In Other Words: Operatically Speaking Quiz

Answer: CANDIDE

C and Deed equals Candide.

One of my favorite operas is Leonard Bernstein's "Candide", after the Voltaire satire. Bernstein first composed it in 1956 in two acts with a libretto by Lillian Hellman. A one act revision came about in 1973 with a new libretto by Hugo Wheeler, with additional lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. It originally premiered in Boston on October 29, 1956. 'Hits' from this very witty opera are "Glitter And Be Gay", "I Am So Easily Assimilated", "Oh Happy We", and "We'll Make Our Garden Grow".

Answer: TROUBLE IN TAHITI

Were you able to find trouble inside Tahiti?

"Trouble in Tahiti" is a short comic opera also by Bernstein. He not only composed the music, but was also the librettist. It received its premiere on June 12, 1952, at Brandeis University in Waltham, MA. Its most famous 'aria' is the long but hilarious "Island Magic" sung by Dinah.

Answer: TREEMONISHA

Treem is indeed on Isha for "Treemonisha", Scott Joplin's opera.

That's right, 'the king of rag' wrote an opera; actually, two. "Treemonisha" is the one whose piano vocal score is still intact. There are three orchestral versions available: the first and the only commercially recorded one is the 1974 production of the Houston Grand Opera with Carmen Balthrop in the title role. It was orchestrated mainly by the German(!) Gunther Schueller and requires huge voices to sing above the 40+ piece orchestra. Another version is one by T.J. Anderson that is much more modest (and authentic/historically correct) with a 12-piece orchestra and requires an appropriately smaller voiced soprano to sing the title role. Yet another, and much newer, version by Rick Benjamin (and his Paragon Ragtime Orchestra) exists, in which yours truly sings the title role. Its orchestration is similar to Anderson's, using one less instrument, and also requires a lighter voiced soprano for the title role. The most well-known piece from this opera is "A Real Slow Drag", sung by Treemonisha and the entire cast, to close the opera.

Answer: THE TURN OF THE SCREW

The word screw is turned around in the clue.

Benjamin Britten composed "The Turn of the Screw". It is an opera with a prologue and two acts with libretto by Myfanwy Piper after the story by Henry James. Its first performance was given at the Teatro La Fenice in Venice on Sep. 14, 1954. Britten again writes an opera whose plot is centered on sinister events involving children, brother and sister Miles and Flora. One of the spookiest pieces of music in this opera is "Malo", which Miles sings several times throughout the opera.

Answer: MANON

Man is on nothing, which would simply leave Manon.

Jules Massenet composed "Manon", an opera comique in 5 acts, in 1883. The libretto is by Henri Meilhac and Philippe Gille, after the novel "L'histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut" by the Abbe Prevost. It was first performed by the Paris Opera-Comique at the Salle Favart on January 19, 1884. This is 'simply' the story of a pleasure-seeking 15-year old girl who, while she is accompanied by her cousin on her way to a convent, escapes and falls in love with the Chevalier des Grieux, a soon-to-be priest. They live together in Paris and both are eventually arrested after Guillot thinks des Grieux has cheated him in cards. He is released, while she is condemned to live the rest of her life in the then penal colony of Louisiana for her immorality. She dies en route. One of the best known arias from "Manon" is "Profitons bien de la jeunesse (let us profit well from our youth)". In my humble opinion, no one sings it quite like Beverly Sills.

Answer: FALSTAFF

The staff is indeed falling down here, so it would be Falstaff.

Verdi composed his 'commedia lirica' "Falstaff" in three acts in 1892. The libretto is by Arrigo Boito, after Shakespeare's "The Merry Wives of Windsor". It was first performed at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Italy, on February 9, 1893. The innovative and fugal "Tutto nel mondo e burla" (everything in the world's a joke), sung first by the principal characters then by everyone on stage, closes the opera.

Answer: THE THREE-PENNY OPERA

$.01 is a synonym for penny, and three of them is three penny opera.

Originally known and composed in German as "Die Dreigroschenoper", Kurt Weill composed "The Threepenny Opera" as a play with music in a prologue with 3 acts. The German text is by Bertolt Brecht, with an English translation by Elisabeth Hauptmann after John Gay's "The Beggar's Opera". It was first performed at the Berlin Theater am Schiffbauerdamm on August 31, 1928. One of the most famous songs from this work is the Ballad of Mack the Knife (Die Moritat von Mackie Messer). Even McDonald's used it at one point for its advertisements ("when the clock strikes...")!

Answer: CARMEN

A synonym for automobile is car, and the rest of the words are simply Spanish, French, Italian, Greek, and German words for man; together, they make men. Therefore, Carmen.

Georges Bizet composed "Carmen", an opera comique, in four acts in 1874. The libretto is by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halevy, after the Prosper Merimee novel. It was first performed at the Paris Opera-Comique at the Salle Favart on March 3, 1875. It did not fare so well; the audience did not like the fact that the heroine dies so violently onstage. The most famous arias from the work are the 'Habanera' and the Toreador's Song.

Answer: TURANDOT

TwoRAndDot becomes Turandot.

Giacomo Puccini composed his 'lirico drammatico' "Turandot" in 3 acts in 1924. The libretto is by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni, after the fairy tale drama by Carlo Gozzi. It was first performed at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan on April 25, 1926. Thanks to Pavarotti, one of the most famous arias from this opera is "Nessun dorma (let no one sleep)".

Answer: ORPHEUS IN THE UNDERWORLD

Orpheus is inside or in the word 'the' under the word world, thus Orpheus in the Underworld.

Jacques Offenbach composed his 'opera bouffon' "Orphee aux enfers" in 2 acts in 1858; it was revised into 4 acts in 1874. The libretto is by Hector-Jonathan Cremieux and Ludovic Halevy. It was first performed by the Theatre des Bouffes-Parisiens at the Salle Choiseul in Paris on October 21, 1858. The most famous piece from this mythological farce is the 'Can-Can', which is actually from the 'Bacchanale' that closes the work.


Now that you are humming the 'Can-can' in your head, I hope that you have enjoyed this quiz. Thanks for playing!