Final Review MUS 4 – Spring 2011
Final Exam- Friday, May 27th 12 – 1:50 pm
TOPICS
1– Impressionism (Read: p241-247)
*Listening Guide 28 – “Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun” by Claude Debussy
-Impressionism is associated with: French symbolist poetry and specific artists… who
are they? ___________________________________________
-Topics: Claude Debussy, what happens to the 20th century orchestra? (It becomes
bigger or smaller?)
2– Stravinsky – (Read: p252-255) + movie
*Listening Guide 29 “The Rite of Spring” by Igor Stravinsky
Topics: The Rite of Spring ballet
3 – 12 Tone Music – (Read: p257-260)
*Listening Guide 30 “Pierrot Lunaire #18” by Arnold Schoenberg
Vocabulary: matrix, sprechstimme
Topics: 2nd Viennese School (who are they?), What is 12-tone composition?
4 – Prokofiev, Shostakovich, and composing under Stalin
*Listening: “Lieutenant Kije Suite (mvt. 3 Troika)” by Prokofiev
“Foxtrot” (from Jazz Suite no.1) by Shostakovich
Topics: Composing during Stalin’s regime, Socialist Realism vs. Formalism
(Be ready to give examples of genres and styles that will fit in to each of those
two categories.
5 – Jazz and Blues (Read: p270-280)
*Listening Guide 34 – “Take the A Train” by Ellington/Strayhorn
Topics: ragtime, swing music (here and abroad – name a country where Swing was
popular outside of the US), typical instruments in a big band?
6– Musical Theatre (Read: p300-307) + handout
*Listening Guide 37 – “Mambo” from West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein
Topics: Leonard Bernstein, Broadway, West Side Story
*You should be ready to know the names of 1-2 other musicals
Vocabulary: choreographer, musical
8– Film Music (Read: p308-312) + handout
*Listening Guide 38 - “Raiders of the Lost Ark” by John Williams
-Vocabulary: leitmotif, soundtrack, film score
-Topics: John Williams, explaining how you think music matches with action in a
film, the Italian film music composers (Rota and Morricone), be ready to give
me the names of 2-3 film composers besides Williams. (Will include some
extra credit listening in film music genre)
Some composers:
-John Williams, Danny Elfman, Henry Mancini, Ennio Morricone, Nino Rota
Bernard Hermann
9– Contemporary Composers (Read: p283-298)
*Listening Guide 35 – “Sonata V” (from Sonatas and Interludes) by John Cage
Topics: John Cage, 4’33”, Harry Partch and his 43-note scale, be ready to recognize
the sound of a theremin, Mark II synthesizer.
10 – Minimalism (Read: p323-330 and notes in class)
Listening “Einstein on the Beach” Knee 1 by Philip Glass
Topics: What is minimalist composition? What are some of the techniques and/or
patterns used in this genre that make it recongnizable.
11 – Latin American composers (all notes in class)
Listening: “Una limosna por el amor de Dios” by Barrios
Topics: Agustín Barrios Mangoré, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Astor Piazolla.
With all of your listening guides, be ready to address the following:
A) What is the title of the piece? B) Who composed the piece? C) What is the meaning behind
the piece of music you are listening to? D) What are some defining features/instruments in this
piece of music?
*Review your elements of music handout so you will be able to answer your listening questions
in a detailed manner.
ESSAY TOPICS:
1) El Sistema and the state of Venezuelan music
2) Shostakovich and Prokofiev composing under Stalin
3) The Rite of Spring ballet
4) John Cage and his 4’33” composition