RoyalIrishAcademyofMusic

AccessCourseMay2016

HistoryofMusic
Timeallowed:3hours

Answerfivequestionsintotal

PART1

Answerbothquestions

1. Chooseanythreeofthefollowingtopicsandwriteabriefdescriptionofeach,providinginformation
regardingitsmusicalandformalcharacteristics.Foreach,giveanexamplespecifyingthetitleand
composer.

ConcertogrossoOratorioOperaseriaCantataNocturneBelcanto

2. Defineanddescribeoneofthefollowingmusicalforms.Relatethistypeofcompositiontoaparticular
erainwhichitreacheditsfulldevelopment.Discussthemainfeaturesofthatera(musical,historical,
philosophicalandorsociological)alongsidethecharacteristicsofthechosenmusicalform.Relatethe
formtoeitherinstrumentalorvocalmusic(orboth);solo,chamberorsymphonicmusic(orany
combinationofthesethree);standaloneoramultimovementcomposition;absoluteorprogram
music(orboth);nameothertype(s)ofcomposition(s)whichevolvedfromthatform,wereinfluenced
byit,orincludeditintoamajor/longerwork.Giveanexamplespecifyingthetitleandcomposer.

Fugue ClassicalSonata Rhapsodicform(s)

PART2

Answeronequestionfromeachsection.Ifrelevant,includeinyouranswercommentsregardingpolitics,
history,literature,philosophy,sociologyandotherformsofart(suchaspaintingorarchitecture).

Composers

1. Beethoven:Biography(includingperiods).Meansofincome.Output.Personality.Giveaneducated
opinionregardingwhetherBeethovenshouldbeconsideredaclassicaloraromanticcomposer.
2. Mozart:Biography.Meansofincome.Output.Personality.Mozartsrelationshipwiththe
Enlightenment.
3. JohannSebastianBachandHaendel:Comparethelife,output,compositionstyleandmeansof
incomeofthesetwocomposers.

Worksanditsinfluenceinmusichistory

1. MonteverdisLOrfeo.Thebirthofopera.
2. TristanundIsolde.TheTristanchordandtheGesamtkunstwerk.Modernityversustradition.
3. BeethovensSymphonyno.9Choral.Thedevelopmentofboththesymphonyandtheorchestra.

Relationship,similaritiesanddifferences

1. TheMightyFiveandtheFrenchModernism.
2. TheGalantStyle&theFirstVienneseSchool.
3. Bruckner&Mahler.