Musical Medley Trivia Quiz

Answer: Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) had seven children with his first wife, his cousin, Maria. After Maria's death he married again, and had a further thirteen children with his second wife, Anna. Four sons would become well known composers. Unfortunately, ten of the children were to die before maturity.

Answer: Mozart

This work, being sacrosanct to The Vatican, and then only during Holy Week, was never to be allowed to appear in any other venue or be replicated in any way. The fact that Mozart was able to perform such an amazing feat was not lost on the Pope, and instead of excommunication bestowed upon him the Order of the Golden Spur, the second highest of Papal Orders.

Answer: Handel and Bononcini

An intimate of many of the great men of his age, Byrom witnessed the public feud between Handel and Bononcini, who at the time were very competitive and very much equals.

Answer: Debussy

Following a nine-year affair with Debussy, Gabrielle Dupont tried to commit suicide when the relationship came to an end in 1898. The following year he married Rosalie (Lily) Texier, but left her five years later, when she also tried to commit suicide by shooting herself.

Answer: Scarlatti

By the age of fifty Beethoven was almot totally deaf; however, this did not prevent him from composing some of his major works. By the same age Smetana was suffering from the effects of syphillis, and deafness was creeping up on him. Faure suffered from deafness in later life; from about the age of sixty five it began to affect him more and more.