Question 1

The Concord Sonata musically refers to the Transcendentalists.

Accepted Answer

The Concord Sonata was composed by Charles Ives and was inspired by the transcendental writers of New England, including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Nathaniel Hawthorne. The work musically incorporates philosophical concepts of transcendentalism and uses stylistic techniques such as atonality and polytonality to express the idea of multiple perspectives and individualistic expression.

Question 2

Music experimentalists are particularly interested in exploring&#10;A) form&#10;B) timbre&#10;C) harmony&#10;D) melody

Accepted Answer

Music experimentalists are interested in exploring new and unusual sounds, which falls under the category of timbre. They often use unconventional instruments or techniques to create unique timbres in their compositions.

Question 3

Two or more songs performed simultaneously automatically create bitonality.

Accepted Answer

Bitonality requires two distinct tonal centers to be present and recognized in the music; simply playing two songs simultaneously does not guarantee that these tonal centers will be distinct or intentionally utilized to create a bitonal texture.

Question 4

The experimentalist who shared many ideas with the transcendentalists was&#10;A) Henry Cowell&#10;B) Edgar Varese&#10;C) Charles Ives&#10;D) John Cage

Accepted Answer

Charles Ives, an American composer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, shared many ideas with transcendentalism. He was known for his experimental and innovative approach to music, incorporating elements of American folk tunes and hymns into his compositions. Ives was also interested in exploring the philosophical and spiritual aspects of music, similar to the transcendentalists' focus on the importance of intuition, nature, and individualism. His works often challenged conventional musical norms and paved the way for future experimentalist composers.

Question 5

The Banshee utilizes which of the following techniques?&#10;A) twelve-tone&#10;B) prepared piano&#10;C) concrete music&#10;D) ostinato

Accepted Answer

The Banshee is a piece for solo piano by American composer Henry Cowell, where the performer is required to use a variety of extended techniques, including playing directly on the piano strings. This is an example of a prepared piano technique, where objects are placed on or between the strings, or the strings are manipulated directly to alter the sound of the instrument.

Question 6

Which of the following requires that the performer capture a live sound before it is electronically manipulated?&#10;A) concrete music&#10;B) 12-tone music&#10;C) prepared piano&#10;D) New Music

Accepted Answer

Concrete music involves the manipulation of recorded sounds, which must first be captured live before they can be electronically altered. The other options (12-tone music, prepared piano, New Music) do not necessarily require the capture of live sound before manipulation.

Question 7

Which of the following sets of composers both discovered tone clusters at the same time?&#10;A) Cage and Varese&#10;B) Ives and Cowell&#10;C) Varese and Ives&#10;D) Cowell and Cage

Accepted Answer

Both Charles Ives and Henry Cowell independently discovered tone clusters in the early 20th century, around the same time period.

Question 8

John Cage extensively used the gamelan in his compositions.

Accepted Answer

John Cage was influenced by the sounds and philosophy of the gamelan but did not extensively use the gamelan itself in his compositions; instead, he incorporated its principles into his work, such as prepared piano, to achieve similar textures and sonorities.

Question 9

Which of the following was the title of a quarterly journal as well as a term associated with experimental music?&#10;A) Avant-garde&#10;B) New Music&#10;C) Twelve-Tone&#10;D) New Age

Accepted Answer

"New Music" was both the title of a quarterly journal started in the 1970s that covered experimental music and a term associated with that genre. The other options do not specifically relate to experimental music or the journal in question.

Question 10

A tone cluster is a chord built upon which intervals?&#10;A) seconds&#10;B) thirds&#10;C) fourths&#10;D) fifths

Accepted Answer

Tone clusters are chords built upon seconds, meaning the notes are adjacent or nearly adjacent on a keyboard or in pitch space, creating a dissonant sound.

Question 11

The first significant American composer to turn to the East for inspiration was&#10;A) Henry Cowell&#10;B) Edgar Varese&#10;C) Charles Ives&#10;D) John Cage

Accepted Answer

The answer of The first significant American composer to turn...

Question 12

Combining two or more rhythmic patterns creates polyphony.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Combining two or more rhythmic patterns creates...

Question 13

Which of the following is an early example of chance music?&#10;A) The Banshee&#10;B) Ionisation&#10;C) The Unanswered Question&#10;D) Putnam's Camp

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is an early...

Question 14

Prepared piano requires that the performer physically modify the piano.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Prepared piano requires that the performer physically...

Question 15

The Concord Sonata and General Putnam's Camp both represent which of the following?&#10;A) programmatic tendencies in Ives' instrumental works&#10;B) literary references in Ives' vocal works&#10;C) the complexity of Ives' songs&#10;D) Ives' use of concert band as a performance medium

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Concord Sonata and General Putnam's Camp...

Question 16

Musical quotations are an inherent part of the compositions of&#10;A) Henry Cowell&#10;B) Edgar Varese&#10;C) Charles Ives&#10;D) John Cage

Accepted Answer

The answer of Musical quotations are an inherent part of...

Question 17

Which of the following is not associated with Henry Cowell's music?&#10;A) Irish folklore&#10;B) German Romanticism&#10;C) modal music of the church&#10;D) music of the East

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is not associated...

Question 18

Twelve-tone technique was developed in Germany.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Twelve-tone technique was developed in Germany....

Question 19

Which of the following most appeals to mathematical principles?&#10;A) programmatic music&#10;B) 12-tone music&#10;C) music of chance&#10;D) concrete music

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following most appeals to...

Question 20

It is possible to perform microtones on a traditional piano.

Accepted Answer

The answer of It is possible to perform microtones on...

Question 21

The instrument on which Henry Cowell performed most of his experiments was the&#10;A) trumpet&#10;B) piano&#10;C) synthesizer&#10;D) gamelan

Accepted Answer

The answer of The instrument on which Henry Cowell performed...

Question 22

Did American composers continue to turn to Europe for inspiration in the mid-twentieth century? Provide evidence to support your claim.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Did American composers continue to turn to...

Question 23

Name several &#34;Eastern ideas&#34; that impacted art music composition in America in the twentieth century.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Name several &#34;Eastern ideas&#34; that impacted art...

Question 24

Most of Ives' music was written in the _________ century.&#10;A) late nineteenth&#10;B) early twentieth&#10;C) mid-twentieth&#10;D) recent twentieth

Accepted Answer

The answer of Most of Ives' music was written in...

Deck 21: Experimental Music - Revolution