Haydn and Seekin' Trivia Quiz

Answer: Haydn

Austrian composer Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) was a prolific composer of the Classical period. Known as the "Father of the Symphony," Haydn made founding contributions to the development of chamber music and the string quartet. During his life, Haydn mentored Mozart and taught Beethoven.

The second movement of Haydn's Symphony No. 94 is known as the "Surprise" as it contains a sudden loud (fortissimo) chord at the end of the opening theme. Haydn's Symphony No. 94 (composed in 1791) is therefore known as the "Surprise Symphony". Haydn experimented with what were considered musical jokes to add elements of surprise to his music.

Answer: Mozart

An enormously celebrated classical composer, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) was born in Salzburg, Austria. As a renowned prodigy, the young Mozart performed throughout Europe and for imperial courts, starting at age six. At the age of five, Mozart began composing music. Despite the short length of his life, Mozart brought remarkable contributions to Western music, including his array of sonatas, concertos, symphonies, choral works, and operatic pieces.

Composed in 1783, Mozart's "Rondo alla Turca," or Turkish Rondo, comes from the third movement of his Piano Sonata No. 11, K. 331. Regarded as one of Mozart's best-known piano works, "Rondo alla Turca" remains a recognizable melody in the realm of classical music, along with Mozart's "Eine kleine Nachtmusik." "Rondo alla Turca" integrates musical elements of the imperial anthems of the Ottoman Empire and Turkey. Ludwig van Beethoven also incorporated this style in his "Turkish March" (1809).

Answer: Gluck

Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714 -1787), a composer of the early classical period, was born in the east of Bavaria, Germany. As a composer of French and Italian opera, Gluck became a prominent part of the royal court at Vienna.

Gluck is best known for composing the opera "Orfeo ed Euridice", set to an Italian libretto by Ranieri de' Calzabigi. First performed in 1762, the opera centers around the Greek legend of Orpheus and Euridice, a tragic love story that follows Orpheus's search for Euridice in the mythological Underworld.

Gluck's operas introduced innovative elements and influenced the operatic works of later composers such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Richard Wagner.

Answer: Liszt

Best known for his magnificent piano works, Hungarian-born composer Franz Liszt (1811-1886) was a prolific composer of the Romantic period of Western music. Franz Liszt was born in the former Austrian Empire and began his musical career as a virtuoso pianist. Throughout his musical career, Liszt became well-acquainted with many renowned composers at the time such as Frédéric Chopin, also a prolific composer for piano.

Liszt's piano works include a set of 19 Hungarian Rhapsodies. Published in 1851, Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 in C-sharp minor is the most famous one of the set. In writing his set of Hungarian Rhapsodies, Liszt was influenced by the Hungarian folk music he heard growing up. Liszt's Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2 was an instant success on the public stage. This expressive piano work was later transformed into orchestral versions.

Answer: Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827), among the most iconic composers in Western music, was born in Bonn, Germany. Beethoven is renowned for his expressive, innovative musical works such as Symphony No. 5 and Symphony No. 9. Despite going deaf at the age of 28, Beethoven continued to thrive in his musical career. Beethoven's earlier works incorporate the classical traditions of Haydn and Mozart, while his later works bridge into the Romantic period of Western music.

Beethoven's Symphony No. 6 in F major, Op. 68, also the Pastoral Symphony, was heavily inspired by the natural elements of the countryside, including storms and shepherds' songs. Beethoven composed the Pastoral Symphony simultaneously with his better-known Fifth Symphony. The Pastoral Symphony was completed in 1808 and premiered in Vienna alongside his Fifth Symphony.

Beethoven's expressive works helped usher in the Romantic period of music and greatly influenced the Romantic composers.

Answer: Corelli

Born in Northern Italy, Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713) was an Italian composer of the Baroque era of Western music. As a virtuoso violinist, Corelli promoted the violin and helped pioneer violin technique, influencing subsequent generations of violinists. Corelli's many violin students included the prolific composer Antonio Vivaldi, who became his successor and a defining violinist of the Baroque era.

Concerto Grosso in G minor, Op. 6, No. 8, or "Christmas Concerto" remains Corelli's most notable musical work. Corelli's "Christmas Concerto" was composed for a musical ensemble of multiple instruments, primarily violins. Representative of the Baroque style, Corelli's "Christmas Concerto" was published posthumously in 1714 and may have been performed in Church on Christmas Eve of 1690.

Answer: Chopin

Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist who contributed many notable piano pieces during the Romantic period of Western Music. During his life, Frédéric Chopin was well-acquainted with Franz Liszt, another virtuoso pianist and gifted composer of the Romantic period.

Chopin famously composed 21 nocturnes for solo piano, still performed widely today. Waltz in D-flat major, Op. 64, No. 1, or "Minute Waltz" is another one of Chopin's celebrated piano works, highlighting skilled piano technique, lively expression, as well as a sweet and serene mood. Composed in 1847, the "Minute Waltz" owes its name to its fast tempo, marked "molto vivace" or "very lively."

Answer: Strauss II

Largely known for his Viennese waltzes, Austrian composer Johann Strauss II (1825-1899) composed a vast array of musical works. In addition to composing hundreds of waltzes, Strauss II composed polkas, operettas, and a ballet throughout his musical career. Johann Strauss II was the son of Austrian Romantic composer Johann Strauss I, who composed waltzes and polkas.

Attaining great prominence, Johann Strauss II helped popularize the waltz in Vienna, Austria. One of Strauss II's most well-known waltz melodies is "The Blue Danube," composed in 1866. Years later, Strauss II composed Frühlingsstimmen, Op. 410, or "Voices of Spring Waltz" in 1882. "Voices of Spring Waltz" remains a recognizable orchestral waltz, performed with an optional soprano voice part.

Answer: Bach

Contributing enormously to the history of Western music, German composer Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) is among the most recognizable composers of the Baroque period. Bach's musical legacy involves hundreds of musical works for multiple instruments as well as for voice. During his musical career, Bach was an organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist. Bach is well-known for his musical pieces for organ and harpsichord, two ornate instruments that define the Baroque style.

Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor remains a recognizable musical work for the organ. The exact year in which Bach composed the work is still debated, though the work highlights the complex musical technique of the Baroque period. This famous organ work, written in the somber key of D minor, is today associated with the horror genre of film and literature. The musical work's popularity also increased following its inclusion in the 1940 animated musical production of Walt Disney's "Fantasia."

Answer: Brahms

German composer Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) contributed many recognizable works of music during the Romantic period. As a virtuoso pianist and composer, Brahms spent much of his musical career in Vienna, Austria. Greatly influencing today's concert repertoire, Brahms composed many works for symphony orchestra and piano. Brahms's music is steeped in the elements of the Romantic period while bringing innovation to subsequent generations of composers. Like other Romantic composers such as Franz Liszt, Johannes Brahms derived musical influences from Hungarian folk music. Brahms is largely recognized for his set of 21 Hungarian Dances, originally written for piano duet and later arranged for orchestras and various ensembles.

One of Brahms's most popular musical works is Wiegenlied ("Lullaby;" "Cradle Song"), Op. 49, No. 4. Published in 1868, Brahms's Wiegenlied or Lullaby was composed for voice and piano. The melody of Brahms's Wiegenlied remains a well-recognized lullaby theme, associated with a sweet and soothing mood.