Pick Out The English Composers Quiz

Answer:

Of the English composers listed, five were born in London: Byrd (c.1540-1623), Purcell (c.1659-1695), Sullivan (1842-1900), Ethel Smyth (1858-1944) and Finzi (1901-56). Tallis (c.1505-85) was possibly born in Kent, although no records survive. Three are from the Cotswold area: Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) from Down Ampney in Gloucestershire, Elgar (1857-1934) from Lower Broadheath, Worcestershire, and Holst (1874-1934) from Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. There are two northerners: Peter Maxwell Davies (1934-2016) from Salford, Manchester, and Delius (1862-34), who was born in Bradford. Finally, Britten (1913-76) was from Lowestoft, Suffolk, Arnold (1921-2006) was from Northampton, Turnage (b 1960) was from Corringham, Essex, and Parry (1848-1918) was from Bournemouth, Dorset.

Turning to the visitors, Handel was born in Halle, Brandenburg-Prussia, in 1685. He moved to England in 1712 and lived there for most of the rest of his life, becoming a British citizen in 1727. He died in London in 1759 and is buried in Westminster Abbey.

Felix Mendelssohn was born in Hamburg, Germany, in 1809. He visited London on ten occasions, and seemed have liked the city very much, calling it "the grandest and most complicated monster on the face of the earth". He also travelled elsewhere in Britain, and the Scottish landscape inspired one of his most popular pieces, the 1830 overture "The Hebrides".

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria, in 1756. While travelling through Europe as a child prodigy with his father and sister, he spent around 12 months in London during 1764 and 1765. He composed his first symphony at a house in Ebury Street, Belgravia, at the age of eight.

Josef Haydn was born in Rohrau, Austria, in 1732. Already an internationally famous composer, he came to London for extended visits in 1791-92 and 1794-95. His last 12 symphonies, numbers 93-104, are collectively known as the "London Symphonies" and were either written in London or specifically to be performed there.

The French composer Charles Gounod was born in Paris in 1818. When the Franco-Prussian War broke out in 1870, Gounod and his family escaped with his family to London, and he ended up staying there for four years, until 1874. During this time, he became heavily involved with the musical life of the city, although an alleged relationship with the singer and music teacher Georgina Weldon was the subject of much scandalous gossip.