Creators and Creations: Opera Masterpieces Quiz

Answer: Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg in 1756. At the age of five, he already played keyboard and violin and composed. At this age, he began traveling with his family throughout Europe to demonstrate his musical skills. His career, although short, was prolific, resulting in more than 800 works of different types. His career began to decline at the end of the 1780s, due to his serious health problems. In 1791, Mozart died in Vienna, at the age of 35. Among his works are 22 operas.

"The Abduction from the Seraglio" ("Die Entführung aus dem Serail"), premiered in 1782, was a success. It was sponsored by the "National Singspiel Company", a project of the Austrian emperor Joseph II, to broadcast operas in the German language. The theme of the opera was the attempt of the hero Belmonte and his servant Pedrillo to rescue his beloved Constanze from the seraglio of Pasha Selim.

Answer: Mozart

"Don Giovanni" is an opera in two acts, which tells the story of Don Giovanni. He is a young, irresponsible, and extremely licentious nobleman, who loves women and is loved by them, but who ends up suffering the consequences of contempt for current morality. The work premiered in Prague in October 1787.

Answer: Mozart

"The Marriage of Figaro (Le nozze di Figaro)" tells how the servants Figaro and Susanna outwit their boss, Count Almaviva, who tries to seduce Susanna. This opera was first performed in Vienna in May 1786. It is considered one of the greatest operas ever written and is always listed among the most frequently performed operas.

Answer: Mozart

On September 30, 1791 "The Magic Flute", was performed in Vienna. The opera tells of the kidnapping of princess Pamina by the powerful sorcerer Sarastro. Prince Tamino, in love with Pamina, with the help of a magic flute and the bird catcher Papageno, faces many dangers to rescue her. "The Magic Flute"'s first performance took place just two months before Mozart's early death. Mozart passed away on December 5, 1791. According to many people, this was his best opera.

Answer: Wagner

Richard Wagner (1813 - 1883) was a German conductor, theater director, essayist and composer. He is widely known for his operas, for which he initially wrote a prose booklet that was later versified, and finally created the musical score. His productions had a great influence on the development of Western music. Many experts claim that Wagner revolutionized the world of opera.

"The Flying Dutchman", which premiered January 1843, was inspired by the legend of a sea captain who vowed to cross the Cape of Good Hope during a storm, even if he had to attempt the cross until Judgment Day. As God's punishment, the ship never made port and remained sailing the seas forever.

Answer: Wagner

"Lohengrin" is a romantic opera by Wagner, premiered in August 1850, based on a medieval epic poem "Parzival". Part of this opera became very popular: the "Bridal Chorus", better known as "Here Comes the Bride", widely used in wedding ceremonies.

Answer: Wagner

"Tristan und Isolde", was composed between 1857 and 1859, and several possibilities for the premiere were considered. The opera, which premiered in Munich on 10 June 1865, was based on the medieval epic romance of the same name by Gottfried von Strassburg. Ludwig Schonorr von Carolsfeld was Tristan in the premiere, but he died at age 29, after four performances as Tristan. And Malvina, Ludwig's wife, who had the role of Isolde, fell into depression and no longer sang after her husband's death.

Answer: Wagner

"Parsifal" is an opera in three acts. It tells of Parsifal's story to save the knights of the Holy Grail and carry out the ceremony to discover the Holy Grail. This is a version of the Arthurian legends. This was Wagner's last work; he described it not as an opera but as "a sacred festival stage play". The work premiered in July 1882, a few months before Wagner's death.

Answer: Puccini

The Italian Giacomo Puccini (1858 - 1924) was born into a family traditionally linked to music. His family for two centuries had provided the musical director of the Cathedral of San Martino in Lucca. At first, Puccini saw music as a family profession rather than his vocation. However, upon seeing a performance of "Aida" in Pisa in 1876, he became convinced that he had a vocation for opera.

"Manon Lescaut" is an opera by Puccini based on the novel by Abbot Prévost named "L'Histoire du Chevalier Des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut" (1731). The opera premiered in 1893 in Turin. It tells the story of a well-intentioned young man who falls in love with a woman named Manon. It turns out that there are many other men interested in getting Manon's attention and offering her a luxurious lifestyle. Manon doesn't resist the offers and doesn't give up on Des Grieux either, leading them both to destruction. The success of this work established Puccini's reputation as a composer of contemporary music of the first rank.

Answer: Puccini

"Tosca" is an opera by Puccini whose libretto was based on the play by Victorien Sardou, from 1887. The opera premiered in Rome in 1900. The story takes place during the Napoleonic wars and is centered on three characters: the handsome police chief, Baron Scarpia, the painter and republican Cavaradossi, and his lover the diva Floria Tosca.

Answer: Puccini

"Madama Butterfly" is an opera based on the drama by David Belasco, which premiered at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan in 1904. At this time Japan was a country almost isolated from the world. In the 1870s, the American government began sending officials to strengthen friendship between the two countries.

Some officers entered into temporary marriages with young Japanese women. This opera describes one of these marriages in which an American officer Pinkerton buys a beautiful house and along with the house receives a 15-year-old girl called Cio-Cio-San (which means Butterfly) who believes that she is married to the officer. Pinkerton returns to the United States but promises he will return.

After three years he returns married to an American woman and the tragedy strikes.

Answer: Puccini

"Turandot" is Puccini's last opera. He died in 1924, leaving the opera unfinished. It was completed by the composer Franco Alfano. The story takes place in ancient China where Princess Turandot, who hates men, presents three riddles to princes who wish to court her.

When the candidates fail, they are sentenced to death. The situation changes when an unknown prince manages to solve the riddles. "Turandot" premiered at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan in 1926, conducted by Arturo Toscanini.

Answer: Arthur Sullivan

Arthur Seymour Sullivan (1842 - 1900), was an English composer, organist, conductor, and organ and piano teacher, whose work includes 24 operas, works for orchestras, ballets, choral and oratorios, piano and chamber pieces. His career as a composer began very early, as he composed his first hymn at the age of 8. The partnership between composer Arthur Sullivan and the dramatist W. S. Gilbert (1836 - 1911) in the period 1871 -1896 produced 14 comic operas.

"The Pirates of Penzance" also called "The Slave of Duty" with music by Arthur Sullivan and text by W.S. Gilbert was performed in New York in 1879 and in London in 1880. It was a success with the public in both places. The story has as its main character Frederic, a pirate who does not agree with piracy. Upon turning 21, Frederic disembarks because he wants to change his life. His companions claim that he is not 21 years old because his birthday is on a leap year and they go to rescue him on land, creating a huge mess in Penzance.

Answer: Arthur Sullivan

"H.M.S. Pinafore" or "The Lass That Loved a Sailor", is also a production by Sullivan and Gilbert, which premiered in London in 1878. The story takes place aboard the Royal Navy ship HMS Pinafore where the captain's daughter falls in love with a lower-class sailor.

The work humorously deals with the relationship between members of different social classes and criticizes the class system and other elements of British society. The name of the fearsome warship Pinafore is actually the name of a piece of clothing worn by girls and ladies.

This piece was this duo's first international success.

Answer: Arthur Sullivan

"The Gondoliers" or "The King of Barataria" was premiered in London in December 1889. This was the twelfth comic opera collaboration of fourteen between the duo Gilbert and Sullivan. "The Gondoliers" was also the last great success of this duo. The play tells the story of a young heiress who arrives in Venice to meet the prince, her husband.

It turns out that the prince has been placed in the care of a drunken gondolier, who cannot distinguish which is the prince and which is his son.