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Operatic TV Adverts & Films Trivia Quiz

Operatic aria or pieces of classical music pop up on TV advertisements and film soundtracks from time to time. I'll give you some examples. Your task is to identify the piece in its modern-day setting, the composer or, in one case, the singer.

A multiple-choice quiz by suomy. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
suomy

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
366,313

Updated
Jul 23 22

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
256

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. I am watching a re-run on the TV. It is "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life" (2003) and there is a familiar operatic duet playing as Lara spars with her butler Hillary. The adverts come on and there it is again in a British Airways advert, and then again in one for Ghirardelli chocolates. I switch channels and catch the same aria in another film, "Meet The Parents" (2000). What is that aria?
Hint

Flower Duet

Sull'aria... (On the breeze...)

One Day, Happy and Ethereal

In the Depths of the Temple

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Question 2 of 10

2. I hear a familiar duet as I walk from the kitchen. The TV is trying to sell me an Audi car whilst I wait for the film to continue. I remember that it comes from "The Tales of Hoffman" opera. Perhaps the film will tell me the name of the duet in the credits. It is Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris" (2011) and I also heard the duet earlier in the film. What is its name? Hint

"O Sink Hernieder" by Wagner

"Parle-Moi De Ma M�re" by Bizet

"Vogliatemi Bene" by Puccini

"Barcarolle" by Offenbach

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Question 3 of 10

3. Have you ever eaten a Cornetto ice-cream cone? Every time I get one, my brain echoes to the sound of: "Just one Cornetto, give it to me ...". Since Wall's corrupted the lyrics, I've forgotten the original Neapolitan version. What is it called?
Hint

O Sole Mio

Santa Lucia

Tiempe Belle

Luna Rossa

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Question 4 of 10

4. The other day I saw the French historical drama "Jean de Florette" (1986). It reminded me of a Stella Artois lager advert, which conveniently appeared during one of the intervals with its 'Reassuringly Expensive' message. My better half informed me that the musical theme for both came from the Italian opera "La forza del destino", but she wouldn't tell me whose opera it was. Who composed the opera?
Hint

Manuel de Falla

Joseph Haydn

Guiseppi Verdi

Hector Berlioz

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Question 5 of 10

5. Son Number Two is getting to the end of the "Far Cry 3" video game when familiar music sounds out - I am not surprised that it involves a helicopter scene. It is not until later that evening when the family is watching the classic war film "Apocalypse Now" (1979) that Son Number Two realises he has heard the music before. The scene has Wagner blasting out of speakers as helicopters sweep in from the sea to attack a village. Son Number Two now wonders what the name of the piece is. What is the correct answer? Hint

Ride of the Valkyries

The Raiders March

The Duel of the Fates

Song of the Volga Boatmen

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Question 6 of 10

6. Channel hopping on TV one night, I am beginning to overdose on Carl Orff. First, it appears in an advert for Carlton Draught pale lager. So I get up and get a beer out of the fridge. Next, on the Brit sitcom "Only Fools and Horses", Rodney has spied his nephew Damien which sparks off more Orff. After that finishes, "The Matrix Revolutions" (2003) is on next but not before advert for Gatorade, which gives Orff another airing. Better add that to the shopping list. Finally, it appears in the film as well. Sigh. What piece of Carl Orff's have I been listening to?
Hint

Rite of Spring

Siegfried's Funeral March

O Fortuna

Bolero

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Question 7 of 10

7. You should never do your supermarket shopping when your brain is resonating to a familiar refrain. When I came to unpack my haul of goodies, amongst all the pasta and pizza, there was Spatini spaghetti sauce mix, Doritos and Leggo's tomato paste. I sense an Italian theme here (although not with the Doritos) and caught myself trying to find out where the nearest Olive Garden restaurant was. How fickle is that? What music from Verdi's "Rigoletto" has caused this?
Hint

La Donna e Mobile

Nessun Dorma

Si Un Jour

Belle Nuit, � Nuit d'Amour

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Question 8 of 10

8. Watching a Pepsi Challenge on TV the other night, it occurred to me that both Pepsi and Coca Cola have had adverts with operatic themes as well. Coca Cola chose the melancholic "Vesti la Giubba" from the opera "Pagliacci" and Pepsi went for a modern interpretation of the "Habanera" aria from the opera "Carmen". An aural Pepsi Challenge taste test is not going to work here; instead, tell me which former member of Destiny's Child sang for Pepsi.
Hint

Alicia Keys

Mariah Carey

Beyonc�

Madonna

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Question 9 of 10

9. A few months ago I watched the 1987 film "Fatal Attraction", which stars Michael Douglas and Glenn Close. There is an element of art imitating art here as the film has an operatic theme. Glenn Close plays Alex, the spurned lover, who becomes emotionally unstable and seeks revenge. It features two arias from a Puccini opera, which tells the story of an abandoned Japanese lover who in the end kills herself. What is the name of the opera? Hint

Pepita Jim�nez

The Mikado

Madam Butterfly

Die Fledermaus

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Question 10 of 10

10. I splashed out last year and went and saw the film "The Lone Ranger" (2013), which starred Johnny Depp as Tonto. I've been watching the Lone Ranger, shouting "Hi-Yo. Silver! Away!", for so long on TV that I'd forgotten that the music actually comes from an opera by Rossini. What is the name of the opera?
Hint

William Tell Overture

Rigoletto

Barber of Seville

A Masked Ball

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

Answer: Flower Duet

Composed by L�o Delibes and forming part of his opera "Lakm�", the "Flower Duet" ("Sous le d�me �pais") was first performed in 1883. It is normally sung by two sopranos and is in the first of three acts in the opera. The "Bell Song" ("L'Air des clochettes"), from the second act, is another popular aria.

Answer: "Barcarolle" by Offenbach

"Belle nuit, � nuit d'amour", often called "Barcarolle", was forms part of Jacques Offenbach's "The Tales of Hoffman", an op�ra fantastique. He did not live to see its first performance in 1881. It is normally sung by a soprano and mezzo-soprano. It is one of the better-known barcarolles. A barcarolle is in the style of a Venetian gondolier's folk song, with a rhythm echoing the gondolier's stroke.

Answer: O Sole Mio

The original song was composed in 1898 by Eduardo di Capua with the lyrics by the poet Giovanni Capurro. The words were written first and di Capua was then asked to compose the music. It is not part of an opera but has been sung by many of the opera greats. Wall's is a Unilever brand with products sold around the world, although this does not include the Americas.

Answer: Guiseppi Verdi

Guiseppo Verdi was the only Italian in the selection. He was born in 1813 and dominated the Italian scene during in the mid to late 19th century. In all, he created 30 operas with a number of his pieces to be found in a modern-day setting; these include "La donna � mobile" from the opera "Rigoletto" and "Libiamo ne' lieti calici" (The Drinking Song) from "La traviata", which Heineken put to use in their 'Up and Under' advert.

Answer: Ride of the Valkyries

"Ride of the Valkyries" ("Walk�renritt") comes at the start of Act III of "Walk�re", the second of the four operas that constitute Wagner's "Der Ring des Nibelungen". It is based on Norse mythology. "Ride of the Valkyries" and the "Bridal Chorus" (from the 1850 opera "Lohengrin"), are probably the two best known excerpts from Wagner's operas. The "Bridal Chorus"? That's the one usually heard when the bride walks down the aisle and is often called "Here Comes the Bride".

Answer: O Fortuna

German composer Carl Orff set this 13th century poem to music in the 1930s. The poem is part of a collection of 254 poems and dramatic texts known as "Carmen Burana". Written in Latin, they are generally bawdy, irreverent and satirical in nature. Orff set 24 of them to music.

Answer: La Donna e Mobile

"La Donna e Mobile" translates as 'the woman is fickle' and is sung by the Duke of Mantua at the beginning of Act III of the opera "Rigoletto". The irony is that it is the Duke who is fickle. There is a reprise at the end sung by the Duke. Rigoletto then discovers that the assassin he hired to kill the Duke, has killed his daughter instead.

Answer: Beyonc�

"L'amour est un oiseau rebelle" ('Love is a rebellious bird') is the original name for the aria by George Bizet. The habanera is also a style of Cuban dance music dating from the 19th century. Bizet adapted a habanera by Sebasti�n Yradier to create his aria. The Pepsi Challenge was a taste test promotion by Pepsi, where the soft drinks Pepsi and Coca Cola were compared.

Answer: Madam Butterfly

Puccini wrote five versions of the opera "Madame Butterfly". The first performance (in two acts) bombed and he withdrew it and re-wrote it in three acts. The fifth version is the one most often performed.

The film gave rise to the term 'bunny boiler', meaning [per collinsdictionary.com] a person, especially a woman, who is considered to be emotionally unstable and likely to be dangerously vengeful. Watch the film if you need further details. The original ending of the film had a third aria from the opera and tied the opera and film even closer together, however it was changed after unfavourable test screenings.

Answer: William Tell Overture

The finale of the opera "Guillaume Tell" ('William Tell') by Italian composer Gioachino Rossini was first used as "The Lone Ranger" theme music in a radio series, which premiered in 1933 and ran to just under 3,000 episodes. It was Rossini's last opera.

Source: Author suomy

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ralzzz before going online.
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