Chapter 19 Quiz

. Which is a term for placing choirs in separate galleries in a church?

Echolocation

Cori spezzati

Musicum remotum

Reverbium plurum

. Which of the following features would identify a piece of music as one of Monteverdi's "songs of war?"

A rapidly repeated instrumental figure

A bass pattern steadily repeated on ascending musical notes

The use of non-traditional percussion instruments

A cappella singing with a held note in the soprano voice

. Which of the following is a key distinction between the operas Orfeo and Coronation of Poppea?

Monteverdi wrote all of the music for Orfeo, but only orchestrated Coronation of Poppea

Orfeo was intended for performance at court, while Coronation of Poppea premiered in a public Venetian opera house.

Orfeo used a full orchestra, while Coronation of Poppea was performed a cappella.

Orfeo was drawn from the Bible, while Coronation of Poppea was a retelling of an historical event.

. What is the term for the dramatic text of an opera?

Librario

Parolo

Libretto

Book

. Consider the following statement and choose the best response: "Claudio Monteverdi, who published his first piece at the age of 15, worked for more than 20 years at the ducal court of Venice before taking over the post of music director at the cathedral of St. Mark's."

The statement is true.

The statement is false because Monteverdi published his first piece at the age of 25.

The statement is false because Monteverdi worked for more than 20 years at the ducal court of Mantua.

The statement is false because Monteverdi took over the post of music director at the basilica of St. Paul's.

. At the dramatic climax of Orfeo, which mythological character does Orpheus lull to sleep?

Speranza, the personification of hope

Charon, the ferryman for the river Styx

Hades, the god of the underworld

Eurydice, the wife of Hades

. Listen to the selection from "Possente spirto" and identify which of the following Baroque instruments or practices is NOT used.

Continuo

Monody

Cori spezzati

Trill

. Which of the following works demonstrated Monteverdi's mastery of polychoral composition?

The opera Orfeo

The Vesper settings of 1610

The fourth and final book of madrigals

The opera Coronation of Poppea

. Which statement about recitative is NOT true?

The melodic line is lyrical and sweeping, with little regard to the accents and inflections of the text.

In Monteverdi's time, recitative was an attempt to recapture the Greek vocal art of 'monody.'

It is a highly flexible style that imitates the spontaneity of speech.

Recitative enables composers to convey a good deal of text rapidly and efficiently.

. Which did Monteverdi NOT do while working in Venice?

Organize and write music for sacred services

Establish himself as the master of opera, an entirely new musical genre

Produce madrigals, but only for voice alone (no instruments)

Work for the political leader of Venice, known as the Doge

. Consider the following statement and choose the best response: "An opera, which is a dramatic work set to continuous music and acted out on a stage, always includes a chorus, orchestra, and cast of solo singers."

The statement is true.

The statement is false because an opera is not acted out on stage.

The statement is false because operas may, but do not always, include a chorus.

The statement is false because operas are performed a cappella and thus do not include an orchestra.

. "A cappella" music is written for ___.

Voices alone.

Voice and harpsichord.

Organ alone.

Only one singer at a time.

. Listen to the selection from Strozzi's "Voglio morire." What element is used here to unify the composition as a whole?

The regularly repeated ornamentation, or "ritornello," in the vocal part

The percussive effect achieved by rattling the bow of the cello against the bridge

The chords played by the piano at the end of each phrase

The regularly repeating ground bass pattern

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