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: 06 August 2001 by Todd A
Now I think the answer should be obvious.
Posted on: 06 August 2001 by Phil Barry
Klemperer?
Posted on: 07 August 2001 by Todd A
Your turn.
Posted on: 07 August 2001 by Phil Barry
I wish it were Mengelberg!
My mind is mush...someone else take it....sorry.
Phil
[This message was edited by Phil Barry on WEDNESDAY 08 August 2001 at 04:08.]
Posted on: 10 August 2001 by Igor Zamberlan
I guess the answer is Verdi, Libera me, which became part of his Requiem.
But it's not true that the other composers didn't comply; it's only that it couldn't be performed on the first anniversary of Rossini's death, as it was planned because of financial difficulties.
The first performance of the Messa per Rossini, by Verdi and 11 or 12 other (obscure) composers, was to be in 1988. I think there's a recording of the performance, conducted by that Stakhanovist of firsts of obscure works, Helmut Rilling.
Igor
Posted on: 10 August 2001 by Igor Zamberlan
A French composer wrote an opera with a story bearing strong resemblances to Mozart's Cosi' Fan Tutte almost 40 years before him.
Name the opera and the composer
Igor
Posted on: 16 August 2001 by Igor Zamberlan
Rediscovered and recorded during the Nineties on a French label famous for its good sounding records...
Igor
Posted on: 16 August 2001 by Peter Litwack
Was it Rameau's "Zais"?
Posted on: 17 August 2001 by Igor Zamberlan
I remember at the time of the presentation of the record the label promoted it with the argument that it was a Cosi' look-alike.
Another hint: the ensemble and the conductor made only some other records for the label, before getting a contract with the French based branch of a multinational.
Igor
Posted on: 21 August 2001 by Igor Zamberlan
Just trying to resurrect the thread, really.
The answer was Dauvergne, Les Troqueurs, which was promoted by the label which recorded it in 1994, Harmonia Mundi France, as the predecessor to Mozart' Cosi' Fan Tutte. It's the story of two couples crossing, but has none of the tension of Mozart's opera. The performers were William Christie and Les Arts Florissants, who, a couple of ears later, got a contract with Erato.
I propose a new, easier question:
name the composer of the opera explicitely cited in the seventeenth scene of another famous Mozart opera.
Igor
Posted on: 23 August 2001 by JamH
I think it's Don Giovanni and Mozart quotes
himself [Marriage of Figaro] and also Sarti
when Don Giovanni calls for music.
Posted on: 23 August 2001 by Igor Zamberlan
and it's pretty explicit.
(Don Giovanni is correct).
Igor
[This message was edited by Igor Zamberlan on FRIDAY 24 August 2001 at 09:15.]
Posted on: 30 August 2001 by Igor Zamberlan
it's easy.
Just try to search for Scene 17 of Don Giovanni on Google ;-)
Igor
Posted on: 12 September 2001 by Peter Litwack
Igor-
I did as you directed - googled around for about an hour at various Mozart sites - even found the Libretto for Don Giovanni - looked up scene 17, etc. I can't figure it out. My question is this: why do you suppose this thread had fallen so low? (rife with implication).
Peter
Posted on: 13 September 2001 by Igor Zamberlan
but in
this page (Google told me about this)
there's this one:
quote:
Leporello:
Son prontissimo a servir.
(i suonatori cominciano.)
Bravi! Bravi! Cosa rara!
(alludendo ad un pezzo di musica nell'opera La cosa rara)
(the last sentence meaning "alluding to a music cut from the opera La cosa rara")
If you look at this link you will find that the music played by the band is taken from Una Cosa Rara, ossia Belleza ed Onestà (I found Bellezza both written correctly, with double 'z', and incorrectly with one) by a Spanish composer, Vicente MartÃn y Soler, who was a contemporary of Wolfgang.
As for why this thread has fallen down, I quite don't know. Maybe the question was too hard, maybe no one really cares anymore.
To try and keep it alive, I think a good question is needed, but my mind is blank by now. Peter, care to go on with one? Anybody else?
Regards
Igor
Posted on: 13 September 2001 by Peter Litwack
What mournful piece did Mozart write right after his father died?
Posted on: 17 September 2001 by Peter Litwack
Trying to keep this thread from dropping off the first page - or maybe it's time to let it die!
Hint: the key is g minor.
Posted on: 19 September 2001 by JamH
Mozart's father died in 1787.
He wrote the g-minor string quintet in
the same year.
Aside ...
I have not been able to contribute to this
forum for a couple of weeks because of a
hard disk crash.
My second disk started running scandisk [I
run Win-98] an startup and asked for 'thorough'
scan. My son ignored this so one Saturday I
tried to run scandisk and it 'stuck' at 80%. I
did lots of re-boots and eventually contacted
the computer manufacturer [who gave me a new disk
by post].
At noon my disk worked ['sort-of'] at 4pm the
computer would not boot [without disconnecting the
power supply to disk 2].
I did not expect this.
It happenned suddenly.
Have you made backups ??
James H.
Posted on: 20 September 2001 by Peter Litwack
Posted on: 20 September 2001 by JamH
Thanks Peter.
Here is a new question !
Which composer died because of
smoking [and I don't mean as a
result of a disease caused by
smoking !!]
James H.
Posted on: 29 September 2001 by JamH
A hint,
The composer went outside to
smoke and was shot by accident
[these was a curfew in force].
James H.
Posted on: 30 September 2001 by JamH
Yes it's Webern. He went outside
to smoke and was shot -- in error --
by a U.S. soldier during a curfew,
Next question.
James.
Posted on: 17 October 2001 by JamH
Sproggle was right but -- as he
said in his last post -- someone else
can ask the next question.
Anyone want to ask one ??
James
Posted on: 17 October 2001 by Todd A
An easy one: which pianist recorded the first complete cycle of Beethoven's piano sonatas?
Posted on: 24 October 2001 by Todd A
'Twas Schnabel. Your turn Wolfgang.
