BM or BMus Bachelor of Music Western Music History 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: The Notre Dame School of polyphony (c. 1160–1250) is associated with which two principal composers?
- Léonin and Pérotin (Correct answer)
- Machaut and Landini
- Vitry and Muris
- Dunstaple and Dufay
Correct answer: Léonin and Pérotin
Léonin compiled the Magnus Liber Organi and Pérotin expanded it with three- and four-voice organa.
Question 2: Which Renaissance theorist codified the system of church modes in his treatise 'Dodecachordon' (1547)?
- Heinrich Glarean (Correct answer)
- Gioseffo Zarlino
- Pietro Aron
- Franchino Gaffurio
Correct answer: Heinrich Glarean
Glarean's 'Dodecachordon' expanded the traditional eight modes to twelve by adding the Aeolian and Ionian modes.
Question 3: The Florentine Camerata, meeting in the late 16th century, was most directly responsible for the development of:
- Opera and monody (Correct answer)
- The concerto grosso
- Lutheran chorale harmonization
- The equal temperament tuning system
Correct answer: Opera and monody
The Camerata's humanist discussions about ancient Greek music led to the invention of recitative and the first operas.
Question 4: In Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier, the 48 preludes and fugues are organized to demonstrate:
- All 24 major and minor keys in a well-tempered tuning system (Correct answer)
- The twelve modes of Gregorian chant
- A graded pedagogical progression from easy to difficult
- The contrast between French and Italian keyboard styles
Correct answer: All 24 major and minor keys in a well-tempered tuning system
Bach composed a prelude and fugue in every major and minor key to demonstrate the practicality of well-tempered (near-equal) tuning.
Question 5: The term 'empfindsamer Stil' (sensitive style) in mid-18th century music is most closely associated with which composer?
- C.P.E. Bach (Correct answer)
- Johann Stamitz
- Georg Philipp Telemann
- Domenico Scarlatti
Correct answer: C.P.E. Bach
C.P.E. Bach was the central figure of the empfindsamer Stil, characterized by sudden dynamic shifts and expressive, quasi-improvisatory melodies.
Question 6: Franz Liszt's concept of the 'symphonic poem' is best defined as:
- A single-movement orchestral work based on an extra-musical program (Correct answer)
- A multi-movement symphony with vocal soloists
- A tone poem for solo piano with orchestral accompaniment
- A choral work set to a Romantic-era poem
Correct answer: A single-movement orchestral work based on an extra-musical program
Liszt invented the symphonic poem as a single-movement form that translates a literary, pictorial, or philosophical idea into orchestral music.
Question 7: Richard Wagner's term 'Gesamtkunstwerk' refers to his ideal of:
- A total artwork uniting music, poetry, drama, and visual spectacle (Correct answer)
- A complete catalog of all major orchestral works
- A system of continuous melody without arias
- The use of leitmotifs to represent every character
Correct answer: A total artwork uniting music, poetry, drama, and visual spectacle
Gesamtkunstwerk ('total work of art') was Wagner's vision of opera as an equal synthesis of all artistic disciplines.
BM or BMus Bachelor of Music Western Music History 3
The Notre Dame School of polyphony (c. 1160–1250) is associated with which two principal composers?