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20th Century Composers

Total questions: 23

Worksheet time: 6hrs 45mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

George Gershwin was born in (a)   , New York.

2.

He composed his most famous work, ______ ___ ______, in 1924, the same year he also had a hit show on Broadway.

(a)  

3.

George Gershwin was an American composer who combined classical music and (a)   music to create his own unique style.

4.

Which of the following did Gershwin NOT write music for?

a)

Broadway

b)

Movies

c)

Opera

d)

Church Choirs

5.

Leonard Bernstein was born in Lawrence, (a)   .

6.

Leonard Bernstein got his big break when he was the 40-year-old assistant conductor of the Dayton Philharmonic. At the last minute, he stepped in to conduct a concert in Carnegie Hall that was broadcast live over the radio all across England.

a)

True

b)

False

7.

Leonard Bernstein used television, which was brand new at the time, to bring classical music to a very wide audience through his _________.

a)

Young People's Concerts

b)

TV Programs

c)

Movies

d)

Church Choirs

8.

American-born Leonard Bernstein became famous all over the world as a composer, a conductor, and a (a)   .

9.

One of Leonard Bernstein's musicals is?

a)

Phantom of the Opera

b)

Porgy and Bess

c)

West Side Story

d)

The Wiz

10.

John Cage was a ________ Period composer.

a)

Baroque

b)

Romantic

c)

Classical

d)

Modern

11.

John Cage is known for (a)   music, which the composer allow the performer to take liberties in their song, making the same song different each time it's played.

12.

One of his first inventions was the "__________," which is an instrument modified so that it can produce new, percussive sounds.

a)

prepared piano

b)

Drums

c)

saxophone

d)

trumpet

13.

John Cage wanted music to escape from any sort of control and, in some cases, to express the idea of zero thought. He therefore created purposeless music based on the throw of some dice, a star chart, or some other such random device so that his personal preferences were not part of the compositional process. He called this method (a)   .

14.

In a Complete Sentence or Sentences, please explain how John Cage's 4'33" is performed.

4 lines
15.

A true innovator, Cage wanted to break down the barriers between art and living, to make audiences aware that they are surrounded by sounds and that everything they do is actually (a)   . He was very influential in the 20th century musical world and in his later years was honored with many formal awards and recognitions.

16.

Igor Stravinsky was born in________.

a)

France

b)

Russia

c)

USA

d)

Mexico

17.

Igor Stravinsky's first ballet is called ______ _______________. (2 words)

(a)  

18.

In 1935, most of Stravinsky's commissions were form the _______________, so in 1940 he moved his family to America.

a)

Germany

b)

France

c)

Mexico

d)

United States

19.

Stravinsky began experimenting with musical serial techniques, also called_______________, which utilized atonal qualities.

a)

100- tone music

b)

12-tone music

c)

1-tone music

d)

7-tone music

20.

Scott Joplin was the father of (a)   music.

21.

In 1899, Scott Joplin published his first piece called _____________.

a)

Rhapsody in Blue

b)

Maple Leaf Rag

c)

The Firebird

d)

4'33"

22.

By 1915, the mood of the country had changed and interest in jazz and ragtime declined. In what year did the revival of Scott Joplin's music surfaced.

a)

2000s

b)

1950s

c)

1970s

d)

1990s

23.

Extended answer response:

Modern Period music has the most varied music of all musical periods. Why do you think the composers of the 20th century wanted to make more diverse music than in the past?

4 lines