Who Wrote This Symphony? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Igor Stravinsky

Russian-born composer Igor Stravinsky came out with some revolutionary ideas which transformed music in the 20th century. One of these was a style called neoclassicism. This meant that there was more emphasis on rhythm, a smaller ensemble of performers (usually), the weaving of different melodies together, and music that doesn't represent nature or sentiment.

"Symphony of Psalms" is a choral symphony composed in a neoclassical style. There are three movements with texts that are taken from the Latin translation of Psalms 38, 39 and 150 in the Hebrew Bible. Even though the music isn't Romantic, it is deeply moving, with a melancholic feel, colourful sound textures and harmonies.

Answer: Ralph Vaughan-Williams

English composer Ralph Vaughan-Williams can't be easily fitted into any particular category. In his early years, he learned how to move away from the influences of the Germanic composers that dominated classical music, such as Beethoven, Brahms, Wagner and Schoenberg. Vaughan-Williams had a strong interest in English folk music which influenced his compositions, as well as being influenced by French composers such as Debussy and Ravel, and English composer Gustav Holst.

Vaughan-Williams composed the score for the 1948 film "Scott of the Antarctic". Luckily for us, he felt that this music could be the basis for a symphony. It became his seventh symphony which he named "Sinfonia Antartica".

The five movements are called "Prelude", "Scherzo", "Landscape", "Intermezzo", and "Epilogue". Vaughan-Williams chose a text to go with each movement. Sometimes they are read aloud before the music. On my CD, there is only the music, but each text can be read inside the cover.

"Sinfonia Antartica" is exceptionally percussive and colourful, including instruments such as a celesta, piano, harp and organ. The wordless soprano solo and women's chorus give the music an even more eerie atmosphere.

Answer: Philip Glass

American composer Philip Glass is known for composing music in a style called minimalism. In the mid-1960s, he turned away from the avant-garde musical styles of Stockhausen, Boulez and Milhaud, and became one of the first composers active in the creation and development of minimal music. Influences on Glass include Indian music, and composers like Moondog and Steve Reich.

In minimalism, there is a lot of repetition, slowly shifting set patterns and a limit to how much the music changes as it progresses. It has a feeling of constant stability and resolution.

Symphony no 1 (1992) by Philip Glass is called "Low" because it is an orchestral arrangement of three tracks from David Bowie and Brian Eno's 1977 album "Low". The symphony's three movements have the same name as the Bowie tracks. They are called "Subterraneans", "Some Are", and "Warszawa".

One reviewer wrote, "Philip Glass transcended David Bowie's towering influence". Another reviewer wrote, "the Low Symphony lacks the adventurousness of the originals".

Answer: Dmitri Shostakovich

Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovich was influenced by the music of Beethoven, Prokofiev, Bach, Stravinsky and Mahler. Shostakovich had to struggle against the demands of the Soviet authorities who especially disapproved of some of his earlier more modernist music. He had to perform a balancing act between conservatism and innovation which he did successfully. His music has the strong emotions of Romanticism with contrasting moments of sarcasm, frivolity and dissonance. Rhythm plays a very important part throughout most of his repertoire.

Symphony no 13 "Babi Yar" is a choral symphony with a bass solo singer, a male choir and a large orchestra. It is in five movements set to poems by dissident Yevgeny Yevtushenko. They are called "Babi Yar", "Humour", "In the Store", "Fears", and "Career".

The poem "Babi Yar" commemorates the Nazi massacre of Jews in Kyiv in 1941, a memory repressed by the Soviet state. Shostakovich saw himself as an enemy of antisemitism. This symphony is dark, intense, and expressive with gentle moments too. It is the sort of music that seems to get better with repeated listening.

Answer: Olivier Messiaen

French composer Olivier Messiaen was a true individualist; avant-garde with a new and experimental style of music. He was influenced by Maurice Ravel, Claude Debussy, Balinese gamelan, Greek metres, medieval music, Hindu rhythms, microtonal music and birdsong. His music is rich in harmonies and complex rhythms, with percussive and colourful soundscapes. Most of his music is inspired by religion and nature.

"Turangalia Symphony" is named after two Sanskrit words: "Turanga" meaning movement and rhythm; "Lila" meaning the play of divine action on the universe, and love. This mammoth symphony is set for a large orchestra, especially percussion including vibraphone, celesta, tam-tam and tubular bells, in addition to ondes martenot and piano.

There are ten movements: "Introduction", "Love Song", "Turangalila 1", "Love Song 2", "Joy of the Blood of the Stars", "Garden of Love's Sleep", "Turangalila 2", "Development of Love", "Turangalila 3", and "Final".

Answer: Carl Nielsen

Danish composer Carl Nielsen is another composer whose music doesn't fit neatly into one category. He had a strong interest in Danish folk music which meant that even his instrumental compositions often had a vocal basis. As he got older he developed his own style which included the use of progressive tonality. This meant that the music would finish in a different key from the one it started in. Nielsen studied Renaissance music which became an influence on the way he formed his melodies and harmonies.

Carl Nielson wrote his Symphony no 4 "The Inextinguishable" at a time when the world was suffering from the horrors of the First World War. The name "Inextinguishable" suggests a life force and a will to live. This symphony has a dramatic opening before calming down to introduce us to the main lyrical theme which transforms into something more triumphal, and hopeful. All four movements are played without a break. It ends with two climaxes in what has been called the battle of the timpani.

Answer: Henryk Gorecki

In his younger years, Polish composer Henryk Gorecki wrote in a neo-classical style and then used twelve-tone serialism, along with incorporating other more avant-garde ideas of the time. In the 1970s, he moved away from these harsh, cerebral styles towards something more expressive, minimalist, rhythmic, and colourful (showing influences of Olivier Messiaen and Medieval music). His music became more popular with the public, but less popular with the avant-garde establishment.

During the years of transition towards this new style of music, Henryk Gorecki composed his popular third symphony which he called "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs". He makes use of medieval musical modes in this symphony. All three movements are slow-moving and include songs that are sung by a soprano.

"Sostenuto Tranquillo" is long and sombre, mostly instrumental, but with a beautiful song in the middle. The words are a 15th-century lamentation in which the Virgin Mary begs her dying Son on the cross to speak to her. The words in "Tranquillisimo" were taken from an inscription scratched on the walls of a Gestapo prison cell by a young Polish woman. "Cantabile-Semplice" has the words of a folk song in which a mother laments the loss of her son. "Symphony of Sorrowful Songs" ends in a major key with a musical feeling and words of hope.

Answer: Paul Creston

American composer Paul Creston was of Sicilian heritage. His birthname was Giuseppe Guttoveggio. He taught himself to compose music to support himself and his family. Creston's style is conservative, and tonal but with modern dissonances, easily accessible, and with an emphasis on rhythm such as dance rhythms. He was influenced by and studied composers Bach, Scarlatti, Chopin, Debussy, Respighi, and Ravel. He wrote music for radio, television and concert halls.

Paul Creston's purely orchestral Symphony no 3 "Three Mysteries" takes less than 30 minutes to perform in total. Each of the three movements depicts one of the mysteries of the life of Christ. They are called "The Nativity", "The Crucifixion", and "The Resurrection". The melodies are usually modal with influences of Gregorian Chants but there is nothing stark about them. The style of "Three Mysteries" is not unlike film music.

Answer: Gustav Mahler

Austrian/Bohemian composer Gustav Mahler has been called the last great Romantic symphonist. He brought together different strands of Romantic music and formed them into giant landscapes of sounds, but often with an economy of different timbres. In the first decade of the 20th century, the Romantic style of the 19th century was undergoing a transition to what was called modernism. Mahler was one of the influencers on these new composers. As his music evolved, he used techniques such as progressive tonality (ending on a different key), and polytonality (unrelated harmonies) which the new composers took to a more extreme level.

Gustav Mahler's Symphony no 8 "Symphony of a Thousand" was given its name (not by Mahler) because of the huge number of performers required, with multiple choirs and a large orchestra which includes a piano and an organ. The symphony is in two parts. Part 1 is called "Veni Creator Spiritus". It uses Latin text. Part 2 is the "Closing Scene" from Goethe's "Faust". It finishes with a massive climax.

Answer: Benjamin Britten

English composer Benjamin Britten had a significant influence on British music, and on 20th-century classical music generally. He had a prolific output and was influenced by composers Frank Bridge (one of his teachers), Shostakovich, Mahler, Stravinsky, Ravel, Debussy, Copland, Grainger, Schoenberg and Berg. Other influences included eastern music (such as Balinese gamelan), earlier English music, and folk music.

Most of Benjamin Britten's music is tonal, especially from his earlier years. He began to introduce atonality into his style in later years, but he was still basically tonal.

"Sinfonia da Requiem" expresses young Benjamin Britten's objection to war. It is also a dedication "In memory of my parents". It has no words: it is purely orchestral, and only lasts about 20 minutes. The timbre of the saxophone adds extra colour to the orchestra.

The first movement is called "Lacrymosa". It has menacing chords with pounding rhythms leading up to a climax. The second movement is called "Dies Irae". It is agitated, quicker-paced, and has a more atonal ending. The third movement is called "Requiem Aeternam". It has an idealistic feeling of hope suffused with melancholy and a lyrical melody. The three movements blend together without a break.