Part III. The Baroque Period Student: ___________________________________________________________________________ 1. The word baroque has at various times meant all of the following except A. elaborately ornamented. B. flamboyant. C. bizarre. D. naturalistic. Answer: D 2. Modern historians use the term baroque to indicate A. a particular style in the arts. B. a period of decline in the arts. C. a class of musical instruments that no longer function. D. a scientific movement popular in the seventeenth century. Answer: A 3. All of the following were baroque painters except A. Gian Lorenzo Bernini. B. Isaac Newton. C. Peter Paul Rubens. D. Rembrandt van Rijn. Answer: B 4. Baroque painters exploited their materials to expand the potential of ____________ to create totally structured worlds. A. color B. ornament and detail C. depth D. All answers are correct. Answer: D 5. Baroque style flourished in music during the period A. 1000-1250. B. 1250-1450. C. 1450-1600. D. 1600-1750. Answer: D 6. The baroque, as a stylistic period in western art music, encompassed the years A. 1450-1600. B. 1600-1750. C. 1750-1820. D. 1820-1900. Answer: B 7. The two giants of baroque composition were George Frideric Handel and A. Johann Christian Bach. B. Johann Sebastian Bach. C. Giovanni Gabrieli. D. Galileo Galilei. Answer: B 8. All of the following were major baroque composers except A. Wolfgang A. Mozart. B. Claudio Monteverdi. C. Antonio Vivaldi. D. Arcangelo Corelli. Answer: A 9. Which of the following statements is not true? A. B. C. Baroque art is a complex mixture of rationalism, sensuality, materialism, and spirituality. The late baroque period was one of the most revolutionary periods in music history. Early baroque composers favored homophonic texture over the polyphonic texture typical of Renaissance music. D. Regardless of form, baroque music features contrasts between bodies of sound. Answer: B 10. One of the most revolutionary periods in music history was the A. Renaissance. B. early baroque. C. middle baroque. D. late baroque. Answer: B 11. The early baroque was characterized by A. elaborate counterpoint. B. homophonic texture. C. development of the standardized orchestra. D. diffusion of the style into every corner of Europe. Answer: B 12. The early baroque period spanned the years A. 1567-1643. B. 1640-1690. C. 1600-1640. D. 1690-1750. Answer: C 13. Monteverdi, an early baroque composer, strove to create music that was A. difficult to perform. B. passionate and dramatic. C. extremely complex. D. placid and smooth. Answer: B 14. The early and late baroque periods differed in that composers in the early baroque A. favored polyphonic texture. B. favored homophonic texture. C. used extremely complex harmonies. D. favored purely instrumental music. Answer: B 15. The middle baroque was characterized by A. elaborate counterpoint. B. homophonic texture. C. the development of the standardized orchestra. D. a diffusion of the style into every corner of Europe. Answer: D 16. The middle baroque period spanned the years A. 1567-1643. B. 1640-1690. C. 1600-1640. D. 1690-1750. Answer: B 17. Composers in the middle baroque phase favored writing compositions for instruments of the ____________ family. A. brass B. violin C. percussion D. woodwind Answer: B 18. By about ____________, major or minor scales were the tonal basis of most compositions. A. 1500 B. 1600 C. 1690 D. 1750 Answer: C 19. Instrumental music became as important as vocal music for the first time in the ____________ period. A. Renaissance B. early baroque C. middle baroque D. late baroque Answer: D 20. The late baroque period spanned the years A. 1567-1643. B. 1640-1690. C. 1600-1640. D. 1690-1750. Answer: D 21. Affections in baroque usage refers to A. the nobility's manner of deportment. B. the doctrine of universal brotherhood. C. terraced dynamics. D. emotional states or moods of music. Answer: D 22. A baroque musical composition usually expresses ____________within the same movement. A. one basic mood B. a wide variety of moods C. constantly changing moods D. All answers are correct. Answer: A 23. The baroque principle of ____________ may be temporarily suspended in vocal music when drastic changes of emotion in a text inspires corresponding changes in the music. A. basso continuo B. unity of mood C. terraced dynamics D. All answers are correct. Answer: B 24. The compelling drive and energy in baroque music are usually provided by A. a bawdy text. B. complex harmonic progressions. C. repeated rhythmic patterns. D. the high dynamic level. Answer: C 25. Baroque melodies often are A. elaborate and ornamental. B. easy to sing and remember. C. impossible to play. D. short and simple. Answer: A 26. Baroque melodies give the impression of A. balance and symmetry. B. being carelessly composed. C. tonal vagueness. D. dynamic expansion. Answer: D 27. Melodic sequence refers to A. a composition by Vivaldi. B. a preferred method of tuning an instrument. C. the successive repetition of a musical idea at higher or lower pitches. D. the pedagogical steps in learning to play an instrument. Answer: C 28. A characteristic often found in baroque melodies is A. one long continuous phrase with long sustained notes. B. one short phrase followed by continuous repetition of the same phrase. C. a symmetrical frame with two long phrases of equal length. D. a short opening phrase followed by a longer phrase with an unbroken flow of rapid notes. Answer: D 29. Terraced dynamics refers to A. a gradual change from soft to loud. B. a gradual change from loud to soft. C. the sudden alternation from one dynamic level to another. D. dynamics that are not written in the music but added by the performer. Answer: C 30. In the baroque era, dynamics consisted mainly of sudden alterations between loud and soft called A. cantus firmus. B. terraced dynamics. C. basso continuo. D. basso ostinato. Answer: B 31. The main keyboard instruments of the baroque period were the organ and the A. clavichord. B. harpsichord. C. piano. D. accordion. Answer: B 32. A popular keyboard instrument in which sound was produced by means of brass blades striking the strings was the A. clavichord. B. harpsichord. C. basso continuo. D. organ. Answer: A 33. The most characteristic feature of baroque music is its use of A. gradual dynamic changes. B. monophonic texture. C. basso continuo. D. simple singable melodies. Answer: C 34. A bass part together with numbers (figures) that specify the chords to be played above it is called A. basso continuo. B. harpsichord. C. basso profundo. D. counterpoint. Answer: A 35. The orchestra evolved during the baroque period into a performing group based on instruments of the ____________ family. A. violin B. woodwind C. brass D. percussion Answer: A 36. The word movement in music normally refers to A. music for the ballet. B. a piece that sounds fairly complete and independent but is part of a larger composition. C. the rising and falling of the melodic contour. D. the rhythm of a piece. Answer: B 37. Which of the following statements is not true? A. A large court during the baroque might employ more than eighty performers, including the finest opera singers of the day. B. Audiences in the baroque period were most anxious to hear old familiar favorites, and did not care for new music. C. In Italy, music schools were often connected with orphanages. D. Church musicians in the baroque period earned lower pay and had less status than court musicians. Answer: B 38. A large court during the baroque period might employ about ____________ performers. A. 18 B. 24 C. 80 D. 120 Answer: C 39. The music director of a baroque court was usually not responsible for A. supervising and directing the musical performances. B. composing much of the music desired. C. the discipline of the other musicians. D. publicity in reaching an audience. Answer: D 40. Frederick the Great, king of Prussia, was a A. flutist. B. general. C. composer. D. All answers are correct. Answer: D 41. The position of the composer during the baroque period was that of A. a free agent working on commissions. B. an equal to the nobility, based on merit. C. a high-class servant with few personal rights. D. a low-class wandering minstrel. Answer: C 42. In the baroque period, the ordinary citizen's opportunities for hearing music usually came from the A. corner tavern. B. church. C. concert hall. D. court. Answer: B 43. In Italy, music schools were often connected with A. orphanages. B. courts of the nobility. C. public schools. D. universities. Answer: A 44. To get a job, a musician had to A. be the son of a musician. B. go to a conservatory for thorough training. C. marry the retiring musician's daughter. D. pass a difficult examination. Answer: D 45. A concerto grosso most often has ____________ movement(s). A. one B. two C. three D. four Answer: C 46. The large group of players in a concerto grosso is known as the A. concertino. B. orchestra. C. soloists. D. tutti. Answer: D 47. The concerto grosso most often has three movements whose tempo markings are A. fast, slow, fast. B. fast, fast, slow. C. slow, fast, slow. D. slow, slow, fast. Answer: A 48. The first and last movements of the concerto grosso are often in ____________ form. A. theme and variations B. sonata C. ritornello D. ternary Answer: C 49. Which of the following statements is not true? A. A concerto grosso normally involves two to four soloists, and anywhere from eight to twenty or more musicians for the tutti. B. A concerto grosso presents a contrast of texture between the tutti and the soloists, who assert their individuality and appeal for attention through brilliant and fanciful melodic lines. C. A concerto grosso normally involves a large group of soloists accompanied by an equal number of supporting players. D. The first and last movements of concerti grossi are often in ritornello form, a form that features the alternation between tutti and solo sections. Answer: C 50. The solo instruments in Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 are the ____________, violin, and harpsichord. A. trumpet B. cello C. flute D. oboe Answer: C 51. Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 is unusual in that A. it consists of a single movement. B. it consists of four movements. C. it gives a solo role to the harpsichord. D. the first movement is not in typical ritornello form. Answer: C 52. A musical ornament consisting of the rapid alternation of two tones that are a whole or half step apart is a A. trill. B. shake. C. blurb. D. wobble. Answer: A 53. A polyphonic composition based on one main theme is the A. subject. B. concerto. C. episode. D. fugue. Answer: D 54. The main theme of a fugue is called the A. answer. B. subject. C. countersubject. D. episode. Answer: B 55. When the subject of a fugue is presented in the dominant scale, it is called the A. answer. B. countersubject. C. episode. D. stretto. Answer: A 56. In many fugues, the subject in one voice is constantly accompanied in another voice by a different melodic idea called a(n) A. answer. B. countersubject. C. episode. D. stretto. Answer: B 57. Transitional sections of a fugue that offer either new material or fragments of the subject or countersubject are called A. answers. B. episodes. C. preludes. D. strettos. Answer: B 58. ____________ is a musical procedure in which a fugue subject is imitated before it is completed. A. Augmentation B. Diminution C. Retrograde D. Stretto Answer: D 59. A ____________ is a single tone, usually in the bass, that is held while the other voices produce a series of changing harmonies against it. A. pedal point B. pitch C. basso continuo D. basso ostinato Answer: A 60. Turning the subject of a fugue upside down, or reversing the direction of each interval, is called A. inversion. B. stretto. C. retrograde. D. countersubject. Answer: A 61. Presenting the subject of a fugue from right to left, or beginning with the last and proceeding backward to the first note, is called A. inversion. B. stretto. C. augmentation. D. retrograde. Answer: D 62. Presenting the subject of a fugue in lengthened time values is called A. inversion. B. augmentation. C. retrograde. D. diminution. Answer: B 63. Presenting the subject of a fugue in shortened time values is called A. inversion. B. augmentation. C. retrograde. D. diminution. Answer: D 64. Very often an independent fugue is introduced by a short piece called a(n) A. overture. B. prelude. C. concerto. D. pedal point. Answer: B 65. An ____________ is a play, set to music, sung to orchestral accompaniment, with scenery, costumes, and action. A. overture B. opera C. aria D. ensemble Answer: B 66. The text, or book, of a musical dramatic work is called the A. form. B. libretto. C. story. D. score. Answer: B 67. Which of the following statements is not true? A. B. C. D. The terms ensemble and chorus are synonymous. Voice categories in opera are divided more finely than in other musical genres. Operas may contain spoken dialogue, but most are sung entirely. Opera soloists must create a wide variety of characters, and so need acting skills as well as vocal artistry. Answer: A 68. A song for solo voice with orchestral accompaniment is called a/an A. aria. B. duet. C. ensemble. D. solo. Answer: A 69. ____________ refers to a vocal line that imitates the rhythms and pitch fluctuations of speech. A. Aria B. Duet C. Recitative D. Ensemble Answer: C 70. A ____________ is a singer with a low range who usually takes comic roles. A. tenor B. basso buffo C. basso profundo D. buffoon Answer: B 71. A ____________ is a singer with a very low range and powerful voice, who usually takes roles calling for great dignity. A. tenor B. basso buffo C. basso profundo D. buffoon Answer: C 72. A(n) ____________ is a musical number for two solo voices with orchestral accompaniment. A. aria B. ensemble C. duet D. chorus Answer: C 73. A(n) ____________ is an operatic number involving three or more leading singers. A. aria B. ensemble C. duet D. chorus Answer: B 74. The ____________ is the person who beats time, indicates expression, cues in musicians, and controls the balance among instruments and voices. A. prima donna B. prompter C. concertmaster D. conductor Answer: D 75. An ____________ is an orchestral composition performed before the curtain rises on a dramatic work. A. overture B. aria C. opera D. opening Answer: A 76. Members of the Camerata wanted to create a new vocal style based on the A. music of the ancient Greek tragedies. B. glories of their aristocratic patrons. C. organum of the Middle Ages. D. polyphonic madrigal. Answer: A 77. The members of the Camerata wanted the vocal line of their music to follow A. standard rules of musical theory. B. the rhythms and pitch fluctuations of speech. C. the lines of contrapuntal writing. D. set metrical and melodic patterns. Answer: B 78. Most early baroque operas were based on Greek mythology and A. contemporary political events. B. lyric poetry. C. ancient history. D. contemporary exploration of the new world. Answer: C 79. Which of the following statements is not true? A. B. Most early baroque operas were based on Greek mythology and ancient history. The members of the Florentine Camerata based their theories on actual dramatic music that had come down to them from the Greeks. C. The members of the Florentine Camerata wanted to create a new vocal style modeled on the music of ancient Greek tragedy. D. Polyphony was rejected by the members of the Florentine Camerata because different words sounding simultaneously would obscure the text. Answer: B 80. The first opera house in Europe to offer entry to anyone with the price of admission opened in 1637 in A. Hamburg. B. London. C. Rome. D. Venice. Answer: D 81. The earliest opera that has been preserved is Jacopo Peri's A. Euridice. B. Orfeo. C. Nerone. D. Arsace. Answer: A 82. The stage machinery of baroque opera A. was very primitive. B. bordered on the colossal. C. was nonexistent. D. replaced set designs. Answer: B 83. Castrati A. received the highest fees of any musicians. B. combined the lung power of a man with the vocal range of a woman. C. were male singers who had been castrated before puberty. D. All answers are correct. Answer: D 84. Speechlike melody accompanied only by a basso continuo is called A. basso ostinato. B. accompanied recitative. C. secco recitative. D. congregational singing. Answer: C 85. A typical baroque operatic form was the da capo aria in ABA form in which the singer A. would make a literal repetition of the opening A section after the B section. B. was expected to embellish the returning melody with ornamental tones. C. would insert recitatives between the sections for added variety. D. improvise new words for the returning A section. Answer: B 86. Embellishments are A. ornamental tones not printed in the music that seventeenth- and eighteenth-century performers were expected to add to the melody. B. music created at the same time it is performed. C. notes printed in the music that embellish the melody D. obsolete in contemporary performances Answer: A 87. Monteverdi spent the greater part of his career in A. Notre Dame, Paris. B. The Duomo, Florence. C. St. Mark's, Venice. D. the Vatican, Rome. Answer: C 88. To evoke angry or warlike feelings in some of his texts, Monteverdi introduced new orchestral effects, including pizzicato and A. tremolo. B. double stops. C. sul ponticello. D. col legno. Answer: A 89. To achieve intensity of expression, Monteverdi used ____________ with unprecedented freedom and daring. A. skips B. texts C. consonances D. dissonances Answer: D 90. Monteverdi's vocal music ordinarily was supported by a ____________ and other instruments. A. bassoon B. trumpet C. basso continuo D. string bass Answer: C 91. Orpheus goes to Hades in the hope of bringing ____________ back to life. A. Eurydice B. Phyllis C. Persephone D. Oriana Answer: A 92. Which of the following statements is not true? A. B. C. Monteverdi's Orfeo, composed in 1607, is considered to be the earliest operatic masterpiece. All twelve of Monteverdi's operas are regularly performed in Europe and America. Monteverdi creates variety in Orfeo by using many kinds of music, combining recitatives, arias, duets, choruses, and instrumental interludes into one dramatic whole. D. Monteverdi's works form a musical bridge between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and greatly influenced composers of the time. Answer: B 93. Which of the following statements is not true? A. Henry Purcell was virtually unknown in his own time, but today is considered England’s most significant composer from the Baroque Era. B. Purcell mastered all the musical forms of late seventeenth-century England, including church music, secular choral music, music for small groups of instruments, songs, and music for the stage. C. Purcell's music is filled with lively rhythms and a fresh melodic style that captures the spirit of English folk songs. D. Dido, in Virgil's epic poem that Purcell used as the basis for his opera Dido and Aeneas, was queen of Carthage. Answer: A 94. The respect given Henry Purcell by his fellow Englishmen is evidenced by his burial in A. Potter's Field. B. Westminster Abbey. C. Buckingham Palace. D. Canterbury Cathedral. Answer: B 95. ____________ is a musical idea repeated over and over in the bass while melodies above it constantly change. A. Basso ostinato B. Basso profundo C. Basso continuo D. Thoroughbass Answer: A 96. Dido and Aeneas, which many consider to be the finest opera ever written to an English text, was composed by A. Claudio Monteverdi. B. Henry Purcell. C. George Frideric Handel. D. Jeremiah Clarke. Answer: B 97. Henry Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas was inspired by the Aeneid, an epic poem by A. Homer. B. Virgil. C. Nahum Tate. D. Dido. Answer: B 98. The sonata in the baroque period was a composition in several movements for A. a solo instrument. B. three solo instruments. C. two to four instruments. D. one to eight instruments. Answer: D 99. Baroque trio sonatas usually involve ____________ performers. A. two B. three C. four D. five Answer: C 100. A sonata intended to be played in church, and therefore dignified and suitable for sacred performance, was called a A. sonata da camera. B. trio sonata. C. sonata da chiesa. D. basso ostinato. Answer: C 101. A sonata to be played at court, and therefore dancelike in character, was called a A. sonata da camera. B. trio sonata. C. sonata da chiesa. D. tarantella. Answer: A 102. Which of the following statements is not true? A. The trio sonata usually involved three performers, two on high instruments and one on a bass line. B. The sonata da chiesa had a dignified character and was suitable for sacred performance. C. Sonatas were played in palaces, in homes, and even before, during, and after church services. D. The sonata originated in Italy but spread to Germany, England, and France during the seventeenth century. Answer: A 103. Corelli's Trio Sonata in A Minor, op. 3, no. 10, consists of four short movements, all in the same A. meter. B. key. C. tempo. D. mood. Answer: B 104. Corelli's Trio Sonata in A Minor, op. 3, no. 10, is scored for A. two violins. B. solo violin and orchestra. C. two violins and basso continuo. D. piano, violin and cello. Answer: C 105. Characteristic of baroque trio sonatas, the second movement of Corelli's Trio Sonata in A Minor, op. 3, no. 10, is A. slow and dignified. B. songlike. C. fugue-like. D. a dance. Answer: C 106. The theorbo is a(n) A. bass woodwind instrument similar to the bassoon. B. electronic instrument whose tone is generated by oscillators. C. plucked string instrument capable of producing chords as well as a bass line. D. keyboard instrument suitable for playing basso continuo parts. Answer: C 107. Vivaldi spent most of his life working at an institution for orphaned and illegitimate girls in A. Rome. B. Venice. C. Florence. D. Cremona. Answer: B 108. Which of the following statements is not true? A. B. Some of Vivaldi's instrumental concertos were arranged by J. S. Bach. For most of his life, Vivaldi was a violin teacher, composer, and conductor at the music school of the Pietà, an institution for orphaned or illegitimate girls in Venice. C. Like Corelli, Vivaldi wrote only instrumental music. D. Vivaldi's solo concertos The Four Seasons are examples of baroque program music, or instrumental music associated with a story, poem, idea, or scene. Answer: C 109. Some of Vivaldi's instrumental concertos were arranged by A. Arcangelo Corelli. B. Johann Sebastian Bach. C. George Frideric Handel. D. Claudio Monteverdi. Answer: B 110. Vivaldi was famous and influential as a virtuoso A. harpsichordist. B. opera singer. C. lutenist. D. violinist. Answer: D 111. Vivaldi wrote approximately ____________ concerti grossi and solo concertos. A. 10 B. 30 C. 95 D. 450 Answer: D 112. A Vivaldi concerto usually has ____________ movements. A. a variable number of B. two C. three D. four Answer: C 113. Vivaldi wrote concertos A. only for string instruments. B. only for violins with continuo. C. for a great variety of instruments. D. only for keyboard instruments. Answer: C 114. The longest period of Johann Sebastian Bach's professional life was spent as director of music at St. Thomas's Church in A. Rome. B. Leipzig. C. Cöthen. D. Eisenach. Answer: B 115. Of Bach's twenty children, ____________ went on to become well-known composers. A. two B. three C. four D. five Answer: C 116. While at Leipzig, Bach A. taught organ and composition, gave recitals, and was often asked to judge the construction of organs. B. was responsible for the musical education of some 55 students in the St. Thomas school. C. rehearsed, conducted, and usually composed an extended work for chorus, soloists and orchestra for each Sunday and holiday of the church year. D. All answers are correct. Answer: D 117. Bach was recognized as the most eminent ____________ of his day. A. organist B. composer C. violinist D. cellist Answer: A 118. Bach created masterpieces in every baroque form except the A. opera. B. concerto. C. fugue. D. sonata. Answer: A 119. Bach's personal musical style was drawn from A. Italian concertos. B. French dance pieces. C. German church music. D. All answers are correct. Answer: D 120. Bach achieves unity of mood in his compositions by using A. homophonic texture. B. musical symbolism. C. an insistent rhythmic drive. D. simple melodic ideas. Answer: C 121. Sets of dance-inspired instrumental movements are called A. sonatas. B. concertos. C. suites. D. cantatas. Answer: C 122. A two-part collection of preludes and fugues, one in each major and minor key, basic to the repertoire of keyboard players today, is Bach's A. Art of the Fugue. B. Well-Tempered Clavier. C. St. Matthew Passion. D. Brandenburg Concertos. Answer: B 123. Which of the following statements is not true? A. B. C. Baroque suites often begin with a French overture. The baroque suite is a musical form exclusive to the orchestra. A baroque suite is made up of different movements that are all written in the same key but differ in tempo, meter, and character. D. The various dances of the baroque suite are usually in AABB form. Answer: B 124. Although all the movements of a baroque suite are in the same key, they differ in A. meter. B. national origin. C. tempo. D. All answers are correct. Answer: D 125. Which of the following is not a part of the baroque suite? A. Allemande B. Waltz C. Sarabande D. Gigue Answer: B 126. The various dances of the baroque suite are usually A. polyphonic in texture. B. in theme and variation form. C. in AABB form. D. in ABA form. Answer: C 127. Baroque suites frequently begin with a A. French overture. B. gavotte. C. gigue. D. sarabande. Answer: A 128. The French overture has A. two sections: slow-fast. B. two sections: fast-slow. C. three sections: fast-slow-fast. D. one continuous section. Answer: A 129. In Bach's day, the Lutheran church service lasted about ____________ hour(s). A. one B. two C. three D. four Answer: D 130. The Lutheran chorale tunes A. had been adapted from Catholic hymns. B. were composed in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. C. had been adapted from folk songs. D. All answers are correct. Answer: D 131. The ____________ is a Lutheran congregational hymn tune. A. cantata B. chorale C. chorale prelude D. recitative Answer: B 132. Congregational singing of chorales was an important way for people to A. stay awake during long sermons. B. participate directly in the service. C. learn new music. D. All answers are correct. Answer: B 133. The ____________ is an instrumental composition based on a chorale. A. suite B. chorale prelude C. sinfonia D. cantata Answer: B 134. A ____________ is a short instrumental composition based on a hymn tune that reminds the congregation of the hymn's melody. A. chorale prelude B. fugue C. cantata D. chorale Answer: A 135. A sung piece, or choral work with or without vocal soloists, usually with orchestral accompaniment, is the A. cantata. B. chorale prelude. C. concerto grosso. D. sonata. Answer: A 136. When chorale melodies were harmonized for church choir, the tune was given to the A. alto voice. B. congregation. C. bass voice. D. tenor. Answer: B 137. In their use of aria, duet, and recitative, Bach's cantatas closely resembled the ____________ of the time. A. suites B. operas C. concertos D. sonatas Answer: B 138. Which of the following statements is not true? A. Lutheran chorales were tunes that had been composed in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries or had been adapted from folk songs and Catholic hymns. B. In a sense, the cantata was a sermon in music that reinforced the minister's sermon. C. When chorale melodies were harmonized for church choirs, the tune was assigned to the tenors. D. The cantata of Bach's day might last 25 minutes and contain several different movements, including choruses, recitatives, arias, and duets. Answer: C 139. Which of the following statements is not true? A. B. C. Oratorios first appeared in England. Oratorio differs from opera in that it has no acting, scenery, or costumes. An oratorio is a large-scale composition for chorus, vocal soloists, and orchestra, usually set to a narrative text. D. The first oratorios were based on stories from the Bible. Answer: A 140. A large-scale composition for chorus, vocal soloists, and orchestra, usually set to a narrative biblical text, is called A. chorale. B. aria. C. recitative. D. oratorio. Answer: D 141. Oratorio differs from opera in that it has no A. orchestral accompaniment. B. acting, scenery, or costumes. C. choral part. D. vocal soloists. Answer: B 142. The first oratorios were based on A. Greek mythology. B. contemporary literature. C. Greek and Roman literature. D. stories from the Bible. Answer: D 143. The ____________ in an oratorio is especially important and serves either to comment on or to participate in the drama. A. narrator B. chorus C. orchestra D. vocal soloist Answer: B 144. An element of the oratorio that is especially important and serves to comment on or participate in the drama is the A. narrator. B. chorus. C. vocal soloist. D. orchestra. Answer: B 145. Pieces of an oratorio are usually connected together by means of A. a narrator's recitatives. B. choruses. C. duets. D. arias. Answer: A 146. In oratorio, the story is carried forward by the A. arias. B. chorus. C. narrator's recitatives. D. duets. Answer: C 147. Oratorios first appeared in A. Germany. B. England. C. Italy. D. France. Answer: C 148. George Frideric Handel was born in 1685, the same year as A. Johann Sebastian Bach. B. Arcangelo Corelli. C. Claudio Monteverdi. D. Antonio Vivaldi. Answer: A 149. Handel spent the major portion of his life in A. Germany. B. England. C. Italy. D. Ireland. Answer: B 150. Handel's Messiah is an example of A. an oratorio. B. an opera. C. musical theater. D. a song. Answer: A 151. Although Handel wrote a great deal of instrumental music, the core of his huge output consists of English oratorios and Italian A. operas. B. songs. C. chorales. D. madrigals. Answer: A 152. Handel's oratorios are usually based on A. the Old Testament. B. Greek mythology. C. the New Testament. D. Roman history. Answer: A 153. Which of the following oratorios is not by Handel? A. Messiah B. Elijah C. Israel in Egypt D. Joshua Answer: B 154. Which of the following statements is not true? A. B. The focus of the Handelian oratorio is usually the chorus. Most of Handel's oratorios are without plot or characters since they were primarily intended for church use. C. Messiah, set to a text compiled by Charles Jennings from the Old and New Testaments, is meditative rather than dramatic like Handel's other oratorios. D. Handel's oratorios are usually based on the Old Testament. Answer: B