4.15 Unit Test: Baroque and Opera Music

In this unit test, you will be asked questions about Baroque and Opera music. Be sure to study the relevant information in your textbook and lectures so that you can do your best on the test. Good luck!

The Baroque Era

The Baroque era was a time of great upheaval and transformation in Western music. It was a time when new genres of music were born, and old ones were transformed. This was also a time when new instruments were invented and old ones were perfected. One of the most important genres of music to emerge from this era was opera.

Major Composers

Some of the most famous composers of the Baroque period include Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, and Antonio Vivaldi. These three composer giants each brought their own unique style to the period, which helped to shape the course of Western music.

Johann Sebastian Bach is perhaps best known for his religious music, such as his chorale preludes and masses. However, he also wrote a number of secular works, such as his Brandenburg Concertos and English Suites. Bach’s music is characterized by its complex counterpoint, or the interweaving of multiple melodic lines.

George Frideric Handel was a German-born composer who spent most of his career in England. He is best known for his operas, oratorios, and anthems. His most famous work is the oratorio Messiah, which includes the well-known “Hallelujah” chorus. Handel’s music is characterized by its use of catchy melodies and grandiose effects.

Antonio Vivaldi was an Italian composer who was particularly known for his violin concerti, or solo violin pieces with accompanying orchestra. He also wrote a number of sacred vocal works, such as his Gloria in D major. Vivaldi’s music is characterized by its bright sound and fast tempos.

Characteristics of Baroque Music

The Baroque era was a time of grandeur in all the arts, particularly in music. The word “baroque” comes from the Portuguese word barroco, meaning “oddly shaped pearl.” The term was first used in the late 1600s to describe the ornate and complex style of art, architecture, and music of that period.

Baroque music is characterized by lavishness and a focus on minute detail. Composers wrote long, complex pieces with many different parts that wove together in an intricate tapestry. They used a wide range of dynamics (loudness and softness) to create interest and contrast, and they frequently employed ornamentation—a wide variety of special effects such as trills, turns, slides, and mordents (decorative embellishments).

The early part of the Baroque era (approximately 1600–1650) is sometimes called the “Age of Monteverdi” after the great Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi (1567–1643), who wrote both sacred and secular music. The late Baroque era (approximately 1680–1750) is often called the “Age of Bach” after Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750), one of the most important composers of that time. Other significant Baroque composers include George Frideric Handel (1685–1759), Antonio Vivaldi (1678–1741), Heinrich Schütz (1585–1672), Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1634/35–1704), and Henry Purcell(1659–95).

Opera

Opera is a type of theatre that combines singing and acting, and it originated in Italy in the late 1600s. The first operas were written for public performance in outdoor venues, and they quickly gained popularity. Opera houses were built to accommodate the growing popularity of the art form, and today, operas are performed in opera houses all over the world.

Major Composers

During the Baroque period, many great composers emerged, writing some of the most beautiful and well-known music ever written. Here are some of the most famous:

Johann Sebastian Bach: Often considered the greatest composer of all time, Bach was a master of both sacred and secular music. His works include the Brandenburg Concertos, the Goldberg Variations, and Mass in B minor.

Georg Friedrich Händel: One of the most popular composers of his day, Händel was known for his grandiose operas and dramatic oratorios. His most famous works include Messiah, Water Music, and Music for the Royal Fireworks.

Antonio Vivaldi: A contemporary of Händel, Vivaldi was known as “The Red Priest” because of his flaming red hair. He composed hundreds of concertos, including The Four Seasons.

Characteristics of Opera Music

Opera is a form of theatre in which music has a leading role and the parts are taken by singers, but is distinct from musical theatre. Such a “work” (the literal translation of “opera”) is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librettist and incorporates a number of the performing arts, such as acting, scenery, and sometimes dance or ballet. The performance is typically given in an opera house, accompanied by an orchestra or smaller musical ensemble, which since the early 19th century has been led by a conductor.

Unit Test

In this unit test, you will be asked questions about Baroque and Opera Music. You will need to know basic information about these topics in order to do well on the test. The test will be multiple choice and fill in the blank. There is no listening component to this test.

Listening Section

In the Listening section, you will hear excerpts from different pieces of music. Some of the excerpts will be complete pieces, while others will be parts of larger pieces. After each excerpt, you will hear one or more questions about the excerpt. The questions will be spoken only once, and they will not be printed in your test book. You will have a short time to look at the questions before you hear the excerpt.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is the primary difference between Baroque and Classical music?
-A. The instruments used
-B. The form of the composition
-C. The manner of performance
-D. The scale on which the music is written

2. Why were castrati included in many Baroque-era operas?
-A. They were considered to be more noble than commoners, and their voices were seen as closer to the angels.
-B. They were able to sing both the male and female parts, making them more versatile than other singers.
-C. They added an element of comic relief to what would otherwise have been serious operas.
-D. Their high-pitched voices were able to fill a large opera house without the use of electronic amplification.

3. In what country did opera first develop?
-A. England
-B. France
-C. Italy
-D .Germany

True or False Questions

1. The hearbeat of the Baroque dance was quick-slow-quick.
2. In the 1600s, an opera was a short, simple story, set to music and sung by a small number of professional singers.
3. The first public opera performance took place in Venice in 1637.
4. Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo was the first known opera.
5. The words of an opera are called the libretto.
6. In an Italian opera, the recitative is used to further the plot by relating what has happened or what will happen next in the story.
7. The da capo aria was characterized by its simple melody and structure as well as its repetition at the end of the piece.
8. An allegro is a fast tempo Marked by hurry, bustle, or excitement.
9. The word “symphony” comes from the Greek for “sounding together.”
10 .The first known symphony was composed by Giovanni Gabrieli in 1597

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the difference between Baroque music and Opera?
2. What are some of the similarities and differences between the two genres?
3. Who were some of the most famous composers of Baroque music?
4. Who were some of the most famous composers of Opera?
5. What are some of the most famous pieces of Baroque music?
6. What are some of the most famous pieces of Opera?