Modern Music

Why are Claude Debussy's compositions characterized as impressionist?

• The music was written with many colors
• The music strove to create an impression of an emotion, feeling, or scene
• Just as the impressionist painters sought to capture the movement of light, so did Debussy
• Debussy was a painter

Why were the compositions of Gustav Mahler unique?

• They adhered to strict technical rules and traditions
• They developed narratives and incorporated vocals
• They were based on folk songs
• They used exotic or foreign motifs and themes

What unexpected source did Bartok look to for inspiration in his compositions?

• Modern painting
• Eastern European folk music
• Asian music
• Western European symphonic music

Which of the following statements BEST characterizes the music before the Late Romantic period?

• It experimented with new sounds and instruments
• It lacked any form of restrictions
• It was stiff and rigid
• It lacked traditional rules

Which of the following qualities emerged during the Late Romantic period and came to define Modernist music?

• The focus on very technical and academically perfect compositions
• Rich, flamboyant music
• The emphasis on freedom and experimentation
• The use of highly skilled musicians to play difficult pieces

What is considered to be Gershwin's most widely performed opera?

• Trouble in Tahiti
• Blue Monday
• Candide
• Porgy and Bess

How did Gershwin's time in Paris affect his work?

• He received formal training in classical music
• It helped him develop his jazz expertise
• He learned how to compose musicals
• It was there that he discovered jazz music, which influenced his later work

What college did Bernstein attend?

• Harvard
• Princeton
• Yale
• Williams

Which of Bernstein's operas showed the greatest influence of jazz?

• Candide
• Trouble in Tahiti
• Porgy and Bess
• Blue Monday

Which of Bernstein's musicals is the most well-known?

• Girl Crazy
• West Side Story
• Candide
• Show Girl