Music 1500 Study Guide for Exam 2

The second exam primarily covers the Baroque through the Romantic era. The exam is comprised of 55 questions [worth 4 points each for a maximum of 220 possible points]: (matching, multiple choice, true or false, and listening identification of 5 audio examples from a multiple choice list).

Types of questions:

- Match composers to their correct era (10 of these ranging from Renaissance to Romantic)

- Match terms to their correct definition (approx. 25-30 of these on the test)

- Match operas/songs/programmatic works to their basic plot/story (approx. 5 to 10 of these on the test)

- True/false (5 questions based on important issues emphasized in the lectures/videos)

- Listening Identification (5 examples--choose the composer/title from a multiple choice list)

- Match compositions to an important feature they represent (form, genre, technique, etc.)--5 questions linked to the listening ID examples (as we did in Exam 1)

To prepare, you will need to review the following

Review material from Chapters 5-7 (but also know composers from the Renaissance, see below)

-----

Know These Composers: (Be able to match them to their era; also study them in respect to their pieces we have focused on, as indicated below)

Renaissance (be able to match these two Renaissance composers to their era)

- Weekes

- Josquin Desprez

Baroque

- Handel (Messiah)

- Vivaldi (The Four Seasons)

- JS Bach (Little Fugue in G minor, Brandenburg Concerto No. 5)

Classic

- Haydn (Symphony No. 94)

- Mozart (Eine kleine Nachtmusik, Marriage of Figaro [know this basic plot], Don Giovanni [know this basic plot], Symphony No. 40 mvts 1 & 3, Requiem)

- Beethoven (String Quartet in C minor; also know what is special about Symphony 3 [Napoleon reference], Symphony 5 [all movements based on the same 4-note motive], Symphony 6 [5 movements incl. storm scene; German titles for movements] & Symphony 9 [chorus, soloists "Ode to Joy"]

Romantic

- Schubert (Erlkonig [Lied]--know the basic story this song tells)

- Chopin (Nocturne in E-flat [character piece]--know what a "nocturne" is)

- Dvorak (Symphony No. 9 [know that he used Afro-American tunes in this work])

- Smetana (The Moldau [know the basic story this piece tells])

- Bizet (Carmen [know the basic plot])

- Wagner (Lohengrin, Ring of the Nibelungen [Musikdrama; Leitmotif])

- Berlioz (Symphonie fantastique [program symphony])

- Brahms (Symphony No. 3--remember that Brahms was an avid promoter of "absolute music"!)

- Tchaikovsky (Nutcracker [ballet])--also know the term "suite" as a collection of dances

------

Know the following definitions and a musical example if listed: (You may be also asked to match a composer/piece to its description, as in the workbook assignments)

Baroque

- Trio Sonata (know the definition)

- Concerto Grosso (see Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5)

- Solo Concerto --(see, Vivaldi: The Four Seasons)

Remember that the Baroque Concerto uses Ritornello Form

Classic (see textbook pp. 59-60)

- Symphony --see Mozart Symph. 40, Beethoven Symph No. 5

- Sonata (Beethoven: Piano Sonata)

- Requiem = Mass for the Dead

- String Quartet (Beethoven, Quartet in C minor, Op. 18 No. 4)

- Solo Concerto (3 movements)--see Mozart Piano Concerto in A major

Classic Forms: (Know the following--see textbook pp. 55-58

- Sonata Form (exposition, development, recapitulation)

- Theme & Variations form (Ex: Haydn: Symphony No. 94, mvt. 2)

- Minuet & Trio form (common 3rd mvt. form of the Classic 4-mvt. design BEFORE 1800)

- Scherzo & Trio form (common 3rd mvt. form of the Classic 4-mvt. design AFTER 1800)

- Rondo= A B A C A B A (common FINAL movement of Classic instrumental works)

Romantic

- Character Piece--see Chopin, Nocturne in E-flat and Etude in C minor

- Symphonic Poem--see Smetana, The Moldau [know the basic story that this piece tells]

- Program Symphony--see Berlioz, Symphonie fantastique [know the basic story that this piece tells]

- Lieder--see Schubert, Erlkonig [know the basic story that this piece tells]

- Musikdrama (Wagnerian German Opera)--see Wagner, Die Walkure from The Ring of the Nibelungs [know the basic story that this piece tells]

- Verismo (Italian "true to life" opera)--see Leoncavallo, Pagliacci [know the basic story that this piece tells], and Puccini, La Boheme (this piece will be covered after exam 2)

- Ballet--see Tchaikovsky, The Nutcracker [know the basic story that this piece tells]

Miscellaneous concepts to know definitions for:

- Motivic construction (especially in Beethoven's Symphony No. 5)

- The four-movement Classic design

- Standardized Classic Forms (Sonata form, Theme & Var., Minuet & Trio, Rondo)

- Idee fixe (Berlioz Symphonie fantastique)

- Leitmotif (Wagner)

- Absolute music vs. Programmatic music

- Wagner's Ring cycle

- Song cycle-- a multi-movement work comprised of a series of songs based on the same poetry

The Listening portion will be similar to that of Exam 1. Be able to identify the piece you are hearing, as well as to match the piece to a related term. (Listening is Baroque, Classic and Romantic--taken from the following pieces from the online examples)

- Mozart: Eine kleine Nachtmusik (movements 1 and 3)

- Haydn: Symphony No. 94 "Surprise", movement 2

  Beethoven: Symphony No. 5, movement 1

- Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique, movement 4

- Chopin: Nocturne No. 2 in E-Flat

- Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker "March"

- Dvorak: Symphony No. 9, movement 2 ("Largo")

- Wagner: Die Walkure Act III "Vorspiel" ("Prelude to Act III)

Also review the . . .

- E-Workbook Assignments for Chapters 5-7"

- "Summary Charts (Textbook, pp.38, 54, 76)

- For terms/composers, study the WebCT "Practice questions for Exam 2" (see "Study Tools" link on the MU1500 homepage)