Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Carl Orff was born (in 1895) and died (1982) in this Bavarian capital, where he studied with Heinrich Kaminski. The city is also the home of "Oktoberfest" and hosted the 1972 Olympics.
2. By the time he was 30, Orff had developed an interest in one particular field of music. From 1930-35, he wrote five volumes of his "Schulwerk - Musik für Kinder". For what is the "Schulwerk" still used today?
3. Although in his lifetime Orff vigorously refused to have his work categorized as opera or anything else (preferring to call them "pageants for the stage"), today his work is often called "opera" anyway. "Carmina Burana" is called a "scenic cantata" by classiccat.net/orff. Which of the following statements about cantata vs. opera is TRUE?
4. Although most of his work can be considered secular, Carl Orff was Catholic and composed a few religious pieces. His "Ludus de Nato Infante Mirificus" is a Christmas work. For what religious holiday was "Comoedia de Christi Resurrectione" written?
5. Orff frequently found inspiration in Greek tragedy. Of these four compositions (all by Orff), which one is NOT adapted from a Greek play?
6. Orff's best-known work, "Carmina Burana", was possibly the greatest musical composition written and premiered during Hitler's Third Reich. History is equivocal on whether Orff was a Nazi sympathizer. In a "New York Times" article from 2001, Richard Taruskin writes "Even if we admit that "Carmina Burana" was the original "Springtime for Hitler," with its theme of vernal lust and its tunes redolent (according to a German acquaintance of mine) of the songs sung in the 30's by Nazi youth clubs, can't we take Hitler away now and just leave innocent springtime or, at least, innocent music?"
From what 1968 movie and 2001 stage play is "Springtime for Hitler"?
7. In the 1930s, Carl Orff wrote a score for Shakespeare's "Midsummer Night's Dream" ("Ein Sommernachtstraum") to replace the 1826 music of Felix Mendelssohn. Why was Mendelssohn's work banned?
8. "Catulli Carmina" (1943) was inspired by the work of the first century BCE Roman poet Gaius Valerius Catullus, much of whose work is lusty and erotic. "Catulli Carmina", like its more popular predecessor "Carmina Burana", is written in the same language Catullus would have spoken. What language is that?
9. Orff's "Carmina Burana" was adapted from 13th century Bavarian erotic verses. The three-part composition has as its subjects some of the most beloved aspects of secular 13th century life. Which of the following is NOT a major theme in "Carmina Burana"?
10. "Carmina Burana" and "Catulli Carmina", along with a third piece called "Trionfo di Afrodite" comprise Orff's "Trionfi" trilogy. This work was first performed in its entirety in 1953 at La Scala. In which city is this famous opera house?
Source: Author
LilahDeDah
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor
Bruyere before going online.
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