules of counterpoint, and wrote that he had
devised a better set of rules. He often used
a. parallel octaves and fifths and open chords without thirds
b. chromaticism
c. dissonances that were resolved unconventionally
d. tritones and other problematic intervals
e. unusual rhythms, including syncopations