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Famous First Symphonies Trivia Quiz

Every composer who wrote a symphony had to write a first one. Some are still regularly performed. Match the descriptions of these first symphonies with their composers.

A matching quiz by madfilkentist. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
madfilkentist

Time
4 mins

Type
Match Quiz

Quiz #
420,464

Updated
Jul 23 25

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
8 / 10

Plays
85

Awards
Top 5% quiz!

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Questions		Choices
1. Shocking and fantastic for its time, this composer's first symphony presents an extravagant story of unrequited love, drugs, and an execution.		Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky
2. The first symphony by this famous composer follows Haydn's model but starts to reach in new directions, including a very fast "minuet." It only hints at the innovations that would come in his later symphonies.		Ludwig van Beethoven
3. This composer's first symphony was big, though not as big as some of his later ones. It includes a funeral march based on the round "Fr�re Jacques."		Johannes Brahms
4. The only symphony by this composer was the first symphony by an American woman to be published and performed by a major orchestra.		Sergei Prokofiev
5. During World War I, this Russian composer wrote a short symphony suggesting but not imitating the style of classical composers Haydn and Mozart. It's better known by its nickname than its number.		Georges Bizet
6. This astonishing musician already had a reputation as a performer when he wrote his first symphony at the age of eight.		Hector Berlioz
7. "Behold the sea!" These are the first words sung in the first symphony by this British composer. The work features an orchestra, a chorus, and solo singers.		Amy Beach
8. This composer struggled for decades to produce his first symphony, completing it when he was over forty years old. It was so successful that some called it "Beethoven's Tenth."		Ralph Vaughan Williams
9. The last three symphonies by this Russian composer are his best-known ones, but his first, called "Winter Dreams," still gets performed. It's notable for a waltz that foreshadows his ballets.		Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
10. The composer of this symphony, usually referred to by its key rather than its number, was better known for his operas in French. His first symphony wasn't performed until long after his death, but it's popular today.		Gustav Mahler

Select each answer

1. Shocking and fantastic for its time, this composer's first symphony presents an extravagant story of unrequited love, drugs, and an execution.

2. The first symphony by this famous composer follows Haydn's model but starts to reach in new directions, including a very fast "minuet." It only hints at the innovations that would come in his later symphonies.

3. This composer's first symphony was big, though not as big as some of his later ones. It includes a funeral march based on the round "Fr�re Jacques."

4. The only symphony by this composer was the first symphony by an American woman to be published and performed by a major orchestra.

5. During World War I, this Russian composer wrote a short symphony suggesting but not imitating the style of classical composers Haydn and Mozart. It's better known by its nickname than its number.

6. This astonishing musician already had a reputation as a performer when he wrote his first symphony at the age of eight.

7. "Behold the sea!" These are the first words sung in the first symphony by this British composer. The work features an orchestra, a chorus, and solo singers.

8. This composer struggled for decades to produce his first symphony, completing it when he was over forty years old. It was so successful that some called it "Beethoven's Tenth."

9. The last three symphonies by this Russian composer are his best-known ones, but his first, called "Winter Dreams," still gets performed. It's notable for a waltz that foreshadows his ballets.

10. The composer of this symphony, usually referred to by its key rather than its number, was better known for his operas in French. His first symphony wasn't performed until long after his death, but it's popular today.

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Shocking and fantastic for its time, this composer's first symphony presents an extravagant story of unrequited love, drugs, and an execution.

Answer: Hector Berlioz

The "Symphonie Fantastique" by Hector Berlioz broke new ground in the early Romantic Era, dealing with wild passions and stretching traditional musical forms.

Answer: Ludwig van Beethoven

There's a hint right at the start of pushing traditional bounds: The symphony is supposed to be in C major, but the first measure is in F. The third movement is really what Beethoven would later call a "Scherzo."

3. This composer's first symphony was big, though not as big as some of his later ones. It includes a funeral march based on the round "Fr�re Jacques."

Answer: Gustav Mahler

Mahler first called this symphony the "Titan" but later withdrew the title. The funeral march is very strange, incorporating not only the old round but Klezmer music.

4. The only symphony by this composer was the first symphony by an American woman to be published and performed by a major orchestra.

Answer: Amy Beach

The "Gaelic" Symphony by Amy Beach (born Amy Marcy Cheney) was first performed in Boston in 1896. As the title suggests, it draws on folk styles from Ireland. Beach was one of the first American composers to get noticed in Europe.

Answer: Sergei Prokofiev

No one would mistake the "Classical Symphony" for one by Haydn, but it's enjoyable on its own terms. With the government of Russia being completely overturned, audiences must have welcomed a piece that was just fun.

6. This astonishing musician already had a reputation as a performer when he wrote his first symphony at the age of eight.

Answer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Mozart's first symphony is a short work in three movements, competently written even by adult standards. His father probably helped him, but it's basically his work.

7. "Behold the sea!" These are the first words sung in the first symphony by this British composer. The work features an orchestra, a chorus, and solo singers.

Answer: Ralph Vaughan Williams

Vaughan Williams incorporated poetry by Walt Whitman into his first symphony, which is still one of his most performed ones. The last movement alone is about half an hour long.

8. This composer struggled for decades to produce his first symphony, completing it when he was over forty years old. It was so successful that some called it "Beethoven's Tenth."

Answer: Johannes Brahms

Brahms was terrified of writing a symphony because he felt it had to compete with Beethoven. His first symphony, when he finally completed it, was a huge success. The horn tune in the last movement is a moment to live for.

9. The last three symphonies by this Russian composer are his best-known ones, but his first, called "Winter Dreams," still gets performed. It's notable for a waltz that foreshadows his ballets.

Answer: Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Writing his first symphony was a tremendous strain for the young Tchaikovsky. The first performance was in 1868, but it didn't get performed again till a revised version got on a concert in 1883.

Answer: Georges Bizet

Bizet wrote the "Symphony in C," as it's usually called, as a student work and set it aside. It got its first performance under Felix Weingartner in 1935 and was an immediate hit.

Source: Author madfilkentist

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