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Quiz about Operatic History  the Sixteenth Century
Quiz about Operatic History  the Sixteenth Century

Operatic History - the Sixteenth Century Quiz


Here's another instalment in my series about operas and musical theatre plays named after historical events and people. As always, the operatic background was provided by "The Great Opera Book" and www.operone.de.

A multiple-choice quiz by JanIQ. Estimated time: 9 mins.
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Author
JanIQ
Time
9 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
255,538
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
20
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
13 / 20
Plays
877
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
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Question 1 of 20
1. Sir Julius Benedict composed in 1830 an opera named "I Portughesi in Goa" ("The Portuguese in Goa"). Indeed, Portugal occupied a colony in the Indian region of Goa from 1510 until 1962. Who was the first commander at Goa? Hint


Question 2 of 20
2. In 1519, a world famous woman passed away. She was the daughter of Pope Alexander VI, and had another Pope in the family as well. Some historical sources have given her the reputation of a scheming poisoner, but probably this reputation is false. What was the name of this Duchess of Ferrara? Gaetano Donizetti named an opera after her in 1833. Hint


Question 3 of 20
3. Gaspare Spontini dedicated in 1809 an opera to a Spanish conquistador. In 1781 Spontini's colleague, Nicolo Antonio Zingarelli, had already composed an opera named after the adversary of Spontini's protagonist: the Aztec Emperor Montezuma II (1466-1520). Who was the Spanish conquistador who inspired Spontini? As his first name has various orthographies, please only give his surname.

Answer: (One Word - Surname Only)
Question 4 of 20
4. Ebbe Hamerik completed in 1939 an opera named after one of the most prominent Renaissance artists. This Italian is known for two major paintings, one of which can be admired at the Louvre Museum in Paris. Dan Brown wrote a novel containing this artist's name. Who was this artist? Hint


Question 5 of 20
5. Giacomo Meyerbeer produced in 1849 the opera "Le Prophète". This opera deals with the Dutch Anabaptist Jan Beuckelszoon. Beuckelszoon was crowned King of Münster in 1535 and tried to found there a theocracy. However, he was murdered soon after his coronation. From which Dutch city did Beuckelszoon come? Hint


Question 6 of 20
6. Oswald Jaeggi composed in 1961 an opera named after an English philosopher and humanist. The lawyer we're looking for advised King Henry VIII from 1529 until 1533. His major opus is the novel "Utopia". What is the name of this philosopher?

Answer: (Two or Three Words)
Question 7 of 20
7. Henry VIII had six wives. There were operas named after Henry and two of his wives, but no opera was ever named after his best known wife Anna Boleyn.


Question 8 of 20
8. In 1875 the lyrical drama "Gustavo Wasa" by Filippo Marchetti had its first night. This opera was named after the founder of a new dynasty. In which country did the title figure of this opera became King in 1523? Hint


Question 9 of 20
9. Alfred Mendelssohn completed in 1964 an opera named after the best known Italian sculptor of all times. This sculptor was appointed by Pope Julius II to decorate the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, a mission he completed under some protest. Who was this Renaissance artist?

Answer: (One or Two Words - First Name, Second Name or Both)
Question 10 of 20
10. In 1760, Baldassare Galuppi named a musical drama after the Turkish sultan who conquered almost all of Hungary. This sultan is best known for his interest in art. Who was this sultan, who died in 1566? Hint


Question 11 of 20
11. In 1566, the Spanish King Philip II appointed Don Alvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alva, as governor for the Netherlands. Alva's main task was to suppress the Protestants. But his fanatical behaviour led to the disagreement of a number of local nobles. Alva had two noblemen beheaded in 1568: the Count of Hoorn and his friend, after whom Arthur Meulemans named a music theatre play. Who was this other count beheaded on June 5th, 1568? Hint


Question 12 of 20
12. Jean Absil composed in 1950 a radio play named after a Flemish painter, member of a painting dynasty. The painter we're looking for was well known for his illustrations of rural life. His masterpieces include "Boerenbruiloft" ("Peasant Wedding", 1568) and "Spreekwoorden" ("Netherlandish Proverbs", 1559). Who was this sixteenth-century painter, living in the vicinity of Brussels? Hint


Question 13 of 20
13. Hector Berlioz completed in 1838 an opera about an Italian sculptor. Who was this sculptor, who died in 1571? The libretto of the opera is based upon the autobiography of the sculptor, one of the first autobiographies to be conserved. Hint


Question 14 of 20
14. The Turkish fleet was defeated in 1571 by a Christian coalition led by Don Juan de Austria. This naval battle inspired Thomas Genoves Lapetra in 1836. Near which Greek village did this naval battle took place? The title of the opera mentions this village. Hint


Question 15 of 20
15. In 1836, Giacomo Meyerbeer dedicated an opera to Saint Bartholomew's Night: the massacre on French Protestants during the night of August 23rd- August 24th, 1572. The title of Meyerbeer's opera refers to the specific French denomination for "Protestants" - a word that has never been used for non-French Protestants. What is this word? Please use the FRENCH orthography. By the way, the English orthography is just the same.

Answer: (One Word - Plural Counts Nine Letters)
Question 16 of 20
16. Richard Wagner based his operas mostly on German myth. Only a few of his operas were based upon real facts. The opera I hint at in this question, deals with a singing contest in a famous German city. One of the characters in this opera is Hans Sachs (1494-1576), a singer-songwriter, poet and cobbler in this city. This city which is given in the title of this opera played an important part in the history and rituals of the Nazi party. Which is it? Hint


Question 17 of 20
17. Heinrich Hoffman composed in 1882 an opera about a Dutch prince who led the rebellion during the start of the Eighty Years' War. Who was this Dutch prince? Hint


Question 18 of 20
18. An opera composed by Georges Bizet in 1865, finally had its first performance in 1946. Subject of this opera was the first Russian Czar, who ruled Russia from 1533 until 1584. Who was this Czar, nicknamed "The Terrible"? Give his name and ranking (ordinal) number.

Answer: (Two Words (Name and Roman Number))
Question 19 of 20
19. Many operas were named after heroes and heroines of the literature dealing with the Crusades. But one of the most prominent authors of this literature has got his own opera, composed by Gaetano Donizetti in 1823. Who was this author of "Jerusalem Delivered"? Hint


Question 20 of 20
20. Sjarhej Albertavic Kartes dedicated in 1973 an opera to a rather obscure Italian philosopher, who was executed in 1600 for heresy. Who was this philosopher? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Sir Julius Benedict composed in 1830 an opera named "I Portughesi in Goa" ("The Portuguese in Goa"). Indeed, Portugal occupied a colony in the Indian region of Goa from 1510 until 1962. Who was the first commander at Goa?

Answer: Alfonso d'Albuquerque

Benedict (1804-1885) was born in Stuttgart (Germany) and died in London. He composed six operas and two operettas.
D'Albuquerque (1453-1515) was the first leader of the important colony of Goa. The others are no Portuguese colonists, but Italian and Spanish adventurers. By the way, the first Archbishop of Goa was another member of the d'Albuquerque family: Joao Alfonso was prelate of Goa from 1538 until 1553.
Vespucci (1451-1512) was an Italian who proved that Columbus had found a new continent, and not an already known country. In honour of Vespucci a German cartographer named the continent after Vespucci's Christian name.
Pigafetta (1491-1534) was an Italian who sailed with Magellan. He was one of the eighteen survivors of this first trip around the world, completed by Elcano.
Pizarro (about 1471-1541) was a Spanish conquistador. He conquered the Inca Empire in 1532 and founded the city of Lima in 1535.
2. In 1519, a world famous woman passed away. She was the daughter of Pope Alexander VI, and had another Pope in the family as well. Some historical sources have given her the reputation of a scheming poisoner, but probably this reputation is false. What was the name of this Duchess of Ferrara? Gaetano Donizetti named an opera after her in 1833.

Answer: Lucrezia Borgia

Donizetti (1797-1848) was a prolific Italian composer, who created at least seventy operas. His best known works are "L'Elisir d'Amore" ("The Love Potion") and "Lucia di Lammermoor" ("Lucia of Lammermoor").
Lucrezia Borgia (1480-1519) was the daughter of Pope Alexander VI and distant relative of Pope Callist III. After several betrothals and two (or three?) brief marriages, she was married to Alfonso d'Este, the Duke of Ferrara. In this quality, she took it upon herself to sponsor some artists.
Catharine de Medici (1519-1589) was also related to two Popes. The Medici family provided the Popes Leo X and Clement VII. Catharine married King Henry II of France and continued after his death to manipulate French politics.
Elisabeth Farnese (1692-1766) had only one Pope in her family: Pope Paul III. Elisabeth became Queen of Spain.
Katharina von Bora (1499-1552) had no papal relatives. She was a German nun who entered history books as the wife of Martin Luther (1483-1546).
3. Gaspare Spontini dedicated in 1809 an opera to a Spanish conquistador. In 1781 Spontini's colleague, Nicolo Antonio Zingarelli, had already composed an opera named after the adversary of Spontini's protagonist: the Aztec Emperor Montezuma II (1466-1520). Who was the Spanish conquistador who inspired Spontini? As his first name has various orthographies, please only give his surname.

Answer: Cortez

Spontini (1774-1851) was an Italian composer, who created nine operas.
Zingarelli (1752-1837) was also an Italian composer, who left us about 35 operas. However, www.operone.de lists only five of these compositions.
Ferdinand Cortez (1485-1547) was also known as Hernan, Hernando or Ferdinando. He landed in Mexico in 1519 and subdued the Aztecs in only two years. There is an element of superstition in this conquest: the Aztecs believed their god Quetzalcoatl would enter the country from the East, dressed as a white man with a beard, on exactly the date Cortez (a bearded European) arrived. However, it is quite clear that Cortez subdued the Aztecs because of the better equipment of his army and his policy of "divide and rule".
4. Ebbe Hamerik completed in 1939 an opera named after one of the most prominent Renaissance artists. This Italian is known for two major paintings, one of which can be admired at the Louvre Museum in Paris. Dan Brown wrote a novel containing this artist's name. Who was this artist?

Answer: Leonardo da Vinci

Hamerik (1898-1951) was a Danish composer. He completed six operas.
Da Vinci's masterpieces include the fresco of "The Last Supper" near Milan, and the "Mona Lisa". This latter painting is unscathed, whereas "The Last Supper" is almost completely ruined due to the experimental techniques Da Vinci used. Da Vinci lived from 1452 until 1519 and inspired Dan Brown for his "The Da Vinci Code".
Bernini (1598-1680) was an Italian architect and sculptor. Several of his famous sculptures lead the way through Rome in Dan Brown's novel "Angels and Demons". Bernini also left us several paintings and some rhyming comedies.
Raphael (1483-1529), as we know Raphaello Santi, was a prolific Italian painter. In spite of his rather short lifespan, he would have left over 1200 paintings.
Donato di Niccolo di Betto Bardi (1386-1466) is better known by the name Donatello. He was an Italian sculptor. His masterpiece, the "Gattamelata", is an equestrian statue of an Italian warrior. His version of "David" is also one of the classic Renaissance statues.
5. Giacomo Meyerbeer produced in 1849 the opera "Le Prophète". This opera deals with the Dutch Anabaptist Jan Beuckelszoon. Beuckelszoon was crowned King of Münster in 1535 and tried to found there a theocracy. However, he was murdered soon after his coronation. From which Dutch city did Beuckelszoon come?

Answer: Leiden

Meyerbeer (1791-1864) was a German composer, who worked mostly in France. He left us sixteen compositions for stage music. His masterpiece is "L'Africaine" with the famous tenor aria "O Paradis".
Jan Beuckelszoon (1509-1536) came from Leiden. His full name is by the way "Jan Beuckelszoon van Leiden". He was a gifted orator. In fact, the Dutch language has an expression named after him: a "jantje-van-leiden" (in which "jantje" means "Little John") is an elaborate excuse.
6. Oswald Jaeggi composed in 1961 an opera named after an English philosopher and humanist. The lawyer we're looking for advised King Henry VIII from 1529 until 1533. His major opus is the novel "Utopia". What is the name of this philosopher?

Answer: Thomas More

Jaeggi (1913-1963) was a Swiss composer. He completed two operas.
Thomas More (born in 1477 or 1478 - died 1535) was Chancellor to King Henry VIII from 1529 until 1532. He quarrelled with Henry over Henry's religious reforms. Thomas especially deplored Henry's position as head of the Anglican Church. This quarrel led to Thomas' dismissal and, a few years later, Thomas was executed for treason.
Thomas was canonised by the Roman Catholic Church in 1935. His name day is celebrated on June 22nd.
7. Henry VIII had six wives. There were operas named after Henry and two of his wives, but no opera was ever named after his best known wife Anna Boleyn.

Answer: False

Henry VIII (1491-1547) was married in turn to Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr. Two of his wives were beheaded for "treason" (and adultery): Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard.
The French composer Camille Saint-Saens (1835-1921) dedicated an opera to Henry VIII. The first night of this opera was in 1883.
The English composer Henry Litolff (1818-1891) created in 1847 an opera on the life of Catherine Howard.
And the Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848) completed in 1830 an opera by the name "Anna Bolena" ("Anne Boleyn").
8. In 1875 the lyrical drama "Gustavo Wasa" by Filippo Marchetti had its first night. This opera was named after the founder of a new dynasty. In which country did the title figure of this opera became King in 1523?

Answer: Sweden

Marchetti (1831-1902) was an Italian composer who left us two operas and five lyrical dramas. His best known work is the drama "Ruy Blas" (1869).
Gustav Vasa (1496-1560) founded a dynasty that ruled Sweden until 1654. His family also provided the Polish kings from 1587 until 1668.
In 1523, Spain was governed by King Charles I (1500-1558). This same man ruled the Holy Roman Empire (Central Europe and Northern Italy) under the name Charles V.
The French opponent of Charles V was King Francis I (1494-1547), who ascended the throne in 1515 - the year before Charles became King of Spain. These two monarchs had almost constantly arguments and skirmishes.
Russia was in 1523 not yet a political unity. There were several monarchs who ruled only one city. The most important Russian cities were Moscow and Kiev (nowadays situated in Ukraine). Grand Duke Basil III (1505-1533) ruled over Moscow in 1523.
9. Alfred Mendelssohn completed in 1964 an opera named after the best known Italian sculptor of all times. This sculptor was appointed by Pope Julius II to decorate the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, a mission he completed under some protest. Who was this Renaissance artist?

Answer: Michelangelo Buonarroti

Alfred Mendelssohn (1910-1966) was a Czech composer. He completed four operas, one operetta and two ballets. I haven't found any proof that he was related to the famous Austrian composer Felix Mendelssohn.
Michelangelo (1475-1564) would like to be remembered only by his sculptures, among which his masterpieces the "David" and the "Pieta".
But the Sistine Chapel proves that his talents included painting also. The Sistine Chapel displays two magnificent frescos by Michelangelo: "Genesis" (the ceiling) and "The Last Judgement" (the altar wall).
Michelangelo also worked as an architect, for example for the Dome of Saint Peter's Church at Rome (at the request of Pope Paul III).
10. In 1760, Baldassare Galuppi named a musical drama after the Turkish sultan who conquered almost all of Hungary. This sultan is best known for his interest in art. Who was this sultan, who died in 1566?

Answer: Suleiman I

Galuppi (1706-1785) was a prolific Italian composer living near Venice. He completed over ninety original compositions (this means, without revised editions).
Osman I founded the Ottoman Empire around 1300.
Mehmed II (1432-1481) was the sultan who conquered Byzantium in 1453. He then made this city the capital of his sultanate.
Mehmed IV (1642-1692 or 1693) was one of the last Ottoman sultans to advance in Europe. He besieged Vienna in 1683, but was routed by the Polish King Jan III Sobieski (1629-1696) and Prince Eugene of Savoy.
Suleiman I (1494-1566) conquered Hungary in 1529. In the Western world he is nicknamed Suleiman the Magnificent, for his patronage of poets, painters and other artists. The Arabic world knows him as Suleiman the Lawgiver: he codified most legal questions in which the Islamic law, the Shari'ah, does not provide for a solution.
11. In 1566, the Spanish King Philip II appointed Don Alvarez de Toledo, Duke of Alva, as governor for the Netherlands. Alva's main task was to suppress the Protestants. But his fanatical behaviour led to the disagreement of a number of local nobles. Alva had two noblemen beheaded in 1568: the Count of Hoorn and his friend, after whom Arthur Meulemans named a music theatre play. Who was this other count beheaded on June 5th, 1568?

Answer: Lamoral of Egmont

Meulemans (1884-1966) was a Belgian composer. He created one opera, one lyrical drama and one lyrical tragedy, as well as incidental music for theatre plays.
Alva (1507-1582) governed the Netherlands until 1573. Donizetti (1797-1848) named an opera after him. The harsh measures taken by Alva led to the Eighty Years' War (1568-1648) and eventually the Dutch independence.
Egmont (1522-1568) was one of the first nobles to condemn Alva's tyranny. Most of his fellow rebels fled the country, but Egmont reckoned Alva would not have him executed. After all, Egmont was an important noble who had accomplished many victories for King Charles V, and he claimed not to have broken any law. Alas, Egmont had gambled in vain.
Brederode (1531-1568) and Marnix (1540-1598) were also vivid opponents to Alva. They joined William the Silent in exile in 1568. Marnix is claimed to have written the lyrics of the Dutch national anthem "Wilhelmus".
Berlaymont (1510-1578) was one of the prominent local nobles who supported the Governor. The building in Brussels which houses the European Commission was probably named after him.
12. Jean Absil composed in 1950 a radio play named after a Flemish painter, member of a painting dynasty. The painter we're looking for was well known for his illustrations of rural life. His masterpieces include "Boerenbruiloft" ("Peasant Wedding", 1568) and "Spreekwoorden" ("Netherlandish Proverbs", 1559). Who was this sixteenth-century painter, living in the vicinity of Brussels?

Answer: Peter Brueghel the Elder

Absil (1893-1974) was a Belgian composer. He composed two radio plays, one opera, one fairy tale in music, one lyrical comedy and three ballets.
Quellin (1609-1668) and his nephew Artus Quellin the Younger were famous sculptors, no painters. They came from Antwerp.
Peter Pourbus (1510-1584), his son Francis the Elder and his grandson Francis the Younger were notorious portraitists near Bruges.
Rubens (1577-1640) is of course the best known of these artists. This greatest Belgian painter lived mostly in Antwerp. There is no immediate relative of Rubens who took up painting. Rubens also performed several diplomatic missions.
Peter Brueghel the Elder (1525-1569), his eldest son Peter Brueghel the Younger and his youngest son John had all quite different styles in painting. Peter the Younger depicted many scenes from Hell and was therefore nicknamed "The Infernal Brueghel". John specialised in quiet landscapes and floral ornaments.
13. Hector Berlioz completed in 1838 an opera about an Italian sculptor. Who was this sculptor, who died in 1571? The libretto of the opera is based upon the autobiography of the sculptor, one of the first autobiographies to be conserved.

Answer: Benvenuto Cellini

Berlioz (1803-1869) was a French composer who preferred dramatic music. He created four operas and one lyrical drama - the latter being his masterpiece: "La Damnation de Faust" ("The Damnation of Faust").
Cellini (1500-1571) was an Italian sculptor and goldsmith. His most famous sculpture depicts the Greek hero Perseus after he has beheaded Medusa. Cellini's best known masterpiece is probably a salt cellar made entirely of pure gold created for the French King Francis I.
The other options I gave are Spanish painters: Velazquez (1599-1660), Goya (1746-1828) and El Greco (born as Theotokopoulos between 1541 and 1550 - died 1614).
14. The Turkish fleet was defeated in 1571 by a Christian coalition led by Don Juan de Austria. This naval battle inspired Thomas Genoves Lapetra in 1836. Near which Greek village did this naval battle took place? The title of the opera mentions this village.

Answer: Lepanto

Lapetra (1805-1861) was a Spanish composer. According to the website "Historia de la Opera" (http://tejodiaz.tripod.com/archivos/compositor.pdf) he completed seven operas.
There were naval battles near Salamis (480 BC, between Persians and Athenians), near Actium (31 BC, between the Romans Octavian and Mark Anthony) and near Lepanto (1571 AD, between the Turks on the one hand and the Holy Alliance on the other hand - a coalition of Venice, Genoa, the Papal States, Savoy and Spain).
By the way, there were also naval battles near Lepanto in 429 BC, in 1499 AD and in 1500 AD. Both in 1499 and in 1500 the Turkish fleet defeated the Venetians.
In the battle of Lepanto in 1571, the Turkish fleet and the Holy Alliance had almost the same number of galleys. However, the Holy Alliance disposed also of six galleasses - a type of galley that was better equipped. This advantage and Don Juan's strategy was the key to the victory of the Holy Alliance. The Alliance lost 50 ships, whereas the Turks lost 210.
Cape Misenum is not a Greek village, nor the scene of any naval battle. It was the most important war harbour near Naples during the Roman Empire.
15. In 1836, Giacomo Meyerbeer dedicated an opera to Saint Bartholomew's Night: the massacre on French Protestants during the night of August 23rd- August 24th, 1572. The title of Meyerbeer's opera refers to the specific French denomination for "Protestants" - a word that has never been used for non-French Protestants. What is this word? Please use the FRENCH orthography. By the way, the English orthography is just the same.

Answer: Huguenots

Meyerbeer (1791-1864) was a romantic German composer, mostly active in France.
The Huguenots were Lutherans as well as Calvinists, with perhaps a slight preponderance of Lutheran doctrine. They got their organisation from Calvinists - a type of Protestantism that arose in Switzerland. The name "Huguenot" may be a corruption of the German word "Eidgenosse" (literally "conjuror"), which was what the Swiss people called themselves. To use the word of a nationality for a religion is certainly odd, but there are other examples (for instance "Judaism").
Saint Bartholomew's Night occurred at the end of the celebration of the marriage between Henry of Navarre (later king Henry IV of France), one of the most important Huguenots, with Margot, daughter of the Catholic dynasty. This explains why Paris counted many Roman Catholics and Huguenots together, just before the civil war between those parties would raise again. During Saint-Bartholomew's night, at least 1,000 Huguenots were killed in Paris.
16. Richard Wagner based his operas mostly on German myth. Only a few of his operas were based upon real facts. The opera I hint at in this question, deals with a singing contest in a famous German city. One of the characters in this opera is Hans Sachs (1494-1576), a singer-songwriter, poet and cobbler in this city. This city which is given in the title of this opera played an important part in the history and rituals of the Nazi party. Which is it?

Answer: Nuremberg

Richard Wagner (1813-1883) composed some twenty operas, each based on a libretto he wrote himself.
The opera I refer to is "Die Meistersänger von Nürnberg" ("The Master Singers of Nuremberg") and was completed in 1868.
By the way, Albert Lortzing (1801-1851) also dedicated an eponymous opera to Hans Sachs.
Nuremberg is a Bavarian city, where the Nazi party organized its enormous rallies. (Leni Riefenstahl made a well known film of the 1934 rally). After World War II, this city was chosen for the famous war tribunal against Nazi Germany.

Munich, another Bavarian city, was the location of Hitler's failed Beer Hall Putsch in 1923.

Berlin is of course the German capital, which also served as capital during Hitler's reign.

Frankfurt is a German city that has no evident link with Nazism. It is today the financial centre of Germany (and location of the European Central Bank).
17. Heinrich Hoffman composed in 1882 an opera about a Dutch prince who led the rebellion during the start of the Eighty Years' War. Who was this Dutch prince?

Answer: William the Silent

Heinrich Hoffman (1842-1902) was a German composer who left us five operas and one operetta.

When the Eighty Years' War started, a number of Dutch nobles tried to get rid of the Spanish troops. The leader of these rebels was William the Silent (1533-1584), Roman Catholic but later converted to Protestant.

Balthasar Gerard (born 1558) killed William of Orange in 1584. Balthasar was then executed by an enraged mob.
After William's death, Van Oldenbarneveldt (1547-1619) led the Dutch revolt for more than thirty years. When religious differences arose between several factions in the Dutch leading circles,

Oldenbarneveldt chose the party that eventually lost the internal struggle. Oldenbarneveldt was arrested, convicted of treason (although without any shred of evidence) and beheaded.

Cornelis de Witt (1623-1672) and his brother Johan influenced Dutch politics only after the end of the Eighty Years' War. They were lynched in 1672 as supporters of the French cause (and this at a time France was preparing to invade the Netherlands).
18. An opera composed by Georges Bizet in 1865, finally had its first performance in 1946. Subject of this opera was the first Russian Czar, who ruled Russia from 1533 until 1584. Who was this Czar, nicknamed "The Terrible"? Give his name and ranking (ordinal) number.

Answer: Iwan IV

Bizet (1838-1875), a French composer, became world famous with his operas "Les pêcheurs de perles" ("The Pearl Fishermen") and "Carmen". In total, Bizet completed ten operas and three operettas.
Ivan IV (1530-1584) took the title "Czar of all Russians" in 1547. His nickname Ivan Grozny is not adequately translated in English as "Ivan the Terrible". In fact, the Russian word "grozny" is not easy to translate. The best description of "Grozny" would be "He that inspires fear and respect".
Ivan left a confession that he had ordered the death of 3.470 people. In those restless times, most sovereigns might have commanded more executions than merely 3,470. Even in recent history, we can name some examples of more "terrible" commanders of mass execution.
19. Many operas were named after heroes and heroines of the literature dealing with the Crusades. But one of the most prominent authors of this literature has got his own opera, composed by Gaetano Donizetti in 1823. Who was this author of "Jerusalem Delivered"?

Answer: Torquato Tasso

Donizetti (1797-1848) was an Italian composer.
Torquato Tasso (1544-1595) is the author we're looking for. He wrote the epic poem "Gerusalemme Liberata" ("Jerusalem Delivered") inspired by the First Crusade. Some of his characters include Rinaldo (subject of Händel's opera) and Tancred, who inspired Monteverdi.
Vondel (1587-1679) wrote rimed theatre plays. His masterpiece is "Lucifer", in which he treats the struggle between angels and demons.
Pushkin (1799-1837) was a Russian novelist. His works are based on the Russian history. He died in a duel in 1838. Pushkin's masterpieces inspired two operas: the drama "Boris Godunov" became an opera by Modest Mussorgski (1839-1881), and Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) composed the lyrics for an opera based upon Pushkin's novel "Eugene Onegin".
Walther von der Vogelweide (c. 1170-1230) was a German lyric poet.
20. Sjarhej Albertavic Kartes dedicated in 1973 an opera to a rather obscure Italian philosopher, who was executed in 1600 for heresy. Who was this philosopher?

Answer: Giordano Bruno

Kartes (born in 1935) is a Chilean composer, having completed up till now four operas and two ballets.
Pico della Mirandola (1463-1494) was an Italian scientist. He was never convicted of heresy, although the Catholic Church did reject some of his statements.
Savonarola (1452-1498) was a fierce orator in Florence. He admonished the clergy to re-adopt a sober lifestyle and supported the French king Charles VIII when this latter started war in Italy. Both these acts were very annoying for Pope Alexander VI. Therefore Savonarola was excommunicated and eventually burnt at the stake.
Roncalli (1881-1963) is better known as Pope John XXIII. He died of natural causes.
Bruno (1548-1600) was a Dominican friar. After having been excommunicated by both Calvinists and Lutherans, he was convicted by the Roman-Catholic Church as a heretic and thus burnt at the stake. Apparently his theological ideas did not fit into any of the major Christian religions in continental Western Europe at that time... Indeed, Bruno believed that there are several parallel worlds. This theory is very hard to grasp, especially for people living in the Sixteenth Century.

Sources for this quiz include: "World History" by Carl Grimberg, "7000 Years of World History" edited by Christoph Columbus Verlag AG, "Verschueren Groot Encyclopedisch Woordenboek", "Phaëton's Great Opera Book", "Le Petit Larousse", the Encarta Encyclopedia on CD-ROM, www.operone.de, www.Naxos.com, the Catholic Encyclopedia (www.newadvent.org/cathen) and Wikipedia (http:/en.wikipedia.org).
Source: Author JanIQ

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