Classical, Baroque, and Romantic Music Quiz

Answer: L. V. Beethoven

Beethoven wrote the letters in 1812, while he lived at the Teplitz resort. Three of them were found in his belongings after he died. Among other possible candidates for the addressee of the letters are Antonie Brentano, Thérèse von Brunswick, Anna-Marie Erdödy, or Countess Giulietta Guicciardi.

It is only speculation, though, since the letters were not addressed, and may never have been sent.

Answer: Johann Ambrosius Bach

Johann Ambrosius Bach was actually J.S. Bach's father. J.S. Bach and his son, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, constructed a family tree of the Bach family that is still around today.

Answer: Toccata and Fugue in D Minor (Organ)

One of Bach's most famous works is his "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor". One may hear the "Toccata" section in various horror movies due to its dark nature. ("Symphony no. 5 in C Minor" is by Beethoven, "A Song Without Words" is by Mendelssohn, and "Sonata no. 12 in F Major" is by Mozart.)

Answer: The Emperor Concerto

The "Emperor" Concerto's second movement is slow and captivating, incorporating both orchestra and piano melodies. The first movement, regarded by many pianists as one of the most difficult pieces composed, has a lot of free-moving orchestra parts and dynamic piano parts.

Answer: Unpredictability

A few rhapsodies one might want to look at are "Rhapsody in Blue" by George Gershwin, "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" by Rachmaninoff, and even the modern song "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen. All of these songs have abrupt melody, dynamic, and tempo changes, all of which define a rhapsody.

Answer: Sergei Rachmaninoff

Rachmaninoff, a composer and virtuoso pianist known for writing exceedingly difficult pieces, was a very tall man, especially for his day and age. Rachmaninoff's pieces often accommodated his very large hands and the chords were often arranged into rolls by later editors.

Answer: F. Chopin

"Fantasie Impromptu's" middle section, where it calms down, was the inspiration for Harry Carroll's "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows." Chopin's melodies have a great effect on many other artists and composers today as well.

Answer: Transcendental Etudes

Very few professional concert pianists worldwide could actually play all twelve original etudes as written flawlessly due to their great physical demands. As a result, the etudes were edited to make them more playable.

Answer: eighteenth through mid nineteenth centuries

Some famous classical composers include Mozart, Muzio Clementi, and Haydn. Beethoven's music spans the Classical and the Romantic periods.

Answer: Poland

Although many believe Frederic Francois Chopin was French, he only lived in France and was French-Polish. In fact, Chopin was a very fierce Polish patriot. His name was changed in order to fit more in with the French - his Polish name was Fryderyk Francizek Chopin.