Classical Music Trivia Questions
Total Questions: 181
In which city did 'The Blue Danube' make its debut?
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vienna
Which Baroque composer was taught to build and play the organ by his brother Johann Christoph?
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johann sebastian bach
Which composer, known for his 'Lullaby', was rejected for a conductor position in his hometown of Hamburg in 1862?
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johannes brahms
Which composer had some of his sister Fanny's songs published under his name, partly out of modesty?
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felix mendelssohn
Who is the Hungarian composer known for creating the 'Transcendental Studies', some of the most difficult piano pieces ever written?
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franz liszt
Which composer, who wrote 'The Firebird,' created 'Requiem Canticles' as his last major work in 1966?
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igor stravinsky
Which composer wrote his last opera, 'William Tell,' while living in Paris in 1829?
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gioachino rossini
Who composed the comic opera 'Djamileh'?
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georges bizet
Which composer, known for his "Wiegenlied" or "Lullaby," remained a bachelor throughout his life?
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johannes brahms
Which musical instrument is associated with the 'Magic' in a famous 1791 opera?
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flute
What tale-spinner inspired the 1888 suite known for '1001 Nights'?
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scheherazade
In a Verdi opera, which Ethiopian slave girl meets her tragic fate by being buried alive?
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aida
Which term, derived from the Latin word for 'string,' appears in the names of instruments following 'clavi' and 'harpsi'?
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cord
Which opera features the famous aria 'Habanera'?
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carmen
Which German composer, known for his lullabies, gave his first public recital at the age of 14?
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johannes brahms
In which Tchaikovsky ballet is Act I called 'The Spell'?
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sleeping beauty
What is an extended musical work typically in 3 or 4 movements, often performed by a large orchestra?
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symphony
How many symphonies did Beethoven complete?
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9
In Act II of 'Die Fledermaus', there is a hymn dedicated to what type of bubbly beverage?
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champagne
In which Milan opera house was the opera 'Madama Butterfly' first performed on February 17, 1904?
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la scala
Which composer of the piece 'Lullaby' played a crucial role in the publication of Dvorak's 'Moravian Duets'?
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johannes brahms
Which tone poem by Richard Strauss was inspired by a novel written by Cervantes?
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don quixote
At age 13 in 1900, A. Rubenstein embarked on his first European concert tour, playing which instrument?
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piano
Which composer's 'Great' symphony was discovered by Robert Schumann in manuscript?
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franz schubert
In which Verdi opera does Odabella save a famous Hun from being poisoned so she can kill him herself?
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attila
Which work by Verdi is partly based on a synopsis by Egyptologist Auguste Mariette?
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aida
Which Bizet opera features a gypsy who is stabbed by Don Jose?
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carmen
Which folk tune mentioned by Shakespeare in 'The Merry Wives of Windsor' is attributed to Henry VIII?
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greensleeves
In the 1890s, Richard Strauss composed a tone poem inspired by which Cervantes novel?
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don quixote
Which composer, known for his lullabies, passed away in Vienna on April 3, 1897?
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johannes brahms
What is the title of Georges Bizet's last and most famous opera?
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carmen
What is the final word sung in Handel's oratorio 'Messiah'?
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amen
In the opera by Mozart, what title object was owned by the character Tamino?
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magic flute
For which opera did Verdi receive 150,000 francs from the khedive of Egypt to compose?
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aida
In which 1875 opera is the central female character fatally stabbed outside a bullring?
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carmen
Which Verdi opera was commissioned by Ismail Pasha, khedive of Egypt, and premiered in Cairo in 1871?
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aida
Which famous composer was the father of Wilhelm Friedemann and Johann Christian, who were born 25 years apart?
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johann sebastian bach
Which 1742 oratorio includes the choruses 'And he shall purify' and 'He hath borne our griefs'?
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messiah
Who is the Spanish guitarist known for arranging works by Bach and Haydn, and gave his first concert in Granada in 1909?
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segovia
Which 1791 Mozart opera is considered the greatest example of Zauberoper, or 'Magic Opera'?
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magic flute
In 'The Tales of Hoffman,' what type of mechanical being does Hoffman fall in love with?
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doll
In which Handel work is the Hallelujah Chorus found at the end of Part II?
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messiah
Who is the Indian-born music director of the Israel Philharmonic who also conducts the New York Philharmonic?
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zubin mehta
Which composer wrote the rhapsodies for the 1930 ballet 'Carnival at Pest' that is set in Hungary?
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franz liszt
In which Verdi opera did Placido Domingo play Radames in a 1987 production staged at the Temple of Luxor?
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aida
Who is the composer known for creating 'The Four Seasons' and composing 46 operas, of which only 21 scores have survived?
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antonio vivaldi
In the operetta 'A Waltz Dream', which city does a waltz symbolize a nostalgic yearning for?
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vienna
What breakfast drink is the subject of a comic cantata written by Bach about a girl who can't give it up?
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coffee
Who was the leading Russian composer of the late 19th century known for his masterful ballets?
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pyotr ilyich tchaikovsky
Who is the composer known for his first and last full-length operas, 'The Pearl Fishers' and 'Carmen'?
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georges bizet
Which composer taught Ralph Vaughn Williams in Paris and is known for composing 'Bolero'?
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maurice ravel
What is the title of the Stravinsky ballet, his first, that is based on the legend of the Zhar-Ptitsa, a creature with wings of flame?
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firebird
Which composer's opera 'Rigoletto' is based on Victor Hugo's play 'Le Roi S'Amuse' ('The King Amuses Himself')?
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giuseppe verdi
Which classical composer went to live and study with his brother, Johann Christoph, after the death of his father in 1695?
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johann sebastian bach
What is the name of the violin maker associated with 'The Swan', labeled 'D' Anni 93' and dated 1737, believed to be his last violin?
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stradivarius
Who composed the piece 'Bolero' which was originally written as a ballet in 1928?
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maurice ravel
Which composer wrote 'Il Trovatore,' which includes the famous 'Anvil Chorus' enjoyed by male choirs worldwide?
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giuseppe verdi
With whom did Charles-Marie Widor and his pupil Albert Schweitzer collaborate to edit the organ works of which composer?
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johann sebastian bach
In which Tchaikovsky ballet is the main character awakened by a kiss?
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sleeping beauty
The symphony known as La Poule or 'The Hen' is one of the 6 named for what capital city?
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paris
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