Music Content Knowledge (5113) Praxis II Exam with
Complete Solutions
Medieval Motet - ✔✔featured a tenor line derived from plainchant with one or more upper
voices in French or Latin. The tenor vocal line usually had a short, repeated rhythmic pattern,
while the upper voices had contrasting, lively upper voices. The texts of the upper voices were
sometimes independent and in a different language from the tenor line
Renaissance Motet - ✔✔Referred more to a genre of music than a certain form or structure;
by
15th century the motet was known as a polyphonic setting of any sacred Latin text, not
restricted
to the liturgy. Composers of the Renaissance introduced imitation homophony, and four-part
harmony to the motet.
polyphony - ✔✔texture of music in which all voices or parts hold similar musical prominence
or
interest, several distinct melodic lines occurring at the same time; rhythm of each line moves
independently of each other
, homophony - ✔✔several voices or parts, but melodic interest is reduced to a single voice or
part,
all other voices or parts support the main melody as an accompaniment and mover together
in
rhythmic likeness; any form of melody and accompaniment texture
monophony - ✔✔centers on a single melodic line, does not have supplemental
accompaniment
parts; a single line of melody embodies the entire work itself e.g. plainchant
Characteristics of Medieval Era - ✔✔Dominated by vocal music. Sacred Music: Gregorian
Chant and Masses. Secular Music: for dance and entertainment (Troubadours/Trouvères)
Gregorian Chant - ✔✔melodies that were free flowing with no distinct meter, melismatic,
largely
monophonic, and sung by unaccompanied voice or choir
Organum - ✔✔an early form of polyphony in which voices are sung in parallel motion
Complete Solutions
Medieval Motet - ✔✔featured a tenor line derived from plainchant with one or more upper
voices in French or Latin. The tenor vocal line usually had a short, repeated rhythmic pattern,
while the upper voices had contrasting, lively upper voices. The texts of the upper voices were
sometimes independent and in a different language from the tenor line
Renaissance Motet - ✔✔Referred more to a genre of music than a certain form or structure;
by
15th century the motet was known as a polyphonic setting of any sacred Latin text, not
restricted
to the liturgy. Composers of the Renaissance introduced imitation homophony, and four-part
harmony to the motet.
polyphony - ✔✔texture of music in which all voices or parts hold similar musical prominence
or
interest, several distinct melodic lines occurring at the same time; rhythm of each line moves
independently of each other
, homophony - ✔✔several voices or parts, but melodic interest is reduced to a single voice or
part,
all other voices or parts support the main melody as an accompaniment and mover together
in
rhythmic likeness; any form of melody and accompaniment texture
monophony - ✔✔centers on a single melodic line, does not have supplemental
accompaniment
parts; a single line of melody embodies the entire work itself e.g. plainchant
Characteristics of Medieval Era - ✔✔Dominated by vocal music. Sacred Music: Gregorian
Chant and Masses. Secular Music: for dance and entertainment (Troubadours/Trouvères)
Gregorian Chant - ✔✔melodies that were free flowing with no distinct meter, melismatic,
largely
monophonic, and sung by unaccompanied voice or choir
Organum - ✔✔an early form of polyphony in which voices are sung in parallel motion
