Free BM or BMus Bachelor of Music Western Music History Questions and Answers

Question 1

Which of the following best describes the principal innovation of the Notre Dame school of polyphony during the 12th and 13th centuries?

Accepted Answer

The development of organum, which systematically added one or more independent vocal lines above a pre-existing plainchant melody.

Answer

The use of vernacular language in sacred texts to make them more accessible to the congregation.

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The invention of the basso continuo to provide harmonic foundation for large ensembles.

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The standardization of equal temperament, allowing for composition in all major and minor keys.

Question 2

A music history student is comparing two Renaissance vocal pieces. Piece A is a sacred, Latin-texted choral work with a serious tone and complex, imitative polyphony. Piece B is a secular, Italian-texted work for a small group of singers that uses expressive word painting to depict themes of love and nature. What are the most likely genres of Piece A and Piece B, respectively?

Accepted Answer

Motet and Madrigal

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Frottola and Chanson

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Gregorian Chant and Madrigal

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Organum and Conductus

Question 3

In a Baroque orchestra, a cellist and a harpsichordist are given a single bass line with numbers and symbols written below the notes. Their role is to provide the harmonic and rhythmic foundation for the ensemble, with the harpsichordist improvising chords based on the figures provided. This practice is known as:

Accepted Answer

Basso Continuo

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Figured Bass

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Ritornello Form

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Monody

Question 4

Which statement accurately describes the primary sections of sonata form as it was established in the Classical period?

Accepted Answer

An Exposition introduces two contrasting themes, a Development explores and fragments these themes, and a Recapitulation restates them in the tonic key.

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A multi-movement structure consisting of a fast movement, a slow movement, a minuet, and a finale.

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A single-movement form with a Prelude, Fugue, and Postlude, where a subject is developed contrapuntally.

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A theme is presented and then altered in a series of Variations, each showcasing a different compositional technique.

Question 5

Hector Berlioz's 'Symphonie fantastique' is a quintessential example of Romantic program music. What specific compositional device did Berlioz use throughout the symphony to musically represent the protagonist's beloved?

Accepted Answer

An Idée fixe, a recurring melody that serves as the structural foundation of the entire work.

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A Leitmotif, a short, recurring musical phrase associated with a particular person, place, or idea.

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A twelve-tone row, where all twelve chromatic pitches are arranged in a fixed order.

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A fugal subject, which is introduced and then imitated by other voices in strict counterpoint.

Question 6

A composer in the early 20th century writes a piece that avoids traditional tonal harmony, instead focusing on creating atmosphere and mood through non-functional chords, parallel motion, and the use of whole-tone and pentatonic scales. This approach is most characteristic of which musical movement?

Accepted Answer

Impressionism

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Serialism

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Neoclassicism

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Expressionism