Introduction to Music Midterm PDF

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Practice questions for the midterm exam...

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For the mid-term exam you will need to answer the following three questions. You will have the entire class period to answer them. You will need to bring your own blue book. These blue books are available at the campus bookstore. If you do not bring a blank blue book you will not be allowed to take the exam! Please prep these questions ahead of time using the textbook and class notes. You may choose to consult other sources as well. You will not need to cite sources on the exam. Each essay should be between 1 and 1 ½ pages. 1. Discuss the changes that took place between the music of the Classical and Romantic Periods. Be sure to discuss trends, influential composers, style characteristics, genres, instrumentations, and specific works as well as non-musical historical events that may have shaped the change. The Classical Period took place from 1750-1825 and was a response to the Enlightenment. During the Enlightenment, the ideas of ancient Greeks and Romans were idealized. These ideas of reason, order, symmetry, balance, and unity can be seen clearly in the music of this time period. Key composers during the Classical Period include Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. Concertos and sonatas were very important in this period, but small symphonies existed as well. Beethoven’s first two symphonies are considered classical but his later ones are considered Romantic. The Romantic Period took place between 1820-1920 and is characterized by highly emotional and passionate music. The first true romantic composer is considered to be Robert Schumann. He wrote many Germans Lieder songs which were songs with German text and piano accompaniment. The Lied was the favorite Romantic-era genre. 2. Bach is considered among the greatest and most influential composers of all time. Discuss the career of Bach, his music and what made him so important as a composer. Bach was one of the most important figures in the Baroque era. He was a German composer and musician. In addition to being a renowned composer, he was an organ virtuoso. He was famous for his improvisation. Bach worked for members of the aristocracy including Prince Leopold, before becoming the Cantor for several churches. He wrote many secular and sacred works, and wrote suites, concertos, sonatas, and Church cantatas. Bach wrote over a thousand pieces of music. Two hundred of his cantatas survive today, and each cantata has five to eight movements. Cantatas are an integral part of a church service. Bach was a devout Lutheran and most of his music reflects his relationship with God. Bach was influenced by his contemporaries, but he reworked their ideas to make music that was his own style. His music has had a huge influence on all composers who have followed. 3. Discuss sacred music in the Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque periods. Be sure to include style traits, genres, composers and specific works for each as well as nonmusical historical events that were influential on the music.

During the medieval period, sacred music was centered around the monastery. Life in the monastery was all about discipline and devotion. Music often consisted of Gregorian chants which had a single-line melody and thus were monophonic. Hildegard of Bingen was an important figure in shaping Medieval sacred music. She founded her own monastery and composed works that resembled Gregorian chants, but were more expressive and contained melismas. During the Renaissance, there was a debate over whether or not polyphony was appropriate for sacred music. Protestants, like John Calvin and Martin Luther had different opinions on whether are not unity was necessary in congregational singing. Catholics, on the other hand, embraced polyphony and brought it into their Mass. Composers focused on incorporating this idea into the Ordinary, which consisted of five prayers sung daily. The reformation and counter reformation had a lot to do with church music. The council of trent met to decide when polyphony was appropriate in sacred music. During the Baroque era, women were very important to sacred music. Nuns in a convent in Milan became famous during this time period for their angelic voices. Men never sang polyphony with the nuns during the service. Women often found a place to express themselves in the church through the polyphony. Another feature of sacred music in this time was that voices were used in combination with instruments, such as the organ....