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Wagner's Minor Operas Trivia Quiz

By 'Minor Operas' all other operas than 'The Ring' are meant. Wagner's works are full of complicated symbols. This quiz is limited to a few basic facts.

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

Author
flem-ish

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
75,418

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
444

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Wagner's 'Flying Dutchman' is about a man who has been doomed to keep sailing on the Seven Seas until _______________________? Hint

the Return of Christ

a woman accepts to share his fate and remain true to him 'until death'

the Pope himself forgives his sins

he finds the Holy Grail

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Question 2 of 10

2. The story of 'Lohengrin' is situated in an outpost of the Holy German Empire: the frontier-port of Antwerp in the Duchy of Brabant. Elsa, the only surviving child of the late Duke gets help from a remarkable champion: a knight whose ship is pulled forth by _______________. Hint

a Swan

a Dolphin

a Team of Mermaids

a Whale

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Question 3 of 10

3. In 'Lohengrin', Elsa ultimately loses her gallant knight Lohengrin by ________________________ ? Hint

asking him for his name, identity, parents etc.

clipping Lohengrin 's hair while he sleeps

killing the Swan

stealing his sword, ring and horn and giving it to her ex-fiance Telramund

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Question 4 of 10

4. When Tannhauser, after turning his back to Venus and her little tricks, comes to the Wartburg, he decides to join in a singing-competition. He causes a big scandal. How? Hint

he indirectly reveals his love for the Lord of the Castle's niece Elisabeth

he stigmatizes women as the cause of all trouble in the world

he starts a quarrel with the respected troubadour Wolfram von Eschenbach

he sings about the delights of physical love as he has experienced them when with Venus

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Question 5 of 10

5. How is Tannhauser's soul ultimately saved? Hint

by the Pope's miraculously changing Tannhauser's pilgrim's staff into a flowering shrub

by the pilgrimage he makes to Jerusalem

by Elisabeth's prayer to the Virgin Mary in which she asks to be allowed to die in exchange for Tannhauser's salvation

by Wolfram's decision to give up winning Elisabeth's love

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Question 6 of 10

6. In 'Parsifal' it is said that the Holy Spear which opened Jesus' side was once stolen from King Amfortas. Who was the thief? Hint

Klingsor the Knight who was never admitted to the Holy Grail society of knights

Gurnemanz the knight who tells us the story of the Grail

Amfortas' father Titurel

Kundry the woman who in vain tried to seduce Parsifal

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Question 7 of 10

7. In 'Parsifal' King Amfortas suffers from a mysterious wound in his side. The wound was inflicted by the Holy Spear. How will it be cured? Hint

when Gurnemanz instead of telling all those tales will use the ointment Kundry gave him

when Kundry confesses her guilt: she was the one that mocked at the dying Christ

when Parsifal touches the wound once more with the Holy Spear

when Parsifal manages to defeat Klingsor in a duel

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Question 8 of 10

8. To add to the pseudo-religious atmosphere of 'Parsifal' Wagner situated the final act on ________________. Hint

Maundy Thursday

Christmas Day

Good Friday

Easter Day

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Question 9 of 10

9. 'Tristan and Isolde' is the prototype of a story about 'forbidden love'. It's the story of an Irish princess who has to marry an elderly man, Mark, the King of __________. Hint

Wales

England

Scotland

Cornwall

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Question 10 of 10

10. When Tristan's secret love-affair with Isolde is discovered not only King Mark, but also Tristan's own friends are shocked by his misbehaviour. When one of them attacks him, Tristan is badly injured. Then Kurwenal, a loyal servant, takes his master back home. Which of these countries was Tristan's homeland? Hint

Ireland

Brittany

Wales

Scotland

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Wagner's 'Flying Dutchman' is about a man who has been doomed to keep sailing on the Seven Seas until _______________________?

Answer: a woman accepts to share his fate and remain true to him 'until death'

The Holy Grail occurs in 'Parsifal'. The Pope having to forgive sins is an element in the Tannhauser-story. First performance: Dresden 2 January 1843.

Answer: a Swan

Antwerp, being east of the Scheldt, was inside the territory belonging to the German Emperor. It bordered on the County of Flanders which belonged to the French King. The first performance of Lohengrin was in Weimar, on 28th August 1850.

3. In 'Lohengrin', Elsa ultimately loses her gallant knight Lohengrin by ________________________ ?

Answer: asking him for his name, identity, parents etc.

The Swan is her lost brother Gotfried in disguise. He was changed into a swan by Elsa's enemy Ortrud. Lohengrin should not be confused with Samson. The sword, ring and horn are given to her by Lohengrin when he says goodbye to her. They are meant for Gotfried 'when he returns'. Which happens the very moment Lohengrin leaves. The Swan is replaced by a Dove.

4. When Tannhauser, after turning his back to Venus and her little tricks, comes to the Wartburg, he decides to join in a singing-competition. He causes a big scandal. How?

Answer: he sings about the delights of physical love as he has experienced them when with Venus

'Tannhauser' was first performed at Dresden on 19th October 1845.

5. How is Tannhauser's soul ultimately saved?

Answer: by Elisabeth's prayer to the Virgin Mary in which she asks to be allowed to die in exchange for Tannhauser's salvation

The Pope says he cannot forgive Tannhauser's sins but when Tannhauser's pilgrim's staff spontaneously begins to flower it will be a sure sign that God has forgiven him. This happens indeed at the end of the opera, after Elisabeth's death. As to Wolfram, he too was in love with Elisabeth, but Elisabeth's heart went to Tannhauser.

6. In 'Parsifal' it is said that the Holy Spear which opened Jesus' side was once stolen from King Amfortas. Who was the thief?

Answer: Klingsor the Knight who was never admitted to the Holy Grail society of knights

The story of Parsifal is situated by Wagner in tenth-century Spain.

7. In 'Parsifal' King Amfortas suffers from a mysterious wound in his side. The wound was inflicted by the Holy Spear. How will it be cured?

Answer: when Parsifal touches the wound once more with the Holy Spear

First performance at Bayreuth on 26th of July 1882.

8. To add to the pseudo-religious atmosphere of 'Parsifal' Wagner situated the final act on ________________.

Answer: Good Friday

For the first performance of 'Parsifal', ironically enough in the case of Wagner's anti-Semitism, not only the conductor, but also the stagemaster and the costume designer happened to be Jewish.

9. 'Tristan and Isolde' is the prototype of a story about 'forbidden love'. It's the story of an Irish princess who has to marry an elderly man, Mark, the King of __________.

Answer: Cornwall

Tristan had killed Isolde's fiance. Not knowing about the ties between the two of them, Tristan had asked Isolde to take care of his wounds. She first had wanted to kill him then she had fallen in love with him. Disappointed that Tristan does not save her from a loveless marriage with King Mark, Isolde wants to die.

She asks her friend Brangane to prepare her a poisonous potion which she intends to share with Tristan, killing him and killing herself. But at the very last moment Brangane replaces the poisonous cup by a love-potion.

Answer: Brittany

Later Isolde visits Tristan in Brittanny. Tristan is so eager to rise from his sickbed, that he overexerts himself and dies. When a little later also King Mark arrives to tell Tristan that he has forgiven him and Isolde (they have told him about the fatal love-potion), the reconciliation comes too late, also for Isolde who is so broken with grief, that she too has already died.

Source: Author flem-ish

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