FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Quiz about Music History 101
Quiz about Music History 101

Music History 101 | 25 Question Music Multiple Choice Quiz


Remember your 'Music Appreciation' classes in high school and college.

A multiple-choice quiz by loyalty80. Estimated time: 5 mins.
  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Quizzes
  4. »
  5. Music Trivia
  6. »
  7. Other Music
  8. »
  9. History of Music

Author
loyalty80
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
86,217
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
25
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
17 / 25
Plays
1332
- -
Question 1 of 25
1. Which composer was known as a teacher, mentor, and leader of the Russian Five? Hint


Question 2 of 25
2. Who was the chemistry student/chemist of the Russian Five, and among the first to advocate the admission of women to the medical profession in Russia? Hint


Question 3 of 25
3. A military officer and civil servant, this composer of the Russian Five was known to be very 'modest'. Which composer is it? Hint


Question 4 of 25
4. Which one of these is NOT part of the life of Rimsky-Korsakov? Hint


Question 5 of 25
5. Which of these composers wrote two sets of 'Slavonic Dances'? Hint


Question 6 of 25
6. This Czecholovakian Nationalist was known as the 'Father of Czechoslovakian Opera' and wrote 8 operas, including 'The Bartered Bride'. Which composer was it? Hint


Question 7 of 25
7. Whose exposure to music was restricted to Russian folk songs until he heard operas and Haydn and Mozart symphonies? Hint


Question 8 of 25
8. Who was a piano player as well as Norway's most important nationalist-Romantic composer? Hint


Question 9 of 25
9. This Austrian composer was a great symphonist who wrote 9 symphonies. Which composer was it? Hint


Question 10 of 25
10. This Italian conservative composer of opera had others to write his libretti. Which composer was it? Hint


Question 11 of 25
11. Brahms and Clara Wieck Schumann were not only great friends, but lovers as well and married several years after the death of her first husband, Robert.


Question 12 of 25
12. Franz Liszt was a Hungarian composer, teacher, and virtuoso pianist who wrote many Hungarian Rhapsodies.


Question 13 of 25
13. Gustav Mahler, the Austrian conducter of operas, was appointed principal conductor of the Metropolitan Opera and then conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra a year later.


Question 14 of 25
14. Aaron Copland studied with Nadia Boulanger.


Question 15 of 25
15. Who wrote "Appalachian Spring"? Hint


Question 16 of 25
16. Who were the Gershwin brothers? Hint


Question 17 of 25
17. Which of these compositions is not by Igor Stravinsky? Hint


Question 18 of 25
18. Who wrote "Carmina Burana"? Hint


Question 19 of 25
19. Who wrote "Peter and the Wolf"? Hint


Question 20 of 25
20. In "Peter and the Wolf" every character has an instrument that is an example of that character.


Question 21 of 25
21. What kind of music did John Coltrane perform? Hint


Question 22 of 25
22. George Gershwin was best known for playing the Tenor Sax.


Question 23 of 25
23. Which of these composers reformed opera? Hint


Question 24 of 25
24. Fanny is the name of Felix Mendelssohn's sister.


Question 25 of 25
25. Who wrote the modern opera "Orfeo", which is based on the mythology of "Orpheus"? ("Orfeo" is Italian for "Orpheus"). Hint



(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

arrow Select a User ID:
arrow Choose a Password:
arrow Your Email:




Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Which composer was known as a teacher, mentor, and leader of the Russian Five?

Answer: Balakirev

The Russian Five were also known as Big 5, Mighty Handful, and Mighty Fist. The five were: Balakirev, Borodin, Cui, Mussorgsky, and Rimsky-Korsakov.
2. Who was the chemistry student/chemist of the Russian Five, and among the first to advocate the admission of women to the medical profession in Russia?

Answer: Borodin

Balakirev was a composer and teacher/mentor; Cui was an army engineer and self-taught composer; and Mussorgsky was a civil servant.
3. A military officer and civil servant, this composer of the Russian Five was known to be very 'modest'. Which composer is it?

Answer: Mussorgsky

Borodin was a chemist and Rimsky-Korsakov was a Naval Officer. As for Liszt, he was not a member of the Russian Five. He was Hungarian, not Russian.
4. Which one of these is NOT part of the life of Rimsky-Korsakov?

Answer: 'Father of Opera'

5. Which of these composers wrote two sets of 'Slavonic Dances'?

Answer: Dvorak

Dvorak's "Cello Concerto" is found in the film "The Witches of Eastwick".
6. This Czecholovakian Nationalist was known as the 'Father of Czechoslovakian Opera' and wrote 8 operas, including 'The Bartered Bride'. Which composer was it?

Answer: Smetana

Dvorak was hired as a violinist in the opera orchestra at the Provisional Theater under Smetana's direction.
7. Whose exposure to music was restricted to Russian folk songs until he heard operas and Haydn and Mozart symphonies?

Answer: Glinka

Mikhail Glinka's exposure to music was restricted to Russian folk songs until 1810.
8. Who was a piano player as well as Norway's most important nationalist-Romantic composer?

Answer: Grieg

Grieg's mother, who was an excellent amateur pianist, gave him his first music lessons.
9. This Austrian composer was a great symphonist who wrote 9 symphonies. Which composer was it?

Answer: Bruckner

In 1867, Bruckner suffered a nervous breakdown. He spent the last years of his life in Vienna, which in those days was "THE" place to be if you were a musician/composer.
10. This Italian conservative composer of opera had others to write his libretti. Which composer was it?

Answer: Verdi

Between 1842 and 1849 Verdi wrote 11 operas, all dealing with heroism.
11. Brahms and Clara Wieck Schumann were not only great friends, but lovers as well and married several years after the death of her first husband, Robert.

Answer: false

Johanns Brahms and Clara Wieck Schumann were the best of friends, but were never lovers and they never married, although it is known that Brahms did love Clara very much.
12. Franz Liszt was a Hungarian composer, teacher, and virtuoso pianist who wrote many Hungarian Rhapsodies.

Answer: true

Listz's teachers were Czerny and Salieri.
13. Gustav Mahler, the Austrian conducter of operas, was appointed principal conductor of the Metropolitan Opera and then conductor of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra a year later.

Answer: true

At age 20, Mahler was a conductor for operas. He's also written at least 9 symphonies with voices.
14. Aaron Copland studied with Nadia Boulanger.

Answer: true

Copland was the first American to study with Boulanger, who is known more as a master teacher than a composer.
15. Who wrote "Appalachian Spring"?

Answer: Copland

Copland wrote a series of ballets. He wrote "Appalachian Spring" in 1943-44 for Martha Graham.
16. Who were the Gershwin brothers?

Answer: George and Ira

17. Which of these compositions is not by Igor Stravinsky?

Answer: "Romeo and Juliet"

"The Firebird", "Petrushka", and "The Rite of Spring" are all Ballets by Stravinsky. "Romeo and Juliet" is an overture-fantasy composed by Peter Tchaikovsky, whose first name is sometimes spelled as Pyotr.
18. Who wrote "Carmina Burana"?

Answer: Carl Orff

The first song in "Carmina Burana", "Oh, Fortuna", has been used in many movies/films as well as background music in commercials for some movies/films. Examples: commercial - "Young Hercules" (movie version with Ian Bohen) and movie/film - "The General's Daughter" and "Excaliber".
19. Who wrote "Peter and the Wolf"?

Answer: Sergi Prokofiev

Disney did a short cartoon of "Peter and the Wolf".
20. In "Peter and the Wolf" every character has an instrument that is an example of that character.

Answer: true

21. What kind of music did John Coltrane perform?

Answer: jazz

John Coltrane is best known for playing Tenor Sax with Miles Davis.
22. George Gershwin was best known for playing the Tenor Sax.

Answer: false

John Coltrane was best known for playing the Tenor Sax. George Gershwin is best known for doing Broadway musicals with his older brother Ira.
23. Which of these composers reformed opera?

Answer: Gluck

In the reformed opera there were the following: an overture fitting the mood of the story, more use of choir, arias (opera solos) suited to the drama, a unified production, and absolutely no castrato (male sopranos).
24. Fanny is the name of Felix Mendelssohn's sister.

Answer: true

Fanny and Felix were not only brother and sister, but close friends as well. Fanny's husband was an artist by the last name of Hensel.
25. Who wrote the modern opera "Orfeo", which is based on the mythology of "Orpheus"? ("Orfeo" is Italian for "Orpheus").

Answer: Monteverdi

Source: Author loyalty80

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bullymom before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
3/29/2024, Copyright 2024 FunTrivia, Inc. - Report an Error / Contact Us