Classical Music in History Trivia Quiz

Answer: The Fifth

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1829) was a German composer. His grandfather was Belgian. Beethoven is most famous for his symphonies, but left us also one opera ("Fidelio") and several piano sonatas.
The Third Symphony ("Eroica", 1803) was dedicated to Napoleon. However, Beethoven revoked the dedication when he became aware of Napoleon's harshness.
The Sixth Symphony ("Pastoral", 1808) is another famous symphony of Beethoven's. It does not fit in this theme, for it bears no evident connection with history.
The Ninth Symphony (1824) ends with the chorus song "Ode an die Freude" ("Ode to Joy") by Friedrich Schiller. The European Union adopted the melody (not the lyrics) as an anthemn in 2003.
The Fifth Symphony starts with four notes which every amateur of classical music will recognize (and recite) immediately: "da da da dum". During World War II, these four notes announced BBC Radio broadcasts - especially those with cryptic messages for the resistance. There are some symbolical coincidences related to this topic. The Fifth Symphony is also sometimes noted as "Symphony Nr. V", from the Roman numeral. The first notes of the Fifth Symphony correspond with the Morse code for "V" - maybe because Samuel Morse was inspired by Beethoven. The letter "V" was also used by British propagandists as the abbreviation of "Victory" - and the Fifth Symphony does sound rather victorious.

Answer: Marc-Antoine Charpentier

"Te Deum laudamus" ("Thee, Sovereign God, our grateful accents praise", translated by Dryden) is a very ancient hymn of praise. It was set to music by several composers. Charpentier's version is probably the best known because of its other role.
Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1645-1704) was a French composer famous for his ecclesiastical music. He left us also some operas.
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) was an Italian priest, violinist and composer. His best known works are the four concerti "Le Quattro Stagione" ("The Four Seasons"). As for his ecclesiastical compositions, we will remember especially his "Stabat Mater" - a song to represent Mary's grief at Christ's burial.
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was a German composer, from a family that produced at least six famous composers. Johann Sebastian specialized in organ compositions, for example the "Toccata and Fuga". His ecclesiastical compositions include the "Johannes-Passion" ("St. John Passion") and the "Matthäus Passion" ("St. Matthew Passion"). The latter is still performed on a regular basis.
Charles Gounod (1818-1893) was a French composer. He is best known for his opera "Margarethe" ("Margaret"), based upon Goethe's drama "Faust", and for his "Ave Maria" ("Hail Mary") based upon one of Johann Sebastian Bach's many compositions.

Answer: Verdi

When thinking of Italian five letter words related to opera, I come up with the following.
The word opera itself is of course a valid option.
Another choice would be the word "seria" for dramatic opera (during the era 1720-1770) or "buffa" for comic opera (mostly during the XVIIth and XVIIIth Century). An example of both types of opera would be Mozart's "Le Nozze di Figaro" ("Figaro's Wedding") for opera buffa, or Handel's "Serse" for opera seria.
Then I would think of some operas having a title of five letters: "Norma" by Vincenzo Bellini (1801-1835), or "Tosca" by Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924).
The female protagonist of Verdi's "Rigoletto" would also cross my mind: she is named Gilda.
And finally Giuseppe Verdi bears a name of five letters.
Which of these options would have been used as an acrostic? Well, it was the name of the composer Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901). His family name was fit to translate the slogan "Vittorio Emmanuele Re d'Italia" (Victor Emmanuel for King of Italy).
This acrostic was the symbol for the program of Italian Reunification ("Risorgimento") under the reign of King Victor Emmanuel, at that time merely King of Savoy.
The fact that many of Verdi's early operas had patriotic connotations certainly contributed to the coining of this acrostic. After all, the operas "Oberto" (1839), "I Lombardi alla Prima Crociata" (1843, "The Lombards at the First Crusade") and "La Battaglia di Legnano" (1849, "The Battle of Legnano") had a clearly Italian background. The opera "Nabucco" (1842) and especially its choir "Va, pensiero" ("The Hebrew's Choir") stressed the ambition of national freedom in the shattered peninsula.

Answer: Henry IV

Jacopo Peri (1561-1633) was an Italian composer employed at Firenze (Florence). He was one of the first opera composers ever. His first opera, "Daphne" (1597 or 1598), got lost in history.
Surely you would not pick Henry VIII as a French King. Henry VIII (1491-1547) ascended the English throne in 1509. He is best remembered for having married six times.
Henry II of France (1519-1559) married Catherine de Medici (and *not* Maria) in 1533. He was crowned King of France in 1547. His death at a jousting tournament is one of the best known "prophesies" of Michel de Nostredame (better known as Nostradamus, 1503-1566).
Henry III (1551-1589) was the third son of Henry II and Catherine de Medici. He was considered as a dandy (at the best... - there are worse connotations). He succeeded his brother Charles IX as King of France in 1574.
Henry IV (1553-1610) was King of Navarre when he married in 1572 Margaret (Margot), daughter of Henry II and Catherine de Medici. The festival for this marriage was disrupted by the infamous "Bartholomew's night" (August 24th), a Parisian massacre of the Huguenots (Protestants). In 1599, Henry got a divorce from Margot. He remarried in 1600 Maria de Medici (1573-1642) By the way, Catharina de Medici was only a distant relative of Maria de Medici. According to Encarta, Maria and Catharina were related only in the seventh (!) degree.

Answer: Louis XIV of France

Cavalli (1602-1676) was an Italian opera composer who worked mostly in Venice. He composed over 40 operas.
Cardinal Mazarin (1602-1661) ordered an opera for the marriage of Louis XIV (1638-1715) with Maria Theresia of Austria (1638-1683). Although the marriage was celebrated in 1660, the opera composed by Cavalli was first performed in 1662. On this first night, Louis XIV did play a minor role.
Peter I of Russia (1672-1725), better known as Peter the Great, was not very keen on art. His interest was aroused by the technology of his time, especially where it was applied to naval affairs. Peter himself worked as a ship builder at Zaandam (Holland) in 1697-1698.
Ludwig II of Bavaria (1845-1886) was a faithful supporter of Richard Wagner (1813-1883). But Ludwig's main interest was not music, but architecture. He ordered many castles, of which Neuschwanstein is probably the best known.
Victoria I of Great-Britain (1819-1901) was intrigued by politics. It was her husband Albert (1819-1861) who dedicated his life to art and technology. Two of the most famous legacies of Albert's were the Crystal Palace, built for the Great Exhibition of 1851, and the Royal Albert Hall.

Answer: Josef II

Hasse (1699-1783) was a German composer. He left us about 80 operas in Italian style.
All the options I gave are members of the Habsburg family, and have ruled Austria during the eighteenth century.
Leopold I (1640-1705) was the German Emperor from 1658 until his death. He combined this with the title of King of Hungary between 1655 and 1687. Leopold's main competitor for the German Empire was King Louis XIV of France. (I presume that history would have been quite different if Louis had been chosen as German Emperor). Leopold was member of the Habsburg family, the rulers of Austria.
Maria Theresa (1717-1780) was also member of the Habsburg family. In 1740 she succeeded Charles VI as monarch of Austria and Queen of Hungary and of Bohemia. In 1745 she was elected German Empress, a title she held for 20 years - against fierce coalitions: many European sovereigns were tempted to loot the territory of a female monarch, as they supposed that a woman could not command an army. Josef II (1741-1790) was one of Maria Theresa's sons. He was crowned sovereign of Austria in 1765. His rule is perhaps best remembered by many petty reforms, among others in the field of religion. A popular anecdote states that he decreed the number of candles that could be lit in any church.
Francis I (1768-1835) started ruling Austria in 1792. In 1804, he was crowned Emperor of Austria. Between 1792 and 1806 he was also German Emperor, but with the numeral II: there had already been a German Emperor Francis before. So Francis I of Austria was also Francis II of Germany. His military career was mainly opposed to Revolutionary and Napoleonic France. However, the most famous battle in which Francis did participate was a failure: he was defeated by Napoleon near Austerlitz in 1805. The court librarian whose duty included maintaining that important list of Austrian mottos, sayings and slogans beginning with the letters AEIOU duly noted: (Z') Aller Erst Ist Oesterreich Verdorben (Above all Austria is ruined).

Answer: Ludwig Wittgenstein

Richard Strauss (1864-1949) was a German composer, known for his symphonic poems (for example the world famous "Also sprach Zarathustra"). He also left us at least ten operas, of which "Elektra" and "Der Rosenkavalier" ("The Rose Cavalier") will perhaps ring a bell.
Maurice Ravel (1875-1937) was a French composer of Basque ancestors. His masterpiece is of course the "Bolero".
Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) was an English composer. He left us a dozen operas (for example "Peter Grimes" and "Billy Budd"), but is most famous for his "War Requiem".
The concerti for the left hand of these three composers were all to be played by Paul Wittgenstein, the pianist I've hinted at in this question.
I have found no references as to the family of Lévi-Strauss, Pasternak or Russell.
Claude Lévi-Strauss is a French anthropologist born in 1908. His theory is that every society is ruled by fundamental discrepancies of which the members of society are not always aware.
Boris Pasternak (1890-1960) studied history and philosophy, but made his career in literature. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1958, soon after the publication of his masterpiece "Dr. Zhivago".
Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) was a British philosopher interested by logics and methodology. His works include "The Principles of Mathematics" and "Human Knowledge: Its Scope and Limits".
Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951) was a British philosopher of Austrian descent. His masterpiece is the "Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus" - in which he is fascinated by the presumption that a word coincides with its meaning. He assumes that every objective experience is made subjective when translated in words.

Answer: Carnival Time

Cavalli (1602-1676) was an Italian opera composer. He completed at least 40 operas.
Many ancient operas were to be performed during Carnival - perhaps as this feast was traditionally celebrated with masks, costumes and singing (a result of too much booze?).
There has been a tradition for Wagner's operas to be played during the Holy Week. In Antwerp, the opera "Parsifal" was traditionally performed every Good Friday. Since about 2000, the opera curator has broadened his Holy Week programming with other operas by Richard Wagner (1813-1883) - for example "Lohengrin" and "Tristan und Isolde".
I don't have to point out the evident link between opera and Midsummer. Some operas have been named after Shakespeare's "Midsummer Night's Dream". The best known of these operas was composed by Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy (1809-1847).
I haven't found any opera typically performed during Advent. Classical music buffs may point to the carol "Silent Night" composed by Franz Xaver Gruber (1787-1863) and probably first performed in 1818. There are not many operas linked to a performance during Advent. The only one player ertrum came up with, is Gian Carlo Menotti's "Amahl and the Night Visitors".

Answer: Requiem

Anton Bruckner (1824-1896) was an Austrian composer famous for his symphonic work. Apart from his nine symphonies, he left us also three masses and some minor orchestral compositions. Bruckner started his Ninth Symphony in 1887, but did not complete it.
Gustav Mahler (1860-1911) was another Austrian composer. He completed nine symphonies and started working on number ten in 1910 - only a few months before his death. Besides his symphonies, Mahler is best known for "Das Lied der Erde" ("The Song of the Earth").
Franz Schubert (1797-1828) was yet another Austrian composer, who specialised in song writing. His legacy consists of about nine symphonies (of which the Ninth was not completed), two operas, six "Singspiele" ("Singing Plays"), some chamber music and over 600 individual songs. His best known works are the "Trout Quintet" (for piano and strings) and the song "Die Schöne Müllerin" ("The Fair Maid of the Mill").
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) was of course the most prolific Austrian composer, and one of the few real geniuses every amateur of classical music has to know. His oeuvre includes at least 16 operas, 46 symphonies, 17 masses, and numerous other works. The options I gave are all composed by Mozart.
The "Krönungsmesse" ("Messa da Incoronazione", "Coronation Mass") was composed in 1779. It had to be performed at the coronation of the Austrian Emperor Joseph II (who had already ruled Germany since 1765).
"Die Schuldigkeit des Ersten Gebots" ("The Duty of the First Commandment") was one of Mozart's first compositions. Ludwig Köchel (1800-1877), the biographer who systematically dated all of Mozart's compositions, lists this oratorio as opus 35.
"Regina coeli" ("The Queen of Heaven") is of course a hymn dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Mozart completed this hymn in 1771.
Mozart was asked to compose a Requiem in the summer of 1791. Meanwhile, he completed yet two operas, but did not finish the Requiem. This might explain the popular superstition.

Answer: False

Giuseppe Verdi was of course a very famous Italian opera composer at that time. Addicts of my quizzes will have already discovered many of Verdi's famous operas: "Nabucco", "I Lombardi alla Prima Crociata", "I Vespri Siciliani", "Simon Boccanegra", "La Battaglia di Legnano". His other masterpieces include "Rigoletto", "Il Trovatore" and "La Traviata".
This question reveals a widespread misunderstanding. The Suez Canal was opened in 1869, and Verdi's opera was only performed in 1871. The libretto was only presented to Verdi in 1870. "Aida" had been programmed for late 1870, but the first night had to be postponed because of the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871): many costumes were ordered in France, but due to the war, army clothing was made the top priority.

By the way, in my introduction to this quiz I refer to "La Muette de Portici" by Daniel Auber (1782-1871). The performing of this opera during August 1830 in Brussels provoked revolutionary feelings in the spectators, and within a few days some of the spectators organised the Belgian Revolution against the Dutch King William I. The opera was of course only the spark to lit the fire of revolution, but it was caused by fundamental differences between Belgium and the Netherlands.

For several questions in this quiz, I've consulted the following sources: "World History" by Carl Grimberg, "7000 Years of World History" edited by Christoph Columbus Verlag AG, "Verschueren Groot Encyclopedisch Woordenboek", "Phaëton's Great Opera Book", "Le Petit Larousse", the Encarta Encyclopaedia on CD-ROM, www.operone.de, www.naxos.com, the Catholic Encyclopaedia (www.newadvent.org/cathen) and Wikipedia (http:/en.wikipedia.org).