Music Content Knowledge Exam 2026
Questions and Answers
Antiquity - Correct answer-500AD - 500BC
Medieval - Correct answer-500 - 1400
- Monophonic (plain chant)
Renaissance - Correct answer-1400 - 1600
- Polyphonic voice lines (motet & madrigal), added bass instruments
Baroque - Correct answer-1600 - 1750
- Counterpoint, small orchestras (flutes, oboes, horns, and violins), harpsichord and
organ become more popular
Classical - Correct answer-1750 - 1820
- Strings, opera, symphony, and chamber music
Romantic - Correct answer-1820 - 1900
- More expressive, free-form, middle class music education, nationalism
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
, 20th Century - Correct answer-1900 - 2000
- Rejection of common practice
Important Medieval Composers - Correct answer-Hildegard of Bingen - Abbess,
experienced visions (due to migraines)
Perotin - 4 - voice organum
John Dunstable - first to use 3rds and 6ths
Important Renaissance Composers - Correct answer-Guillaume Dufay - late life
renaissance
Palestrina - mostly sacred music, over 100 madrigals both secular and sacred
William Byrd - known for survival in protestant England (he was catholic)
Important Baroque Composers - Correct answer-Claudio Monteverdi - transition
from the renaissance to the baroque
Lully - most important french composer, death by cane (gangrene)
Vivaldi - "the red priest" 500 concertos
Handel - studied law first, messiah
J.S Bach - orphan, organist, well-tempered clavier & brandenburg concertos
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
Questions and Answers
Antiquity - Correct answer-500AD - 500BC
Medieval - Correct answer-500 - 1400
- Monophonic (plain chant)
Renaissance - Correct answer-1400 - 1600
- Polyphonic voice lines (motet & madrigal), added bass instruments
Baroque - Correct answer-1600 - 1750
- Counterpoint, small orchestras (flutes, oboes, horns, and violins), harpsichord and
organ become more popular
Classical - Correct answer-1750 - 1820
- Strings, opera, symphony, and chamber music
Romantic - Correct answer-1820 - 1900
- More expressive, free-form, middle class music education, nationalism
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1
, 20th Century - Correct answer-1900 - 2000
- Rejection of common practice
Important Medieval Composers - Correct answer-Hildegard of Bingen - Abbess,
experienced visions (due to migraines)
Perotin - 4 - voice organum
John Dunstable - first to use 3rds and 6ths
Important Renaissance Composers - Correct answer-Guillaume Dufay - late life
renaissance
Palestrina - mostly sacred music, over 100 madrigals both secular and sacred
William Byrd - known for survival in protestant England (he was catholic)
Important Baroque Composers - Correct answer-Claudio Monteverdi - transition
from the renaissance to the baroque
Lully - most important french composer, death by cane (gangrene)
Vivaldi - "the red priest" 500 concertos
Handel - studied law first, messiah
J.S Bach - orphan, organist, well-tempered clavier & brandenburg concertos
©COPYRIGHT 2025, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2
