Popular Opera Characters And Arias Quiz

Answer: Figaro himself

"Non piu andrai, farfallone, notte e giorno d'intorno girando" = "You won't go anymore, amorous butterfly, Fluttering around inside night and day" is what Cherubino gets as a comment on his being sent to the war after his "amorous enterprises" had disturbed both men and women at Count Almaviva's court. Cherubino is a travesti role: a boy's character being played by a woman.

Answer: Lieutenant Pinkerton

John Luther Long authored the story which was put to music by Puccini.

Answer: The Duke of Mantua in Verdi's "Rigoletto"

The full text of the aria is:
"La donna è mobile Qual piuma al vente Muta d'accento E di pensiero.
Sempre un amabile Leggiadro viso In pianto o in riso E mensongera."
"The women are unsettled As feathers in the wind, Each moment changes their minds. In tears or even smiles, Yes, women's lovely face, Forever beguiles us."
It should be added that this philosophy is expressed by a typical male womanizer.

Answer: Verdi's "Il Trovatore"

The gypsies greet the drawn as they begin their work, hammering on anvils. "Vedi le fosche notturne spoglie de cieli sveste l'immensa volta sembra una vedova che alfin si toglie i bruni panni ond' era involta. All'opra; all' opra."- "See how the darkness of night dissolves Away when the sunlight from heaven descendeth As when a widow to put off her weed resolves When her sorrowful mourning endeth."
Widow's weeds are widow's mourning dress.
By the way, Carl Maria von Weber was Mozart's wife's Constanze's cousin.(1786-1826).

Answer: a priestess kept in custody on the island of the pearl fishers

Leila is a priestess whose presence in a temple on the island is required as a luck-bringer. She must remain veiled for a year and by her prayers and singing she must drive evil spirits away from the fishing-boats.

Answer: Jules Massenet

"Werther" was published by Johann Wolfgang Goethe in 1774. Massenet's opera was first performed on 16th of February in 1892. Also, Berlioz(1803-1869) and Gounod(1818-1893) used subject matter from Goethe's works. Berlioz' "La Damnation de Faust" was first performed in 1846, and Gounod's opera "Faust" was first performed in 1859.

Answer: Puccini's "La Bohème"

"La Bohème" is the sad and somewhat sentimental story of the painter Marcello and the poet Rodolfo living their miserable lives under the roofs of Paris' "Latin Quarter". Rodolfo falls in love with his neighbour Mimi, but their love is soon destroyed when the poor circumstances Mimi has to live in bring her down with illness.

In spite of all the generous efforts made by Rodolfo's fellow "bohemians", Mimi's life cannot be saved anymore. She dies as another victim of poverty, cold and ...la "vie de bohème".

Answer: Figaro in Rossini's "The Barber of Seville"

In Rossini's "Barbiere di Siviglia" ,Figaro sees himself as the factotum, the servant who is employed to do all types of job. Now he is called here, then he is called there, and he feels he has his hands more than full.
Haendel's Largo is an altogether different thing than the Largo al Factotum. It's taken from the opera "Xerxes" and is also known as "Ombra mai fu".

Answer: You who know

The full line is: "Voi che sapete que cosa è amor, donne vedete s'io l'ho nel cor". "You ladies, who know the nature of love, search for it in my heart". Or,even more literally: "see if I have it in my heart".

Answer: the gift of her beauty

The Princess of Eboli is furious with Don Carlos because he rejects her love. She betrays his secrets with the effect that she herself gets sent to a "nunnery" and her beloved is locked up in prison and condemned to death by the Inquisition. It's then and only then that she realises that the gift of her beauty has made her life take a few wrong turns.
In this aria don is not the Spanish for "Sir", but the Italian for "gift, talent". The French version has "don fatal".