CHAPTER 39 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 characterizes the piano?
a. It was a staple of refined education.
b. It is suitable for both polyphonic and homophonic textures.
c. It is an expressive instrument.
d. All answers shown here.
3. Which of the following instruments is capable of simultaneously playing both melody and harmony?
a. violin c. trumpet
b. oboe d. piano
4. Which of the following was a technical improvement to the nineteenth-century piano?
a. It was made louder. c. It was given improved mechanical action.
b. Its range was expanded. d. All answers shown here.
5. The short, lyric piano piece is the instrumental equivalent of the
a. symphony. c. concerto.
b. song. d. opera.
6. During the nineteenth century, Prelude, Impromptu, and Intermezzo were common titles for
a. symphonies. c. large-scale piano pieces.
b. character pieces. d. Lieder.
7. Nineteenth-century composers of the short, lyric piano piece included
a. Johannes Brahms. c. Frédéric Chopin.
b. Robert Schumann. d. All answers shown here.
8. Chopin is credited with developing the
a. modern piano style. c. overture.
b. symphonic poem. d. Romantic symphony.
9. Which nineteenth-century composer’s entire output centered around the piano?
a. Brahms c. Chopin
b. Liszt d. Berlioz
10. Chopin spent his early years in
a. England. c. Prussia.
b. Belgium. d. Poland.
11. Chopin spent most of his productive life in
a. Warsaw. c. Berlin.
b. Vienna. d. Paris.
12. With which famous novelist did Chopin become romantically involved?
a. George Sand c. Gertrude Stein
b. Alexandre Dumas d. Emily Brontë
13. Chopin composed works in all of the following genres EXCEPT the
a. nocturne. c. ballade.
b. polonaise. d. symphony.
14. Which of the following characterizes the music of Chopin?
a. rigid tempos c. speech-like melodies
b. works for amateurs d. None of the answers shown here.
15. What is the origin of the mazurka?
a. a Polish peasant dance
b. brilliant salon music
c. Hungarian folk melodies
d. a stately processional dance for the nobility
16. Which of the following characterizes Chopin’s Mazurka in B-flat Minor, Op. 24, No. 4?
a. moderate triple meter c. rubato
b. chromaticism d. All answers shown here.
17. In connection with Chopin’s music, the term rubato 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.
18. Which composer is known as the “poet of the piano”?
a. Robert Schumann c. Hector Berlioz
b. Frédéric Chopin d. Johannes Brahms
19. Which century saw a series of crucial technical improvements that led to the development of the concert grand piano?
a. seventeenth c. nineteenth
b. eighteenth d. twentieth
20. Which American piano manufacturer took one of the top prizes at the Paris Exhibition of 1867?
a. Steinway c. Fender
b. Yamaha d. Gibson
21. Chopin’s music included ________, a native dance from Poland.
a. mazurkas c. tangos
b. waltzes d. hornpipes
22. The ________ is characterized by a distinctive triple-meter rhythm.
a. mazurka c. tango
b. polonaise d. foxtrot
23. Which term means to take liberty with the tempo?
a. rubato c. mazurka
b. adagio d. polonaise
24. Where was Chopin born?
a. Poland c. Germany
b. France d. Russia
25. The piano work that is the instrumental equivalent of the song is called
a. a sonata. c. the concerto.
b. a character piece. d. a mazurka.
1. During the Romantic era, piano music was intended for professional performers only.
2. The rise in popularity of the piano was an important factor in shaping the musical culture of the Romantic era.
3. As in the eighteenth century, nineteenth-century virtuoso pianists were almost always prominent composers as well.
4. Piano manufacturing remained unchanged until the technical advances of the early twentieth century.
5. Many Romantic piano works are in short, free forms.
6. Chopin wrote in all genres of music, including opera and symphony.
7. Chopin had a long relationship with the female writer George Sand.
8. The mazurka is a Hungarian folk dance.
9. Chopin’s Mazurka in B-flat minor, Op. 24, No. 4 is in duple meter.
10. Although it is a dance piece, Chopin’s Mazurka in B-flat minor, Op. 24, No. 4 would have incorporated rubato.
11. The range of the piano increased during the nineteenth century.
12. Chopin was a French composer who worked in Poland.
13. Much of Chopin’s music looks to his Polish roots.
14. The polonaise is a Polish folk dance.
15. Chopin’s creative life revolved around the piano.
ESSAY
1. Describe the role of the piano in nineteenth-century life. What new types of works were developed to support this role?
2. Explain why Chopin has been called the “poet of the piano.”
3. Discuss Chopin’s relationship to the idea of nationalism.