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Early Opera and Vocal Music

1. Baroque opera flourished in several Italian cities. Each had its period in the forefront. The sequence of their leadership was:
A Florence, Rome, Padua
B Naples, Venice Florence
C Venice, Naples, Mantua
D Florence, Venice, Naples
2. The first public opera house was built in which Italian city?
A Milan
B Venice
C Mantua
D Verona
3. The most important German city in the history of opera in the 17th century was
A Hamburg
B Dresden
C Weimar
D Frankfurt
4. The Twenty Four Violins were associated with which ruler of France?
A Louis XVI
B Louis XV
C Louis X
D Louis XIV
5. By the end of the 17th c. the aria was the most important part of the opera. This lead to the growing importance of the singer. By 1700, singers were frequently paid more than the librettists.
A True
B False
6. The French overture has two sections: one slow and homophonic with dotted rhythm and the other in a quicker tempo with a quasi-fugal beginning.
A True
B False
7. The central figure in 17th c. French opera was:
A Racine
B Corneille
C Lully
D Couperin
8. French opera used serious mythological plots with frequent long interludes of dancing and choral singing. These were called:
A opera comique
B vaudevilles
C divertissement
D none of the above
9. The English work that corresponds to the court ballet in France is the
Asingspiel
Bballade opera
Cmasque
Dcelebration ode
10. The most important figure in English music in the last half of the 17th century was:
AMorley
BByrd
CPurcell
11. The character in the Purcell opera who sings "When I am laid in earth" is Belinda.
A True
B False
12. Oratorios are similar to operas except they did not use costumes and sets.
A True
B False
13. Purcell was organist at Westminster Abbey just as his teacher John Blow had been.
A True
B False
14. In addition to writing opera, Purcell also wrote:
A verse anthems
B celebration odes
C organ music
D all of the above
15. Cantatas in the 17th century resembled a scene from an opera (except that they were not staged).
A True
B False
16. Solo cantatas in the 17th century were usually sung by a soprano.
A True
B False
17. In Lutheran Germany a musical setting of a Biblical story was called an historia. The most famous of these were about the death and ressurection of Christ. This specific type was called a:
A passion
B oratorio
C requiem
D cantata
18. After the Thirty Years War, a division grew in the Lutheran church between the Orthodox and pietist branches. The Orthodox emphasized the freedom of the individual, distrusted high art, and preferred music of a simple character.
A True
B False
19. The famous German organist Dietrich Buxtehude arranged large afternoon concerts of organ music that were widely know. J.S. Bach walked many miles in order to be able to attend these. They were called:
AVespers
BConcerts Spirituel
CAbendmusik
Dnone of the above
 

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