Middle Age And Renaissance Test Answers

The phrase Middle Ages refers to the period of European history spanning:

A. 450-1000.

B. 1000-1150.

C. 1150-1450.

D. 450-1450.

Answer : 450-1450

The Renaissance may be described as an age of:

A. curiosity and individualism.

B. exploration and adventure.

C. the “rebirth” of human creativity.

D. All answers are correct

Answer : All answers are correct. Individualism, humanism, and secular values started to flourish once again.

The intellectual movement called humanism

A. condemned any remnant of pagan antiquity.

B. focused on human life and its accomplishments.

C. treated the Madonna as a childlike unearthly creature.

D. focused on the afterlife in heaven and hell.

Answer : Focused on human life and its accomplishments

The dominant intellectual movement of the Renaissance was called

A. feudalism.

B. humanism.

C. classicism.

D. paganism.

Answer : Humanism

Which of the following statements is not true of humanism?

A. The Madonna was treated as a beautiful young woman.

B. The humanists were basically atheistic in their beliefs.

C. The humanists were captivated by the pagan cultures of ancient Greece and Rome.

D. The humanists focused on human life and its accomplishments.

Answer :The humanists were basically atheistic in their beliefs

In the Middle Ages, most important musicians were

A. priests.

B. traveling entertainers.

C. peasants.

D. women.

Answer : Priest

A virtual monopoly on learning during the Middle Ages was held by

A. knights in castles.

B. professors in universities.

C. monks in monasteries.

D. wandering minstrels or jongleurs.

Answer : Monks in monasteries

During the Middle Ages, women

A. were not permitted to sing in church.

B. sang at all church services.

C. could sing only in monasteries.

D. were not permitted to participate in church services.

Answer : Were not permitted to sing in church

Church officials expected monks to sing with

A. proper pronunciation and tone quality.

B. the accompaniment of organs and other instruments.

C. proper attention to the wishes of the bishop.

D. the members of the congregation.

Answer : Proper pronunciation and tone quality

Bernard of Clairvaux ordered his monks to sing

A. quietly with reverence.

B. vigorously with manliness.

C. loudly with boisterous tone quality.

D. somberly with proper dignity.

Answer : Vigorously with manliness

The church frowned on instruments because of their

A. association with minstrels and jongleurs.

B. sacred quality and background.

C. earlier role in pagan rites.

D. use in early Jewish religious ceremonies.

Answer : Earlier role in pagan rites

The use of organs in church

A. added a sacred quality to the mass.

B. made it possible for more musicians to be employed.

C. frustrated the nobles in their attempts to control the church.

D. distracted the listeners from worship.

Answer : Distracted the listeners from worship

What we know about instruments in church comes mainly from

A. the pictures and literary descriptions of the day.

B. surviving musical manuscripts.

C. the work of Pope Gregory the Great.

D. the work of Hildegard of Bingen.

Answer : The pictures and literary descriptions of the day

Most medieval music was

A. instrumental.

B. vocal.

C. for the piano.

D. for the organ.

Answer : Vocal

We know from paintings and literary descriptions of the Middle Ages that

A. instruments were used.

B. trumpets and trombones were prominent.

C. instruments were seldom used.

D. large orchestras existed.

Answer : Instruments were used

The view of the later medieval church on music during religious services was that it should be

A. performed by as many musical instruments as possible.

B. used only as a discreet accompaniment.

C. banned entirely.

D. used only with wind instruments.

Answer : Used only as a discreet accompaniment

Church authorities in the Middle Ages ____________________ their religious services.

A. encouraged the use of music as a highlight of

B. forbade the use of music in

C. wanted music only as a discreet accompaniment to

D. preferred instrumental music in

Answer : Wanted music only as a discreet accompaniment to

The music the Medieval monks sang was called

A. contemporary gospel.

B. Gregorian chant.

C. estampies.

D. Trouvère songs.

Answer : Gregorian chant

Gregorian chant

A. is set to sacred Latin texts.

B. retained some elements of the Jewish synagogue of the first centuries after Christ.

C. was the official music of the Roman Catholic church for more than 1,000 years.

D. All answers are correct.

Answer : All answers are correct

Gregorian chant

A. is monophonic in texture.

B. is polyphonic in texture.

C. is homophonic in texture.

D. has no texture.

Answer : Is monophonic in texture

Gregorian chant consists of

A. one instrument playing alone.

B. melody sung without accompaniment.

C. several voices singing in harmony.

D. several instruments playing together.

Answer : Melody sung without accompanimen

Which of the following is not true of Gregorian chant?

A. It conveys a calm, otherworldly quality.

B. Its rhythm is flexible, without meter.

C. The melodies tend to move by step within a narrow range of pitches.

D. It is usually polyphonic in texture.

Answer : It is usually polyphonic in texture

Gregorian chant is seldom heard today because

A. it is very difficult to sing, and those who know how are dying out.

B. the Second Vatican Council of 1962-65 decreed the use of the vernacular in church services.

C. it is too old-fashioned for modern services.

D. All answers are correct.

Answer : All answers are correct

Gregorian chant melodies tend to move

A. by leaps over a wide range of pitches.

B. stepwise within a narrow range of pitches.

C. infrequently, remaining on a single tone for long stretches.

D. only by perfect intervals.

Answer : Stepwise within a narrow range of pitches

Gregorian chant is named after Pope Gregory I, who

A. composed all the chants presently in use.

B. had his name put on the first printed edition.

C. was credited by medieval legend with having created it.

D. wrote the texts for the chants.

Answer : Was credited by medieval legend with having created it

Pope Gregory the Great

A. composed all of the Gregorian chants.

B. published all of the Gregorian chants.

C. reorganized the Catholic church liturgy during his reign from 590 to 604.

D. All answers are correct

Answer : Reorganized the Catholic church liturgy during his reign from 590 to 604

The two types of services at which monks and nuns sang were

A. the salvation service and the holiness service.

B. the monastery and the convent.

C. the office and the mass.

D. the worship service and the praise service.

Answer : The office and the mass

The highlight of the day for monks and nuns was

A. the service before sunrise.

B. the service after sunset.

C. the evening feast.

D. the mass.

Answer : The mass

The earliest surviving chant manuscripts date from about the _______ century.

A. sixth

B. ninth

C. hirteenth

D. fourteenth

Answer : Ninth

The church modes were

A. forms of religious ritual.

B. only used in the music of the Catholic church.

C. the basic scales of western music during the Middle Ages.

D. chalices to hold holy relics.

Answer : The basic scales of western music during the Middle Ages

The church modes are

A. different from the major and minor scales in that they consist of only six different tones.

B. different from the major and minor scales in that they consist of only five different tones.

C. like the major and minor scales in that they consist of seven tones and an eighth tone that duplicates the first an octave higher.

D. completely different from any other form of scale.

Answer : Like the major and minor scales in that they consist of seven tones and an eighth tone that 

duplicates the first an octave higher

Alleluia

A. may be translated as “praise ye the Lord”.

B. is a Latinized form of the Hebrew word hallelujah.

C. is often used in Gregorian chants.

Answer : D. All answers are correct.

All answers are correct

The form of the chant Alleluia: Vidimus stellam is

A. theme and variations.

B. ABA.

C. through-composed.

D. ABACABA.

Answer : ABA

Hildegard of Bingen was

A. the first woman composer to leave a large number of works that have survived.

B. abbess of the convent at Rupertsberg.

C. a visionary and mystic active in religious and diplomatic affairs.

D. All answers are correct.

Answer : All answers are correct

The earliest extant liturgical morality play, Ordo virtutum (Play of the Virtues), was composed by

A. the nuns of Rupertsberg.

B. the monks at the church of St. Trophime.

C. Pope Gregory I.

D. Hildegard of Bingen.

Answer : Hildegard of Bingen

The first large body of secular songs that survives in decipherable notation was composed

A. during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.

B. during the ninth century.

C. from 590 to 604.

D. during the fifteenth century.

Answer : During the twelfth and thirteenth centuries

The first large body of secular songs that survives in decipherable notation was composed by

A. priests and monks.

B. French nobles called troubadours and trouvères.

C. wandering minstrels or jongleurs.

D. professional dancers and singers.

Answer : French nobles called troubadours and trouvères

The French secular songs of the Middle Ages usually dealt with

A. the Crusades.

B. spinning.

C. love.

D. All answers are correct

Answer : All answers are correct

Trouvère songs of the Middle Ages dealt with all of the following subjects except

A. love.

B. dancing.

C. the Crusades.

D. religion.

Answer : Religion

A famous French woman troubadour was

A. Hildegard of Bingen.

B. Frauenlob.

C. Péronne d’Armentières.

D. Beatriz de Dia.

Answer : Beatriz de Dia

Beatriz de Dia was

A. queen of southern France.

B. abbess of Rupertsberg and a composer of choral music.

C. one of a number of women troubadours.

D. the wife of Guillaume IX, duke of Aquitaine.

Answer : One of a number of women troubadours

The notation of the secular songs of the Middle Ages does not indicate

A. rhythm.

B. pitch.

C. duration.

D. All answers are correct.

Answer : Rhythm

The medieval jongleurs, important sources of information in a time when there were no newspapers, were

A. ranked on a high social level.

B. on the lowest social level.

C. equal in rank to the troubadours and trouvères.

D. welcomed by the nobility as distinguished guests.

Answer : On the lowest social level

The wandering minstrels, or jongleurs, of the Middle Ages

A. performed music and acrobatics in castles, taverns, and town squares.

B. lived on the lowest level of society.

C. played instrumental dances on harps, fiddles, and lutes.

D. All answers are correct

Answer : All answers are correct

As a young student in Paris, Henri de Malines sang

A. Gregorian chant.

B. monophonic songs in various languages.

C. monophonic songs in French and Latin.

D. organums and motets.

Answer : Monophonic songs in various languages

One function of secular music in the late Middle Ages was to provide accompaniment for

A. monasteries.

B. church services.

C. dancing.

D. monks and nuns.

Answer : Dancing

An estampie is a medieval

A. dance.

B. stringed instrument.

C. secular song form.

D. song of worship.

Answer : Dance

Which of the following statements is not true of the medieval estampie?

A. It is one of the earliest surviving pieces of instrumental music.

B. It was intended for religious services.

C. The manuscript contains only a single melodic line.

D. The manuscript does not indicate which instrument should play the melody.

Answer : It was intended for religious services

In the recording of the medieval estampie, the melody is played on a rebec, a

A. medieval drum.

B. bowed string instrument.

C. tubular wind instrument.

D. plucked string instrument.

Answer : Bowed string instrument

The first steps in a revolution that eventually transformed western music began sometime between 700 and 900 with the

A. addition of a second melodic line to Gregorian chant.

B. addition of an organ accompaniment.

C. transcription of the music for several different instruments.

D. addition of chords to the melody line.

Answer : Addition of a second melodic line to Gregorian chant

The first steps toward the development of polyphony were taken sometime between 700 and 900, when

A. musicians composed new music to accompany dancing.

B. the French nobles began to sing hunting songs together.

C. monks in monastery choirs began to add a second melodic line to Gregorian chant.

D. All answers are correct.

Answer : Monks in monastery choirs began to add a second melodic line to Gregorian chant

______________ is a term applied to medieval music that consists of Gregorian chant and one or more additional melodic lines.

A. Alleluia

B. Organum

C. Jongleurs

D. Ostinato

Answer : Organum

Medieval music that consists of Gregorian chant and one or more additional melodic lines is called

A. ars nova.

B. organum.

C. cantus firmus.

D. alleluia.

Answer : Organum

Which of the following statements is not true?

A. Medieval music theorists favored the use of triads, the basic consonant chords of music.

B. Medieval music that consists of Gregorian chant and one or more additional melodic lines is called organum.

C. Paris was the intellectual and artistic capitol of Europe during the late medieval period.

D. Perotin was the first known composer to write music with more than two voices.

Answer : Medieval music theorists favored the use of triads, the basic consonant chords of music

The center of polyphonic music in Europe after 1150 was

A. Paris.

B. Rome.

C. Reims.

D. London.

Answer : Paris

In medieval times, most polyphonic music was created by

A. placing new melodic lines against known chants.

B. harmonizing melodies with chords.

C. having some singers embellish the chant during church services.

D. adding orchestral instruments to church music.

Answer : Placing new melodic lines against known chants

Leonin and Perotin are notable because they

A. are the first important composers known by name.

B. indicated definite time values and a clearly defined meter in their music.

C. were the leaders of the school of Notre Dame.

D. All answers are correct.

Answer : All answers are correct

The earliest known composers to write music with measured rhythm were

A. Pope Gregory and Chastelain de Couci.

B. Machaut and Josquin.

C. Leonin and Perotin.

D. All answers are correct.

Answer : Leonin and Perotin

An outstanding composer of the school of Notre Dame was

A. Perotin.

B. Guillaume de Machaut.

C. Hildegard of Bingen.

D. Pope Gregory I.

Answer : Perotin

Among other causes, secular music became more important than sacred music in the fourteenth century because

A. the literature of the time stressed earthly sensuality.

B. rival popes claimed authority at the same time, thereby weakening the authority of the church.

C. the feudal system had gone into decline.

D. All answers are correct.

Answer : All answers are correct

One of the major characteristics of ars nova music is its use of

A. syncopation.

B. organum.

C. Gregorian chant.

D. monophonic texture.

Answer : Syncopation

Secular music in the fourteenth century

A. became more important than sacred music.

B. was not based on Gregorian chant.

C. included drinking songs and pieces in which bird calls, dog barks, and hunting shouts were imitated.

D. All answers are correct.

Answer : All answers are correct

The term ars nova refers to

A. Italian and French music of the fourteenth century.

B. German music of the sixteenth century.

C. the new art of baroque painters.

D. paintings from the new world.

Answer : Italian and French music of the fourteenth century

A new system of music notation that allowed composers to specify almost any rhythmical pattern had evolved by the

A. late twelfth century.

B. early thirteenth century.

C. early fourteenth century.

D. late fourteenth century.

Answer : Early fourteenth century

The ars nova or new art differed from older music in that

A. the subjects were all secular.

B. there was no syncopation.

C. a new system of notation permitted composers to specify almost any rhythmic pattern.

D. the music emphasized homophonic texture.

Answer : A new system of notation permitted composers to specify almost any rhythmic pattern

An outstanding composer of the ars nova was

A. Guillaume de Machaut.

B. Perotin.

C. Leonin.

D. Pope Gregory I.

Answer : Guillaume de Machaut

Guillaume de Machaut was a ______________ as well musician.

A. court official

B. poet

C. priest

D. All answers are correct.

Answer : All answers are correct

Guillaume de Machaut’s compositions consist mainly of

A. music for church services.

B. Gregorian chants.

C. dance music.

D. love songs with instrumental accompaniment.

Answer : Answer: D Love songs with instrumental accompaniment

Which of the following is not a part of the mass ordinary?

A. Ave Maria

B. Gloria

C. Kyrie

D. Credo

Answer : Ave Maria

The Renaissance in music occurred between

A. 1000 and 1150.

B. 1150 and 1450.

C. 1450 and 1600.

D. 1600 and 1750.

Answer : 1450 and 1600

Which of the following statements is not true of the Renaissance?

A. Education was considered a status symbol by aristocrats and the upper middle class.

B. The Catholic church was even more powerful in the Renaissance than during the Middle Ages.

C. Every educated person was expected to be trained in music.

D. Musical activity gradually shifted from the church to the court.

Answer : The Catholic church was even more powerful in the Renaissance than during the Middle Ages

Many prominent Renaissance composers, who held important posts all over Europe, came from what was then

A. England.

B. Flanders.

C. Spain.

D. Scandinavia.

Answer : Flanders

Which of the following statements is not true of Renaissance music?

A. The texture of Renaissance music is chiefly polyphonic.

B. Instrumental music became more important than vocal music during the Renaissance.

C. The Renaissance period is sometimes called “the golden age” of a cappella choral music.

D. Renaissance composers often used word painting, a musical representation of specific poetic images.

Answer : Instrumental music became more important than vocal music during the Renaissance

The leading music center in sixteenth-century Europe was

A. Flanders.

B. Spain.

C. Germany.

D. Italy.

Answer : Italy

The texture of Renaissance music is chiefly

A. monophonic.

B. homophonic.

C. polyphonic.

D. heterophonic.

Answer : Polyphonic

Renaissance music sounds fuller than medieval music because

A. composers considered the harmonic effect of chords rather than superimposing one melody above another.

B. the bass register is used for the first time.

C. the typical choral piece has four, five, or six voice parts of nearly equal melodic interest.

D. All answers are correct.

Answer : All answers are correct

A cappella refers to

A. unaccompanied choral music.

B. men taking their hats off in church.

C. singing in a hushed manner.

D. any form of music appropriate for church use.

Answer : Unaccompanied choral music

Renaissance melodies are usually easy to sing because

A. there is a sharply defined beat.

B. the music is mostly homophonic.

C. the level of musicianship in the Renaissance was not very high.

D. the melody often moves along a scale with few large leaps.

Answer : The melody often moves along a scale with few large leaps

The two main forms of sacred Renaissance music are the mass and the

A. Kyrie.

B. motet.

C. madrigal.

D. cantata.

Answer : Motet

The Renaissance motet is a

A. polyphonic choral composition made up of five sections.

B. piece for several solo voices set to a short poem, usually about love.

C. dancelike song for several solo voices.

D. polyphonic choral work set to a sacred Latin text other than the ordinary of the mass.

Answer : Polyphonic choral work set to a sacred Latin text other than the ordinary of the mass

Which of the following is not a part of the Renaissance mass?

A. Agnus Dei.

B. Gloria.

C. Sanctus.

D. Alleluia.

Answer : Alleluia

Josquin Desprez spent much of his life in

A. Italy.

B. Spain.

C. Germany.

D. the Netherlands.

Answer : Italy

Josquin Desprez was a contemporary of

A. Christopher Columbus.

B. Perotin.

C. Palestrina.

D. Henry VIII of England.

Answer : Christopher Columbus

Which of the following statements is not true?

A. Josquin’s compositions strongly influenced other composers, and were praised enthusiastically by music lovers.

B. Josquin spent most of his life in the province of Hainaut, today a part of Belgium.

C. Josquin’s compositions include masses, motets, and secular vocal pieces.

D. Josquin’s Ave Maria . . . Virgo serena uses polyphonic imitation, a technique typical of the period.

Answer : Josquin spent most of his life in the province of Hainaut, today a part of Belgium

Palestrina’s career centered in

A. the Netherlands.

B. Florence.

C. Naples.

D. Rome.

Answer : Rome

Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina’s

A. career centered in Florence.

B. training, like Josquin’s, was in Flanders.

C. music includes 104 masses and some 450 other sacred works.

D. All answers are correct.

Answer : Music includes 104 masses and some 450 other sacred works

The movement in which the Catholic church sought to correct abuses and malpractices within its structure is known as

A. the Reformation.

B. the Counter-Reformation.

C. Protestantism.

D. the Inquisition.

Answer : The Counter-Reformation

An attempt was made to purify Catholic Church music as a result of the

A. founding of the Jesuit order in 1540.

B. deliberations of the Council of Trent.

C. complaints of Desiderius Erasmus.

D. music of Palestrina.

Answer : Deliberations of the Council of Trent

The Council of Trent attacked the church music of the Renaissance because it

A. was tiresomely monophonic.

B. was based on Gregorian chant.

C. used secular tunes, noisy instruments, and theatrical singing.

D. All answers are correct.

Answer : Used secular tunes, noisy instruments, and theatrical singing

Palestrina’s Pope Marcellus Mass sounds fuller than Josquin’s Ave Maria because

A. Palestrina was a better composer.

B. it is set for six voices instead of four.

C. the recording engineer adjusted the levels differently.

D. All answers are correct.

Answer : It is set for six voices instead of four

The Renaissance madrigal began around 1520 in

A. England.

B. France.

C. Italy.

D. Flanders.

Answer : Italy

During the Renaissance every educated person was expected to

A. read musical notation.

B. play a musical instrument.

C. be skilled in dance.

D. All answers are correct.

Answer : All answers are correct

Which of the following composers is not an important madrigalist?

A. Thomas Morley

B. Thomas Weelkes

C. Luca Marenzio

D. Josquin Desprez

Answer : Josquin Desprez

The Renaissance madrigal is a

A. polyphonic choral composition made up of five sections.

B. piece for several solo voices set to a short poem, usually about love.

C. dancelike song for several solo voices.

D. polyphonic choral work set to a sacred Latin text.

Answer : Piece for several solo voices set to a short poem, usually about love

The development of the English madrigal can be traced to 1588 and considered a result of

A. the Spanish armada.

B. a decree by Queen Elizabeth.

C. the writings of Shakespeare.

D. the publication in London of a volume of translated Italian madrigals.

Answer : The publication in London of a volume of translated Italian madrigals

The madrigal anthology The Triumphes of Oriana was written in honor of

A. Queen Anne.

B. King Henry VIII.

C. the goddess Diana.

D. Queen Elizabeth I.

Answer : Queen Elizabeth I

Thomas Weelkes’s As Vesta Was Descending is notable for its

A. word painting.

B. completely homophonic texture.

C. instrumental accompaniment.

D. monophonic texture.

Answer : Word painting

Besides the madrigal, the _______ was another type of secular vocal music which enjoyed popularity during the Renaissance.

A. estampie

B. motet

C. lute song

D. galliard

Answer : Lute song

The ______ was the most popular instrument in the Renaissance home.

A. shawm

B. regals

C. sackbut

D. lute

Answer : Lute

The lute song was widely cultivated in England from

A. the late 1570’s to the 1590’s.

B. the late 1590’s to the 1620’s.

C. 1580 to 1600.

D. 1600 to the late 1620’s.

Answer : The late 1590’s to the 1620’s

Lute songs are mostly __________ in texture.

A. monophonic

B. polyphonic

C. homophonic

D. imitative

Answer : Homophonic

A leading English composer of lute songs was

A. John Dowland.

B. Thomas Weelkes.

C. Josquin Desprez.

D. Thomas Morley.

Answer : John Dowland

The expression of __________ , as heard in John Dowland’s Flow My Tears, was a prominent feature of English literature and music in the time of William Shakespeare.

A. bliss

B. patriotism

C. pain

D. melancholy

Answer : Melancholy

John Dowland’s Flow My Tears consists of _________ musical sections that are each immediately repeated.

A. two

B. three

C. four

D. five

Answer : Three

In most lute songs, the lute accompaniment

A. is given equal prominence with the voice.

B. is subordinate to the voice.

C.is more prominent that the voice.

D. plays the same melody as the voice.

Answer : Is subordinate to the voice

Which of the following statements regarding the Renaissance is not true?

A. Secular vocal music was written for groups of solo voices and for solo voice with instrumental accompaniment.

B. Secular music contained more rapid changes of mood than sacred music.

C. A wealth of dance music published during the sixteenth century has survived.

D. Much of the instrumental music composed during the Renaissance was intended for church use.

Answer : Much of the instrumental music composed during the Renaissance was intended for church use

Much of the instrumental music composed during the Renaissance was intended for

A. the concert hall.

B. religious worship.

C. dancing.

D. the piano.

Answer : Dancing

Terpsichore, a collection of over 300 dance tunes, was arranged for instrumental ensemble by

A. Michael Praetorius.

B. Pierre Francisque Caroubel.

C. Thomas Weelkes.

D. Thomas Morley.

Answer : Michael Praetorius

The passamezzo is a

A. lively dance in triple meter.

B. stately dance in duple meter similar to the pavane.

C. gay, sprightly dance in duple meter.

D. wooden instrument with a cup-shaped mouthpiece.

Answer : Stately dance in duple meter similar to the pavane

A versatile plucked string instrument with a body shaped like half a pear, popular during the Renaissance, was the

A. lute.

B. recorder.

C. viol.

D. shawm.

Answer : Lute