IB Music Listening Paper
The Listening Paper consists of 4 questions for Standard Level candidates to be answered in 2 hours. It is divided into section A and section B. All questions are worth 20 marks each. Candidates will be provided with an unmarked score of the prescribed work and will be provided with a CD with unidentified tracks.
Section A
Candidates can refer to unmarked scores of the prescribed work in the examination room. No listening tracks will be provided. The first two questions are each based on one of the two prescribed works and Standard Level candidates have a choice between the two. Therefore, standard level students may study only one of the set works.
Prescribed Works
The prescribed works for the 2020 - 2021 examinations are Haydn’s Symphony No. 94 in G major (Hob. 1:94) “The Surprise” and Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43.
For the 2020 - 2021 November exams, we have chosen to study Haydn’s Symphony No. 94 in G major (Hob. 1:94) “The Surprise” . The following are sample questions to help you prepare for the exam:
- Discuss Haydn’s use of form and tonality in the 1st Movement of the ‘Surprise’ Symphony.
- Discuss Haydn’s approach to melody in the ‘Surprise’ Symphony. Refer in detail to specific passages of music.
- Explain how Haydn’s ‘Surprise’ Symphony is typical of a work from the Classical period, illustrating your arguments with precisely located examples.
Section B
The four questions in this section are based on extracts on an accompanying CD provided during the examinations. These can be from any time period, genre or culture. Standard Level candidates have a choice between question 3 and 4 (3 has a score with it and 4 does not) based on "Western Art" music. Additionally both, questions 5 and 6 (based on jazz, pop and/or world music) must be answered.
The Generic IB Music Question
Unidentified Piece
Analyze what you hear in this extract in terms of relevant:
- Musical Features: such as (but not limited to) harmony, melody, rhythm, instrumentation
- Structural Features: such as (but not limited to) form, phrases, motifs, texture
- Contextual Features: such as (but not limited to) style, time, culture, geography, history
For high marks all three of the above features must be addressed in detail using accurate musical terminology.
The activity required to answer the IB Music question is threefold:
- Listen to and analyze the music
- Write down the details of what you hear
- Prove your answer / Explain the details
Below is a breakdown. There are specific comments and questions you need to figure out. This is not a complete list, however, and the question states several times, “but not limited to” when prompting your response.
Musical Elements
• Harmony
• Melody
• Instrumentation
Think about........
Monody (none) / Polyphony / Major / Minor / Modal / Dissonance / Atonal Describe it / Pick out characteristics / Pitch or tonality
The medium – Solo / What kind of ensemble is performing the piece – be specific.
Structure/Form
• Form
• Phrases • Motifs
• Texture
Think about........
The structure of the musical events in the music – can you figure this out? Make a diagram to show what you hear – don’t write it out in sentences. What is happening in the phrases? Short repeated melodic or rhythmic segments of music – are there any? Texture is an artistic word referring to the characteristic quality or essence of the music. Is the texture heavy, pointillist, fragmented, light, scant, etc? If it’s a vocal piece, what is the text or language used?
Context
• Style
• Time
• Culture
Think about........
Geography and History - What style is the piece? Is there a specific style you can attach to it? This refers to when it was composed – can you figure it out? What was the culture of the area or time it was composed? Where was it composed? What was happening in place this piece was composed?
Visit the following links below to find listening examples:
1) Piano Sonata in E minor Hob. 34, 1st movement (0'00"'-2'07"), no score
2) Concerto for Two Trumpets in C (3'56"-5'53"), score provided
3) Missa Brevis, Sanctus (0'0"-2'12"), no score
4) The Drinking Song (0'00-2'06"), no score
5) The Four Sections, 4th movement (0'00"-2'00"), no score
6) All You Need is Love (0'00"-1'53"), no score
7) Walk This Way (0'05"-2'06"), no score
8) Malwe Da Jatt (0'00"-2'00"), no score
9) Taqsim for Arghul (1'00-2'30"), no score
| listening paper answer sheet.pdf |
