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: 31 October 2000 by Todd A
An easy one: who was Suk's father-in-law? (I can't think of any really good ones right now.)
Posted on: 31 October 2000 by John Schmidt
Antonin Dvorak.

What composer actually made his living as a professor or chemistry?

Cheers,

John Schmidt
"95% of everything is crud" - Theodore Sturgeon

Posted on: 31 October 2000 by Phil Barry
Borodin? (Professor of Chemistry)
Posted on: 31 October 2000 by John Schmidt
Next question, Phil.

Cheers,

John Schmidt
"95% of everything is crud" - Theodore Sturgeon

Posted on: 01 November 2000 by Phil Barry
ACK! um..let's see...

What piece of music was composed in part to permit the composer and the soloist to reconcile, and who was the soloist?

Posted on: 01 November 2000 by Todd A
Bartok's 1st Violin Sonata is the work and Stephanie Geyer the soloist? (A wild-ass guess.)
Posted on: 01 November 2000 by Phil Barry
Todd, When I asked the question I knew there was something that I wasn't thinking of that would answer the question but was not the answer I wanted, and Bartok was exactly who I was thinking of.

However, I'd like another opinion on your answer. My (dim) memory is that Bartok wrote the piece while they were still involved, so it doesn't really fit the criteria. But if he actually wrote it to reconcile with her, it's a valid answer.

What I was thinking of involved a divorce case. And it's not the triangle of von Bulow, Wagner, and that proto-nazi hag, Cosima Liszt.

So, does anyone reading this know more about the circumstances than I do? (I guess this means, Todd, that if you had simply said 'Bartok!' with great confidence, I would have been snowed!)

Thanks.

Phil

[This message was edited by Phil Barry on WEDNESDAY 01 November 2000 at 16:27.]

[This message was edited by Phil Barry on WEDNESDAY 01 November 2000 at 16:31.]

Posted on: 02 November 2000 by Igor Zamberlan
but the response to my Cage question was correct. (I had some PC problems)

Regards
Igor

Posted on: 02 November 2000 by Phil Barry
The answer I was looking fro was Brahm's Double Concerto. A letter Brahms wrote was apparently used against Joachim in Joachim's divorce case. This broke the relationship with Brahms. The cellist of teh Joachim Quartet asked for a cello concerto; Brahms offered a double concerto. Joachim accepted, and the relationship started again.

Regards.

Phil

Posted on: 03 November 2000 by Phil Barry
Hmmm...ok. Name 3 resources for getting information of Furtwangler's discography.

I've got the answer for this one. I'd be delighted if we got a top 3 resources for Toscanini, Stoky, Erich Kleiber, Weingartner, Koussevitsky, Mengleberg, etc. I'd like to ignore Karajan, but some may be interested....I guess I'm just too lazy to look this stuff up myself.

Regards.

Posted on: 06 November 2000 by Todd A
1.) The internet
2.) The library
3.) The bookstore

But seriously, it looks like no one knows. So let's move this topic along rather than let it die. I got an easy question: to whom did Prokofiev dedicate his ninth piano sonata?

Posted on: 06 November 2000 by Phil Barry
Todd is absolutely correct. Let's move on.

But here are some better answers to my question:
1) http://www.fornax.hu/wfsh/disco.html
2) The Furtwangler Record, John Ardoin
3) Wilhem Furtwangler-a Discography, Rene Tremine

Posted on: 06 November 2000 by Todd A
Richter. Your question Omer.
Posted on: 07 November 2000 by Nigel Cavendish
Was he electrocuted because he was a bad conductor?

cheers

Nigel

Posted on: 08 November 2000 by John Schmidt
quote:
Which musical work was described by Clara Schumann as "gruesome", as making her feel "quite ill", and as "just empty noise, not a single wholesome idea, everything in confusion, impossible to find any clear harmonic sequence in it"?

An educated guess: Wagner's Tristan and Isolde

For what it's worth, here's my reasoning. Clara Schumann, along with her husband Robert and Johannes Brahm's, represented the classical influence in romantic music, and emphasized the importance of order and clear structure in harmonic progression and phrasing. The Liszt-Wagner school explored ever more use of chromaticism, and looser forms. Tristan was a new milestone in this kind of writing, being filled with harmonic structures and phrases without clear resolution.

Cheers,

John Schmidt
"95% of everything is crud" - Theodore Sturgeon

Posted on: 11 November 2000 by John Schmidt
OK, not Wagner (or, at least, not Tristan), but I assume part of the so-called Wagnerian rather than Brahmsian camp. So here's two more educated guesses:

Hector Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique
Franz Liszt: Les Preludes

Cheers,

John Schmidt
"95% of everything is crud" - Theodore Sturgeon

Posted on: 15 November 2000 by Paul B
Lohengrin & Elsa

New question: Name two Canadian tenors and the three identical roles that they performed that brought them international fame.

[This message was edited by Paul Byron on THURSDAY 16 November 2000 at 04:03.]

Posted on: 16 November 2000 by John Schmidt
My guess:

Tenors: Jon Vickers and Ben Heppner
Roles: Tristan, Meistersinger, Peter Grimes

quote:
There are two Canadian tenors?

Ross,
Yes. And don't forget Louis Quillico, also of international stature in his day.

Cheers,

John Schmidt
"95% of everything is crud" - Theodore Sturgeon

Posted on: 16 November 2000 by Paul B
Right you are, John. I was thinking of Florestan as well.

Paul

Posted on: 16 November 2000 by John Schmidt
Moving away from Opera:

Ravel's orchestration of Mussorgsky's "Pictures at an Exhibition" is the only one known to modern audiences. Who else produced an orchestration of this work, but later forbade its performance in deference to Ravel's superior treatment?

Cheers,

John Schmidt
"95% of everything is crud" - Theodore Sturgeon

[This message was edited by John Schmidt on FRIDAY 17 November 2000 at 13:05.]

Posted on: 16 November 2000 by Todd A
Lawrence Leonard?
Posted on: 17 November 2000 by John Schmidt
quote:
Who else produced an orchestration of this work, but later forbade its performance in deference to Ravel's superior treatment?

Just to keep things moving, the answer is Sir Henry Wood. Here is something easier, still staying with Pictures at an Exhibition:

1. What event prompted Mussorgsky to write the original solo piano version?

2. Who asked Ravel to orchestrate it?


Bonus: (not needed to pose the next question) for what other unlikely instrument did Kazuhito Yamashita arrange this piece?

Cheers,

John Schmidt
"95% of everything is crud" - Theodore Sturgeon

Posted on: 17 November 2000 by Pete, Mad Bad and Dangerous to Know
Hi,

The paintings where by Victor Hartmann, thats as much as I can remember.

pete

Posted on: 17 November 2000 by Phil Barry
If I'm right, someone else will have to ask the next question.

Serge Koussevitsky? (i.e. requested Ravel to orchestrate Pictures)

Phil

Thanks for this thread - it's agood education.

Posted on: 17 November 2000 by Todd A
Prokofiev.

Since I can't think of a good question, I'll defer my question back to you Ross.