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Quiz about Cavalleria Rusticana and I Pagliacci

'Cavalleria Rusticana' and 'I Pagliacci' Quiz

'Cavalleria Rusticana' and 'I Pagliacci' were among the first of a new style of opera called 'verismo'.

A multiple-choice quiz by tjoebigham. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
tjoebigham

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
75,645

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
20

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
15 / 20

Plays
374

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 20

1. What opera came first ('Cavalleria Rusticana' or 'I Pagliacci')?

Answer: (Two Words)

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Question 2 of 20

2. Who wrote the story 'Cav' is based on? Hint

Rafeal Sabatini

Luigi Pirandello

Giovanni Verga

Giuseppe Verdi

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Question 3 of 20

3. Who is the ex-lover of male lead Turiddu? Hint

Mimi

Santuzza

Nedda

Violetta

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Question 4 of 20

4. Why can't Santuzza enter the house of Turiddu's mother? Hint

she is a prostitute

she once stole from Turiddu

she is an ex-convict

she is banished from the church

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Question 5 of 20

5. Who is Turridu's present lover? Hint

Carmen

Sophia

Camille

Lola

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Question 6 of 20

6. Why does Alfio the teamster hate Turiddu? Hint

Turiddu stole his money

Turiddu cheated him at cards

Alfio is impotent

Lola is his wife

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Question 7 of 20

7. Who tells Alfio of his wife's affair? Hint

Mamma Lucia

Santuzza

Violetta

Lucia

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Question 8 of 20

8. What does Alfio do to Turiddu when challenging him? Hint

bite his ear

give him the finger

spit on Turiddu

insult his mother

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Question 9 of 20

9. Who dies in the fight between Alfio and Turiddu?

Answer: (One Word)

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Question 10 of 20

10. What crime drama featured the opera "Cavalleria Rusticana" in its plot? Hint

Once Upon A Time In America

The Untouchables

The Godfather Part 3

Ocean's 11

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Question 11 of 20

11. Where is 'Pagliacci' set? Hint

a carnival

a circus

a travelling theatre troupe

an opera house

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Question 12 of 20

12. Who performs the prelude and reveals to Canio his wife's infidelity? Hint

Tonio

Silvio

Beppe

Don Jose

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Question 13 of 20

13. Who is the Canio's wife's lover? Hint

Figaro

Beppe

Silvio

Alfio

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Question 14 of 20

14. In the great aria, 'Vesti La Giubba', what does Canio say he must do? Hint

kill himself

run away

kill Nedda

go on with the show

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Question 15 of 20

15. What do the players perform the night Canio sings 'Vesta La Giubba'? Hint

an opera

a marital farce

Shakespeare's 'Hamlet'

a pantomime

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Question 16 of 20

16. Who is the wife's lover in the play featured in "I Pagliacci"? Hint

Tonio

Pietro

Escamillo

Beppe

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Question 17 of 20

17. What does Canio do at the end? Hint

punches his wife out

kill himself

kill the lovers

stops the play

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Question 18 of 20

18. Who composed 'Cavalleria'? Hint

Pietro Mascagni

Giacomo Puccini

Giusepe Verdi

Gaetano Donizetti

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Question 19 of 20

19. And who composed 'Pagliacci'? Hint

Georges Bizet

Gustave Meyerbeer

Ruggiero Leoncavallo

Gioacchino Rossini

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Question 20 of 20

20. Of the two men, who wrote the song that became the hit 'You're Breaking My Heart'?

Answer: (One Word)

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What opera came first ('Cavalleria Rusticana' or 'I Pagliacci')?

Answer: Cavalleria Rusticana

'Pagliacci' came two years later in 1892.

2. Who wrote the story 'Cav' is based on?

Answer: Giovanni Verga

Verga's story and the opera from it marked a new trend in Italian culture towards an earthier, more realistic form of storytelling.

3. Who is the ex-lover of male lead Turiddu?

Answer: Santuzza

Santuzza was once Turiddu's lover, until he threw her over for a married woman.

4. Why can't Santuzza enter the house of Turiddu's mother?

Answer: she is banished from the church

We never find out why Santuzza was excommunicated from the Church.

5. Who is Turridu's present lover?

Answer: Lola

Lola is the married woman Turiddu has an affair with.

6. Why does Alfio the teamster hate Turiddu?

Answer: Lola is his wife

Early on, Alfio is ignorant of his wife's infidelity.

7. Who tells Alfio of his wife's affair?

Answer: Santuzza

Crazy with jealousy over Turiddu's new flame, Santuzza in turn inflames Alfio's rage.

8. What does Alfio do to Turiddu when challenging him?

Answer: bite his ear

Alfio bites Turiddu's ear, a sign that he challenges his wife's lover to a knife fight.

9. Who dies in the fight between Alfio and Turiddu?

Answer: Turiddu

The opera ends quickly with the offstage death of Turiddu.

10. What crime drama featured the opera "Cavalleria Rusticana" in its plot?

Answer: The Godfather Part 3

In Coppola's finale to the mob saga, Michael Corleone's son becomes an opera singer, and debuts in 'Cavalleria', which Coppola uses to parallel the movie's murder plot.

11. Where is 'Pagliacci' set?

Answer: a travelling theatre troupe

'Pagliacci', like 'Cavalleria', is a story of murder and infidelity, but set among a comedy troupe.

12. Who performs the prelude and reveals to Canio his wife's infidelity?

Answer: Tonio

The crippled Tonio lusts for Nedda, but she spurns him. In revenge, he plays Iago to Canio's Othello (except the wife's betrayal here is real), as Santuzza did to Alfio.

13. Who is the Canio's wife's lover?

Answer: Silvio

Unknown to Canio, Silvio is Nedda's lover.

14. In the great aria, 'Vesti La Giubba', what does Canio say he must do?

Answer: go on with the show

Canio sings that he must act the clown despite his anguish. Despite the many tenors who have sung it, it remains the signature aria of the great Enrico Caruso.

15. What do the players perform the night Canio sings 'Vesta La Giubba'?

Answer: a marital farce

It is a classic commedia d'arte farce about a clown who is losing his wife to another...just as Canio is experiencing in real life!

16. Who is the wife's lover in the play featured in "I Pagliacci"?

Answer: Beppe

Beppe is only the wife's lover in the play, not in real life.

17. What does Canio do at the end?

Answer: kill the lovers

He stabs Nedda and Silvio, then shouts 'The comedy is finished!' One of the great opera endings.

18. Who composed 'Cavalleria'?

Answer: Pietro Mascagni

He is known only for this one opera.

19. And who composed 'Pagliacci'?

Answer: Ruggiero Leoncavallo

Sadly, the names of both men live through these operas.

20. Of the two men, who wrote the song that became the hit 'You're Breaking My Heart'?

Answer: Leoncavallo

Leoncavallo's 'Mattinata' was transformed into the 1949 smash hit for Vic Damone.

Source: Author tjoebigham

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.
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