Music History Jeopardy

Name That Era

100

Put these eras in chronological order, from earliest to latest: Classical, Medieval, Baroque, Renaissance.

What is Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical?

200

The earliest of our four periods, when much Western art music was religious and Gregorian chant was important.

What is the Medieval period?

300

This period featured elaborate ornamentation, basso continuo, and composers such as Bach and Handel.

What is the Baroque period?

400

This period emphasized balance, clarity, and musical forms such as the symphony and sonata.

What is the Classical period?

500

This period saw a renewed interest in ancient Greek and Roman culture and a flourishing of vocal polyphony.

What is the Renaissance?

Musical Vocabulary

100

The combination of different notes played or sung at the same time.

What is harmony?

200

When two or more independent melodies are heard at the same time.

What is polyphony?

300

A single melody performed alone or by a group in unison, without instrumental or harmonic accompaniment.

What is monophony?

400

A short, recurring group of notes, rhythms, or chords that serves as the recognizable building block of a composition.

What is a (musical) motif?

500

The technique of decorating a melody with extra notes, flourishes, or rapid runs.

What is ornamentation?

Musical Forms & Styles

100

This type of Medieval religious singing usually has one melodic line and no instrumental accompaniment.

What is Gregorian chant?

200

This Renaissance technique uses multiple independent melodic lines, often imitating one another.

What is imitative polyphony (or imitation)?

300

This Baroque vocal work tells a dramatic story through soloists, chorus, and orchestra, usually with costumes and staging.

What is opera?

400

This multi-movement work for orchestra became a major genre in the Classical period.

What is a symphony?

500

A repeating pattern of bass notes or chords that supports the music, especially in Baroque music.

What is basso continuo?

Instrument ID

100

This Medieval wind instrument has a bag of air and pipes, and is played by blowing air into the bag or a blowpipe.

What is the bladder pipe?

200

This Renaissance plucked string instrument looks a little like a small guitar and was popular in homes.

What is the lute?

300

This Baroque keyboard instrument plucks strings when its keys are pressed, producing a distinctive sound.

What is the harpsichord?

400

This bowed string instrument is larger than a violin and smaller than a cello, and plays in the middle range of the string family.

What is the viola?

500

This Classical-era keyboard instrument uses hammers to strike strings and allowed performers to play both soft and loud; its name reflects that ability.

What is the fortepiano (or early piano)?

Misc Facts

100

This was the main language of many Western Church services and much sacred music in Medieval Europe.

What is Latin?

200

This Renaissance invention helped music spread more widely because notes could be reproduced on many copies of a page.

What is music printing (or the printing press)?

300

This Baroque composer was born in Germany and later became famous in England for works such as *Messiah*.

Who is George Frideric Handel?

400

This Austrian composer wrote the *Surprise Symphony* and is often called the 'Father of the Symphony'.

Who is Joseph Haydn?

500

Name the 4 instrument families of a classical orchestra.

What is string, brass, woodwind and percussion?