It Ain't Over Until The Fat Lady Sings Quiz

Answer: Nessun Dorma

"Nessun Dorma" ("Let No One Sleep") is one of the best-loved tenor arias in opera, from the unfinished opera "Turandot" by Puccini. The last words translate as "I will win" - and, very appropriately, Pavarotti's 1972 recording of the aria was used as the theme music by the BBC for their 1990 World Cup coverage.

Answer: Madam Butterfly

"Madam Butterfly" was first performed in Milan in February 1904, but was so badly received that Puccini made significant changes to it. When the modified version was first performed two months later it was a massive success, and it's now one of the world's most popular operas.

Answer: Il Commendatore (Don Pedro)

One of the most spine-tingling moments in opera occurs in Act 2 of "Don Giovanni" when the statue of Il Commendatore knocks at the door of Don Giovanni's house to offer him a last chance to repent his sins - "Don Giovanni! You invited me to dine with you". Don Giovanni's refusal sees him condemned to hell, and the demons come to collect him.

Answer: Mezzo-soprano

Carmen is usually sung by a lyric mezzo-soprano, with a smooth, sensitive voice. Notably, Gilbert and Sullivan wrote many roles for mezzo-sopranos in their operettas, for example Pitti-Sing in "The Mikado".

Answer: The Flower Duet

"The Flower Duet" is the highlight of Act 1 of "Lakme" by Delibes, sung as the title character and her servant gather flowers by a river. It's one of those pieces of music that can send shivers down your spine! Of the incorrect answer options, "Il Core vi Dono" is from Mozart's "Cosi Fan Tutte", "O sink hernieder, Nacht der Liebe" is from Wagner's "Tristan und Isolde" and Bei Mannern, welche Lieber fuhlen" is from Mozart's "The Magic Flute".

Answer: Les Pecheurs des Perles (The Pearl Fishers)

The opera is "The Pearl Fishers", but the duet referred to in the Question has taken on such a life of its own, separate from the work for which it was originally written, that it's now commonly referred to as "The Pearl Fishers' Duet". It was used to great effect by Peter Weir in his 1981 film "Gallipoli" as a celebration of male friendship.

Answer: She throws herself from the battlements of the Castel Sant'Angelo

Tosca throws herself from the castle walls. There's a legend of a very heavy Tosca who did so but then bounced up from the piled mattresses that were meant to break her fall and re-appeared over the battlements! I was fortunate enough to see a performance of "Tosca" at the open-air theatre at Torre del Lago, where Puccini lived for many years.

In between Acts 2 and 3 the heavens opened and the performance was abandoned. We took refuge in the cafe with about 100 other people, whereupon Tosca and Cavaradossi appeared in their "civvies" and sang the 3rd Act accompanied by a pianist. For the death scene, Tosca climbed on a chair and just jumped off it! It was a tremendous evening!

Answer: La Boheme

"La Boheme" is one of Puccini's greatest works. Rodolfo's aria, "Che gelida manina", elicits Mimi's response "Si, mia chiamano Mimi", whereupon they fall in love. Sadly Mimi eventually dies of consumption and the opera ends with everybody in tears.

Answer: Ancient Egyptian, Biblical Hebrew and Akkadian

Philip Glass is a very modern composer, and his works are difficult enough without them being sung in 3,000-year-old languages! But yes, chunks of the lyrics of "Akhnaten" are taken from the Ancient Egyptian "Book of the Dead" as well as a poem written by Akhnaten himself. The music itself, though, is lovely, built up from repeated phrases and slowly shifting layers of melody.

Answer: Sportin' Life

Sportin' Life is a very unpleasant man who eventually persuades Bess to run away to new York with him. Porgy gets into his goat cart and sets off to follow them - you only hope that he succeeds in finding her.