Who Is Her Leading Man? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Radames

The title character is an Ethiopian slave girl (but not known to the Egyptians, she is also the daughter of the Ethiopian King). She falls in love with the Egyptian general Radames, who will lead the Egyptian army against the Ethiopians. The Egyptian princess Amneris also is enamoured with Radames, but he prefers Aida. Radames defeats the Ehtiopian invaders and captures their king Amonasro.

As a reward for his triumph, Radames demands to free all Ethiopians. Amonasro wants to take revenge, and presses Aida into obtaining secret information from Radames. Amneris discovers the plot and has Radames condemned for high treason. Radames is locked in a vault, and there he finds Aida who chooses to share his fate. Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) composed the opera "Aida" which premiered in Cairo in 1871.

It is the best known of his twenty-odd operas, which also include other masterpieces such as "La Traviata" and "Rigoletto".

Answer: Cavaradossi

Tosca is an opera singer who falls in love with the painter Cavaradossi. Together they hide the pro-Napoleonic politician Angelotti. But Scarpia, the head of the secret police, arrests Cavaradossi and has him tortured to reveal the whereabouts of Angelotti. Tosca confesses to Scarpia the hiding place of Angelotti. Scarpia orders to have Cavaradossi executed, and forces Tosca to spend the night with Scarpia - which he would reward with staging only a mock execution. Tosca kills Scarpia and witnesses Cavaradossi's execution.

When she realizes Cavaradossi really is dead and does not fake it, she jumps off the tower to her death. Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) left us the opera "Tosca" (1900) and about a dozen other operas.

Answer: Jochanaan

"Salome" (1905) is based upon a biblical episode retold by Oscar Wilde.
Jochanaan (John the Baptist) has spoken fiercely against Herodes (the German name for King Herod) and his unchaste behaviour: whilst Herod has married Herodias, he is secretly in love with his daughter, the title character. Salome falls in love with Jochanaan, but he rejects her amorous advances. So Salome dances for her father the very sensual "Dance of the Seven Veils", and when Herod states he will give her anything, she asks for Jochanaan's head on a silver platter. After some debate Salome obtains her gift, and kisses Jochanaan's severed head on the lips. Herod is outraged and orders his soldiers to kill Salome on the spot.
Jochanaan may be the hero of the opera, but his character is played by a baritone. The tenor role is for the villain, Herodes.
Richard Strauss (1864-1949) composed this opera and about a dozen others. The French composer Antoine Mariotte also created an opera "Salome" (1908).

Answer: Pollione

Norma, a priestess of the Gallic druids, is secretly in love with Pollione, the Roman governor of Gaul, and has given birth to two children by Pollione. But Pollione has got tired with Norma and is seduced by her apprentice Adalgisa. As the Gauls and the Romans prepare for war, Norma has to prepare a sacrifice to implore the gods.

The tribe demands the sacrifice of the captured Poliione, but Norma decides an unfaithful priestess would be a better victim. So she orders to lit a pyre and jumps on it, followed by Pollione. Vincenzo Bellini (1801-1835) left us about a dozen operas, of which "Norma" is his best known - thanks to Maria Callas who made an aria ("Casta Diva") from this opera to her signature song.

Answer: Chevalier des Grieux

Manon Lescaut is a young woman destined to enter the convent. But Chevalier des Grieux abducts her, and together they live for a while in a small apartment in Paris. Chevalier des Grieux is arrested and taken away, after which Manon enters a life of endless parties and gambling soirees at the side of Guillot, the Minister of Finance. One night Guillot and des Grieux enter a card game with high stakes, and Guillot accuses des Grieux of cheating (aided and abetted by Manon). Manon is convicted and sent to Louisiana, but dies on the way. Several operas tell this story: Jules Massenet (1842-1912) saw "Manon" have its first day in 1884, and Puccini (1858-1924) composed "Manon Lescaut" which was first performed in 1893.

But these two famous orchestrations were not the first: Fromental Halevy (1799-1862) had already created a ballet "Manon" in 1830, and Daniel Auber (1782-1871) completed an opera comique "Manon Lescaut" in 1856.

Answer: Earl of Leicester

"Elisabetta, Regina D'Inghilterra" is of course Elizabeth I, but the story of this opera is not entirely based upon historical facts.
The Earl of Leicester emerges victoriously from a campaign against the Scottish army. He presents to Queen Elizabeth some prisoners of war, but then realizes that among the captives are his wife Matilda and her brother Enrico. To make matters worse, Matilda is the daughter of Mary Queen of Scots, the archenemy of Queen Elizabeth.
The Duke of Norfolk knows about Leicester's secret marriage to Matilda and reveals this to Queen Elizabeth. Elizabeth seeks a compromise by proposing that Matilda gets a divorce and that Leicester marries Elizabeth, but both refuse. So Elizabeth condemns the lot to execution: Leicester, Matilda and Enrico will be beheaded. Norfolk then changes his mind and tries to stab Elizabeth. Matilda takes the dagger, Elizabeth pardons Leicester and condemns Norfolk instead.
Gioacchino Rossini (1792-1868) created this opera in 1815, one of his most productive years. All in all he left us about forty operas.

Answer: Gennaro

1833 saw the premiere of the opera "Lucrezia Borgia" by Gaetano Donizetti.
In this opera, Lucrezia is married to Alfonso d'Este, Duke of Ferrara. A group of youngsters visit Ferrara to participate in some festivities and "redecorate" the palace: Gennaro removes the letter "B" from the family crest "Borgia", leaving a slanderous word ("Orgia" is the Italian for "orgy"). Alfonso d'Este demands the death penalty for the whole group, and tries to poison Gennaro. After Alfonso leaves the scene, Lucrezia gives Gennaro some antidote and advises him to flee.
When Lucrezia later encounters Gennaro's companions, she poisons their wine. Five comrades fall dead, and Gennaro comes forth to say that he's the sixth victim. Lucrezia then announces that Gennaro is her son, but she can't persuade him to take another antidote.
Donizetti (1797-1848) completed over 50 operas, of which he revised several once or twice.

Answer: Teseo

"Arianna in Creta" (1734) is set in Crete at the time of the legend of the Minotaur. King Minos of Crete has demanded the sacrifice of seven young Athenian boys and seven young Athenian girls to this monster he keeps in a labyrinth. Minos holds Arianna as a hostage to ensure the Athenian obedience, but is not aware that she is in fact his daughter. The Athenian group includes Teseo (in our language: Theseus), who loves Arianna; Carilda, who secretly loves Teseo; and Alceste, who in turn is enamoured by Carilda. After many tribulations, Teseo defeats the Minotaur and a Cretan warrior, and the opera ends with a double marriage: Arianna and Teseo are the first couple, and Carilda and Alceste are the other spouses.
In the time of the first production of this opera, the roles of Teseo and Alceste were played by castrato singers.
George Frederic Handel (1685-1759) created this opera as well as 45 other operas, and is best known for his oratorios - including "The Messiah" (1742).

Answer: Wilhelm Meister

Interesting info:
A group of gypsies abducted Mignon when she was still a baby. Now that she is a teenager, she dances with the gypsies to a tune played by the minstrel Lothario (who can't recall his past). At one occasion, a student named Wilhelm Meister watches the dance and falls head over heels in love with Mignon. But Mignon gets the (wrong) impression that Wilhelm loves the actress Philine.
Wilhelm buys Mignon her freedom and the lot travel to a palace where Philine plays Titania from "Midsummer Night's Dream". Mignon is jealous of Philine and mutters she hopes that the castle would burn down with Philine in it - and Lothario, overhearing Mignon, acts upon this thought.
Luckily Wilhelm, Mignon and Lothario survive the fire, and they move to a small castle in Italy. Wilhelm even buys this castle for Mignon. And then the final denouement: Lothario regains his memory and identifies himself as the previous owner of the castle, and Mignon as his long lost daughter.
Ambroise Thomas (1811-1896) was a prolific French composer, known for about twenty operas and many other works.

Answer: Orfeo

Orfeo (the Italian translation of Orpheus) is a mythical singer-songwriter, so talented that all nature stops to admire his songs. He falls in love with Euridice (the Italian version of the name we best recognize as Eurydice). But while she picks flowers for the bridal bouquet, Euridice is bitten by a snake and dies on the spot. Orfeo is overwhelmed with sadness, and travels to the Underworld to get his beloved back. The gods of the Underworld are so moved by Orfeo's music that they comply with his demand, on one condition: he should never look back, or else Euridice will stay in the Underworld for ever. Alas, when Orfeo almost reaches the exit, he does look back...
The myth of Orpheus and Eurydice has inspired at least nine composers, but only Jacopo Peri named his opera only after the woman involved. This opera by Peri (1561-1633) is the oldest extant opera.
Jacopo Peri himself played the part of Orfeo at the first performance.
Other composers inspired by this myth are Giulio Caccini (1551-1618), Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643), Stefano Landi (1587-1639), Luigi Rossi (1598-1653), Antonio Sartorio (1630-1680), Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1634-1704), Christoph Willibald von Gluck (1714-1787) and Gian Francesco Malipiero (1882-1973).