Classical Quiz
Posted by: John Schmidt on 17 October 2000
Woodface is onto a good idea with his music quiz. As that thread is getting a bit long, and leaning mostly towards rock and popular music, perhaps we can start a more classical thread. Judging from the threads on Mahler and Schubert, there's no lack of knowledge. As with the other quiz, if you answer correctly, you can pose the next question. Here's a starter:
In the 1950's Emil Gilels was first allowed out of the Soviet Union to tour. This was the first opportunity for many in the West to hear a performer of the "Russian Piano School", and he played to universal acclaim. Gilels was somewhat overwhelmed, and was heard to say "If you think I'm good, wait until you hear __________" To which other Russian pianist was he referring?
John Schmidt
"95% of everything is crud" - Theodore Sturgeon
Posted on: 13 December 2000 by Former member
- minor French composer
- work named after a country
Posted on: 13 December 2000 by Former member
John.
This a silly old song, that someone like a drunken Dean Martin would sing. It goes, "Hot diggidy, dog ziggidy. Boom, what you do to me..."
Vuk.
Posted on: 13 December 2000 by Todd A
Ibert? Seems like the type of music (though not lyrics) he could write. Still stumped, though.
Posted on: 13 December 2000 by Former member
Could it be Debussy's "Iberia", on the basis that Vuk considers all French composers minor?
Posted on: 13 December 2000 by Former member
Getting close Ross. The composer's name begins with "C".
Can any of you actually hum the song?
Vuk.
Posted on: 13 December 2000 by Former member
Chabrier's Espana ?
(from the internet - and btw, during the search I came across this (which is the only one that includes the "hot diggidy, dog ziggidy" part):
What the f**k ?
Can someone plllease tell me what this is ????
Omer.
[This message was edited by Omer Shibolet on WEDNESDAY 13 December 2000 at 22:32.]
Posted on: 13 December 2000 by Former member
Yes Omer!
I can't believe that was so hard.
Vuk.
Posted on: 14 December 2000 by Former member
Two composers from different eras are still quite similar in many musical senses. While this may be subjective, a musical ensemble, that was named after one of them, was actually completely identified with the other composer.
Who are they ?
Posted on: 14 December 2000 by John Schmidt
The Amadeus quartet was renowned in its time for its interpretation of the Beethoven string quartets. My only problem with this answer is that I can't really see a stylistic similarity between Beethoven and Mozart. But I have to get back to what my employer actually pays me for, so it will have to do.
Cheers,
John Schmidt
"90% of everything is crud" - Theodore Sturgeon
Posted on: 14 December 2000 by Igor Zamberlan
but with Beethoven and Shostakovich (Beethoven Q being the quartet which, AFAIK, premiered many a Shostakovich string quartet).
Igor
Posted on: 14 December 2000 by Former member
You can argue on the similarity, but I think the fact that the Beethoven quartet premiered all but one of the Shotakovich quartets and that they were in close relation with Shostakovitch himself gives Igor the edge (sorry John).
Personally I find LvB and Shostakovich to be a bit similar : highest acclaimed works are ~ their symphonies and string quartets, and there's some similar spirit that's hard to explain, e.g. between the great Fugue and DSCH's late quartets.
So Igor...
Omer.
Posted on: 15 December 2000 by Igor Zamberlan
"Many composers could find their main themes in his wastebasket"
Which composer is purported to have said this of which one (meaning the second one's discarded themes were better than the main themes of theirs)?
Igor
Posted on: 18 December 2000 by Igor Zamberlan
Well, try, as proponent of the sentence, someone who (according to common sense) could have used a main theme, and one of his contemporaries.
To restrict the search range, try 19th century.
Igor
Posted on: 18 December 2000 by John Schmidt
Did Mahler say this about Hugo Wolf?
Cheers,
John Schmidt
"90% of everything is crud" - Theodore Sturgeon
Posted on: 18 December 2000 by Igor Zamberlan
try some 20 or 30 years earlier...
Igor
Posted on: 18 December 2000 by John Schmidt
.....puts us in the middle (I think) of the great Wagnerian-Brahmsian Schism. So how about:
1. Liszt describing Wagner
2. Schumann describing Brahms.
Cheers,
John Schmidt
"90% of everything is crud" - Theodore Sturgeon
Posted on: 18 December 2000 by Former member
How about Liszt describing Beethoven?
Vuk.
Posted on: 19 December 2000 by Igor Zamberlan
Well, yes about the Brahmsian/Wagnerian schism. Who said the sentence is one of the composers at at the center of the schism. The owner of the wastebasket is an outsider.
Igor
Posted on: 19 December 2000 by John Schmidt
1. Wagner talking about Bruckner (except that Bruckner was, if unwillingly, pretty much in centre of the Brahms-Wagner controversy).
2. Brahms talking about Schubert.
Cheers,
John Schmidt
"90% of everything is crud" - Theodore Sturgeon
Posted on: 19 December 2000 by Igor Zamberlan
Close, but still no cigar...
He's a contemporary (somewhat younger IIRC) of his, but not a German.
Igor
Posted on: 19 December 2000 by Todd A
Brahms speaking about Dvorak.
Posted on: 20 December 2000 by Igor Zamberlan
See
this link among others.
So Todd: your turn...
Igor
[This message was edited by Igor Zamberlan on WEDNESDAY 20 December 2000 at 08:49.]
Posted on: 20 December 2000 by Todd A
my brain is toast this close to the holidays, so an easy one, I think: what was Ravel's Bolero initially named?
Posted on: 20 December 2000 by Former member
I remember hearing (on Radio 3, I think) that the Bolero was based on an earlier work written for two pianos.
Is this what you are getting at?
If so, a quick look at the list his works suggests it might be 'Ma mère l'Oye', although that doesn't seem to sound like it should be very Spanish sounding.
Warm?
Jonathan
Posted on: 20 December 2000 by Todd A
I was unaware of its being based on a prior work. I am interested in the name Bolero went by before it became known as Bolero.
