Questions and Answers
Which composer from Washington D.C. wrote patriotic wind band music and was known as the 'March King'?
Which composer from Connecticut attended Yale for music, then became an insurance salesman, but continued to write music that would go undiscovered until the 40s?
What is the term for music that uses fragments of other pieces?
Second movement
Which Jewish composer from NY wrote in a simple, American nationalistic style?
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What genre features mostly short pieces for brass and percussion?
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Which neoclassical composer from Florida was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for composition?
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Which style, unique to America, is repetitive, sometimes called 'process music' and is a reaction against previous centuries of music?
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Which minimalistic composer from Massachusetts attended Harvard and is now the composer-in-residence for the San Francisco Symphony?
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Which 19th-century genre for voice and piano was usually in major keys, sentimental, nostalgic, and printed as sheet music for home use?
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Which composer from Pennsylvania wrote such parlor songs as 'Oh Susanna' and 'Camptown Races'?
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Which style from NYC featured mostly short-lived songs in the style of a waltz?
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What forerunner of jazz featured upbeat, syncopated pieces mostly for solo piano?
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Which Texas ragtime composer wrote an opera that won the Pulitzer decades after his death?
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Which style, featuring the unique 'AAB' form, began as folk music and reached a high point in the 20s/30s?
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Which blues singer from Tennessee eventually signed with Columbia Records to become the highest paid black performer in the 1920s?
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Which style; a mix of blues, African, Creole, Latin, and ragtime styles, began in New Orleans with the brass band street funeral procession?
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Which jazz style of the 20s sounds 'busy' and features small groups, often without drums?
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What singing style of improvised solo vocals with random syllables is associated with Ella Fitzgerald?
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Which Dixieland trumpet performer from New Orleans, known as 'Satchmo', was the first great improv soloist?
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Give the two names for the post-1935 jazz style featuring larger groups and complex harmony.
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Which swing composer from Washington DC studied art and music, and performed at expensive Harlem clubs?
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Identify the various periods of jazz developments in the correct chronological order.
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Which urban blues style of the 1950s featured electric guitar, drums, sax, backup vocals, and was associated with Motown?
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Which style of folk-singing and simple music featured fiddle, guitar, banjo, and was associated with the Grand Ole Opry?
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Which style of the 50s and 60s was a combination of blues and country?
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Which sophisticated jazz style of the 50s featured smaller groups and composers such as Miles Davis and Dave Brubeck?
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Which genre for theater, featuring music that is dependent on dramatic elements, reached a high point between the 20s and 50s?
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Which Jewish composer from Massachusetts attended Curtis Institute, became the conductor of the NY Philharmonic, and was an eclectic composer?
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Which composer from Brooklyn started as a Tin Pan Alley performer, wrote songs with his brother and lyricist Ira, and wrote some art music?
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List 5 functions of film music.
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Study Notes
Key Composers and Styles
- John Philip Sousa, known as the "March King," composed patriotic wind band music and hailed from Washington D.C.
- Charles Ives, a composer from Connecticut, initially pursued a career as an insurance salesman while writing music that gained recognition in the 1940s.
- Aaron Copland, a Jewish composer from New York, is noted for his simple, American nationalistic style.
- Ellen Taaffe Zwilich, a neoclassical composer from Florida, was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for composition.
- Minimalism, a unique American style, emphasizes repetitive patterns and explores the limits of musical simplicity.
Music Genres and Their Characteristics
- Nationalism primarily features short pieces for brass and percussion, emphasizing pride in national identity.
- The parlor song genre, popular in the 19th century, typically utilized major keys, was sentimental, and produced for home performances.
- Tin Pan Alley, centered in New York City, produced catchy and often short-lived songs in popular styles, particularly waltz.
- Ragtime emerged as a precursor to jazz, marked by upbeat, syncopated rhythms primarily for solo piano.
Jazz Evolution and Key Figures
- Jazz originated in New Orleans, combining various musical influences, including blues and African styles, beginning with brass band funeral processions.
- Styles of jazz evolved from New Orleans to Dixieland, characterized by small groups often performing without drums.
- Louis Armstrong, a significant figure in jazz from New Orleans, was known as "Satchmo" and recognized as the first great improvisational soloist.
- The swing and big band era post-1935 featured larger ensembles, complex harmony, and became dominant in jazz.
Blues and Its Influence
- The blues genre, originating as folk music recognized for its "AAB" form, reached its peak during the 1920s and 1930s.
- Mamie Smith, a blues singer from Tennessee, became Columbia Records' highest-paid Black performer in the 1920s.
Popular Music and Cultural Movements
- Rhythm and blues, a 1950s urban blues style, introduced electric guitars, drums, and backup vocals, closely associated with Motown.
- Country music emerged as a simple folk style characterized by instruments like the fiddle, guitar, and banjo, linked to the Grand Ole Opry.
- Rock music, born in the 1950s and 60s, blended elements of blues and country, transforming popular music.
- Bebop (or "Bop") evolved in the 1950s, featuring sophisticated jazz with smaller groups and influential composers like Miles Davis and Dave Brubeck.
Musical Theater and Contributions
- Musical comedy, which thrived between the 1920s and 1950s, emphasized dramatic musical elements in theatrical performances.
- Leonard Bernstein, a Jewish composer from Massachusetts and conductor of the NY Philharmonic, was known for his eclectic compositions.
- George Gershwin, a Brooklyn-born composer, started as a Tin Pan Alley performer and wrote notable songs with his brother Ira.
Functions of Film Music
- Film music serves multiple purposes, including creating atmosphere for different scenes, enhancing emotional impact, guiding audience reactions, establishing time and place, and supporting character development.
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Description
Test your knowledge on major composers like Sousa, Ives, Copland, and Zwilich, and explore the characteristics of key music genres such as nationalism and minimalism. This quiz showcases the contributions of these artists to American music and helps you understand the various styles they represent.
