Chapter 35: Dancing at the Keyboard: Chopin and Romantic Piano Music
MULTIPLE CHOICE
1. The most important keyboard instrument of the Romantic period was the:
a. harpsichord. c. organ.
b. piano. d. clavichord.
2. Which of the following instruments is capable of simultaneously playing both melody and
harmony?
a. violin c. trumpet
b. oboe d. piano
3. Which of the following was a technical improvement in the nineteenth-century piano?
a. It was made softer.
b. Its range was decreased.
c. A second keyboard was added.
d. It was given improved mechanical action.
4. The short, lyric piano piece is the instrumental equivalent of:
a. the symphony. c. the concerto.
b. the song. d. the opera.
5. During the nineteenth century, titles such as “Prelude,” “Impromptu,” and “Intermezzo” were used
for:
a. symphonies. c. large-scale piano pieces.
b. short, lyric piano pieces. d. Lieder.
6. Nineteenth-century composers of the short, lyric piano piece included:
a. Johannes Brahms. c. Frédéric Chopin.
b. Robert and Clara Schumann. d. all of the answers shown here
7. Chopin is credited with creating the:
a. modern piano style. c. overture.
b. symphonic poem. d. Romantic symphony.
8. Which nineteenth-century composer’s entire output centered on the piano?
a. Schubert c. Chopin
b. Foster d. Beethoven
9. Chopin spent his early years in:
a. England. c. Prussia.
b. Belgium. d. Poland.
10. Chopin spent most of his productive life in:
a. Warsaw. c. Berlin.
b. Vienna. d. Paris.
11. With which famous novelist did Chopin become romantically involved?
a. George Sand c. Gertrude Stein
b. Alexandre Dumas d. Emily Brontë
12. Chopin composed works in the following genre:
a. string quartet. c. ballade.
b. motets. d. symphony.
13. Chopin’s music calls for the use of _____, in which certain liberties are taken with the rhythm
without upsetting the basic beat.
a. rubato c. reserved emotions
b. virtuosity d. lyricism
14. What is the origin of the mazurka?
a. a Polish folk dance
b. brilliant salon music
c. Hungarian folk melodies
d. a stately processional dance for the nobility
15. Which of the following characterizes Chopin’s Mazurka in B-flat Minor, Op. 24, No. 4?
a. moderate quadruple meter c. rubato
b. simple A-B-A form d. polyphonic texture
16. The term rubato, associated with Chopin’s music, means that the performer should:
a. play at a faster tempo. c. take liberties with the tempo.
b. play at a slower tempo. d. play in strict time.
17. Composer Robert Schumann referred to Chopin as:
a. a fraud. c. an amateur.
b. a poet. d. none of the answers shown here
18. During the 1830s, which city was the center of the new Romanticism?
a. London c. Paris
b. Warsaw d. Rome
19. Which title best exemplifies a character piece?
a. “The Little Bell” c. Opus 6, No. 2
b. Sonata in B d. Sonata in F
TOP: Romantic Piano Music MSC: Conceptual
TRUE/FALSE
1. The rise in popularity of the piano was an important factor in shaping the musical culture of the
Romantic era.
2. As in the eighteenth century, nineteenth-century virtuoso pianists were almost always prominent
composers as well.
3. Piano manufacturing remained unchanged until the technical advances of the early twentieth
century.
4. Many Romantic piano works are in short, free forms.
5. Chopin wrote in all genres of music, including opera and symphony.
6. Chopin had a long relationship with the female writer George Sand.
7. The mazurka is a Hungarian folk dance.
8. Chopin’s Mazurka in B-flat Minor, Op. 24, No. 4 is in duple meter.
9. The character piece was equivalent to the song.
10. Composers of character pieces chose more descriptive titles that depicted a mood or scene.
ESSAY
1. Describe the role of the piano in nineteenth-century life. What new types of works were developed
to support this role?
ANS:
Answers will vary.
PTS: 1 DIF: 2 REF: Essentials: pp. 195–196
TOP: Romantic Piano Music MSC: Conceptual
2. Describe why Chopin has been called the “poet of the piano.”
ANS:
Answers will vary.
PTS: 1 DIF: 2 REF: Essentials: pp. 196–197
TOP: Chopin Piano Music MSC: Conceptual