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*Children's Corner* was composed over a period of two years, from 1906 to 1908, and published in the same year it was completed.
Answer: True
Explanation: Claude Debussy composed *Children's Corner* between 1906 and 1908, and it was published in 1908, the same year it was completed.
Debussy dedicated *Children's Corner* to his wife, expressing tender apologies for the musical content.
Answer: False
Explanation: Debussy dedicated *Children's Corner* to his daughter, Claude-Emma Debussy (Chou-Chou), not his wife. The dedication includes tender apologies to his daughter for the music that follows.
The dedication message in *Children's Corner* includes a playful apology from Debussy to his daughter for the music that follows.
Answer: True
Explanation: The dedication reads: 'A ma chère petite Chouchou, avec les tendres excuses de son Père pour ce qui va suivre. C. D.', which translates to 'To my dear little Chouchou, with tender apologies from her father for what follows.'
The *Children's Corner* suite comprises five distinct movements, each with a French title.
Answer: False
Explanation: The *Children's Corner* suite consists of six movements, and all of their titles are in English, not French.
Debussy chose English-language titles for the movements of *Children's Corner* as a tribute to his daughter's English governess.
Answer: True
Explanation: Debussy's choice of English titles for the movements of *Children's Corner* was likely a tribute to his daughter Chou-Chou's English governess.
To whom did Claude Debussy dedicate his *Children's Corner* suite?
Answer: His daughter, Claude-Emma Debussy
What was the specific dedication message Debussy included for his daughter in *Children's Corner*?
Answer: A ma chère petite Chouchou, avec les tendres excuses de son Père pour ce qui va suivre. C. D.
How many distinct movements are included in the *Children's Corner* suite?
Answer: Six
What is noteworthy about the language chosen for the titles of the movements in *Children's Corner*?
Answer: They are all in English, a tribute to his daughter's governess.
What is the approximate duration of a typical performance of the entire *Children's Corner* suite?
Answer: Approximately 15 minutes
Which of the following is NOT a movement title in Claude Debussy's *Children's Corner*?
Answer: Clair de Lune
The first movement, 'Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum,' is a straightforward, serious piano exercise designed to improve finger dexterity without any satirical intent.
Answer: False
Explanation: 'Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum' is a satirical piece, intended as a joke at the expense of the mechanical nature of traditional piano exercises, despite being an ingenious study in finger independence.
'Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum' is considered a piece of advanced difficulty, suitable only for virtuoso pianists.
Answer: False
Explanation: 'Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum' is considered to be of intermediate difficulty, not advanced, requiring the ability to play quickly and wildly.
Debussy humorously suggested that 'Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum' should be played 'very early in the morning.'
Answer: True
Explanation: Debussy indeed advised his publisher that 'Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum' should be played 'very early in the morning,' a humorous suggestion related to children's practice routines.
What does the title of the first movement, 'Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum,' allude to?
Answer: Sets of traditional piano exercises
How does Debussy's 'Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum' playfully critique traditional piano exercises?
Answer: By being a joke at the expense of their mechanical nature.
What specific instruction did Debussy give regarding the time of day for playing 'Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum'?
Answer: Very early in the morning
'Jimbo's Lullaby' is a consistently serene and gentle piece, devoid of any darker musical elements.
Answer: False
Explanation: While 'Jimbo's Lullaby' is a beautiful lullaby, it also incorporates some darker moments and whole-tone passages in its middle section, making it not consistently serene.
What animal is depicted in the second movement, 'Jimbo's Lullaby'?
Answer: An elephant
What is the reason for the misspelling 'Jimbo' in the title of the second movement?
Answer: A common Parisian accent causing pronunciation confusion.
The tempo marking for 'Serenade for the Doll' is *Presto agitato*, indicating a very fast and agitated pace.
Answer: False
Explanation: The tempo marking for 'Serenade for the Doll' is *Allegretto ma non troppo*, which means moderately fast, but not too fast, rather than *Presto agitato*.
Debussy instructed that 'Serenade for the Doll' should be played entirely with the soft pedal to achieve a delicate tone.
Answer: True
Explanation: Debussy specifically noted that 'Serenade for the Doll' should be played entirely with the soft pedal (*una corda*) to achieve its intended delicate and softened piano tone.
'Serenade for the Doll' is considered an example of chinoiserie due to its use of bare fifths, the pentatonic scale, and parallel fourths, reflecting Chinese motifs.
Answer: True
Explanation: The delicate nature, use of bare fifths, pentatonic scale, and parallel fourths in 'Serenade for the Doll' are characteristic elements that classify it as an example of chinoiserie.
What is the tempo marking for the third movement, 'Serenade for the Doll'?
Answer: Allegretto ma non troppo
What specific pedal instruction did Debussy give for the performance of 'Serenade for the Doll'?
Answer: Soft pedal throughout
Which musical and cultural elements classify 'Serenade for the Doll' as an example of chinoiserie?
Answer: Its title, delicate nature, bare fifths, pentatonic scale, and parallel fourths.
'The Snow Is Dancing' is a relatively easy movement, focusing on sustained chords and slow melodic lines.
Answer: False
Explanation: 'The Snow Is Dancing' is considered quite difficult, requiring precise semi-detached playing in both hands with the melody woven between them, rather than being easy with sustained chords.
'The Little Shepherd' features a narrative of a shepherd playing his flute, with distinct solos and commentaries, creating a pastoral atmosphere.
Answer: True
Explanation: 'The Little Shepherd' musically depicts a shepherd playing his flute, with three distinct solos followed by three commentaries, effectively creating a pastoral scene.
'The Little Shepherd' avoids the use of dissonances, maintaining a purely consonant and simple harmonic structure.
Answer: False
Explanation: 'The Little Shepherd' incorporates different musical modes and utilizes dissonances that ultimately resolve, contributing to its expressive quality rather than avoiding them.
What narrative does 'The Little Shepherd' convey through its music?
Answer: A shepherd playing his flute, featuring distinct solos and commentaries.
Golliwoggs were popular characters in children's literature and fashion during the time *Golliwogg's Cakewalk* was composed, often associated with minstrel shows.
Answer: True
Explanation: At the time of its composition, Golliwoggs were popular stuffed black dolls, gaining fashion due to Florence Kate Upton's novels and reminiscent of blackface minstrel shows.
A 'cakewalk' was a type of ballroom dance popular in European high society, characterized by its elegant, slow movements.
Answer: False
Explanation: A cakewalk was a dance or strut originating from African American culture, where the dancer with the most elaborate steps would win a cake, not an elegant, slow ballroom dance in European high society.
'Golliwogg's Cakewalk' is a prime example of the Impressionistic musical style, characterized by its fluid harmonies and lack of strong rhythmic pulse.
Answer: False
Explanation: 'Golliwogg's Cakewalk' is an example of ragtime, characterized by its syncopations and banjo-like effects, which contrasts with the fluid harmonies and less pronounced rhythmic pulse of Impressionism.
Debussy includes a direct, reverent quotation of the *Tristan und Isolde* love-death leitmotif in 'Golliwogg's Cakewalk' to honor Wagner.
Answer: False
Explanation: Debussy's reference to Wagner's *Tristan und Isolde* in 'Golliwogg's Cakewalk' is satirical, transforming the Tristan chord into a jaunty arpeggio and interrupting the piece with the leitmotif, rather than a direct, reverent quotation.
Following each quotation of the *Tristan und Isolde* leitmotif in 'Golliwogg's Cakewalk,' Debussy includes imitations of a banjo.
Answer: True
Explanation: Each quotation of the *Tristan und Isolde* leitmotif in 'Golliwogg's Cakewalk' is immediately followed by imitations of a banjo, reinforcing the satirical and ragtime character.
Debussy composed 'The Little Nigar' a year after *Children's Corner* as part of a violin method.
Answer: False
Explanation: Debussy composed 'The Little Nigar' a year after *Children's Corner* as part of a *piano* method, not a violin method.
The image caption 'Excerpt from the last movement, Golliwogg's Cakewalk' in the infobox indicates a visual representation of a musical score snippet from the suite's final piece.
Answer: True
Explanation: The image caption 'Excerpt from the last movement, Golliwogg's Cakewalk' precisely describes a visual representation of a musical score snippet from the final piece of the *Children's Corner* suite.
What were 'Golliwoggs' at the time of the composition of 'Golliwogg's Cakewalk'?
Answer: Popular stuffed black dolls, reminiscent of blackface minstrel shows.
How does Debussy satirically reference Richard Wagner's *Tristan und Isolde* in 'Golliwogg's Cakewalk'?
Answer: By transforming the Tristan chord into a jaunty arpeggio and interrupting with the love-death leitmotif.
What musical elements immediately follow the quotations of Wagner's *Tristan und Isolde* leitmotif in 'Golliwogg's Cakewalk'?
Answer: Imitations of a banjo
What other piano piece did Debussy compose in a similar style to 'Golliwogg's Cakewalk' a year later?
Answer: The Little Nigar
An orchestral version of *Children's Corner* was first premiered and published in 1911, orchestrated by Debussy's friend André Caplet.
Answer: True
Explanation: André Caplet, a friend of Debussy, orchestrated *Children's Corner*, and this orchestral version was premiered and published in 1911.
Danish composer Hans Abrahamsen orchestrated the entire *Children's Corner* suite in 2015.
Answer: True
Explanation: Danish composer Hans Abrahamsen indeed orchestrated the entire *Children's Corner* suite in 2015, providing a new orchestral interpretation.
Scottish guitarist Paul Galbraith transcribed five of the six movements of *Children's Corner* for classical guitar in 2006.
Answer: False
Explanation: Scottish guitarist Paul Galbraith transcribed the *entire* *Children's Corner* suite (all six movements) for brahms guitar in 2006, not just five movements for classical guitar.
Leigh Howard Stevens transcribed all six movements of *Children's Corner* for marimba.
Answer: False
Explanation: Leigh Howard Stevens transcribed five of the six movements from *Children's Corner* for marimba, not all six movements.
Japanese composer Isao Tomita transcribed 'The Snow Is Dancing' and 'Golliwogg's Cakewalk' for Moog Synthesizer in 1974.
Answer: True
Explanation: Japanese composer Isao Tomita transcribed the fourth movement, 'The Snow Is Dancing,' and the sixth movement, 'Golliwogg's Cakewalk,' for Moog Synthesizer in 1974.
In what year was an orchestral version of *Children's Corner* by André Caplet first premiered and published?
Answer: 1911
Who orchestrated the entire *Children's Corner* suite in 2015?
Answer: Hans Abrahamsen
Which musician transcribed the entire *Children's Corner* suite for brahms guitar?
Answer: Paul Galbraith
Which movements of *Children's Corner* did Leigh Howard Stevens transcribe for marimba?
Answer: Five of the six movements
Which movements of *Children's Corner* did Japanese composer Isao Tomita transcribe for Moog Synthesizer in 1974?
Answer: 'The Snow Is Dancing' and 'Golliwogg's Cakewalk'