Composer Trivia Flashcards
Over the years, the greatest composers of our time have created countless works of art, moved thousands, and shown the world that the boundaries for music are limitless. This deck will introduce you to many of them, as well as loads of interesting facts about their lives and accomplishments.
Identify this 19th century composer
Franz Schubert (1797-1828) was an Austrian composer, who despite his early death was praised by the likes of Franz Liszt, Robert Schumann, and Johannes Brahms among others.
Identify this 19th century composer
Frédéric Chopin (1810-1849), a Polish composer, virtuoso pianist, and music teacher, was one of the great masters of Romantic music.
Identify this 19th century composer
Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) was an Italian Romantic composer specializing in opera. 150 years after his death, Verdi’s masterworks continue to dominate his field of composition.
Identify this 18th century composer
Johan Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist, who over the years created several of the most famous classical Baroque pieces of all time, bringing the genre to its peak.
Identify this 19th century composer
Johannes Brahms (1833-1891), a German composer and pianist, was a leader of the Romantic period.
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Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) was a German composer and pianist, regarded as one of the most famous and influential composer of all time. His great fame rests in the transitional period between the Classical and Romantic eras in Western classical music.
Identify this 19th century composer
Richard Wagner (1813-1883) was a German composer, conductor, theater director, and essayist known most notably for his operas, having produced such works as “Ride of the Valkyries” and “Here Comes the Bride”.
Identify this 19th century composer
Robert Schumann (1810-1856) was a German composer and influential music critic, who later worked with Johannes Brahms, helping him establish himself as an extraordinary pianist and composer.
Identify this 19th century composer
Franz Liszt (1811-1886), a Hungarian composer and virtuoso pianist, was known for his extraordinary skills as a performer, and during his life was said to be the greatest pianist of all time.
Identify this 18th century composer
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) was arguably the most established composer of the Classical era, having created over 600 works, and was regarded as the pinnacle of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music.
What was the last piece of music that Mozart had ever created?
“Requiem” in D minor was said to be his last piece, of which he had written and dedicated to himself.
In December of 1791, Mozart died at the young age of 35. Where was this great composer buried?
Unfortunately, Mozart was buried in an unmarked grave somewhere in Vienna, Austria. Although it is common belief that he died in poverty and was in turn put to an unmarked grave, this was actually common practice for all but the wealthiest members of society at the time.
At what age was it that Mozart was considered an accomplished pianist?
The age of 5. Mozart’s father, being a concertmaster, started his children with music lessons at an extremely early age. Unlike most children, Mozart enjoyed his teachings very much, which attributed to his musical greatness throughout the rest of his life.
Between the ages of 8 and 19, how many symphonies did Mozart compose?
Mozart composed 33 symphonies, representing over one half of of his written symphonies in his lifetime.
On tour with his father and sister in Western Europe, what city was it in that took young Mozart two months to complete his first complete symphony?
The city of London. During this time, Mozart’s father was recuperating from a serious throat ailment, and neither he nor his sister were allowed to touch the keyboard. In order to keep busy, Wolfgang would compose music in his head, and would have his sister transcribe it to paper.
Symphony No. 1 in E Flat, Mozart’s first symphony, was composed at what age?
Symphony No. 1 was composed at the age of 8. His first complete symphony consisting of three parts: allegro molto, andante, and presto.
What does Mozart’s opera, “Die Zauberflote”, translate to in English.
“Die Zauberfote” translates to “The Magic Flute”.
Upon the death of Christoph Gluck, Mozart was promoted to ‘Composer of the Imperial Chamber’ to Emperor Joseph II in Vienna, and was shortly awarded the Order of the Golden Spur by which Pope?
Pope Clement the XVI gave Mozart the prestigious award. The award is a papal order of chivalry awarded to those who have contributed to the glory of the Church by feat of arms, writings, and many other illustrious acts.
One of Mozart’s most famous works and world class operas, titled ‘Don Giovanni’, is the story of an infamous womanizer who gets what is coming to him. Who is this legendary man?
The man, Don Juan, is a fictional character, written about by many. He may or may not be based upon a real character.
Early in Mozart’s traveling career, he performed at the Schonbrun Palace, where he was well received and regarded very highly. At the end of one of his concerts, he jumped into the lap of a young lady and playfully asked for her hand in marriage. Who was this young lady?
The young lady was the future Queen of France, Marie Antoinette. At the time known as the Archduchess Maria Antonia, she was captivated by Mozart’s words and extremely pleased with his performance.
Identify this 17th century composer
Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (1678 -1741) was an Italian Baroque composer, priest, and virtuoso violinist born in Venice. His best known work is a series of violin concertos known as ‘The Four Seasons’, and he is recognized as one of the greatest Baroque composers, his influence widespread over Europe during his life.
Which 18th century composer used a chiroplast, a mechanism meant to strengthen the finger by stretching and lengthening?
Robert Schumann. Unfortunately, instead of helping his playing, the device ruined his playing hands, leaving him unable to properly play piano for the rest of his life.
Which German composer was it that founded the Neue Zeitschrift für Musik (New journal for music), which is still published to this day?
Robert Schumann, editing and writing much of the journal up until 1844, became a famous critic and advocate for up and coming new music.
Which German composer from the 1800’s attempted suicide two years before his death, and admitted himself into an insane asylum for the remainder of his days?
Robert Schumann. Ultimately he died from either syphilis or mercury poisoning. Mercury was at the time, a supposed cure for syphilis.
Which German composer wrote Carnaval in 1834, its entirety connected by the same recurring motif that creates a musical cryptogram related to the festival, Carnival, that takes place prior to Lent?
Robert Schumann created this brilliant work, going on to say that “deciphering my masked ball will be a real game for you.”
In 1856, East Germany mistakenly issued a set of postage stamps with the music of Franz Schubert alongside which 19th century German composer?
Robert Schumann. The two were commonly mismatched because of the likeness in name. After the stamps were in circulation, they were quickly replaced by ones featuring the music of Schumann.
Identify this 19th century composer
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893) was a Russian composer during the Romantic era, specializing in symphonies, operas, ballets, as well as instrumental and chamber music. Some of his most famous works include 1812 Overture and *The Nutcracker. *
Which 19th century composer was it who, although dying at the early age of 31, managed to create over 600 songs?
Franz Schubert managed to create all of these songs, yet during his lifetime not a one of them were published while he was still alive!
Which composer and virtuoso pianist of the 1800’s preferred giving smaller and more intimate concerts to the higher class?
Frédéric Chopin, despite his virtuosity on his instrument, disliked performing for large groups of people, and usually shied away at the opportunity.
Which 19th century composer and pianist was it that invented the musical form known as the instrumental ballad.
Frédéric Chopin, among creating the instrumental ballad, made spectacular innovations to the piano sonata, mazurka, nocturne, waltz, the polonaise, étude, impromptu and prélude.
Which composer, while still a child at age 7, moved with his family to the Saxon Palace, living on the grounds where his father taught French at the Warsaw Lyceum?
Frédéric Chopin. In 1817, the Saxon Palace was requisitioned for military purposes by Grand Duke Constantine, and the Lyceum was moved to the Kazimierz Palace, which was also home to the newly founded Warsaw University
Which Polish composer wrote the “Revolutionary Etude”, and what was the even that inspired it?
Frédéric Chopin wrote the piece after the Russian-controlled Poland attempted a revolt, whereas Russia immediately captured Warsaw. Under control of the tsar, Nicholas the First, Russian soldiers suppressed the revolt and slaughtered several Poles including friends and family of Chopin.
During his short life, which 19th century composer, after living with tuberculosis his whole life, finally succumbed to the disease and died in 1849?
Frédéric Chopin. The funeral march from his “Sonata in B Flat Minor” was played at his funeral to commemorate his passing.
What was the pen name of Aurore Dudevant, the novelist with whom Frédéric Chopin shared a long personal relationship with?
Dudevant, better known by her pen name George Sand, was greatly impressed with Chopin’s musical prowess and creativity, and they spent eight years together, departing from one another towards the end of Chopin’s life.
Attempting to attain fame, Frédéric Chopin left his home country of Poland and traveled to which city?
Chopin traveled to Paris in the1830’s, which was then the center of the new movement known as Romanticism. During this period, Paris was a hotspot for up and coming novelists, composers, and other artists.
Which city was it in that Frédéric Chopin received his childhood musical education?
Chopin received his early education in Warsaw, Poland.
Which 19th century composer had his own vocabulary for the different stages of his written works as he was working on them?
Giuseppe Verdi would call his first sketch of librettos ‘the forest’ because he knew that he would be cutting and clearing a lot, as well as having other interesting names for his many other stages of creation.
Stated in his official documents, Giuseppe Verdi recorded what profession as his own?
Verdi, one of the 19th century’s most influential operatic composers, recorded his official profession as ‘farmer’. Although he was a musical leader, the yield of his farm at home was one of his closest concerns.
