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trivia1.txt
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1993-03-21
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@219 Which popular song was based on Toselli's Serenade?
\Stairway to the Stars
\Don't Count the Stars
\Moonlight and Roses
\*Years and Years Ago
^Enrico Toselli (1883-1926) was a fine pianist. The piece was
originally compposed for a string quartet. The music became the theme for the
radio show The Goldbergs.
<2
@220 Who wrote a piano concerto for left hand alone for a friend who had lost his
right hand in World War I?
\Hindemith
\Debussy
\*Ravel
\Dvorak
^It is was composed for the Austrian pianist Paul Wittgenstein
(1887-1961). Wittgenstein also commissioned left hand only concertos or
similar compositions from Richard Strauss, Prokofiev, Schmidt and Britten.
<1
@221 Who envisioned a work for 2000 performers combining music, poetry,
dancing, colours and perfumes?
\Rachmaninov
\Belaiev
\Chopin
\*Scriabin
^Alexander Scriabin (1872-1915) was a Russian pianist and
composer. He hoped to unite mankind in a search for a future of beauty, joy
and religious contentment through this work. He died before it could be
completed.
<1
@222 What composer, when not awarded the Grand Prix, forced the resignation of
the head of the Paris Conservatory?
\Satie
\Gounod
\Milhaud
\*Ravel
^Maurice Ravel left the prestigious conservatory in 1905. He
had actually competed for this Prix de Rome three times, and unsuccessfully
in each case. He was actually declared ineligible to try a fourth time, and
hence the controversy.
<2
@223 What composer adapted Edgar Allan Poe's Fall of the House of Usher for an
operatic libretto?
\Caplet
\Mendelssohn
\*Debussy
\Mozart
^The opera was never written.
<1
@224 Which love inspired Wagner's libretto for Tristan und Isolde?
\Minna
\*Mathilde
\Gertrude
\Cosima
^In 1857, Wagner and his wife Minna went to live on the estate
of Otto Wesenclonck, a wealthy silk merchant in Zurich. Wagner fell in love
with his host's wife, Mathilde. He wrote the libretto for Tristan und Isolde. He
also wrote five songs in the Tristan style to poems written by Mathilde.
<2
@225 What composition did Ravel call "17 minutes of orchestra without any
music"?
\La Valse
\*Bolero
\Piano Concerto in G major
\Jeux d'eau
^In 1928, Ravel completed his most famous work - the Bolero
for orchestra. It was commissioned by the French dancer Ida Rubenstein and is
based on a Spanish dance rhythm. Ravel chose an eight measure theme which
is repeated over and over, always with different orchestral colours, reaching a
huge, convulsive climax. He was always annoyed by its popularity.
<1
@226 Who was infatuated with Liszt's daughter and the wife of one of his best
friends?
\Chopin
\*Wagner
\Debussy
\Schumann
^Richard Wagner's attentions were for Cosima von Bulow, the
daughter of Liszt and the wife of Hans von Bulow, a famous pianist and
conductor.
<2
@227 Who was refused admission to the Paris Conservatory at age 12 because the
director disliked child prodigies?
\Chopin
\Schumann
\Mozart
\*Liszt
^Despite this refusal, Liszt went on to a stellar pianistic and
composing career. Among his accomplishments, he became President of the
newly founded Hungarian Academy of Music in Budapest in 1875.
<1
@228 What director of the Paris Conservatory refused admission to Liszt?
\Seraphim
\*Cherubini
\Berlioz
\Cellini
^Luigi Cherubini (1760-1842) is remembered mainly for his
church music. He was director of the Paris Conservatory from 1822-42.
<3
@229 Who was the founder of French Grand Opera?
\Rossini
\Bach
\*Lully
\Handel
^Jean Baptiste Lully (1632-1687) became a friend of Louis XIV
and in 1672, the king gave him a monopoly on producing operas in France.
<1
@230 What two composers died within one and a half years of each other?
\Brahms and Schumann
\Liszt and Wagner
\*Beethoven and Schubert
\Mozart and Salieri
^Beethoven and Schubert both lived in the same city but
apparently never met - Schubert because he was to shy to force his attention
on his great idol Beethoven, and Beethoven because he was to preoccupied to
think of arranging to meet Schubert who was younger. Schubert asked to be
buried near his idol and in 1863, the remains of both were reburied side by
side.
<2
@231 Who wrote The Trout (Die Forelle)?
\Beethoven
\Rossini
\Liszt
\*Schubert
^Franz Peter Schubert (1797-1828) wrote the famous Trout
Quintet for violin, viola, piano, cello and double bass, the result of a request
from wealthy cellist Johann Vogl. Vogl held musical evenings in his home
and asked Schubert to contribute a new work.
<1
@232 Who paid Scriabin a annual fee for composing and took him on an orchestral
tour down the Volga by boat?
\Novello
\Mahler
\Milhaud
\*Koussenitzky
^Serge Koussevitsky (1874-1951) was a Russian-born conductor
and publisher.
<2
@233 Who became intrigued by mechanical player pianos and wrote an Etude for
Pianola?
\*Stravinsky
\Scriabin
\Ravel
\Gounod
^The player piano was invented in 1860 and by 1919, more than
half of the pianos made in the United States were of this kind.
<2
@234 What violinist was said to have sold his soul to the devil?
\Berlioz
\Toscanini
\*Paganini
\Ricci
^Niccolo Paganini (1782-1840) was one of the greatest
violinists of all time. His brilliant playing and Mephistophelean appearance
led many people to think he had made a special deal to obtain his talents.
<1
@235 Who was known as "twelve tone man"?
\Stravinsky
\Webern
\Adler
\*Schoenberg
^Arnold Schoenberg (1874-1951) devised his 12-tone technique
of composition and in 1921, gave a lecture on his new musical theory calling
it a "method of composing with twelve tones". Today, this method is
considered mainstream, although very few mainstream audience members
would admit to actually liking Schoenberg.
<1
@236 For whom did Berlioz write his viola concerto Harold in Italy?
\Scarlatti
\*Paganini
\Kreisler
\Viotti
^Paganini asked Berlioz to compose a work that would feature
an exceptional viola that he had acquired. The result was Harold in Italy, Opus
16, a programme symphony composed in 1834.
<2
@237 What composer became so depressed, he needed hypnotism before he could
write again?
\*Rachmaninov
\Siloti
\Zverev
\Hindemith
^In his late 20's, the great pianist/composer Serge Rachmaninov
(1873-1943) suffered severe depression, but after a series of daily sessions
with Dr. Nikolai Dahl, a psychologist who was experimenting in hypnotic
therapy, he was cured.
<2
@238 Who achieved fame as an organist and a tester of church organs?
\Haydn
\Handel
\Brahms
\*Bach
^Beside giving J.S. Bach (1685-1750) extra income, it gave him
genuine pleasure to inspect new organs.
<1
@239 What did the ladies of Dublin agree to do so more people could attend
Handel's Messiah?
\Go hatless
\Not wear furs
\Leave off their capes
\*Go without their hoops
^ Going without wearing the skirt hoops would obviously make
more room for others.
<1
@240 To whom did Mozart refer when he said "Pay attention to him. He will make a
noise in the world some day or other"?
\Bach
\Mendelssohn
\Chopin
\*Beethoven
^Beethoven visited Mozart in Vienna in 1787 and played the
piano brilliantly. Then Beethoven asked Mozart to give him a theme and let
him make variations on it. He was so full of admiration for the seventeen year
old Beethoven that he tip-toed from the room and made the quote to friends in
the next room.
<1
@241 What is considered to be the first true Italian opera?
\*Eurydice
\Dafne
\Mimi
\Magic Flute
^The story of Orpheus and his love for his wife Eurydice has
been used for the plot of more than 30 operas. Two of these, both entitled
Eurydice, were written in 1600 by two of the founders of opera, Peri and
Caccini.
<2
@242 What was Beethoven's only opera?
\Faust
\Die Fledermaus
\Rigoletto
\*Fidelio
^Beethoven's only opera was first produced in 1805. It was not a
success and Beethoven revised it for a production in 1806. Although it
seemed a success then, the opera was shelved after five performances. In 1814,
he revised it and presented it yet again.
<1
@243 What instrument did Queen Elizabeth I of England play?
\Clavichord
\Harpsichord
\*Virginal
\Spinet
^In England, the virginal was a type of harpsichord.
<2
@244 What composer was called the "Red Priest"?
\Bach
\Handel
\*Vivaldi
\Weber
^Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) was ordained as a priest but
served only for a short time in the church. He had flaming red hair.
<1
@245 What was known as Paganini's widow?
\His wife
\His favorite mandolin
\His favorite medal
\*His favorite violin
^The violin was made by Guarneri. It was loaned to Paganini by
its owner, a wealthy French music lover. After hearing Paganini play it, the
owner gave it to him because he thought no one else should ever play it.
<1
@246 Composers Rimsky-Korsakov, Borodin, Balakirev, Cui and Mussorgsky
belonged to what group?
\Russia's Greatest
\*The Five
\Volga Boatmen
\The Performers
^They were also known as The Russian Five or The Mighty
Five. The original name, coined in a newspaper article by Stasov in 1867 was
"Moguchaya Kuchka" which meant The Mighty Handful.
<1
@247 Who wrote the Russian historical opera A Life For The Tzar?
\Pushkin
\Gogol
\Stravinsky
\*Glinka
^Mikhail Ivanovitch Glinka (1804-1857) created this first
popular opera in the Russian language. It was performed in 1836. It is also
known as A Life for the Czar, and also, Ivan Susanin.
<2
@248 Who was the first musician to become a member of the Austrian House of
Lords?
\*Dvorak
\Wagner
\Bach
\Hoffman
^ Antonin Dvorak lived from 1841-1904. After returning from
the United States to his native country, he bacame director of the Prague
Conservatory.
<2
@249 Who founded the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers
(ASCAP) in 1914?
\Hindemith
\Bernstein
\Ravel
\*Herbert
^Victor Herbert (1859-1924) was disturbed by the plight of
composers who were receiving no royalties for the performance of their music
As a result, ASCAP was formed. Herbert was vice-president of this
organization from the time of its founding until his death.
<2
@250 Who wrote the ballet Harlequin's Millions?
\Tchaikovsky
\Grieg
\Paderewski
\*Drigo
^Riccardo Drigo lived from 1846-1930. This ballet was first
danced in St. Petersburg.
<2
@251 Of what composition did Tchaikovsky say "a piece from the heart. I can't wait
for to be played"?
\1812 Overture
\None But The Lonely Heart
\Melodie
\*Waltz from Serenade for Strings
^This waltz was composed by Tchaikovsky in 1880.
<1
@252 Who composed Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini?
\Paganini
\Benny
\*Rachmaninov
\Hoffman
^Rachmaninov was inspired by Paganini's work as were other
artists such as Liszt, Schumann and Brahms. Brahms wrote two books of
variations on a single caprice, which was the same one used by Rachmaninov.
<1
@253 Humoresque was published in 1890 and has remained a favorite. Who wrote
it?
\Foster
\Herbert
\Sibelius
\*Dvorak
^Dvorak's Humoresque, Opus 101, No. 7, appeared in the
1890's. It, curiously, can be played and sung simultaneously with Way Down
Upon the Swanee River by Stephen Foster.
<1
@254 What composition was used as the theme of the Lone Ranger TV series?
\Pomp and Circumstance
\1812 Overture
\Battle Hymn of the Republic
\*William Tell Overture
^William Tell was Rossini's last opera Just listening to the
galloping rhythm makes it easy to see why it became the Lone Ranger's theme.
<1
@255 Who wrote the Can Can?
\*Offenbach
\Bach
\Dvorak
\Chopin
^Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880) composed Orpheus in the
Underworld, from which this famous Can Can comes. It is a naughty French
dance.
<1
@256 Approximately how many waltzes did Johann Strauss Jr. compose?
\100
\300
\*Over 500
\350
^No wonder Strauss Jr. (1825-1899) was known as the Waltz
King!
<1
@257 The song Tonight We Love was taken from the opening theme of which
concerto?
\Brandenburg Concerto
\*Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto
\Rachmaninov's 2nd Piano Concerto
\None of the above.
^The concerto was written in 1874 and first performed by the
pianist Hans von Bulow in Boston.
<1
@258 In 1970, 100 cellists played Sardana in tribute to what composer?
\Menuhin
\Rubinoff
\Rubenstein
\*Casals
^Pablo Casals (1876-1973) was renowned not only as a cellist
but as a conductor and composer. He founded the famous Marlboro Summer
Music Festival in the United States. Casals conducted this special tribute
performance at age 94.
<1
@259 Who wrote the Skater's Waltz?
\Strauss
\Brahms
\Tchaikovsky
\*Waldtoufel
^Emil Waldteufel (1837-1915) was appointed director of Court
Balls in 1865 in France. At a time when society was not only wild about
waltzing but also ice-skating, the Skater's Waltz became a great favorite.
<2
@260 Domenico Scarlatti's works are often identified with "L" and a number. What
does "L" stand for?
\Lima
\Lipschitz
\*Longo
\Lamont
^Alessandro Longo (1864-1945) is the pianist and composer
who organized and numbered Scarlatti's output for easier identification.
<2
@261 Who wrote most of Mozart's Symphony No. 37, K. 444?
\Salieri
\*Michael Haydn
\Samartini
\None of the above
^Mozart only wrote the introduction to the first movement of
this work. Michael Haydn (1737-1806) was the brother of Joseph Haydn.
<2
@262 Although Mussorgsky wrote Pictures at an Exhibition, whose orchestration of
it is usually heard?
\Rimsky-Korsakov
\Richard Strauss
\*Ravel
\Schoenberg
^Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) was considered a brilliant
orchestrator, as is evident in such works as Daphnis et Chloe and Bolero.
<2
@263 What is the only left handed instrument in the orchestra?
\Cello
\Flute
\Triangle
\*French horn
^The French horn is the only brass instrument in the orchestra
where the left hand operates the valves. The right hand is positioned in the
bell and remains essentially motionless.
<1
@264 As a choir boy, Haydn was considered a practical joker. On one occasion,
he...
\*Cut off the pigtails of another singer
\Dumped a water bucket on Empress Maria Theresa
\Put thumb tacks on his teacher's chair
\Stuck pages of the choir director's music together
^When his voice changed, Haydn was removed from St.
Stephen's Church choir in Vienna. Some say the joke got him kicked out.
<1
@265 Haydn's wife was not exactly a music lover. Her insensitivity really showed
when she...
\Sold his piano
\*Used Haydn's manuscript for hair curlers
\Told Haydn to take a job as a shoe maker
\Gossiped out loud at formal court concerts
^Women used to use paper for hair curlers!
<1
@266 Who was Chopin's lover?
\*George Sand
\George Chuvalo
\George Elliot
\George Bush
^George Sand, a female French novelist, lived with Chopin from
1838-47. She was actually the Baroness Dudevant (writing under a
pseudonym).
<1
@267 Which of the following is not a recognized classification for opera singers?
\Tenor extremo
\Basso profundo
\Tenore robusto
\Coloratura soprano
^The other classifications refer to the character and timbre of the
voice.
<1
@268 Who did Beethoven have lessons with?
\G. Neefe
\F.J. Haydn
\Albrechtsberger
\*All of the above.
^He also had lessons from Schenk Salieri (and perhaps even
Mozart).
<1
@269 In his Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies (1892), Tchaikovsky made use of what
newly invented instrument?
\English horn
\Banjo
\*Celesta
\Saxophone
^The celeste was invented in 1886 by the French instrument
maker Auguste Mustel. It looks like a small piano but it sounds like a set of
bells. Its special design produces purity of tone.
<1
@270 What is a Double Stop?
\*2 tones sounding simultaneously on stringed instruments
\2 orchestral sections simultaneously remaining silent
\Special piano technique for crisp staccatos
\None of the above as there is no such term
^Triple (3 note) and quadruple (4 note) stops are also possible.
<1
@271 Haydn's works are often identified by an "H" and a number. What does the "H"
stand for?
\*Hoboken
\Harvey
\Michael Haydn
\Hanova
^Anthony van Hoboken (1887-1983) was a Dutch musicologist.
He compiled a definitive catalogue of Haydn's works, the first volume of
which appeared in 1957. Such numbering eliminates confusion when referring
to certain works.
<2
@272 The works of Mozart are usually identified by "K" and a number. What does
"K" stand for?
\Klinger
\Klephorn
\*Kochel
\Kaiser
^Ludwig von Kochel (1800-1877) was an Austrian botonist and
mineralogist with great admiration for Mozart. He compiled a chronological
catalogue of all of the composer's works, giving each a "Kochel" or "K"
number. The system is now used universally.
<1
@273 The works of Schubert are usually identified by "D" and a number. What does
"D" stand for?
\Duckworth
\Diptmonc
\Dumas
\*Deutsch
^Viennese music scholar and art critic Otto Erich Deutsch
(1883-1967) not only compiled vast amounts of information on Schubert, but
also a thematic catalogue (1951) which organized all of the composer's works
with "D" numbers.
<1
@274 Each movement of Vaughan William's Sinfonia Antarctica contains quotes
from the journals of which explorer?
\Byrd
\*Scott
\Amunsden
\Perry
^Ralph Vaughan Williams also produced a film score for "Scott
of the Antarctic" in 1948. As one might guess, this provided the impetus to
write his Antarctic Symphony (No. 7) which appeared in 1952.
<2
@275 Who did Herbert Von Karajan replace as conductor of the Berlin
Philharmonic?
\George Szell
\Karl Bohm
\Stokowski
\*Furtwangler
^Wilhelm Furtwangler (1886-1954), along with Arturo
Toscanini (1867-1957), are widely regarded as the two most influential
conductors of the first half of the 20th century.
<2
@276 What is the Heiligenstadt Testament?
\Bach's treatise on playing the clavichord
\Handel's observations on choral technique
\Brahms' theories of orchestration
\*Beethoven's letter of personal despair
^In 1802, Beethoven described his state of mind after being told
by doctors that his deafness was incurable. This has become known as the
Heiligenstadt Testament.
<2
@277 Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven are sometimes collectively refered to as...
\Three muskateers of music
\*Composers of the First Viennese School
\Moguls of Mannheim
\All of the above
^This compositional style period is also sometimes referred to as
the period of common practice. The Second Viennese School (early 20th
century) includes Schoenberg, Berg and Webern. The latter gentlemen saw a
direct connection between what they were doing, and the work of the First
School.
<1
@278 Who wrote the Devil's Trill Sonata?
\Corelli
\*Tartini
\Vivaldi
\Rigotoni
^Giuseppe Tartini (1692-1770) said his inspiration came from a
dream. He had made a bargain with the devil for his soul. He handed his violin
to the devil who played with "consummate skill". When he awoke, Tartini
tried in vain to copy what he had heard.
<1
@279 How long did it take Brahms to complete his first symphony?
\1 year
\5 years
\10 years
\*20 years
^Brahms probably started around 1855, his first attempts ending
up as the D minor Piano Concerto and part of the German Requiem amongst
other things. The First Symphony premiered in 1876.
<2
@280 What group was Mozart a member of?
\Jehovah's Witnesses
\*Freemasons
\Group of Five
\None of the above
^The freemasons are a secret order or fraternity professing
principles of brotherly love, charity and mutual aid.
<1
@281 Which work does not belong in this group?
\*Der Freischutz
\Don Giovanni
\Cossi Van Tutte
\Die Zauberflote
^Although all the above are operas, the first is by Weber. The
others are by Mozart.
<2
@282
Which of the following was not written by Puccini?
\Tosca
\Madame Butterfly
\*Salome
\La Boheme
^Salome was written by Richard Strauss (1864-1949)
<1
@283 What composer, at a performance of Handel's Hallelujah chorus, exclaimed
"He is the master of us all"?
\Mozart
\*F.J. Haydn
\Beethoven
\Brahms
^He made the remark in 1791 at a performance of Messiah at
Westminster Abbey. Haydn's own work was influenced by this exposure to
Handel's oratorio while in London. This is apparent in Haydn's oratorio The
Creation and The Seasons, amongst other choral works.
<2
@284 Although he breezed through the Paris Conservatory's entrance exams, who
was refused admission because he was age 7?
\Mozart
\*Albeniz
\Liszt
\Brahms
^Isaac Albeniz (1860-1909), a very precocious youngster, is said
to have learned the piano almost instinctively, improvising a public concert at
age 4.
<1
@285 Grieg's Peer Gynt was originally incidental music to a play of the same name.
Who wrote the play?
\Edgar Allan Poe
\*Henrik Ibsen
\Bjornson
\Edna Ferber
^The first performance, with Ibsen's drama revised in a version
for the stage, occurred Feb 24, 1876. This was the same year that Wagner's
Ring Cycle was premiered at Bayreuth.
<2
@286 In the music of J.S. Bach, one can find evidence of...
\*Numerology
\Astrology
\Golden Section
\None of the above
^Letters of the alphabet are given a numerical equivalent (eg.
A=1, B=2, C=3, H=8). The letters of the name BACH add up to 14. J.S. Bach
sometimes constructed themes so that the number of notes would total 14!
<2
@287 In 1705, J.S. Bach was exposed to a composer who influenced him greatly.
Who was he?
\Palestrina
\Scarlatti
\*Buxtehude
\Vivaldi
^Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707) was the most famous
composer of his time in North Germany. He was active as an organist at
Lubeck, where Bach heard him perform.
<1
@288 Leonard Bernstein is known as a.
\Conductor
\Composer and writer
\Concert pianist
\*All of the above
^Leonard Bernstein, a true "wunderkind", achieved outstanding
success in all these fields. He was, of course, conductor of the New York
Philharmonic for many years. As a composer, he achieved popular success for
the music of West Side Story.
<1
@289 Leonard Bernstein's last minute conducting debut with the N.Y. Philharmonic
in 1943 launched his career. Who was he filling in for?
\Artur Rodzinski
\Serge Koussevitzky
\*Bruno Walter
\Arturo Toscanini
^Walter had taken suddenly ill.
<2
@290 The story behind Wagner's Der Ring Des Nibelungen is drawn from...
\Greek mythology
\*Norse mythology
\Russian folklore
\None of the above
^Richard Wagner (1813-1883) used these myths as they offered
excellent opportunities for theatrical manipulation. They also raised
philosophical issues that were of interest to Wagner.
<1
@291 Which work does not belong in the following list?
\Tod und Verklarung
\*Das Rheingold
\Till Eulenspiegels Lustige Streiche
\Ein Heldenleben
^It is an opera from Wagner's Ring Cycle. the others are
symphonic poems by Richard Strauss.
<2
@292 Which of the following is not a symphonic poem by Franz Liszt?
\Mazeppa
\Les Preludes
\Die Ideale
\*Tannhauser
^Tannhauser is an opera by Wagner.
What was Wagner's last work?
\*Parisfal
\Flying Dutchman
\Die Meistersing von Nurnbuerg
\Gotterdammerung
^Parsifal is an opera in three acts, first produced at Bayreuth in
1882, a year before Wagner died. The setting is Spain in the Middle Ages.
<1
@293 Who was Wagner's great patron?
\Queen Victoria of England
\*Ludwig II of Bavaria
\Archduke Ferdinand of Austria
\None of the above.
^Ludwig II, who spent the lands riches on the arts and on
building castles, was nicknamed the "dream king".
<1
@294 What instrument did Adolphe Sax invent?
\Saxotromba
\Saxophone
\Saxtuba
\*All of the above
^Adolphe Sax (1814-94) of Brussels obviously experimented
and worked on a great many instruments, both brass and woodwind.
<1
@295 The striking innovation of Beethoven's 9th Symphony is the use of chorus and
solo voices. Who's text did Beethoven use?
\*Johann Von Schiller
\Goethe
\Walpole
\Heine
^Beethoven selected the stanzas that emphasized the universal
brotherhood of man through joy and love of an eternal heavenly Father.
<1
@296 Which of the following pairs of composers are not believed to have met?
\Mozart and Beethoven
\*Handel and Bach
\Scarlatti and Handel
\Liszt and Chopin
^They did make several attempts to do so. In 1719, Bach went to
Halle specifically to meet Handel, but the latter had already left for England.
<1
@297 How did French pianist and composer Charles Alkan meet his death?
\Heart failure while performing at age 74
\*Crushed to death by a falling bookcase
\Fell from a train en route to a performance in Russia
\Drowned while on vacation
^Alkan (1813-1888) was apparently reaching for a copy of the
Talmud and toppled the bookcase. Alkan's real name was actually Charles
Henri Valentin Morhange. He was said to be the only pianist Liszt was
embarassed to perform in front of.
<2
@298 What or who is the Diabolus in Musica (the devil in music)?
\Franz Liszt
\*Late medieval name for the Tritone interval
\Niccolo Paganini
\None of the above
^The tritone (interval of the augmented fourth) has long been
considered as an awkward interval.
<2
@299 Which of the following first initials do not belong to a real Bach?
\W.F.
\P.E.
\*P.D.Q.
\J.S.
^P.D.Q. Bach is actually a very elaborate satire created by Prof.
Peter Schickele (last reported to be at the University of Southern North
Dakota at Hoople!).
<1
@300 How many operas make up Wagner's Der Ring Des Nibelungen (Ring of the
Nibelung)?
\*4
\6
\8
\12
^The four music dramas are: Das Rheingold (The Rhine Gold),
Die Walkure (The Valkyrie), Siegfried, and Gotterdammerung (Twilight of the
Gods).
<1
@301 Who composed Finlandia?
\Newmarch
\Downes
\*Sibelius
\Elgar
^Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) composed this orchestral work for
the Press Celebrations of 1899. It is interesting to note that in 1900 the
Russian Zsar ordered that Finlandia not be performed during the political
crises because of its strong association with the Finnish independence
movement.
<1
@302 Who wrote a rondo over the loss of a penny?
\Mozart
\Schubert
\*Beethoven
\Schumann
^It is called Rage for a Lost Penny and was once used on a
television commercial for Heintzmann pianos (remember the piano tuner in an
empty hall being applauded by the cleaning lady?).
<2
@303 What composer conducted a mammoth performance of 20,000 musicians and
singers during a visit to the United States?
\Puccini
\Tchaikovsky
\Debussy
\*Strauss
^Johann Strauss Jr., the Waltz King, visited the U.S. in 1872.
The incredible performance of his own works was arranged for the Boston
Peace Jubilee.
<2
@304 What popular song was based on Chopin's Polonaise, Opus 53?
\As Time Goes By
\Night and Day
\Forever and Ever
\*Till the End of Time
^D. is correct.
<1
@305 The Opera Don Giovanni was based on what character ?
\Casa Nova
\*Don Juan
\Don Quixote
\Romeo (Shakespeare )
^This famous opera by Mozart is based upon the character of
the flamboyant lover "Don Juan".
<2
@306 In 1723, J .S. Bach left Cothen to take up a new job in which city?
\Vienna
\Munich
\*Leipzig
\London
^Bach stayed there until his death in 1750.
<2
@307 When Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue was premiered in 1924, whose
orchestra accompanied?
\Duke Ellington's
\Ferde Grofe's
\Guy Lombardo's
\*Paul Whiteman's
^Whiteman commissioned the Rhapsody. Gershwin's
famous Rhapsody in Blue was originally scored for jazz band and
piano, and later arranged for full orchestra by Ferde Grofe (1892-
1972). The first performance as was on Feb. 12, 1924, with
Gershwin at the piano.
<2
@308 Which of the following co-founded a successful insurance company
in 1906?
\Claude Debussy
\Percy Grainger
\*Charles Ives
\Scott Joplin
^Charles Ives (1874-1954) became one of the most
innovative American composers. The son of a bandmaster, he was
trained as an organist and even studied music at Yale before getting
into the insurance business.
<2
@309 By what first name was the French composer Berlioz known?
\Jean
\*Hector
\Frank
\Claude
^Hector Berlioz (1803-1869) was a French composer,
conductor and music critic.
<1
@310 In what country was Mikhail Glinka born in 1804?
\*Russia
\Poland
\Hungary
\Czechoslovakia
^Glinka (??) is often thought of as the father of Russian
music.
<1
@311 Who wrote the perennial children's opera Hansel und Gretel?
\Mel Torme
\J.S. Bach
\Robert Schumann
\*Engelbert Humperdinck
^Engelbert Humperdinck (1854-1921) based this opera
on the story by the brothers Grimm. It was first produced in Weimar
in 1893 (with Richard Strauss conducting).
<1
@312 What was Anton Bruckner's principal instrument?
\Bassoon
\*Organ
\Tuba
\Violin
^For most of his adult life, Bruckner (1824-1896) had a
greater reputation as an organist than as a composer.
<2
@313 Who wrote the score for the ballet Coppelia of 1870?
\*Delibes
\Handel
\Ravel
\Scriabin
^Leo Deibes (1836-1891). Copelia, or The Girl with
Enamel Eyes, was produced in Paris in 1870.
<2
@314 Which of the following was written by Johann Strauss Jr.?
\*The Gypsy Baron
\Merrie England
\The Merry Widow
\Song of Norway
^Strauss, the Waltz King, lived in Vienna from 1825-99.
<1
@315 Two popular one-act operas are often paired together to form an
evening's bill: I Pagliacci by Leoncavallo and Cavalleria Rusticana
by whom?
\Delibes
\Mozart
\*Mascagni
\Scarlatti
^Italian composer Pietro Mascagni lived from 1863-
1945. In 1890, he won first prize in a competition sponsored by the
publisher Sonzogno with the one-act opera Cavalleria Rusticana.
<1
@316 Alexander Glazounov (1865-1936) was which of the following?
\A ballet dancer
\*A composer
\A Publisher
\A talent agent
^Hardly ever played now, he was highly regarded and
much in demand a century ago.
<1
@317 To whom was Rossini referring in the phrase "The Mozart of the
Champs-Elysees"?
\Ravel
\*Offenbach
\Franck
\Debussy
^Jacques Offenbach (1819-80), the operetta composer,
was also a conductor and cellist. He is famous for his sole grand
opera, Tales of Hoffman.
<2
@318 For which British monarch's water party did Handel write his Water
Music?
\Elizabeth I
\Edward VII
\*George I
\Victoria
^George I, formerly the Elector of Hanover, was Handel's
employer.
<2
@319 Who wrote the famous string quartet known as Death and the
Maiden?
\Chopin
\Chaminade
\Elgar
\*Schubert
^The title derives from his use in the quartet of the
melody of his song Death and the Maiden. The quartet, no. 14 in D
minor, D.810, was written in 1826.
<1
@320 What was the family relationship between Richard and Johann
Strauss?
\Brothers
\Father and son
\Uncle and nephew
\*None of the above
^They were not related.
<1
@321 Who was called "Il Prete Russo" (The Red Priest)?
\*Vivaldi
\Rachmaninov
\Liszt
\Gounod
^Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) was an ordained Priest,
but he was no leftist. He had red hair.
<1
@322 In what city did the barcarolle originate?
\Florence
\London
\Oslo
\*Venice
^It was a boat song sung by the gondoliers there.
<1
@323 How many Pomp and Circumstance marches did Edward Elgar
write?
\2
\7
\5
\1
^Sir Edward Elgar (1857-1934) premiered no. 1 & 2 in
1901, no. 3 in 1904, no. 4 in 1907 and no. 5 in 1930. They were
scored for full orchestra.
<2
@324 For whom was an arrest warrant issued in Dresden in 1849?
\Beethoven
\Wagner
\*Verdi
\Schumann
^Something about ordering grenades and exhorting the
public to take part in a revolution.
<3
@325 Who wrote the operetta Orpheus in the Underworld?
\Gershwin
\*Lehar
\Offenbach
\Sullivan
^Can-can and all. It was written in 1858 (revised it in
1874).
<1
@326 In 1923, Arthur Honegger wrote Pacific 231. What inspired it?
\Ocean surf
\A phone number
\A Swiss clock
\*A train engine
^A train engine, of a heavy type built for speed. The
numbers refer to wheel ratio (like Dvorak, Honegger was a train
fancier).
<2
@327 For which of his operas did Rimsky-Korsakov write The Flight of
the Bumblebee?
\*Tsar Saltan
\Sadko
\Mozart and Salieri
\Le Coq d'or
^To use its full title: "The Fairy Tale of the Tsar Saltan,
his son, the Renowned and Mighty Paladin, the Prince Gvidon
Saltanovich, and the beautiful Tsarevna Lebed."
<2
@328 After what river did Robert Schumann entitle a symphony?
\The Mississippi
\The Moldau
\*The Rhine
\The Seine
^It was his Symphony No. 3 in E-flat, Op. 97 (the
"Rhenish").
<2
@329 What characterizes John Cage's piano piece Four Minutes and
Thirty- Three Seconds?
\It consists of two notes.
\*The pianist doesn't pIay.
\It's in 12 keys.
\It's in 11/4 time.
^The pianist doesn't play. He just sits there for four
minutes and 33 seconds. Stravinsky said he looked forward to major
works by the same composer.
<2
@330 When Liszt played his Piano Sonata to Brahms in 1853, what did
Brahms do?
\Broke three tea cups
\Flirted with a blond
\Made faces
\*Fell asleep
^That's according to American Pianist William Mason,
who was there.
<2
@331 In what city did Chopin die in 1849?
\Edinburgh
\*Paris
\Vancouver
\Warsaw
^Paris, was his home for 18 years. Chopin was born in
Zelazowa Wola, Poland, in 1810.
<3
@332 On what opera was Puccini working when he died in 1924?
\*Turandot
\Fidelio
\La Boheme
\The Barber of Seville
^He died of cancer before finishing the climax of the
opera. Franco Alfano (1876-1954) completed the work, which has
remained popular.
<2
@333 Which of the following did its composer leave unfinished?
\Mahler: Symphony No. 5
\Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2
\Bellini: Norma
\*Schubert: Symphony No. 8
^Schubert's Symphony No. 8 in B minor is known,
naturally, as the "Unfinished."
<1
@334 Beethoven wrote one opera. How many overtures to it did he write?
\O
\1
\3
\*4
^The three Leonore Overtures, plus the Fidelio (which is
what the opera was eventually called.)
<2
@335 Vivaldi's Four Seasons concertos feature which solo instrument?
\Piano
\Clarinet
\*Violin
\Trumpet
^The set of four concertos named after each season was
published in 1725.
<1
@336 The work of which artist inspired Mussorssky's Pictures at an
Exhibition?
\Norman Rockwell
\Francisco GoYa
\Harmenszoon Rembrandt
\*Victor Hartmann
^Mussorgsky saw Hartman's pictures at a memorial
exhibition of his works in St. Petersburg.
<2
@337 What is the nickname of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5?
\*Emperor
\Eroica
\Archduke
\Waldstein
^Of the others, Eroica applies to Beethoven's Symphony
No. 3 in E-E1at, Archduke to the Piano Trio No. 6 in B-flat and
Waldstein to the Piano Sonata No. 2l in C minor.
<1
@338 What was Sir George Grove's contribution to music?
\A seven-hour symphony
\*A musical dictionary
\A publishing house
\A panharmonicon
^Grove was the founder of the celebrated Grove's
Dictionary of Music and Musicians.
<1
@339 In what work did Tchaikovsky employ a celesta?
\Marche Slav
\*The Nutcracker
\Piano Concerto
\Symphony No. 3
^In the Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy.
<1
@340 Who celebrated a birthday every four years?
\Frederick Chopin
\Artur Schnabel
\*Gioacchino Rossini
\Muzio Clementi
^Rossini was born on February 29, 1792.
<3
@341 Who of the following was a piano manufacturer?
\Andrea Amati
\*Muzio Clementi
\Pietro Giovanni Guarneri
\Francesco Stradavari
^Clementi was also a virtuoso on the instrument. The
rest were fiddle makers.
<1
@342 Which of the following best defines "cadenza"?
\A Piece of furniture
\An obsolete instrument
\A mistake
\*A solo passage
^A passage for the solo instrument, usually found in a
concerto.
<1
@343 Arturo Toscanini (1867-1957) was best known as what?
\*A conductor
\A Pianist
\A librettist
\A composer
^Toscanini was considered one of the greatest
conductors in the early part of this century. He was equally well
known for his operatic and symphonic performances. His daughter
Wanda, incidentally, married pianist Vladimir Horowitz.
In what city is the famous opera house La Scala?
\Venice
\Paris
\New Orleans
\*Milan
^La Scala, of course, is the Mecca of opera.
<1
@344 Who wrote piano pieces entitled Dessicated Embryos, and Three
Pieces in the Shape of a Pear?
\Bach
\Chopin
\*Satie
\Stravinsky
^Erik Satie (1866-1925) had his little eccentricities. It is
alleged that Satie wrote his "pear-shaped" pieces in response to
Debussy's complaint that his music lacked form.
<1
@345 Tchaikovsky's Sleeping Beauty,Op. 66, is which of the following?
\*Ballet
\Pera
\Piano suite
\Symphonic poem
^The second of Tchaikovsky's three ballet scores.
<1
@346 For whom did Mozart write the Requiem in D minor, K.626?
\Haydn
\Himself
\Emperor Josef II
\*Walsegg-Stuppach
^Count Franz Walsegg-Stuppach commissioned it
secretly so he could pass it off as in own composition and perform it
in memory of his late wife.
<2
@347 How old was Mendelssohn when he wrote the Overture to A
Midsummer Night's Dream?
\8
\*17
\39
\82
^It was completed in 1843.
<2
@348 How many symphonies did Tchaikovsky write?
\3
\9
\*6
\9
^He did make a few sketches for a No. 7, most of which
he ended up using in the Piano Concerto No. 3.
<1
@349 In what key is Grieg's only piano concerto, Op. 16?
\G major
\*A minor
\E-flat major
\D minor
^Grieg's compositions were admired by Liszt, and when
the two met in Rome in 1870, Liszt played the concerto from
manuscript at sight.
<2
@350 Who was Gerard Hoffnung?
\*British musical humorist
\Beethoven's first teacher
\Mozart's son
\Gustav Holst
^He was a British musical humourist, and founder of the
notorious Hoffnung concerts. Books of his musical cartoons are
widely available.
<2
@351 Who was a teacher of Beethoven in Vienna?
\Johann Georg Albrechtsberger
\JosePh HaYdn
\Antonio Salieri
\*All of the above
^All of them had a go at it.
<1
@352 Which pianist-composer was the first to publish Nocturnes for solo
piano?
\Claude Debussy
\Frederick Chopin
\*John Field
\George Gershwin
^He published the first three of his Nocturnes in 1814
when Chopin was four years old.
<2
@353 What's a Fermata?
\*A long pause.
\Odd rhythm
\Deep bass line
\Verdi's favourite food
^More accurately, the symbol in music notation for a
long pause. It sometimes tempts soloists into a cadenza.
<1
@354 Who wrote the Hammerklavier Piano Sonata in B-flat, Op. 106?
\*Beethoven
\Liszt
\Bach
\None of the above
^This monumental piano sonata was composed around
1817-18. At the time, it was considered too technically difficult to
be played although it is today in the standard repertoire of many
concert pianists.
<1
@355 Which author inspired Liszt's Mephisto Waltz No. 1?
\William Shakespeare
\Johann Goethe
\Truman Capote
\*Nikolaus Lenau
^The Mephisto Waltz No. 1 was the first of Liszt's Two
Episodes from Lenau's Faust.
<2
@356 Mendelssohn, Chopin, Liszt and Thalberg were all born within the
same short period. Which span was it?
\1791-94
\1894-97
\*1809-12
\1840-43
^Mendelssohn in 1809, Chopin in 1810, Liszt in 1811
and Thalberg in 1812.
<3
@357 Who was the violinist when Beethoven's Kreutzer Sonata for Violin
and Piano had its first public performance?
\Itzhak Perlman
\Niccolo Paganini
\Rudolph Kreutzer
\*Georse Bridgetower
^Bridgetower, on May 4, 1803, with Beethoven at the
piano. Kreutzer, to whom it was eventually dedicated, never played
it. He said it was "outrageously unintelligible."
<2
@358 What role did Michael Puchberg play in Mozart's life?
\Father-in-law
\*Creditor
\Opera librettist
\Wig-maker
^He lent Mozart money. Lots of it.
<3
@359 Who was Louis Moreau Gottschalk?
\Impressario at La Scala
\Beethoven's publisher
\*American-born Pianist
\Paderewski's manager
^The first native U.S. pianist of note, he was born in
New Orleans in 1829.
<3
@360 In what city was Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1 in B-flat minor
given its world premiere?
\*Boston
\Madrid
\Paris
\Toronto
^Boston, in 1875. Hans von Bulow was the soloist.
<2
@361 Which composer's wife was a professional piano virtuoso?
\Bach's
\Schumann's
\Dvorak's
\Tchaikovsky's
^Wife Clara's celebrity as a pianist exceeded that of her
husband as a composer.
<1
@362 Who wrote the 1829 opera William Tell?
\Cherubini
\Bellini
\Puccini
\*Rossini
^After which he called it quits, operatically, though he
had another almost 40 years left to him.
<1
@363 A feature of Franz Schubert's life was the Schubertiad. What was it?
\*Musical party
\Famous hotel
\Gazebo
\Musical instrument
^A Schubertiad was a musical gathering of Schubert's
friends, with lots of music by Schubert, of course.
<2
@364 For what two solo instruments did Brahms write his Double
Concerto in A minor Op. 102?
\Two pianos
\Flute and cello
\*Violin and cello
\Two violins
^The concerto was first performed in Cologne on Oct.
15, 1887 with violinist Joachim, cellist Hausmann and Brahms at the
podium.
<2
@365 Which pianist served as Prime Minister of Poland?
\Chopin
\Liszt
\*Paderewski
\Rachmaninoff
^For a brief time after World War I.
<1
@366 Which monarch performed, composed and published flute concertos
and sonatas?
\Alexander I of Russia
\*Frederick the Great of Prussia
\George VI of Great Britain
\Napoleon I of France
^C.P.E. Bach was his house harpsichordist.
<2
@367 Who helped inaugurate New York's Carnegie Hall in 1891?
\Balakirev
\Mussorgsky
\Rachmaninov
\*Tchaikovsky
^The legendary Carnegie Hall opened in1898 and was
originally called the Music Hall. In 1898, it was renamed in honour
of industrialist Andrew Carnegie (1835-1919) who had paid most of
the construction bills. It was recently restored to its original
splendour, after almost being demolished. Violinist Isaac Stern led
the campaign to save Carnegie Hall.
<1
@368 Conductor Sir Thomas Beecham once said: "There
are two golden rules for an orchestra: start together and.... (what?)"
\"Play the notes."
\"Stay in tune."
\"Suffer the consequences.
\*"Finish tosether."
^To which the redoubtable Sir Thomas added: "The
Public doesn't give a damn what goes on in between."
<1
@369 Eduard Hanslick (1825-1904) was famous in what capacity?
\Director at the Met.
\Eccentric conductor.
\Piano tuner.
\*Music critic.
^He was high on Brahms and very down on Wagner,
who parodied him in the character of Beckmesser (originally to be
called Hans Lick) in Die Meistersinger.
<1
@370 Who wrote Porgy and Bess?
\Percy Grainger
\*George Gershwin
\Scott Joplin
\Leonard Bernstein
^
<1
@371 The music of which composer was banned in Nazi Germany?
\*Mendelssohn
\Wagner
\Lehar
\Beethoven
^Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) was Jewish by birth.
<2
@372 Who was rumoured to have poisoned Mozart?
\Beethoven
\Cimarosa
\Haydn
\*Salieri
^But he didn't do it. Honest.
<1
@373 What noted author wrote: "George died on July 11, 1937, but I don't
have to believe that if I don't want to" ?
\Geoffrey Chaucer
\Ernest Heminsway
\*John O'Hara
\Walter Scott
^Quoted in Newsweek Magazine, July 15, 1937.
<3
@374 Whose Ninth Symphony is universally known as the New World?
\Beethoven's
\*Dvorak's
\Mahler's
\Schubert's
^The Symphony in E minor, Op. 95.
Which team wrote H.M.S. Pinafore?
\*Gilbert and Sullivan
\Lerner and Loewe
\Mozart and Da Ponte
\Rodgers and Hammerstein
^ Sir William Schwenk Gilbert (1836-1911) and Sir
Arthur Seymour Sullivan (1842-1900) produced the operetta H.M.S.
Pinafore in 1878.
<1
@375 Which Beethoven symphony bears the opus number 125?
\No. 12 in C minor
\No. 6 in F
\*No. 9 in D minor
\No. 5 in C minor
^The dear old "Choral" Symphony, and the last one that
Beethoven wrote. (No. 5 is Op. 67, No. 6 is Op. 68, and there never
was a No. 12.)
<1
@376 Who penned this line in a 1956 song: "Roll over Beethoven, and tell
Tchaikovsky the news"?
\Barry Manilow
\*Chuck Berry
\Elvis Presley
\Little Richard
^This Chuck Berry song was also re-recorded by the Beatles in the 1960's.
<2
@377 Who wrote the most violin concertos?
\Beethoven
\Elgar
\Sibelius
\*Viotti
^Viotti wrote 29 of them. The other composers wrote
one violin concerto each.
<2
@378 Upon what instrument was Pablo Casals a virtuoso?
\Guitar
\Harp
\*Cello
\Piano
^Casals (1876-1973), one of the great musicians of the
20th century, was internationally renowned as a cellist (known
especially for his Bach performances) and later as a conductor.
<1
@379 For which trio of solo instruments did Beethoven write his Triple
Concerto in C maior?
\Two violins and viola
\*Piano, violin and cello
\Flute, harp and oboe
\Three pianos
^The Triple concerto was composed in 1804 and first
performed in 1808.
<2
@380 What does the indication Da CaPo mean?
\Stop playing
\Take a break
\Use a mute
\*Repeat
^It is an indication that the performer should go back to
the beginning of a work or a section and play it.
<1
@381 Beethoven's Sonata in F major for Violin and Piano, Op. 24 bears
which seasonal nickname?
\Winter
\*Spring
\Autumn
\Summer
^The Spring Sonata was composed 1800-1.
<1
@382 Two composers who concentrated on writing opera were both born
in 1813. Who were they?
\Rossini and Lehar
\*Verdi and Wagner
\Offenbach and Sullivan
\Bizet and Donizetti
^Wagner was born on May 27 and Verdi on October 10.
<2
@383 Who wrote the Rage Over a Lost Penny?
\Beethoven
\*Schumann
\Berlioz
\Vaughan Williams
^But the title wasn't his idea. He called it Rondo a
Capriccio.
<2
@384 What does piano really mean in Italian?
\Practice
\Pedal
\*Soft
\Sustained
^Piano means "soft" in Italian.
<1
@385 Who wrote the most piano sonatas?
\Beethoven
\*Haydn
\Mozart
\Schubert
^Haydn who wrote more than 50 of the things.
<2
@386 Who came up with the nickname "Moonlight" for Beethoven's piano
Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor Op. 27 No. 2?
\Hans von Bulow
\Beethoven
\Ferdinand Ries
\*Ludwig Rellstab
^The critic Rellstab said the first movement reminded
him of moonlight on the waters of Lake Lucerne.
<1
@387 Who first wrote music for "prepared" piano?
\Pierre Boulez
\John Cage
\*Olivier Messiaen
\Scott Joplin
\^The others enjoyed their pianos raw.
<2
@388 Which composer died at the age of 91?
\Mozart
\*Sibelius
\Schubert
\Chopin
^All the rest were under 40 when they died.
<1
@389 Who did Liszt's daughter Cosima marry?
\Richard Wagner
\Hans von Bulow
\Neither
\*Both
^Not simultaneously, of course.
<2
@390 After whom was Grieg's "Holberg" Suite named?
\German philosopher
\Russian nobleman
\Danish playwright
\*Polish organist
^Danish playwright Ludwig Holberg, on the occasion of
the bicentennial of his birth.
<2
@391 Whose father was a professional musician?
\Sibelius'
\Gershwin's
\*Brahms'
\Mendelssohn's
^His dad was a doublebass player, though of no great
distinction. Sibelius' father was a doctor doctor, Gershwin's a store-
keeper (mostly) and Mendelssohn's a banker/businessman.
<2
@392 What was Jean Sibelius' real first name?
\Ole
\Giuseppe
\Frank
\*Johan
^He was christened Johan Julius Christian. As a boy, he
discovered some calling cards discarded by his Uncle Jean, and
decided to use them. So he called himself Jean.
<2
@393 Who wrote a set of piano pieces, each named for a month of the
year?
\*Tchaikovsky
\Joplin
\Mozart
\Elgar
^He wrote them over the period of a year for a monthy
music magazine.
<2
@394 Which of the following was a baroque composer?
\Anton Rubinstein
\Ludwig Beethoven
\*J.S. Bach
\Christian Sinding
^Bach is the most well known of the Baroque composers.
<1
@395 Which was an alumnus of the Vienna Boys' Choir ?
\Edvard Grieg
\Scott Joplin
\Michael Jackson
\*Franz Schubert
^Franz Schubert was in the Vienna Boys' Choir
<1
@396 Whose father was not a professional musician?
\Bach's
\Elgar's
\*Haydn's
\Mozart's
^His dad was a wheelwright.
<2
@397 In what German city was Handel born?
\Eisenach
\*Halle
\Zwickau
\Bonn
^Halle is also the town which Handel later honoured in
the famous Hallelujah Chorus. Eisenbach, Zwickau and Bonn were
the birthplaces of J.S. Bach, Schumann and Beethoven respectively.
<2
@398 Which of the following names is not associated with piano
manufacturing?
\Broadwood
\Steinway
\*Stradella
\Pleyel
^Stradella was a 17th century Italian vocal and
operaticomposer.
<2
@399 How many piano sonatas did Debussy write?
\32
\*0
\2
\9
^Debussy was not into old-fashioned forms like sonatas.
<1
@400 Why is the celebrated Chopin waltz nicknamed "Minute"?
\*It's very small.
\It's based on a minuet
\Chopin was secretary at a meeting
\It takes a minute to play
^It's very small, or my-nyoot.
<1
@401 Which composer wrote a concerto for three pianos and orchestra?
\Liszt
\Tchaikovsky
\*Mozart
\All of the above
^It's in F major, K. 242.
<2
@402 In listings of Mozart's works, the title is often followed bY a "K."
and a number. What's the "K" stand for?
\*Koechel
\Klavier
\Kleine
\Kyrie
^Ludwig Ritter von Koechel (1800 - 1877). A botanist and
mineralogist, he published a numbered list of Mozart's works in
chronological order. The list has several times been revised, but the
"K" remains.
<1
@403 Who first published the admonition "please do not shoot the pianist.
He is doing his best"?
\Tennyson
\Neil Simon
\Toscanini
\*Oscar Wilde
^Wilde claimed in "Impressions of America" (1883) to
have seen this sign posted in a saloon.
<2
@404 What was the first name of Joplin, composer of "The Entertainer"
and other rags?
\Janis
\Mark
\*Scott
\Thelonius
^Scott Joplin's rags are featured in the movie "The Sting" and are played
by Marvin Hamlisch.
<1
@405 What was Albert Ketelbey's real name?
\Edward Elgar
\Vladislav Novicki
\Beephlat Major
\*Albert Ketelbey
^Just plain Albert Ketelbey.
<1
@406 Of these four great pianist-composers, which was the only one to
write operas?
\Brahms
\Chopin
\Grieg
\*Mozart
^Only Mozart wrote operas .
<1
@407 Which composer was Norwegian?
\*Grieg
\Sibelius
\Prokofiev
\Mendelssohn
^He was born in Bergen.
<1
@408 Who employed Josef Haydn?
\*Prince Esterhazy
\Cardinal Ottoboni
\The Duke of Plaza-Toro
\Czar Alexander I
^Prince Nicholas "The Magnificent" Esterhazy.
<1
@409 In what Year was Brahms born?
\1865
\1898
\1756
\*1833
^But A, B and C were the birth years of, respectively,
Sibelius, Gershwin and Mozart.
<2
@410 Who coined the phrase "The Three Great B's" in reference to Bach,
Beethoven and Brahms?
\Leonard Bernstein
\Victor Borge
\*Hans von Bulow
\Burt Bacharach
^Hans von Bulow, the great 19th century pianist and
conductor.
<1
@411 Who transcribed all nine of Beethoven's sYmphonies for solo piano?
\Chopin
\Paderewski
\*Liszt
\Gottschalk
^The others were busy.
<1
@412 Which of the following virtuosi was called "Old Arpeggio"?
\Nicholas Rubinstein
\Artur Rubinstein
\*Sigismund Thalsberg
\Anton Rubinstein
^The arpeggio was something of a specialty for him.
<3
@413 Which of the following made a reputation as a one-armed pianist?
\Casella
\Albeniz
\d'Albert
\*Wittgenstein
^Paul Wittgenstein, for whom Ravel, Richard Strauss
and Erich Korngold among others wrote music.
<2
@414 Who was the best man at Brahms' wedding?
\Elgar
\Schumann
\Bismark
\*None of the above
^Brahms remained a bachelor all his life.
<1
@415 In what school did J.S. Bach teach?
\Ecole NiedermeYer
\St. Trithian's
\*St. Thomas School
\Leipzig ConservatorY
^St. Thomas School in Leipzig. (The Conservatory
didn't exist yet.)
<2
@416 How many times did J.S. Bach marry?
\4
\0
\*2
\7
^His first wife, Maria Barbara, died in 1720. The
following year, he married Anna Magdalena.
<1
@417 Which of the following was not a member of the "Russian Five"?
\*Tchaikovsky
\Balakirev
\Rimsky-Korsakov
\Cui
^Tchaikovsky was not in sympathy with the Five's ideals
and naturalism and nationalism.
<1
@418 Who wrote the 1812 Overture?
\Stravinsky
\Napoleon
\Pachelbel
\*Tchaikovsky
^Though he wasn't very proud of it.
<1
@419 Who of the following had a special significance in the life of
Chopin?
\Cecile Chaminade
\Nannerl Mozart
\George Gershwin
\*George Sand
^George Sand's real name was Aurore Dupin, baronne
Dudevant. A masculine-attired, cigar-smoking novelist, she had
many lovers, including Chopin.
<1
@420 What's a mazurka?
\Ukrainian aria
\*Polish dance
\Italian fugue
\Yiddish hymn
^Chopin, a pole, was its chief practitioner in music.
<1
@421 When he wrote the Children's Corner, Debussy had a specific child
in mind. Who was she?
\Gigi
\Frou-Frou
\Brigette
\*Chou-Chou
^Chou-Chou was Debussy's pet name for his daughter
Claude Emma.
<2
@422 A major life-style problem contributed to Mussorgsky's early demise.
What was it?
\Gambling
\*Alcoholism
\Gluttony
\Smoking
^Vodka, champagne, anything. So long as it was booze.
<1
@423 Which of the following was a member of the French group of
composers known as "Les Six"?
\Debussy
\Faure
\*Poulenc
\Satie
^Poulenc's colleagues in the group were Auric, Durey,
Honegger, Milhaud and Tailleferre.
<2
@424 Which of the following was female?
\*Chaminade
\Ketelbey
\MacDowell
\Sinding
^Cecile Chaminade. Albert, Edward and Christian were
males.
<2
@425 Not all composers are "long-hairs." Who shaved his head bald when
the first sign of grey appeared?
\Liszt
\*Sibelius
\Mendelssohn
\Grieg
^
<1
@426 In what country was Albeniz born?
\Ireland
\*Spain
\France
\Albania
^He was born in Camprodon, Catalonia.
<1
@427 Who wrote the "pathetique" piano sonata?
\*Beethoven
\Ravel
\Tchaikovsky
\Scarlatti
^The nickname applies to his Sonata No. 8 in C minor,
Op. 13.
<1
@428 By what first name was Schumann known?
\*Robert
\Sandy
\Richard
\Winston
^
<1
@429 Who was the Director of the Paris Conservatory from 1905 to 1920?
\Mendelssohn
\Debussy
\Gershwin
\*Faure
^Faure, despite his deafness.
<2
@430 What is a Gavotte?
\Obsolete instrument
\Five-movement sonata
\Mistake
\*Baroque dance form
^Much favoured by Bach and other baroque composers.
<1
@431 Who was awarded an honorary Doctorate at Oxford University in
1791?
\*Haydn
\MacDowell
\Grainger
\Elgar
^The others weren't even twinkles in the eye in 1791.
<1
@432 Which composer did not go deaf?
\Smetana
\Beethoven
\*Bach
\Faure
^He died in 1750 at the age of 65 of a stroke - but his
hearing was fine till the end.
<1
@433 What is a clavier?
\*Keyboard instrument
\Collar-bone
\Set of foot pedals
\Military horseman
^Clavier means Keyboard Instrument, in German. And
Bach's was well-tempered.
<1
@434 Mily Balakirev was born in which year?
\1660
\1756
\*1837
\1902
^
<1
@435 Who wrote the Heiligenstadt Testament?
\Tchaikovsky
\*Beethoven
\Mahler
\Howard Hughes
^Written in 1802 in Heiligenstadt outside Vienna, this
document was intended for the composer's brothers, but was never
sent. In it, Beethoven lamented his incipient deafness.
<1
@436 Which composer never married?
\Grieg
\Tchaikovsky
\Bach
\*Gershwin
^He said he was just too busy.
<1
@437 How many children did Mozart have at the time of his death?
\20
\6
\O
\*2
^Karl, seven years old when his dad died and Franz, five
months. Four other children had died in infancy.
<2
@438 Elgar's pomp and Circumstance Marches were entitled after a phrase
bY which author?
\*Shakespeare
\Chaucer
\Agatha Christie
\Da ponte
^Othello, Act III: "...all quality pride, pomp and
circumstance of glorious war."
Which composer was charged with "formalistic deviations and anti-
democratic musical tendencies" in 1948?
\*Prokofiev
\Beethoven
\Joplin
\Grainger
^Prokofiev was one of several composers thus charged
by the Central Committee of the USSR.
<1
@439 About whom did Robert Schumann write: "Hats off, gentlemen! A
genius!"?
\Tchaikovsky
\*Chopin
\Himself
\Rachmaninov
^Schumann was reviewing his Variations on Mozart's
"La ci darem la mano."
<1
@440 Schubert's "Trout" Quintet was written for which combination of
instruments?
\Brass quintet
\*Piano and strings
\Piano and four harps
\Piano and woodwinds
^Piano with violin, viola, cello and doublebass.
<1
@441 Mozart was born in which city?
\Vienna
\Venusberg
\*Salzburg
\Linz
^
<1
@442 Who took minor religious orders in the Roman Catholic church?
\Rachmaninov
\Schumann
\Bach
\*Liszt
^Of all people!
<2
@443 Who served in the military?
\Mussorgsky
\Ravel
\Rimsky-Korsakov
\*All of the above
^Mussorgsky in the Preobrajensky Regiment of Russia,
Ravel in the French Army and Rimsky-Korsakov in the Russian
Navy.
<2
@444 The princess Carolyne Sayn-Wittgenstein was the mistress of which
composer?
\Bach
\*Liszt
\Schumann
\Mendelssohn
^They were an item from 1847 on.
<1
@445 MacDowell's "To a Wild Rose" is from which piano suite?
\*Woodland Sketches
\Irish Fancies
\Pictures at an Exhibition
\Nutcracker Suite
^Woodland Sketches, Op. 51.
<1
@446 What relation was Fanny Mendelssohn to composer Felix?
\Wife
\*Sister
\Cousin
\Aunt
B, is a correct. And a composer herself.
<1
@447 Enrique Granados died in which year?
\1989
\*1916
\1893
\He's not dead yet.
^He drowned when the ship on which he was a
passenger was torpedoed.
<2
@448 Who visited Niagara Falls?
\Brahms
\*Tchaikovsky
\Debussy
\All of the above
^He even went down the tunnel. He though it was
"verYyinteresting... but somewhat frightening."
<2
@449 In music, what is a bagatelle?
\Drumstick
\Italian bagpipe
\*Short, unpretentious piece
\None of the above
^A mere bagatelle is just that.
<1
@450 Who wrote Boccherini's famous Minuet?
\Michael Haydn
\Charles Ives
\*Luigi Boccherini
\Leopold Mozart
^It really was Boccherini, who wrote it for his String
Quintet in E major, Op. 13 No. 5.
<1
@451 In what year did Brahm's die ?
\1797
\*1897
\1914
\1820
^Brahms was born in 1833 and died in 1897 at age of 65.
<2
@452 Who was the Countess Marie d'Agoult?
\Pop singer
\Chopin's copyist
\*Liszt's mistress
\Debussy's daughter
^She had three children by Liszt, even.
<1
@453 Who invented the Piano Nocturne?
\*John Field
\Frederic Chopin
\Gabriel Faure
\Erik Nocturne
^John Field, a contemporary of Chopin, published the
first piano nocturne in 1814. "Mood" pieces for voices and/or
instruments were popular in the later half of the 18th century (eg.
Mozart's "Serenata Notturna"). Field was basically creating a piano
version of an existing musical concept. Chopin, of course, composed
many beautiful nocturnes for the piano. A nocturne can be defined as
a short romantic work suggesting the evening.
<1
@454 Where is the oldest preserved harpsichord located and when was it
built?
\The Smithsonian Institute, Washington D.C., U.S.(1604)
\*The Victoria and Albert Museum, London, England (1521)
\The Bach museum in Leipzig, Germany (1650)
\The Louvre, Paris, France (1410)
^It was built by Hieronymus of Bologna, Italy, and is the
oldest preserved harpsichord with a verified date.
<3
@455 What was J.S. Bach's favorite keyboard instrument?
\Organ
\Piano
\*Clavichord
\Harpsichord
^Although Bach was a church organist for much of his
career, and a master harpsichordist, the small and delicate sounding
clavichord was said to be his personal favorite. This was because of
its ability to play different gradations of loudness according to the
player's touch. Its sound was so small that it was suitable only for
playing in small rooms. The harpsichord was used for concerts.
<2
@456 When did the first printed music for piano appear?
\1785
\1650
\1800
\*1732
^It was the "Sonate da Cimbalo di piano, e forte dello
volgarmente di martelletti" by Lodovico Giustini (Florence, 1732).
<3
@457 Where was the first known public concert appearance of the piano?
\Leipzig, Germany
\New York, U.S.A.
\*London, England
\Florence, Italy
^At Covent Garden Theatre in London, Charles Diblin
accompanied Miss Bickler in a "favourite song from the oratorio
"Judith" (1764) by Thomas Arne, the leading British composer of his
time. The performance took place on May 16, 1767.
<3
@458 Where was the first known public piano solo performed?
\London, England
\Bonn, Germany
\*Dublin, Ireland
\Vienna, Austria
^Henry Walsh performed in Dublin on May 18, 1768.
Two weeks later, J.\Bach performed on the instrument in London,
England.
<3
@459 Where did the piano get its name?
\After its inventor, Christoph Pianorri.
\Because it could be played softly.
\*Because it could be played softly and loudly.
\After the small Italian village of Piano where it was invented.
^The original name "fortepiano" (and later "pianoforte")
corresponded to the Italian musical terms of "forte" meaning loud,
and "piano" meaning soft. In contrast to the popular harpsichord with
a mechanism which "plucked" uniformly loud regardless of the
player's touch, the new fortepiano used a levered hammer system
which could deliver harder or softer blows to the instrument's
strings.
<1
@460 When was the first true piano constructed?
\*1709
\1690
\1801
\1595
^It was constructed by Bartolomeo Cristofori of
Florence, Italy. He called it a "gravicembalo col piano e forte"
meaning a 'harpsichord with loudness and softness'. The Cristofori
instruments had a range of 4 to 4-1/2 octaves.
<2
@461 What does a "prepared piano" mean in modern music terminology?
\*Inserting objects between the strings to alter the sound
\Tuning the strings in quarter tones
\Adding microphones and amplified speakers to the soundboard
\Baking in a large oven for two hours at 200 degrees
^20th century composers such as American John Cage
have managed to produce music which calls for the performer to
modify the sound of a piano by inserting anything from rubber mutes
and strips of roof shingles to nuts and bolts between the strings,
generally at specified locations and always to the horror of the piano
technician. This tinkering gives a single pianist the ability to produce
music that sounds like an exotic percussion ensemble.
<1
@462 How much does the lightest grand piano ever made weigh?
\852 lbs
\975 lbs
\50 lbs
\*379 lbs
^The Bluthner Piano Company constructed a 379 lb
(172 kg) baby grand piano made largely of aluminum for use in the
legendary and doomed German Zeppelin "Hindenburg".
<2
@