Della-Joio is described as belonging to which musical era in the material?

• A. Contemporary
• B. Classical
• C. Romantic
• D. Baroque

Answer: (A)

Contemporary music covers the 20th century to today and is defined by a willingness to move beyond traditional tonal harmony, exploring new rhythms, timbres, and often innovative or unconventional techniques. If the material describes Della-Joio as Contemporary, it signals a modern musical language that aligns with recent practices rather than the older styles. Baroque features such as figured bass and ornate counterpoint, Classical emphasis on balanced forms and clear phrases, and Romantic expansion of emotion within a largely tonal system don’t fit that modern, exploratory language. So describing Della-Joio as Contemporary best matches the era implied by the material.