Masters of the Night Trivia Quiz

Answer: Queen of the Night

Perhaps the most well-known of the characters in this quiz, the main antagonist of Mozart's opera is the ruler of the nocturnal realm.

The role is sung by a coloratura soprano and is notorious for its extremely high vocal register.

Answer: Oberon and Titania

Shakespeare's beloved comedy was made into an opera by Benjamin Britten and it premiered in 1960 with the composer himself conducting the singers and orchestra.

Oberon and Titania are the King and Queen of the Fairies, and they rule the dreamworld in which the opera is set. The former role is sung by a countertenor, which is a man singing in his falsetto voice. Titania is another part to be sung by a coloratura soprano.

Answer: The Sandman

Based on the Grimm brothers' fairy tale of the same name, 'Hansel and Gretel' was first performed in 1893 after being written by German composer Engelbert Humperdinck and his sister Adelheid Wette.

The Sandman is a friendly fairy who meets the titular children in act two of the opera and makes them fall asleep by putting sand in their eyes.
In act three, Hansel and Gretel are woken up by the Dew Fairy, a character traditionally played by the same person who portrays The Sandman.

The Sandman (and Dew Fairy) is sung by a soprano voice.

Answer: Somnus

Somnus is the God of Sleep in Roman mythology, his equivalent in the Greek pantheon of course being Hypnos.

In 'Semele', Somnus lies asleep in a cave and is awoken by Juno (Jupiter's wife) at the start of act three. All he wants to do is go back to sleep, but he is convinced to do Juno a favor after she promises him a beautiful nymph in return.

The role of Somnus is usually sung by a bass voice.

Answer: Morpheus

Morpheus (other than being the name of Laurence Fishburne's character in 'The Matrix' films) is the God of Dreams in Greek and Roman mythology, and also the son of Hypnos/Somnus.

In the French baroque opera 'Atys', Morpheus and his father deliver both good and bad dreams to the hero (Atys himself).
Allegedly, 'Atys' was a favourite of the French monarch at the time, Louis XIV, also known as "The Sun King".

A tenor voice is most commonly used to sing the role of Morpheus.

Answer: The Sorceress

Henry Purcell composed this opera in the 1680s, although the exact date of its premiere is uncertain.

The story is based on Virgil's 'Aeneid' and revolves around Carthaginian Queen Dido and her love for Aeneas, a Trojan hero. The "big bad" of the story is The Sorceress, a Witch of Darkness who plots for the destruction of Carthage and its queen by tempting Aeneas to leave her.

The role of The Sorceress has actually been sung by both men and women over the years, and when a man has been cast as the antagonist, the role is instead called "The Sorcerer".

Answer: Samiel (The Black Huntsman)

Samiel (sometimes spelled Samuel or Zamiel) is a demonic spirit of German folklore who resides in the Wolf's Glen and makes deals with huntsmen. He gives the huntsman several magic bullets in exchange for his soul. This is exactly what happens in 'Der Freischütz' as well, and drama ensues!

Samiel is in fact not a sung role, but a spoken (or shouted) one, and he has no musical solos in the entirety of the opera.

Answer: Mephistopheles

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's famous play was the inspiration for Gounod's opera, in which Mephistopheles, another evildoer from German folklore, appears.
This time, the titular character Faust makes a literal deal with the Devil (Mephistopheles) - Faust employs the demon's services on Earth and Mephisto (as he is also known) receives Faust's services in Hell in exchange.

A bass-baritone usually sings the role of Mephistopheles.

Answer: Klingsor

Opera legend Richard Wagner's last work was 'Parsifal', and Klingsor is a Dark Sorcerer who lives in a magic castle which luckily sinks into the ground together with Klingsor himself after his plans are foiled in act two of the opera.

Klingsor is sung by a bass voice, and the music accompanying him is heavy and dark so as to really emphasise his evilness.

Answer: Nick Shadow

Nick Shadow certainly represents darkness - he's the Devil in disguise! He appears to Tom Rakewell, the main character of 'The Rake's Progress', as a servant and then proceeds to slowly make him go mad over the course of the opera.

This fiendish role is sung by a bass-baritone voice.