The Classical Era

Question 1

What was the typical orchestra size during the Classical Era compared to the Baroque?

Accepted Answer

Larger, with more varied instrumentation

Question 2

What does “theme and variations” form involve?

Accepted Answer

A theme followed by altered versions of it

Question 3

Which city was a major center for Classical music in the 18th century?

Accepted Answer

Vienna

Question 4

Which texture is most typical of Classical Era music?

Accepted Answer

Homophonic

Question 5

Which of the following best describes the Classical aesthetic?

Accepted Answer

Balanced and clear

Question 6

Which opera by Mozart features a magic flute and a quest for enlightenment?

Accepted Answer

The Magic Flute

Question 7

What innovation did the Classical Era bring to musical dynamics

Accepted Answer

Gradual dynamic changes (crescendo/decrescendo)

Question 8

What was a popular chamber music genre in the Classical Era?

Accepted Answer

String quartet

Question 9

Which composer is considered the "Father of the Symphony"?

Accepted Answer

Franz Schubert

Question 10

Which form is typically used in the first movement of a Classical sonata or symphony?

Accepted Answer

Sonata-allegro form

Question 11

What is the term for a short musical idea that is developed in a piece?

Accepted Answer

Motif

Question 12

How did Beethoven’s music signal a shift toward the Romantic era?

Accepted Answer

It emphasized personal emotion and dramatic contrasts

Question 13

What genre is a multi-movement work for solo piano, often with sonata form in the first movement?

Accepted Answer

Sonata

Question 14

Which of these composers was deaf for much of his career?

Accepted Answer

Beethoven

Question 15

What is the name of Mozart’s famous opera about a libertine nobleman?

Accepted Answer

Don Giovanni

Question 16

What is the typical structure of a Classical symphony?

Accepted Answer

Four movements: fast–slow–minuet/trio–fast

Question 17

Which composer wrote over 100 symphonies and worked for the Esterházy family?

Accepted Answer

Haydn

Question 18

Which instrument replaced the harpsichord as the primary keyboard instrument in the Classical period?

Accepted Answer

Fortepiano

Question 19

What social class began to influence Classical music due to rising patronage and public concerts?

Accepted Answer

Middle class

Question 20

What is the term for a solo instrument accompanied by an orchestra, common in the Classical Era?

Accepted Answer

Concerto

Questions 20