Question

Section 4:

1) An etude is a/an
A) piece for orchestra and soloist B) attitude C) waltz D) study

2) Russian nationalist wanted to compose music without
A) lyrics B) western influences C) stringed instruments D) italian tempo markings

3) The fixed idea in Symphonie fantastique represents
A) a dance B) a carnival C) the artist's beloved D) a river

4) The main character of Bizet's Carmen is a
A) mythological creature B) wealthy landlord C) princess D) Gypsy girl

5) The role of the piano in an art song is to
A) improvise based on the singer's melody B) imitate an entire orchestra C) play only chords D) help tell the story

Answer 1

Answer 1:

(D) Study

An étude (a French word, meaning 'study') is an instrumental musical composition, normally short, of significant difficulty, and created to give practice material for perfecting an appropriate musical skill. The culture of writing études developed in the early 19th century with the quickly growing popularity of the piano.

Answer 2:

(B) Western Influences

In the 1830s, a national musical custom -marked with importance on folk songs, folk dances, and particularly folk rhythms- started to develop in Russia. This concurred with related nationalistic movements in other countries such as Poland, Bohemia, and Scandinavian countries. Russian music is supposed to be among the prominent national music. Before the 1830s, music in Russia was controlled by Italian and French music, mainly opera.

Answer 3:

(C) The artist's beloved

Symphonie fantastique is a recorded symphony written by the French composer Hector Berlioz in 1830. It is an essential component of the early Romantic period. The premier performance was at the Paris Conservatoire on 5 December 1830. Franz Liszt made a piano transcription of the symphony in 1833.

Answer 4:

(D) Gypsy girl

Carmen is an opera in four scenes by French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was composed by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on a novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was originally performed by the Opéra-Comique in Paris on 3 March 1875, where its division of conventions appalled and outraged its first audiences.

Answer 5:

(D) Help tell the story

An art song is an oral music composition, normally written for one voice with piano accompaniment, and regularly in the classical art music tradition. In addition, the word "art song" is used to apply to the combined genre of such songs (e.g., the "art song repertoire"). In an art song Pianist also has an identical role to the singer, share melodic concepts providing a context for the poetry.

Answer 2

1. An etude is a D. study.
The word etude comes from French and literally means 'a study.' Etudes are musical pieces written with the purpose of practicing and rehearsing one's musical talent. Many famous composers such as Chopin, Debussy, and others wrote them.

2. Russian nationalist wanted to compose music without B. western influences. I am using my logic here (which may or may not be correct). A nationalist is a person who loves his own country and culture above all and wants to keep it pure and free of foreign influences. Thus I believe the correct answer is B.

3. The fixed idea in Symphonie fantastique represents C. the artist's beloved. In each of the movements, the artist's loved one shows up and is then represented by a particular melody which becomes the fixed idea, or a leitmotif throughout this symphony written by Berlioz.

4. The main character of Bizet's Carmen is a D. Gypsy girl.
Carmen is a Gypsy girl from Seville in Spain and she sings her song Habanera every day. People, especially men, like listening to her beautiful voice. In the end, she is killed by her former loved whom she dumped for another man.

5. I am not entirely sure about this answer, so take this with a grain of salt. Personally, I'd say the role of the piano in an art song is to help tell the story because it is used as an accompaniment to the singer's voice. However, this may or may not be the correct answer.