Quiz on Richard Wagner

Where was Richard Wagner born?

• Paris, France

• Leipzig, Germany

• Vienna, Austria

• Bern, Switzerland

What period of music is Richard Wagner associated with?

• Baroque

• Classical

• Romantic

• Modern

What did Wagner's teacher say about his early musical abilities?

• He was a prodigy

• He tortured the piano

• He had no talent

• He was a genius

Wagner's love of the theater was inspired by

• his father

• his stepfather

• his mother

• his other mother

In German folk legend, who were responsible for who lived and died in battle?

• The Nazgûl

• The Valeries

• The Valkyrie

• The Troll Kings

How long does it typically take to perform the "Ring Cycle?"

• 3 hours

• 4 hours

• 2 days

• 4 days

Where does the idea that Vikings wore horned helmets come from?

• Folk legend

• Archeology

• Stories from Danelaw in England

• Wagner's costume designer

What is leitmotif?

• Musical phrases which represent particular people, places or ideas.

• A piece of music with 2 or more independent melodic lines

• The art or technique of setting, writing, or playing a melody or melodies in conjunction with another, according to fixed rules.

• A refreshing lemon-flavored beverage

Which classical composer most inspired Wagner?

• Bach

• Mozart

• Beethoven

• Brahms

Wagner pioneered the concept of "Gesamtkunstwerk." What does it mean?

• Unifying all forms of art through the theater

• What Germans say when someone sneezes

• Narrow focus on one musical idea

• A political ideology