Listening Quiz for Chapter 18

1. This excerpt is from which work?

   Listen

   Question

   A.

   Puccini’s Madame Butterfly

   B.

   Wagner’s The Valkyrie

   C.

   Verdi’s Rigoletto

   D.

   Verdi’s Nabucco

   This excerpt is from which work?

   Correct.

   Incorrect. See Richard Wagner, The Valkyrie in Chapter 18.
2. What does the orchestra do in this excerpt?

   Listen

   Question

   A.

   It merely accompanies the singer.

   B.

   It detracts from the psychological depth of the scene.

   C.

   It rises to a dramatic climax.

   D.

   It plays a leitmotiv—in this case, the Love motives.

   What does the orchestra do in this excerpt?

   Correct.

   Incorrect. See Richard Wagner, The Valkyrie in Chapter 18.
3. Which best describes the singing in this excerpt?

   Listen

   Question

   A.

   It’s more tuneful than recitative, but much less tuneful than an aria.

   B.

   It’s a highly melodramatic aria.

   C.

   The melody is designed to show off the singer’s virtuosic qualities.

   D.

   The singer sings the leitmotivs.

   Which best describes the singing in this excerpt?

   Correct.

   Incorrect. See Richard Wagner, The Valkyrie in Chapter 18.
4. Which orchestral instruments are most prominent in this excerpt?

   Listen

   Question

   A.

   percussion

   B.

   brass

   C.

   strings

   D.

   woodwinds

   Which orchestral instruments are most prominent in this excerpt?

   Correct.

   Incorrect. See Richard Wagner, The Valkyrie in Chapter 18.
5. This excerpt is from which work?

   Listen

   Question

   A.

   Puccini’s Madame Butterfly

   B.

   Wagner’s The Valkyrie

   C.

   Verdi’s Rigoletto

   D.

   Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde

   This excerpt is from which work?

   Correct.

   Incorrect. See Giuseppe Verdi, Rigoletto in Chapter 18.
6. Which of the following can be heard in this excerpt?

   Listen

   Question

   A.

   a lack of emotion from the characters and the music

   B.

   recitative-like passages in which the characters speak to one another

   C.

   all four characters singing the same melody

   D.

   rich harmonies among the four voices and the orchestra

   Which of the following can be heard in this excerpt?

   Correct.

   Incorrect. See Giuseppe Verdi, Rigoletto in Chapter 18.
7. This excerpt is from an aria in which work?

   Listen

   Question

   A.

   Puccini’s Madame Butterfly

   B.

   Wagner’s The Valkyrie

   C.

   Verdi’s Rigoletto

   D.

   Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde

   This excerpt is from an aria in which work?

   Correct.

   Incorrect. See Giacomo Puccini, Madame Butterfly in Chapter 18.
8. Which of the following can be heard in this excerpt?

   Listen

   Question

   A.

   Two singers perform a duet.

   B.

   The singer mixes the melody with recitative-like passages.

   C.

   The orchestra plays an intensified version of the singer’s melody, emphasizing the emotion of the scene.

   D.

   The orchestra downplays the emotion of the scene by introducing a lighter melody.

   Which of the following can be heard in this excerpt?

   Correct.

   Incorrect. See Giacomo Puccini, Madame Butterfly in Chapter 18.
9. Which do you hear in this aria from Verdi’s Rigoletto?

   Listen

   Question

   A.

   a passage of recitative

   B.

   a short melodic motive that repeats in sequence (at different pitch levels)

   C.

   the orchestra playing simple chords to accompany the singer

   D.

   a leitmotiv

   Which do you hear in this aria from Verdi’s Rigoletto?

   Correct.

   Incorrect. See Giuseppe Verdi, Rigoletto in Chapter 18.
10. What can be heard in this excerpt from Verdi’s Rigoletto?

    Listen

    Question

    A.

    a recitative

    B.

    a duet

    C.

    a vocal cadenza

    D.

    an ensemble

    What can be heard in this excerpt from Verdi’s Rigoletto?

    Correct.

    Incorrect. See Giuseppe Verdi, Rigoletto in Chapter 18.