What is the most difficult aria for an operatic tenor?

In summary: You're correct...He died in Brussels...marlonAnd how is it that the only two I knew, 4 and 9, have already been answered :cry:Sad that after taking music appreciation I had an idea for only 3 of them.Don't worry, you'll get the other ones...marlonAnd how is it that the only two I knew, 4 and 9, have already been answered :cry:Sad that after taking music appreciation I had an idea for only 3 of them.Don't worry, you'll get the other ones...I don't know about that. I'm terrible with names. I just have a few more guesses but I'm afraid
  • #36
marlon said:
All correct
Impossible. They're all wild guesses based on the merest whisp of information.
and YES I mean the Flemish part because his family comes from Mechelen in the Flemish part of Belgium. It was his grandfather that moved to Bonn
I picked the right composer, but for the wrong reason.

Soilwork, also guessed at Stravinsky for #5 before I did, I just noticed.

Can you answer any of the remaining 5 of the ones I posted? A couple of them are very guessable, even if you don't know the answer for sure.
 
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  • #37
2. This composer could conduct, but avoided it because he was tormented by the sensation that his head was becoming detached and floating away whenever he stood at the podium in front of an audience.

Max Bruch?
I've heard he was a shy and reclusive person; that's about the flimsiest argument I've ever made, but..
 
  • #38
No, not Bruch. Big hint: Russian.
 
  • #39
zoobyshoe said:
The trouble with this quiz is that it was clearly written by an opera freak.

Here are some quetions for non-opera freaks:


6. This extremely famous composer is complained about by vocalists to this day for having no sense of how to write for the human voice.

8. This part of his greater "keyboard study" ends abruptly, unfinished, right after the composer introduces his own name into the music.

6. i guess js bach. i read a preview of a performance of his b minor mass which said he was one of the most demanding composers when it came to singing

8. bach again. it's the last part of his art of fugue where he writes his name into the music. in german, b = b flat, a = a, c = c & h = b natural. i might have b & b flat backwards... the urban legend says that bach dropped dead in the middle of writing that piece, but it's much more likely that the last page just got lost. some think that bach left it unfinished on purpose as if to say "now it's your turn" since he liked puzzles so much.
 
  • #40
fourier jr said:
6. i guess js bach. i read a preview of a performance of his b minor mass which said he was one of the most demanding composers when it came to singing
Good guess, but no. The composer I'm talking about is not complained about for being demanding but for not understanding the specific aethetics of the human voice. In other words, his understanding of the human voice as an instument was all wrong.

8. bach again. it's the last part of his art of fugue where he writes his name into the music. in german, b = b flat, a = a, c = c & h = b natural. i might have b & b flat backwards... the urban legend says that bach dropped dead in the middle of writing that piece, but it's much more likely that the last page just got lost. some think that bach left it unfinished on purpose as if to say "now it's your turn" since he liked puzzles so much.
Absolutely right! For bonus points, 1.) How do you say "Keyboard studies" in German, 2.) What are the four parts of Bach's "Keyboard Studies" and 3.) Do you happen to know the quirky/dramatic thing Glenn Gould did when performing this last bar of music for the video camera?
 
  • #41
zoobyshoe said:
Good guess, but no. The composer I'm talking about is not complained about for being demanding but for not understanding the specific aethetics of the human voice. In other words, his understanding of the human voice as an instument was all wrong.


Absolutely right! For bonus points, 1.) How do you say "Keyboard studies" in German, 2.) What are the four parts of Bach's "Keyboard Studies" and 3.) Do you happen to know the quirky/dramatic thing Glenn Gould did when performing this last bar of music for the video camera?

1) keyboard = clavier, studies = ubung?
2) part 1 = keyboard partitas, part 2 = don't know, part 3 = orgelbuchlein, part 4 = goldberg variations
3) i know gould used to play with his face a few inches above the keys, conduct an imaginary orchestra & hum/sing along with the music but i haven't heard of anything that he used to do for one particular piece.
 
  • #42
zoobyshoe said:
6. This extremely famous composer is complained about by vocalists to this day for having no sense of how to write for the human voice.

I was going to say Bach too, until I saw that last post. Many singers comment that he did not seem to distinguish between composing for voices and instruments.

Any more clues on this one?
 
  • #43
fourier jr said:
1) keyboard = clavier, studies = ubung?
Correct! Der Clavierubung (sometimes seen as: Klavierubung)
2) part 1 = keyboard partitas
,
Right.
part 2 = don't know
Italian concerto, and Overture in the French Style (Usually included with the French Suites)
part 3 = orgelbuchlein
I'm actually fuzzy about what specific organ pieces are in part III, but you're probably right.
part 4 = goldberg variations
Right.

I made an error in asserting that Art of Fugue was part of the Clavierubung.
3) i know gould used to play with his face a few inches above the keys, conduct an imaginary orchestra & hum/sing along with the music but i haven't heard of anything that he used to do for one particular piece.
After dramatically punching out Bach's name with his right hand, Gould reaches over with the left, grabs his own right wrist, and holds the hand there, physically restraining himself from playing any further.
 
  • #44
brewnog said:
Any more clues on this one?
Although this composer had a tremendous success with one vocal composition, he didn't write nearly as much for voice, proportionately, as most famous composers.
 
  • #45
On 2) again:
I don't remember which Russian composer who was injured by a grenade; I suppose it's him.
 
  • #46
brewnog said:
I was going to say Bach too, until I saw that last post. Many singers comment that he did not seem to distinguish between composing for voices and instruments.
Vocalists, and I used to know quite a few, speak of the human voice as an "instrument" like any in the orchestra. I often heard them things like "My instrument isn't suited for that piece. That piece needs a lighter instrument." and things like that. Take two sopranos, for example: one may have an "instrument" better suited to Mozart, and the other better suited to Wagner.

The composer I am referring to is complained about, not for being difficult to sing but for producing music for the human voice that doesn't take advantage of the particular things the voice had to offer as an instrument. At the same time, everyone agrees that he was especially gifted in his writing for woodwinds.
 
  • #47
arildno said:
On 2) again:
I don't remember which Russian composer who was injured by a grenade; I suppose it's him.
Excellent guess, but no. I think you're talking about Shostakovich. You would expect what I described from a composer with a piece of schrapnel in his head, but it was, in fact, someone else. The composer I'm referring to was riddled with anxieties of all kinds.
 
  • #48
Here. I have ploverized these other two a bit to provide more clues. New clues are in red.


zoobyshoe said:
4. As a child, this Romantic composer, who is well known for his lieder is said to have been asked what he wanted to be. Pointing to a picture of Beethoven he replied: "I want to be that man."

7. This famous 20th century pianist's recording carrear was punctuated by an exceptionally satisfying symmetry.
 
  • #49
zoobyshoe said:
Excellent guess, but no. I think you're talking about Shostakovich. You would expect what I described from a composer with a piece of schrapnel in his head, but it was, in fact, someone else. The composer I'm referring to was riddled with anxieties of all kinds.
Okay, here's another guess:
Did he die on the same day as Josef Stalin?
 
  • #50
arildno said:
Okay, here's another guess:
Did he die on the same day as Josef Stalin?
No, the composer I'm thinking of did his work at an earlier time in Russian history.
 
  • #51
Hmm..
I know of Rachmaninoff, Borodin and some guy whose name starts with a G...
 
  • #52
arildno said:
Hmm..
I know of Rachmaninoff, Borodin and some guy whose name starts with a G...
Who would you say is the most famous Russian composer of all?
 
  • #53
Oh dear, it's Tschaikovsky, right?
(It fits with him being neurotic)
 
Last edited:
  • #54
arildno said:
Oh dear, P.T., right?
Correct. He once wrote a letter (don't know to whom) confessing that while he was recently conducting he had to use his non-baton hand to hold his head from floating up and off his body. Terrific stage fright.
 
  • #55
zoobyshoe said:
Vocalists, and I used to know quite a few, speak of the human voice as an "instrument" like any in the orchestra. I often heard them things like "My instrument isn't suited for that piece. That piece needs a lighter instrument."

Pretentious twonks!
 
  • #56
brewnog said:
Pretentious twonks!
Operatic circles are where the term "diva" originated.
 
  • #57
zoobyshoe said:
7. This famous 20th century pianist's recording carrear was punctuated by an exceptionally satisfying symmetry

doh! now I get it. although glenn gould recorded the goldberg variations in 1954 (for cbc, a recording that nobody knows about) it was his 1955 recording that made him famous. the goldberg variation were also the last thing he recorded, completed a couple months before he died in ~1981.
 
  • #58
Correct, Fourier jr!
 
  • #59
zoobyshoe said:
Same here. I've never actually sat through an entire opera.

What I recommend for those who are uninitiated to opera, is usually "I Pagliacci". It's very short, quite melodic and has an interesting plot.

KM
 
  • #60
Kenneth Mann said:
What I recommend for those who are uninitiated to opera, is usually "I Pagliacci". It's very short, quite melodic and has an interesting plot.
I'm not what you'd call "uninitiated". I attended Oberlin College, which you may know has a fairly prestigious conservatory of music. I did a lot of tech work on Operas, and knew half the voice majors in the conservatory. When I said I've never sat through a whole one, it wasn't for lack of oportunity. It was a deliberate choice. I just can't warm up to those silly plots, and get exited about the whole opera atmosphere as some people do.

Strangely, or maybe not so strangely, I absolutely love Gilbert and Sullivan. But, of course, that is supposed to be silly.
 
<h2>1. What is "The Classical Music Quiz"?</h2><p>"The Classical Music Quiz" is a trivia game that tests players' knowledge of classical music. It typically includes questions about composers, famous works, and musical terminology.</p><h2>2. How many questions are usually included in "The Classical Music Quiz"?</h2><p>The number of questions in "The Classical Music Quiz" can vary, but it typically includes around 50-100 questions.</p><h2>3. Is "The Classical Music Quiz" suitable for all ages?</h2><p>Yes, "The Classical Music Quiz" can be enjoyed by people of all ages, as long as they have a basic understanding of classical music.</p><h2>4. Can "The Classical Music Quiz" be played alone or with others?</h2><p>Both options are possible. "The Classical Music Quiz" can be played alone or with a group of friends, making it a fun activity for parties or gatherings.</p><h2>5. Are there any prizes for winning "The Classical Music Quiz"?</h2><p>The prizes for winning "The Classical Music Quiz" may vary depending on who is organizing the game. In some cases, there may be small rewards or bragging rights, but the main goal is to have fun and learn more about classical music.</p>

1. What is "The Classical Music Quiz"?

"The Classical Music Quiz" is a trivia game that tests players' knowledge of classical music. It typically includes questions about composers, famous works, and musical terminology.

2. How many questions are usually included in "The Classical Music Quiz"?

The number of questions in "The Classical Music Quiz" can vary, but it typically includes around 50-100 questions.

3. Is "The Classical Music Quiz" suitable for all ages?

Yes, "The Classical Music Quiz" can be enjoyed by people of all ages, as long as they have a basic understanding of classical music.

4. Can "The Classical Music Quiz" be played alone or with others?

Both options are possible. "The Classical Music Quiz" can be played alone or with a group of friends, making it a fun activity for parties or gatherings.

5. Are there any prizes for winning "The Classical Music Quiz"?

The prizes for winning "The Classical Music Quiz" may vary depending on who is organizing the game. In some cases, there may be small rewards or bragging rights, but the main goal is to have fun and learn more about classical music.

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