Questions Sheet #2 (Taruskin, pp.1-36)

1. Which musical device does Taruskin say “stands in the baldest possible contrast…to the spirituality of the German romantics”?
2. According to Taruskin, what was the celebratory-sounding overture of Il barbiere di Siviglia actually celebrating?
3. What about Rossini’s compositional style did German musicians find infuriating?
4. Which composition does Taruskin say has “come to symbolize Italian opera and all its values?”
5. What is meant by the dichotomous term “Geist vs. Sinnlichkeit”?