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Multiple Choice Quiz
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1
Arias became the focal point of operas because...
A)they could not stand apart from the story of the opera.
B)they are more expressive than recitative.
C)they were often in a symmetrically balanced form of ABAB.
D)they were sung by a choir.
2
Which of the following terms does NOT describe some aspect of a system for improvising an accompaniment?
A)basso continuo
B)arioso
C)figured bass
D)ground bass
3
Why were castrati used in Baroque music?
A)Because it was not appropriate for women to sing men's roles.
B)Because English musicians developed the castrati voice into a high art form.
C)Because heroic male roles could only be sung by tenors or basses.
D)Because their voices were high, clear, and strong.
4
The earliest surviving Italian opera is...
A)Castrato.
B)Orfeo.
C)Eurydice.
D)Dido and Aeneas.
5
The chorus music of an opera is more homophonic because...
A)choral singers were less experienced at singing more complex polyphonic music.
B)it is easier for the audience to understand the words that are sung by a group.
C)composers did not want the singers to repeat important sections of words.
D)the members of the chorus had to dance and sing at the same time.
6
Greek legends or Roman history were usually used as stories upon which to base a Baroque opera. Why?
A)Because there were copyright problems with contemporary literature.
B)Because composers preferred to set music to the Greek and Latin languages.
C)Because stories of contemporary life and events were not considered important enough for opera.
D)Because male heroes in ancient Greece and Rome were castrati.
7
Figured bass is...
A)played only by a keyboard instrument, such as the harpsichord or an organ.
B)strict. It cannot be improvised.
C)a type of musical shorthand that is written under or beside the bass line.
D)used only in Baroque operas.
8
What is a libretto?
A)A Greek poet.
B)The text of the opera.
C)A type of theater music.
D)A combination of singing and speech.
9
Jean-Baptiste Lully headed the group that created and supported a distinctive style of French opera. Where was Lully born?
A)Italy
B)France
C)England
D)Belgium
10
Which of the following statements is NOT true about monody?
A)Monodic style was developed so that the words of the play could be clearly understood by audiences.
B)In monodic style a solo singer provides the predominant sound and is accompanied by basso continuo harmonies.
C)Greek actors of ancient times were the first to sing in the monodic style.
D)Monodic texture is homophonic because it it includes only a single prevailing melody with accompaniment.
11
Which of the following statements regarding recitative is NOT true?
A)When vocal recitative is accompanied by basso continuo in addition to other instruments, it is called secco recitative.
B)The musical rhythms of recitative are flexible and are dictated by the natural inflection of words.
C)Recitative is a combination of singing and speech that serves as dialogue in Baroque operas.
D)The tempo of recitative is slowed down or speeded up according to the singer's interpretation of the text.
12
Who composed Dido and Aeneas?
A)Jean-Baptiste Lully
B)Claudio Monteverdi
C)Henry Purcell
D)Jacob Peri
13
The earliest operas were performed...
A)in public opera houses.
B)in the camarata.
C)in churches.
D)for gatherings of aristocrats.
14
The Baroque era emerged in Italy around what time?
A)Around 1600
B)Around 1450
C)Around the time of the Bubonic Plague in London.
D)Around 1750





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