FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Quiz about Composers and their Compositions
Quiz about Composers and their Compositions

Composers and their Compositions Quiz


This is a quiz honouring some of the great composers and their compositions from the Baroque period to the Romantic era.

A multiple-choice quiz by zambesi. Estimated time: 2 mins.
  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Quizzes
  4. »
  5. Music Trivia
  6. »
  7. Classical Music
  8. »
  9. Composers Mixture

Author
zambesi
Time
2 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
385,673
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Easy
Avg Score
8 / 10
Plays
485
Awards
Top 20% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 104 (7/10), Guest 94 (9/10), kkt (10/10).
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. Johann Sebastian Bach was a composer and musician of which period or era?
Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Ludwig van Beethoven composed just one opera. What was the opera?
Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. The composer Jean Sibelius was from which country?
Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Who composed the opera "Carmen"?
Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. In classical music who are referred to as "The Three B's"?
Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. The first musical version of William Shakespeare's play "A Midsummer Night's Dream" was composed by who?
Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Who composed the operas "Otello" and "Falstaff"?
Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. The ballets "Romeo and Juliet" and "Cinderella" were composed by who?
Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Which German composer had his own opera house built, which was called the Bayreuth Festspielhaus, Bavaria?
Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Which composer wrote primarily for the solo piano?
Hint



(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

arrow Select a User ID:
arrow Choose a Password:
arrow Your Email:




Most Recent Scores
Mar 23 2024 : Guest 104: 7/10
Mar 15 2024 : Guest 94: 9/10
Mar 10 2024 : kkt: 10/10
Mar 06 2024 : Guest 156: 8/10
Feb 21 2024 : Guest 73: 9/10
Feb 12 2024 : Guest 136: 0/10
Feb 06 2024 : Guest 71: 9/10
Feb 01 2024 : Guest 195: 9/10
Jan 30 2024 : Guest 212: 9/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Johann Sebastian Bach was a composer and musician of which period or era?

Answer: Baroque period

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was a German composer and musician of the Baroque period. His greatest compositions include the "Brandenburg Concertos", the "Goldberg Variations" and the "Mass in B minor". During his lifetime he was not regarded as a great composer, however, there was an appreciation and revival of interest in his work in the 19th Century. Today he is regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time. The Renaissance era was 1400-1600, the Classical period 1730-1820 and the Romantic era 1780-1910.
2. Ludwig van Beethoven composed just one opera. What was the opera?

Answer: Fidelio

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) was a German composer and pianist. Through his compositions of symphonies, concertos, sonatas and quartets he remains one of the greatest composers of all time. His only opera ,"Fidelio" tells the story of Leonore, disguised as a prison guard "Fidelio", who rescues her husband from a political prison.

The opera was first performed in 1805 and was revised between 1806-1814. "The Magic Flute" by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart premiered in 1791. "Tristan und Isolde" by Richard Wagner premiered in 1865 and "Faust" by Charles Gounod debuted in 1859.
3. The composer Jean Sibelius was from which country?

Answer: Finland

Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) was a Finnish composer and violinist. He is recognised as the Finland's greatest composer and it is through his music that he helped develop national unity in the country's struggle to gain independence from Russia. It is through his seven symphonies that he is best remembered.

His best-known compositions are "Finlandia", Karelia Suite", "Violin Concerto" and the Finnish epic "Kalevala". Jean Sibelius was born on December 8 and each year the nation celebrates "Flag Day" also known as the "Day of Finnish Music".
4. Who composed the opera "Carmen"?

Answer: Georges Bizet

Georges Bizet (1838-1875) was a French composer of the Romantic era. "Carmen" is by far his most success work and was first performed in Paris in 1875. The "Habanera" and the "Toreador Song" are among the best known of operatic arias. The opera is set in southern Spain and tells the story of a naive soldier, Don José who is seduced by the gypsy, Carmen.
5. In classical music who are referred to as "The Three B's"?

Answer: Bach, Beethoven and Brahms

Educators often refer to the three "Bs" (Bach, Beethoven and Brahms) when explaining the fundamentals of classical music as their compositions provide a basis for appreciation and classical music study. Although Berlioz and Bülow were added at various times in the 19th Century at the expense of Brahms, it is generally accepted the Bach, Beethoven and Brahms are the mainstay of classical music.
6. The first musical version of William Shakespeare's play "A Midsummer Night's Dream" was composed by who?

Answer: Felix Mendelssohn

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847) was a German composer, pianist, organist and conductor of the early Romantic era. Mendelssohn wrote symphonies, concerti, oratorios and chamber music. One of his best known works is his Overture and incidental music for "A Midsummer Night's Dream".

He was inspired by the play which was written by Shakespeare in 1595/96. Mendelssohn wrote the Overture in 1826 and the incidental music in 1842. Marius Petipa (1818-1910) a choreographer made a ballet adaption in 1876 and Carl Orff (1895-1982) between 1917-1939 wrote incidental music for a German version of the play. Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) adapted the play into an opera which was first performed in 1960.
7. Who composed the operas "Otello" and "Falstaff"?

Answer: Verdi

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) was an Italian opera composer. By the time has was 27 years he had lost both his children and wife to natural causes. He was persuaded to write again and began work on "Nabucco" which eventually became successful in 1842. He continued to compose operas and revisions but his greatest works were "Rigoletto"(1851),"La traviata" (1853), "Don Carlos" (1867),"Aida" (1871), "Requiem" (1874), "Otello" (1887) and "Falstaff" (1893). Vincenzo Bellini ( 1801-1835) composed "Norma" in 1831. Giacomo Puccini (1858-1924) composed such works as "La bohčme" (1896), "Tosca" (1900), "Madama Butterfly" (1904). Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868) is known for his famous opera "The Barber of Seville" (1816).
8. The ballets "Romeo and Juliet" and "Cinderella" were composed by who?

Answer: Sergei Prokofiev

Sergei Prokofiev (1891-1953) was a Russian composer and pianist. He was a creator of masterpieces across many musical genres. He is regarded as one of the great composers of the 20th century. Although his greatest interest was opera, he composed the ballet "Romeo and Juliet" in 1935 and "Cinderella" which premiered in Moscow in November 1945.

He died aged 61 on the same day as Joseph Stalin on March 5, 1953. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1844-1908) was a Russian composer and a master of orchestration.

His greatest orchestrations were "Capriccio Espagnol" (1887) and the "Russian Easter Festival Overture" (1887-88).
9. Which German composer had his own opera house built, which was called the Bayreuth Festspielhaus, Bavaria?

Answer: Richard Wagner

Richard Wagner (1813-1883) was a German composer, theatre director and conductor. He is mainly known for his operas. He had his own opera house built Bayreuth Festspielhaus which was dedicated solely to perform operas composed by Richard Wagner. The first opera performed was "The Ring of the Nibelungen" performed in August 1876. Major restorations took place in 2014 and were funded by the German government and the state of Bavaria. Bach, Brahms and Schumann did not build opera houses but their works have been performed in many around the world.
10. Which composer wrote primarily for the solo piano?

Answer: Frédéric Chopin

Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic era. All of his compositions include the piano, and most are for solo piano. His keyboard style was technically demanding and very individualistic. However, he did write two piano concertos and a few chamber pieces. George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) was a German composer who composed a series of over 30 operas. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) was an Austrian composer of the Classical era.

He is best known for his symphonies, concertos and operas. Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880) was a German-born French composer of the romantic era.

He is best remembered for his nearly 100 operettas and his uncompleted opera "The Tales of Hoffmann".
Source: Author zambesi

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor 1nn1 before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
3/28/2024, Copyright 2024 FunTrivia, Inc. - Report an Error / Contact Us