Self Quiz Questions
Concerto Through Time
Concerto Through Time - Self Quiz
How many of these questions can you answer on your own? Click on the question to reveal the correct answer. Visit the Concerto Through Time page if you need to do further revision.
Identify an instrument that is only found in the Baroque orchestra.
The Harpsichord
TOP TIP: this is an indetifying feature of the Baroque period.
What is the continuo Section and what purpose does it serve? Which period of composition used a continuo?
A section of the orchestra responsbile for playing the chords and bassline. A chordal instrument (such as the harpsichord or lute) would play the chords whilst the cello and/or double bass would play the bassline. The continuo was unique to the Baroque period.
TOP TIP: this is an indentifying feature of the Baroque period.
What does modulation mean?
Modulation is the correct musical term for a key change.
Name three different types of ornamentation and describe/explain what they are.
Trill - a repeated rapid alteration between the written note and the note above.
Mordent - a single rapid movement from the written note to the note above (or below) then back to the writte note.
Acciacatura - a grace note played very quickly before the written note
What type of dynamics were often used in the Baroque period in the Tutti sections?
Terraced dynamics.
TOP TIP: this means a sudden change in dynamics (e.g. quiet (piano) to loud (forte) or the other way around).
TOP TIP: this was due to the limitations of the harpsichord. The harpsichord cannot play a crescendo or diminuendo.
What is a Baroque solo Concerto?
A concerto written for one soloist and an orchestra.
What is a Baroque Concerto Grosso?
A concerto written for more than one soloist and an orchestra.
TOP TIP: this is unique to the Baroque period.
In a Concerto Grosso, their would often be multiple melodies played at the same time. What is the correct musical term for this type of texture?
Polyphonic.
In a Concerto Grosso, what is the concertino section of the orchestra?
The solosit (or soloists in a Concerto Grosso).
In a Concerto Grosso, what is the ripieno section of the orchestra?
The main part of the orchestra, not inlcuding the soloists.
Identify a suitable composer for the Baroque period.
Vivaldi or Bach
TOP TIP: or any other composer from the Baroque period. You only need to remeber one!
Which instrument was replaced in the Classical orchestra and what was it replaced with?
The harpsichord was not used in the classical period. It was replaced by the piano.
How did the Tutti section change from the Baroque to the Classical period?
It became common for the soloist to not play during the Tutti section.
True or False - The Classical period made more use of crescendos and diminuendos during the Tutti sections?
True.
The orchestra was no longer limited by the harpsichord.
What was the most important (most used) instrument section of the Classical orchestra?
Strings
TOP TIP: concertos from the Classical AND Baroque period were heavily string based.
Classical Concerto’s usually have a homophonic texture. What does this mean?
If a piece of music has a homophonic texture it will have one main melody with harmony (accompaniment).
The Classical period made use of doubling. What does this mean?
More than one instrument playing the main melody. This would normally happen during the Tutti section.
What is a cadenza?
A section of the Concerto where the soloist plays on their own without the orchestra.
TOP TIP: the Baroque period did not have a cadenza. Only the Classical and Romantic periods had a cadenza.
True or False - The cadenza in the Classical period was heavily improvised by the soloist?
True
The cadenza in a Classical concerto would change depending on the soloists interpreatation and thier own technical flair.
What is an Alberti Bass? Can you describe it?
A bassline used in the classical period. It uses the three notes of a trias chord in broken chord arrangement
(e.g. the C Major chord uses the notes C E G. To play this as an alberti bass you would play - C G E G).
What do these words mean; virtuoso and virtuosic?
Virtuoso - somebody who is a master of their instrument. In a concerto, the soloist will be referred to as the virtuoso.
Virtuosic - the correct musical term for describing complicated and technical playing.
TOP TIP: if you are asked to describe what the soloist is playing in a concerto (in either the solo section or the cadenza), your answer should contain the word virtuosic.
Identify a suitable composer for the Classical period.
Mozart or Haydn
TOP TIP: or any other composer from the Classical period. You only need to remember one!
Romantic Concerto’s usually sound much more _____________ than Classical concerto’s.
Dramatic
If a composer decides to use chromatic notes, what does this mean?
Using notes (or chords) that do not belong to the original key.
TOP TIP: composers will use chromatic notes to create dissonance. This is done on purpose to create a sense of drama and dramaticism. Composers from the Romantic period used chromatic notes within thier compositions to make them sound more dramatic.
True or False - The cadenza in the Romantic period was heavily improvised by the soloist?
False.
Cadenza's in the Romantic period became a lot more complex (virtuosic) and were pre-written rather than relying on the improvisational skills of the soloist (virtuoso).
Identify a suitable composer for the Romantic period
Brahms or Tchaikovsky
TOP TIP: or any other composer from the Romantic period. You only need to remember one!
List key terms and phrases you could use to describe what the soloist is playing during a cadenza.
Virtuosic playing.
Scalic runs (either ascending, descending, or both).
Fast runs.
Legato notes.
Wide range of notes.
Using crsecendos and diminuendos (wide range of dynamics).
TOP TIP: these are generic terms, but you will most likely hear these being used in a cadenza. Use your ears and say what you hear, but these points are useful to remeber if you are asked to describe a cadenza.
What do these dynamic markings mean - PP P MP MF F FF
PP - Pianissimo (very quiet)
P - Piano (quiet)
MP - Mezzo Piano (moderatly quiet)
MF - Mezzo Forte (moderatly loud)
F - Forte (loud)
FF - Fortissimo (very loud)
TOP TIP: try to use the correct musical language, but most questions will accept descriptive language for dynamics (e.g. loud, quiet etc.).
TOP TIP: For the question based on a score, if you are asked to write the corrcet dynamic on the score you should use the dynamic marking (e.g. F or MF etc.).
Do you know what these melodic devices are? Can you describe them?
- Repetition
- Sequence
- Imitation
- Call and Response
Repetition - repeating a musical idea or phrase
Sequence - repeating a musical idea or phrase but at a different pitch (either higher or lower).
Imitation - repeating a musical idea or phrase but using a second instrument and in a way that overlaps (using a polyphonic texture).
Call and Response - an answer question dialogue between instyruments and/or sections of the orchestra. E.g. there may be call and response between the solosist and the rest of the orchetsra.
How many of these questions did you get right? Did you need to lookup the answer for any of these questions? If you did, remember to focus your revision on the areas you were unsure of.