Music 101 Final BYU Exam Questions
with Correct Answers
Song cycle - Answer-Group of art songs unified by a story line that runs through their
poems, or by musical ideas linking the songs. Ex. Schumann's Dichterliebe.
Program Symphony - Answer-A symphony with the usual three, four, or five movements
in which the individual movements together tell a tale or depict a succession of specific
events or scenes. Ex. Berloiz's Fantastic Symphony.
Symphonic poem - Answer-One-movement orchestral form that develops a poetic idea,
suggests a scene, or creates a mood, generally associated with the Romantic era. Also
tone poem. Ex. Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet.
Through-composed - Answer-A term used to describe music that exhibits no obvious
repetitions or overt musical form from beginning to end. Ex. Schubert's Erlkonig.
Strophic - Answer-Describes a song where the stanzas are all sung to the same music.
Program Music - Answer-Music that describes a nonmusical subject, like a story, object,
or scene, through the use of musical effects. Ex. Mozart's Don Giovanni.
Idee fixe - Answer-A recurring melody/theme that is used throughout all movements & is
associated with a specific character or idea. Ex. Berlioz's Fantastic Symphony.
Dies irae - Answer-The "day of wrath" in Berlioz's of Fantastic Symphony, 5th
movement.
Leitmotiv - Answer-(German, 'leading motive') In an OPERA or MUSIC DRAMA, a
MOTIVE, THEME, or musical idea associated with a person, thing, mood, or idea, which
returns in original or altered form throughout; a melodic phrase that accompanies the
reappearance of a person or situation (as in Wagner's operas) Ex. Wagner's The
Valkyrie.
Avant-garde - Answer-A group active in the invention and application of new techniques
in a given field, especially in the arts.
Sprechstimme - Answer-A style of dramatic vocalization between singing and speaking.
Developed by Schoenberg. Ex. Pierrot Lunaire.
Impressionism - Answer-Musical style which stresses tone color, atmosphere, and
fluidity, typical of Debussy.
, Expressionism - Answer-A movement in literature and art that emphasized the life of the
mind and feelings rather than the realistic, external details of everyday life.
Serialism - Answer-The technique of composing with a series, a fixed arrangement of
pitches or rhythms held throughout a serial composition. Generally a twelve-tone series.
Neo-Classicism - Answer-"Classical" music written outside of the classical time period.
Ex. Stravinsky.
Atonality - Answer-Absence of tonality, or key, characteristic of much twentieth-century
music.
Twelve-tone system - Answer-Music consistently constructed on a pattern of the twelve
chromatic tones selected prior to composition.
Miniatures - Answer-A short, evocative composition for piano or for piano and voice,
composed in the Romantic period
Lieder - Answer-The plural of lied, the German word for "song." It refers to art songs in
German mainly from the nineteenth century. The most notable composer of the word
was Franz Schubert. Piano is just as important as the voice
Chamber music - Answer-Instrumental music played by a small ensemble, with one
player to a part, the most important form being the string quartet
Romantic Orchestra - Answer-Bigger, longer, louder, exploration of dynamics, timbre of
instruments and orchestral combinations
Nationalism - Answer-Infuses music with something from their homeland. Ex. Verdi and
Wagner.
Romantic Opera - Answer-Had themes of nature, the supernatural, the medieval era,
madness, and the exotic-escape from reality. Gradual shift away from a predictable
alternation of aria and recitative. Verdi and Wagner.
Music drama - Answer-The term Richard Wagner used for his operas in which he tried
to strike a balance between the music and dramatic action
Polytonality - Answer-Music that uses two or more different keys at the same time
Twelve tone row - Answer-Arrangement of twelve chromatic pitches into a row that
provides the melodic and harmonic basis for a music composition
Fantastic Symphony, Movement V - Answer-Berlioz, Romantic Era, Program
Symphpny, Idee fixe, Dies Irae
with Correct Answers
Song cycle - Answer-Group of art songs unified by a story line that runs through their
poems, or by musical ideas linking the songs. Ex. Schumann's Dichterliebe.
Program Symphony - Answer-A symphony with the usual three, four, or five movements
in which the individual movements together tell a tale or depict a succession of specific
events or scenes. Ex. Berloiz's Fantastic Symphony.
Symphonic poem - Answer-One-movement orchestral form that develops a poetic idea,
suggests a scene, or creates a mood, generally associated with the Romantic era. Also
tone poem. Ex. Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet.
Through-composed - Answer-A term used to describe music that exhibits no obvious
repetitions or overt musical form from beginning to end. Ex. Schubert's Erlkonig.
Strophic - Answer-Describes a song where the stanzas are all sung to the same music.
Program Music - Answer-Music that describes a nonmusical subject, like a story, object,
or scene, through the use of musical effects. Ex. Mozart's Don Giovanni.
Idee fixe - Answer-A recurring melody/theme that is used throughout all movements & is
associated with a specific character or idea. Ex. Berlioz's Fantastic Symphony.
Dies irae - Answer-The "day of wrath" in Berlioz's of Fantastic Symphony, 5th
movement.
Leitmotiv - Answer-(German, 'leading motive') In an OPERA or MUSIC DRAMA, a
MOTIVE, THEME, or musical idea associated with a person, thing, mood, or idea, which
returns in original or altered form throughout; a melodic phrase that accompanies the
reappearance of a person or situation (as in Wagner's operas) Ex. Wagner's The
Valkyrie.
Avant-garde - Answer-A group active in the invention and application of new techniques
in a given field, especially in the arts.
Sprechstimme - Answer-A style of dramatic vocalization between singing and speaking.
Developed by Schoenberg. Ex. Pierrot Lunaire.
Impressionism - Answer-Musical style which stresses tone color, atmosphere, and
fluidity, typical of Debussy.
, Expressionism - Answer-A movement in literature and art that emphasized the life of the
mind and feelings rather than the realistic, external details of everyday life.
Serialism - Answer-The technique of composing with a series, a fixed arrangement of
pitches or rhythms held throughout a serial composition. Generally a twelve-tone series.
Neo-Classicism - Answer-"Classical" music written outside of the classical time period.
Ex. Stravinsky.
Atonality - Answer-Absence of tonality, or key, characteristic of much twentieth-century
music.
Twelve-tone system - Answer-Music consistently constructed on a pattern of the twelve
chromatic tones selected prior to composition.
Miniatures - Answer-A short, evocative composition for piano or for piano and voice,
composed in the Romantic period
Lieder - Answer-The plural of lied, the German word for "song." It refers to art songs in
German mainly from the nineteenth century. The most notable composer of the word
was Franz Schubert. Piano is just as important as the voice
Chamber music - Answer-Instrumental music played by a small ensemble, with one
player to a part, the most important form being the string quartet
Romantic Orchestra - Answer-Bigger, longer, louder, exploration of dynamics, timbre of
instruments and orchestral combinations
Nationalism - Answer-Infuses music with something from their homeland. Ex. Verdi and
Wagner.
Romantic Opera - Answer-Had themes of nature, the supernatural, the medieval era,
madness, and the exotic-escape from reality. Gradual shift away from a predictable
alternation of aria and recitative. Verdi and Wagner.
Music drama - Answer-The term Richard Wagner used for his operas in which he tried
to strike a balance between the music and dramatic action
Polytonality - Answer-Music that uses two or more different keys at the same time
Twelve tone row - Answer-Arrangement of twelve chromatic pitches into a row that
provides the melodic and harmonic basis for a music composition
Fantastic Symphony, Movement V - Answer-Berlioz, Romantic Era, Program
Symphpny, Idee fixe, Dies Irae
